December Social & Holiday Activities

Happy December everyone!

This month we will forgo our regular business meeting and instead have a social event to celebrate the season.

On our usual meeting night - Tuesday, December 8th - we will be having a Holiday Social instead of our regular meeting.   Stop by The Boston Eagle (tremont & Dwight) between 6pm and 8pm for some free pizza, cocktails, Pool lessons and some raffle prizes!

We invite everyone in Eight Streets to attend; meet your neighbors and make some new friends!
So we can get an accurate headcount, please RSVP to ESNA.DecSocial@gmail.com to secure your spot!

---

This Wednesday (December 2) SEBA presents the South End Holiday Stroll.    Take a walk through the neighborhood and visit our local stores.    The walk is  from 4-9pm with many south end businesses participating.  See this link for a flier.

AS A BONUS -  Mayor Walsh will be participating right in our neighborhood.   Starting at 4:30pm, Mayor Walsh will be at Milford and Shawmut to visit local businesses in our Shawmut business district.   If you're home from work early, come out and shop with the Mayor.


More shopping can be had at Chrismaukka - a Free holiday shopping event at the SoWa market location (450 harrison ave).  A heated tent will be in place, hosting 50 local artisans and their wares.  The Food Trucks will also be there for your dining pleasure.   This is Free and open to all Friday night through Sunday (Dec 4-6).  See their Facebook page for more information.

---

Christmas activities continue on Saturday with the 20th annual "Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour" and Christmas tree lighting at the BCA.  Starting at 3:30pm on Saturday, December 5th there will be kids activities with snacks and cider available.   The Mayor's trolley (with Santa) should arrive around 4:15 for a tree lighting and  a chance to visit the guy in red.

If you're putting a tree in your home, don't forget Christmas Trees and Wreaths are again for sale locally at the corner of Berkeley and Tremont.

---

Have a great December, and I hope you can make it to our Holiday Social!!!

(click for a larger image)

ESNA Happenings

Hi everyone,

We have a lot of neighborhood activity the next week.

This Saturday of course brings us Halloween.   If you've never been in the city during halloween before, neighbors hang out on their stoops and greet kids at the sidewalk with goodies.   Join your neighbors and combine stoops and make a fun evening of it.   Remembering, being a Saturday the kids usually hit the sidewalks a little earlier than a week night Halloween.

Ringgold park will also be holding their halloween festivities from 4-6 on Saturday.   Setup begins at 2pm if you'd like to help out.   Contact ringgoldpark@gmail.com to help out, or for more information on joining the Friends of Ringgold.


On Sunday, November 1, Watson park will be hosting a cleanup.  (Corner of Taylor and Milford) Join people in the park at 11am to help rake leaves and plant bulbs for the spring.  Afterward we'll head to Berkeley and help them plant some bulbs... contact watsonpark @ eightstreets.org if you would like to get more involved with the Friends.


Tuesday, November 3 brings us election day.   Polls are open 7am-8pm.  Eight Streets votes at Cathedral High School Gym, corner of Washington and Union Park.   This is a city election, and only City Councilors will be on our ballot.  We will be voting on our District 2 councilor, and 4 Councilors at large.  Please make every effort to vote, as city hall sees low turnout as lack of interest in all things government.


Wednesday November 4 brings us an Alley Safety Walk-through.   We'll walk through ESNA Alleys with BPD officer Richie Litto who will tell us how we can keep our alleys and rear yards safer.   These walk-throughs have been successful and informative in the past, so if you have not yet joined us for one, please come along!  This year we will walk the Shawmut alleys between Shawmut and Ringgold/Bond/Taylor, ending up in Watson park.    Meet at the corner of Ringgold and Waltham by 6:30.  If you are an abutter let us know and we can visit your specific yard...

And of course pencil in Tuesday, November 10 for our monthly ESNA Business meeting.   Agenda to come out next week.   Visit our Calendar at any time for upcoming neighborhood activities

Welcome to Watson Park

Welcome to Watson Park.

We can finally say it.   The parcels that have been informally called Watson or Taylor Park for years, are now an official Boston Park.

The properties (both properties; all 5 parcels) have been transferred from the BRA to the parks department, and are now part of the Boston parks system.  The Parks department voted to accept the land back in August;  and this month the BRA has finally filed the deeds granting the land transfer.

Thanks to everyone involved in this multi-year effort; many who have worked hard behind the to make this happen.   Many, many phone calls; gathering signatures and petitions; attending countless meetings, and enduring the challenge of navigating through many city and BRA processes spanning two Mayoral administrations.

Through everyone's hard work the land is now an official park, ensuring it remains open space parkland in perpetuity.


We are working with the city to have some kind of ribbon cutting / ceremony in the park to officially recognize the establishment of the Parks.  We will post information when such an event is scheduled. In the mean time,  Watson Park will have a bulb planting in the park 11am on November 1st. A full park cleanup will take place during Fall Boston Shines (later in November).


If you are interested in becoming involved in the forming Friends of Watson park, please contact us and we'll pass your name on.


Watson Park is located at the corner of Milford and Taylor streets, and is named after the father of long time Taylor resident Charlie Watson.

Fall Coffee Hours

Our state representative Aaron Michlewitz has announced his Fall coffee hours.   This is a change to meet with Aaron and discuss any state issues that might be on your mind.   Stop by any time during the coffee time and have a chat, or just listen.    The coffee hours are open to all.  

10/24 is right in Eight Streets at Wholy Grain.  10/3 and 11/21 are a short walk outside the neighborhood.    Hope you can make one of the events!!!

Saturday October 3^rd 10am- 12pm @ CuppaCoffee (57 Traveler Street) 

Saturday October 24^th 10am-12pm @ The Wholy Grain (275 Shawmut Ave)

Saturday November 21^st  10am-12pm @ Berkeley Perk Café (69 Berkeley Street)

September Stoop Night

Eight Streets marks the end of summer with a final Stoop Night.   This Sunday, September 20th.  Join us between 5:00 and 6:30 as the residents of Dwight street hold the final stoop night.   Come out and meet your neighbors.

Our stoop nights are a way to re-connect with your neighbors.  They harken back to the days before we were overworked and perpetually busy with technology.   Residents spent many events on their stoops enjoying the evening and chatting with neighbors and passer-bys.   (For more on our Stoop night resurgence, see our previous blog post.)

We're bringing back the tradition by holding stop nights in the summers.  We take a few nights each summer and focus on one of our neighborhood streets.

The residents of Dwight liked their first stoop night so much they wanted to host one again.   If you live on Dwight street, come out and sit on your stoop and say hi to neighbors.   If you're from our other Eight Streets, walk on over to Dwight and make some new friends!

To kick off the night, we have some host stoops who have promised to be on their stoops to meet and greet.   Look for the stoops with balloons.  Use our host stoops as a starting point for your evening, but don't feel confined by our host stoops - walk the street and say hi to everyone!!  If you'd like to be a host stoop, send an email to Bernard.  

Hope to see you there!

Sunday, September 20th
5:00-6:30pm
Dwight street.

Printable flier here.

No September meeting

Hi everyone, and welcome back after a summer break.

We're going to extend our break a little longer.   We had some trouble getting our room, and then our VP Michael is having back issues and can't chair a meeting.  We will therefore bypass a traditional ESNA meeting for September.

We do, however, till want to get together.    We're looking to have a social event in September.  (Ringgold BBQ on the 20th perhaps?)    If you're interested in helping us set up an event, please let us know.   Many hands make light work.

Our next formal meeting will take place Tuesday, October 13 at out usual Project Place location.

---

In the meantime, September begins our membership year.   Those who were members last year, we ask that you renew.  And those who have not yet joined, we invite you to join the neighborhood and become part of your community!   Your membership shows you have an interest in your neighborhood and what goes on in your community.   Your dues help support social events and local neighborhood improvements.

Head to our membership page, where you can join/renew on-line with a credit card, or download a PDF membership form you can mail in.

---

Finally, we have a little history for you.    The Leventhal Map Center  @ the BPL is putting old city atlases on-line for free.    Fine out what Eightstreets looked like in 1883.   (Dwight people click here)



Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

June Stoop Party

Eight Streets continues the Summer of the Stoop and with out next stoop night this Saturday, June 27th.  Join us between 5:30 and 7:30 on Milford  Street and meet your neighbors.

Our stoop nights are a way to re-connect with your neighbors.  They harken back to the days before we were overworked and perpetually busy with technology.   Residents spent many events on their stoops enjoying the evening and chatting with neighbors and passer-bys.   (For more on our Stoop night resurgence, see our previous blog post.)

We're bringing back the tradition by holding stop nights in the summers.  We take a few nights each summer and focus on one of our neighborhood streets.

This Saturday we focus on Milford street.   If you live on Milford, come out and sit on your stoop and say hi to neighbors.   If you're from our other Eight Streets, walk on over to Milford and make some new friends!

To kick off the night, we have some host stoops who have promised to be on their stoops to meet and greet.   Look for the stoops with balloons.  Use our host stoops as a starting point for your evening, but don't feel confined by our host stoops - walk the street and say hi to everyone!!

Hope to see you there!

Saturday, June 27th
5:30-7:30pm
Milford street.

Printable flier here.

June Business meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, June 9th, at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley).   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Social Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.


Two local projects are on the agenda this month.   Both 4 Ringgold and 287 Shawmut have projects that affect the rear of their respective buildings.  The projects' rear yards nearly abut each other.  This is also a section where buildings are very close to each other.  Both projects have abutters concerned about light, excavation and water from to-be-installed groundwater recharging.    

We encourage abutters of this block to attend to discuss these two projects.


Bernard will give a presentation on the fundraising efforts of the Dog Run within Peters Park.   They are in the midst of a fundraising campaign to raise money for both a rehab of the surface in the dog park, as well as establishing a reserve for maintenance and future repairs.

While it is in Peters Park, the dog run is privately funded - Parks Department doe snot do maintenance now repair of the dog park - all that is done with volunteers and fundraising.   for more information or if you'd like to contribute to the Dog park funs, please see peterspark.org.  


June also brings us our annual elections for ESNA officers.   The current slate (John, Michael, Ted & Bernard) will be running for office for the 15-16 year.    We will also be discussing changes in ESNA leadership.   We'd like to bring more people onto the board to help spread out responsibilities and increase ESNA neighborhood outreach.


Hope to see everyone there.



Remember to visit us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

May business meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, May 12th, at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley).   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Social Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.


A project at 4 Ringgold will also come to the neighborhood looking for project support.  The project seeks to expand on the existing rear "L" such that it wills the entire year.   Abutters to the project are encouraged to attend.


Two local speakers will be joining us.  More than Words - a non-profit empowering youth through business training.   MTW has a location on East Berkeley Street and a presence at the Sunday SoWa Market.

Also joining us is the Huntington Ave YMCA.   The NU Dorm Construction allowed the Y to completely rehab their gym space.   See what the Y can do for you.



Remember to visit us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Parks & Cleanups

Hi everyone,

Boston Shines

Mark your calendars - next Saturday come join your neighbors as Eight Streets takes part in Boston Shines.  This year we'll be cleaning out Watson park, as well as the alleys between Shawmut and Bone, and Shawmut and Taylor.   We'll also give a hand where we can with cleanups going on in Ringgold and Peters parks.   The city will provide bags and tools (ad hopefully some gloves) - we just need the manpower.

Join us and help put a Shine on the southern end of our neighborhood.   After the cleanup, Friends on Ringgold is hosting a pot luck and plant sale in the park from 11:30-2

A Flier for the Boston Shines cleanups can be found here.

---

Watson Park

Speaking of Watson Park, the city has arranged for an in-park community meeting.  The BRA ad Parks Dept. will be there, so we hope to get an update  on the status of transferring the park to Parks.  The meeting is this Wednesday at 6pm in the park.   We hope abutters and interested neighbors can attend.

---

Facebook

The South End Forum has created a presence on Facebook.  They have a Page for announcement and such, and a Group which is an open community board where anyone can post.   Visit both if you'd like to keep up on South End-wide information

South End FB Page.

South End FB Community Group.

and of course, the Eight Streets FB Page.

---

Hope we can see you this week:

• Wednesday, April 29, Watson Park Meeting.  6pm in the park.
• Saturday, May 2, Boston Shines.  8:30-noon.  Meet at Watson Park
• Saturday, May 2, Ringgold Park Pot Luck and Plant Sale, 11:30-2

April business meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, Aril 14th at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley).   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Social Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.


Our guest speaker is Frank O'Brien from the Boston's Department of Public Works.   Bring your questions and concerns for an open discussion.  (Paving, sidewalks, snow, crosswalks....)

Louane of Taylor st will update us on Watson park proposed improvements not that all the construction adjacent to the park is over.

We also have home improvement projects at 1 and 4 Ringgold street.  There will be an on-site abutters meeting at 6pm tomorrow.  Springer architects will then come to the business to talk to the general membership about the project.

We'll also discuss Boston Shines - there are several cleanups planned for the neighborhood this Spring

Remember to visit us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

March Business Meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, March 10th at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley).   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.


Our guest speaker will be state representative Aaron Michlewitz.   After some words from Aaron, the floor will be open for your questions, so bring any State Government questions with you.

Proposed local business Shawmut Yoga should be joining us to speak about their planned opening on Shawmut ave.   Feedback form abutters is welcome.    Bernard will let us know about some Peters park fundraising coming up.   And Michael will have a discussion and round table about Spring and summer planning, as well as 2015 neighborhood goals.


Remember to visit us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

No February meeting; Clean that snow

With yet another large accumulation on our doorstep, the February ESNA Business meeting has been cancelled.   We'll resume our monthly schedule on Tuesday, March 10th.     However, if anyone is interested maybe we can have an ESNA social night and complain about the snow while having some fun - Foleys has Trivia on Tuesdays, and Cathedral Station has trivia on Wednesdays...  let us know if this sounds interesting.

Speaking of snow, thanks to all ESNA residents who are clearing away all this snow.   Most of the sidewalks are looking pretty good, given the amount of snow we've been getting.   NA leaders are in contact with DPW to try and get some of the larger snow accumulations in the neighborhood removed, but as you might expect, the entire city is asking for the same.   But many City snow piles are blocking crosswalks, which can create a safety issue.

Please remember to help your neighbors whenever you can.  The 3rd storm in as many weeks is taking a toll on all of us, so help out any neighbor who might needs some shoveling assistance.   Don't forget crosswalks, trash cans and mailboxes when shoveling as well.   That can sometimes include re-shoveling crosswalks when the plow comes around again.   With no warm weather on the horizon, any path we shovel now we'll be stuck with for a number of weeks.

Even more important is clearing our Fire hydrants.   As you've seen in the news, Firefighters have had numerous instances of arriving at a fire only to have to waste valuable time digging out hydrants.   While most of our hydrants have had a basic shoveling, remember a firefighter needs to work around the hydrant.  They need a path from the hydrant to the street (we tend to shovel form the sidewalk tot he hydrant, but the firetrucks are in the streets, not on the sidewalks).   They also need to have access to attaches hoses, so at least 3 feet on either side of the hydrant are needed.   The image on the left shows a hydrant that has been cleared well.     The city has a database of Hydrants and Catch basins.   Check out the site here to find where these resources are in our neighborhood.    *Flash required to see the map)


The city snow page are your resource for the latest snow emergencies, trash pickup delays,  and other weather related information.


And, as always, stay safe.

January Business meeting

Our next business meeting is Tuesday, January 13th at Project Place (Corner of Washington & East Berkeley).   Enter in the door next to Meyers and Chang  Please arrive before 7:30, as the external doors lock at that time.  

Meeting format:

6:30-7 - Neighborhood Networking.   Meet your neighbors in an informal setting.
7-8:30 - Business meeting.


Unfortunately, our guests for this week have cancelled.   The mayor's State of the City was scheduled tonight, so our speaker and all backups had to cancel.   Aaron will be attending our February meeting.

This meeting we'll discuss neighborhood updates & committee planning.   Chilly as it is, Spring is around the corner.  What activities, neighborhood events or cleanup/beautification projects would you like to see happen in the neighborhood?



A reminder that NA membership must be renewed every Fall.   If you have not renewed your membership, please Head to the ESNA Membership Page.  There you can join on-line with your credit card, or print out a membership form to mail in with a cheque.  Members joining now will be valid through August 2015.

Remember to like us on Facebook as well - get more local notices and photos from all our events.

Hope to see everyone there!

Join us on Social Media
Our Google Calendar
Our Facebook page
ESNA Twitter feed

Snow & Space Savers

Starting this winter, (2014-2015) the South End is now a "space saver free" zone.

If the city receives significant amounts of snowfall, and you shovel out your car that is parked on the public street, you not be allowed to reserve that space by putting a household item in the spot to hold it until you return.

Some history

Saving the spot you have shoveled out has been a unique habit that used to be confined to South Boston.   A few years ago space savers made the news and caused a hubbub.  At that time the previous administration gave it's OK to space savers, saying they could only stay on the street for 48 hours after the snow storm.  (People were using space savers to save a spot all winter, even long after the snow was gone).  But with this formal announcement the sue of space savers proliferated throughout the city, form the South End to Alston to Hyde park.

Why now?

In general, the streets are public and they should be available to anyone at any time to park their car. But more than just the private taking of a public spot for private use, the space saver system itself is being abused.    People are using space saves without a snow storm.  (yes, we we got he half inch of snow that immediately melted, people has space savers out).  But on top of that is the violence.   People have had their cars vandalized when they parked in a spot that someone else thought they had saved.   Every year brings stories of fist fights, slashed tires and broken windshields.

Last year the South End Forum started a pilot program to discourage space savers.  (Winter had started already and the city didn't want to change policy mid season).    With the 2014 season about to start, and the new mayoral administration, the city agreed to have the South End be a space saver free zone.

Starting this year, South End residents are being discouraged from putting out space savers.   Anyone seeing a space saver can remove it, or call the city and they will remove it.  On trash days the city will automatically remove any space saver.

Hopefully this will not only be fairer for everyone, but prevent some of the violence seen elsewhere (someone has already had their tires slashed this year and we haven't even gotten any significant snowfall).

The new South End policy did make Channel 5 news tonight, as well as an article in the Globe this weekend (paywall).   We've also put some of the posters (as above) in a PDF that you can download and hand out if you wish.

And since we'll have out first measurable (non melting) snow on Tuesday, here is an older blog post covering sidewalk clearing after a snowfall.