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)

Vote - 2014

Celebrate the end of political commercials by going out to vote next Tuesday on November 4th.

Eight Streets (Ward 3 Precinct 7) votes at Cathedral High School, located at Waltham and Washington streets.   Polls are open from 7am-8pm.

Of course, the Governor is a big contest this election, as well as several important state questions.

Our Representative in Congress (Capuano) and our Representative in the State House (Aaron) are unopposed.   Our state senator (Chang-Diaz) does have an opponent.

Click here for a list of all candidates on the ballot.

Click here for a summary of the Questions to vote on.

Vote!!

Celebrate the end of those robocalls by going out to vote on November 5th.

Eight Streets (Ward 3 Precinct 7) votes at Cathedral High School, located at Waltham and Washington streets.   Polls are open from 7am-8pm.

This election we will not only vote for a new mayor, but a new city councilor for our district and new city councilors at large (vote for 4).   A list of candidate names can be found on this PDF from the city web site.  You can see the official ballot you will receive here.  

8-10 Taylor Community Meeting (Rescheduled)

The city is holding a public neighborhood meeting concerning 8-10 Taylor street.   This is the community meeting that was postponed due to the Marathon events.

The meeting will take place Monday, May 6th, 5-6pm at the Franklin institute, 41 Berkeley street.

The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

• 5:00 pm Introduction Hilani Morales - Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services 
• 5:05 pm Ellen Lipsey - Boston Landmarks Commission Meghan Hanrahan - South End Landmarks District Commission 
• 5:20 pm Michael Cannizzo - Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) 
• 5:35 pm Bryan Glascock - Inspectional Services Department (ISD) 
• 5:50 pm Questions 
• 6:00 pm Wrap up

All are welcome to attend.  Please pass the word.

Aaron's Coffee Hour

This Saturday, October 13 brings the return of Aaron Michlewitz's Coffee Hours.   Stop by Berkeley Perk (69 Berkeley St) between 10am and Noon and char with Aaron.   "He invites all residents and neighbors to come and join in discussing neighborhood concerns, potential legislation for the upcoming session, who is going to win the election, or what’s going on with the Patriots!?"

This is your opportunity to chat about anything with your state representative.

If you can't make Saturday, you can catch Aaron on these other dates:

• Saturday, November 3, 2012 from 10:00am to 12:00pm at Mohr & McPherson 
• Saturday, December 1, 2012 from 10:00am to 12:00pm at the Appleton Café

Meet your senator

Have some time before our May meeting?   State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz will her South End neighborhood office hours this Wednesday, May 2nd from 4-5pm at the South End Library.  This is a great way to get involved and express your opinions to your government representative.

"Senator Chang-Díaz encourages any resident or interested party to attend and discuss any community, regional, or statewide issue that may concern them."


" If you cannot attend these office hours and would like to speak with the Senator, please contact her office at 617-722-1673 or stop by her State House office, located in room 312-D on the Third Floor of the State House for assistance at any time.  Our office and staff will do the best we can to assist you in any way."

Rep Aaron's Coffee Hour

State representative Aaron Michlewitz is starting up his coffee hour sessions this Spring, with this first session being this Saturday over at Berkeley Perk from 10am until Noon.   Stop by and meet your representative in an informal setting.  Chat.  Ask questions.   Voice concerns.   Get into.  Or just say Hi.

Aaron's invitation is below, as well as some other near-by dates and locations if you can't make Berkeley Perk on Saturday

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Aaron will be starting up his coffee hours for the Spring starting this Saturday. I have listed the schedule below. As we gear up towards the fall election we are trying to have a good showing for these gatherings. We would greatly appreciate your attendance at these coffee hours, even if its only for a short period of time. It will also give you a chance to meet the newest addition to team Michlewitz, Maria Puopolo, our new Legislative Aide.

Thank you all for your continued support. If you're around please stop by and say hello!

Thanks again everyone and hope to see you this spring!

-Blake

Saturday March 31st 10am-12pm

Berkeley Perk, 69 Berkeley Street

Saturday April 21st 10am-12pm

Mohr & McPherson

Saturday May 12th 10am-12pm

The Appleton Street Bakery, 123 Appleton St

Primary elections: Deadlines and Absentee ballots

The Boston Elections department sends us this note concerning the Party primaries.

Important dates:

• Now - you can apply for an absentee ballot
• February 15th - last day to become a registered voted in order to vote in the primaries. (If you're registered already, you're good to go.)
• March 6th - Presidential Primary elections

If you want to join a particular party, you must register with that party by Feb 15.   If you are not registered with any party (unenrolled/independent), you can chose which party primary to vote in when you arrive at the polling location.

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Absentee Ballot Applications Now Available

Request or Renew your Absentee Ballot Application for the March 6 Presidential Primary

The Board of Election Commissioners wants to remind all Boston voters that absentee ballot applications for 2012 are now available. Since an application for an absentee ballot must be submitted and/or renewed by each voter every calendar year, The Board advises voters considering the use of an absentee ballot for the March 6 Presidential Primary to apply now.

Given the unpredictability of early March weather, the elderly, or voters with mobility challenges, may want to consider applying for an absentee ballot for the Primary.  Applications may be obtained by calling the Election Department at 617-635-3767 or can be downloaded from the Department’s webpage: www.cityofboston.gov/elections. If a voter is unsure whether or not his/her absentee ballot request is up-to-date, please call the Election Department.

 The Board also reminds absentee voters that, as March 6 is a Primary, Unenrolled (or Independent) voters should indicate on the application which party ballot (Democrat, Green-Rainbow, or Republican) you wish to be sent. Those who have already indicated party affiliations will receive the ballot of their chosen party, unless a party change has been received no later than 20 days before the Primary.

The last day to register to vote, change one’s voting address, or change one’s party affiliation in time for the Primary is February 15. All mailed forms must be postmarked no later than February 15.

For more information, please contact 617-635-3767 or through www.cityofboston.gov/elections.

Vote!

If all the phone calls and fliers in your mailbox didn't tip you off:  this Tuesday, November 8th is election day.   We're voting to elect Boston City Councilors - a councilor for our district, district 2; and 4 at-large city councilors.


A complete list of candidates and links to their web pages, please see this South End Patch article.


Polls are open 7am - 8pm.   Eight Streets residents vote at Cathedral High School, corner of Union Park and Washington st.


See you at the polls!!!

City Council-at-Large candidates forum

The neighborhood organizations of Boston, including Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the West End, the North End, the South End and others, are again coming together to jointly sponsor the 4th Biennial Boston Neighborhoods City Councilor-at-Large Candidates Forum, to take place on Monday, October 24, 2011, 6:30pm - 8:00 pm, in the Auditorium at the Park Street School, 67 Brimmer Street, on the Flat of Beacon Hill.  The forum's moderator will again be Peter Nessen, a long-time Beacon Hill resident and well-known former governmental official. 


City Councilors-at-Large represent everyone in Boston, and will be on the ballot in every districts.   The candidates for City Coincilor-at-Large are, in alphabetical order. 

Felix Arroyo (I)
John Connolly (I)
Will Dorcena
Michael Flaherty
Stephen Murphy (I)
Ayanna Pressley (I)
Sean Ryan

The top 4 candidates will take the At-large seats.

A Reminder the October 19th is the last day to register to vote in the November elections.   For complete City voter information, please see this web page.  You can also visit the State web page on Voter Information.    And, to debunk a myth, the city does not use voter registration for the jury pools - so it's save to be a registered voter  :)

Primary results: Linehan vs. Lee

Results from today's primary are in.

W3P7 had 13% voter turnout today - thanks to all that got out and voted!!    Results are:

Suzanne Lee:  39.12%
Bill Linehan: 35.03%
Bob Ferrara:  25.35%

Suzanne & Bill will move forward to the final elections on November 8, which will also include the office of City Councilor At Large.

Full (preliminary) results can be found on the City Election Web Site

Coffee Hours with Rep. Michlewitz

State Representative Aaron Michlewitz has announced his Fall coffee hours series, with 2 locations near the Eight Streets neighborhood.

• on Saturday, October 8th he'll be at Berkley Perk (69 Berkeley st) from 10 until noon
• on Saturday, November 12th he'll be at South End Buttery, 314 Shawmut ave, again from 10 'til noon.

This is a great opportunity to chat with your state representative in a casual atmosphere and discuss the issues of the day.   I hope you'll be able to make at least one of the sessions!

Traffic on Wednesday (May 18)

President Obama will be at a fundraiser at our very own Boston Center for the Arts on Wednesday, May 18th.   While there will be traffic around the event time (3pm), be aware there may be significant parking restrictions in the days beforehand.    Please keep an eye on local news for details, and make sure you park carefully in case a "no parking" sign should pop up while you're away.   It's also not unusual for items like mail boxes and trash cans to disappear before such an event, so plan your personal trips accordingly.

Boston.com article

[Update]   South End Patch has posted the following parking restrictions:

Parking is prohibited on the following streets from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday:

• Tremont Street from Berkeley Street to Dartmouth Street
• Clarendon Street from Tremont Street to Appleton Street
• Warren Avenue from Berkeley Street to Dartmouth Street
• Montgomery Street from Clarendon Street to Dartmouth Street

South end News adds:   Tremont St. will be closed to all traffic between W. Dedham Street and Berkeley St. all day Wednesday as a part of the high security.

Aaron Michlewitz's Coffee Hour

State Representative Aaron Michlewitz is having his next coffee hour this Saturday (May 14) from 10am-noon at Berkeley Perk coffee shop (69 Berkeley St)

Everyone is welcome to stop by and chat with Aaron about state issues that are on your mind.

Snow Emergency

For those who haven't noticed the white stuff outside, Boston is under a Blizzard Warning, and the Governor and the Mayor have declared a state of emergency.  This means parking restrictions; including no parking on any streets that have Snow Emergency signs on them (this includes Tremont street).

Some links for this and for future snow storms:

12/26 Snow Emergency declaration - including a list of parking restrictions

Parking Ban description - where you can and cannot park, and a list of garages where you can get discounted parking because of the snow emergency

Know Snow - the City's information page for all things snow related

Get snow alerts direct to your inbox - You can sign up to get snow alerts, as well as other important City and school closings and emergency declarations.  Sign up and chose what alerts you would like to get, and how you would like to get them.  You'll be able to chose emails, text alerts, or phone calls (or all three).  The new system will also let you set an order of precedence - so if you don't (say) acknowledge an email, it will then give you a phone call.     Please note - this is a new system that replaces the previous snow alert system.   If you were on the old system, you must re-sign up for the new alert system.

So batten down your hatches tonight, and don't forget to shovel your sidewalks tomorrow when the snow and wind have subsided!

Nov 13th Coffee Hour for State Representative Aaron Michlewitz

Our state house representative Aaron Michlewitz will be holding coffee hours this Saturday, November 13 from 10 AM to Noon at South End Buttery (314 Shawmut Ave).

Come on down, grab a cup of coffee and have an informal chat with your state rep. Discuss some state related issues you may have, or just say hi and introduce yourself.

State rep Michlewitz coffee hours - 10/30

Our state representative Aaron Michlewitz will be holding his next coffee hours this Saturday, 10/30. Stop by Berkeley Perk (69 Berkeley st; same block as 7-11) between 10am and noon for some informal chat- bring your questions, or just stop by and say hi.

Vote on Tuesday

A Reminder that this Tuesday, Sept 14th, brings us the Primary elections. Eight Streets residents vote at Cathedral High School, at Washington & Waltham. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm.

You can chose to vote in either the Democratic or the Republican primary slate - you cannot vote in both. Here are the ballot names for the Democratic Ballot and the Republican Ballot.

On the Democratic ticket, we have multiple candidates for the office of Treasurer, Auditor, Governor's Council, and our State Senator. On the Republican side, the only contested candidacy is Auditor. There are also no Republican candidates for State Senator, so the winner of the Democratic primary for that race will most likely be the winner of the Senate seat. (Incumbent Sonia Chang-Diaz vs challenger Hassan Williams).

Check out the ballots, and use the Internet to research the candidates, and remember to cast your vote on Tuesday!

Community Emergency Response Training

The next CERT training information sessions are coming in April. "Help your neighbors be prepared for emergencies. Get trained to assist first responders and organize other Volunteers during and after a disaster. " Sessions 4/13 and 4/20 at the Tobin Community Center, Roxbury and 4/15 and 4/22 at the BPL main branch.

Flier listing dates and info these sessions

City information brochure on CERT which gives more information on CERT and the training classes.

Info on Library Closings

Passing on this meeting notice from the Friends of the S End Library. If you use our library at all, we encourage you to attend.

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The Friends of the South End Library (FOSEL) is sponsoring a meeting with South End state and city representatives to discuss the proposed closings of up to a third of BPL neighborhood libraries.

It will be held on Wednesday, March 24 at 6:30 PM at the South End Library.

FOSEL has asked the representatives to update us on the short-term crisis as well as inform us how, for the long-term, we can empower them to be the strongest library advocates they can be.

Attending will be Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Representatives Byron Rushing and Aaron Michlewitz, and District City Councillors Bill Linehan and Chuck Turner. At-large city councillors have been invited, too.

In addition, the office of Governor Deval Patrick is sending Under-Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorzkowicz , while Brian Gosselin, one of their assistant budget directors, may also attend.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Marleen Nienhuis, President,

Friends of the South End Library,

617 236-4077