Keep up to date on Boston notices

Unsure if Boston has declared a snow emergency?  Need to know when Boston has a parking ban due to snow?  Are schools open or closed?  Keep in touch with up-to-the-minute city notices by adding  NotifyBoston to your Twitter feed.  Tweets are kept to a minimum, but the information is worth following.   During these trying snow times you can also use the hashtag #bostonsnow on your tweets to share snow information with others in Boston.

Universalhub is another good source of Boston information.  It's more chatty and tweets more than notifyboston, but it's fun to see what goes on city-wide.  And of course you can follow our good friends at SouthEndNews.

What Boston twitter feeds do you follow or find interesting?   Add your favoriate to the comments!

Eight Streets meeting postponed

Due to the impending weather, the February Eight Streets meeting has been postponed.   While I'm sure walking across the neighborhood int he snow wouldn't be a problem, many people come to the NA meeting right after work - and with the potential for tomorrow's commute to be extra long, many people won't be able to make the meeting.

Our two presenters have already been rescheduled for our March business meeting, including City Council district 2 candidate Suzanne Lee.

I hope to see everyone at the March meeting.   Hopefully we'll have less snow on the ground, and no storms on the horizon.

(And remember, another snow emergency starts 9AM Tuesday morning (2/1/2010)

SE Library lecture series

The Friends of the South End Library will kick off its 2011 authors' series on Tuesday, January 25 at 6:30 PM at the South End Library with nationally renowned author and professor of literature Doug Bauer. The South End resident  will read from a forthcoming collection of personal essays. More information about the series and its upcoming guests can be found on the FOSEL web site.

Trash collection on SATURDAY this week

Because of the blizzard, this weeks' trash collection has been moved to SATURDAY, Jan 15th.   Please do not put trash out until after 5pm Friday night, or better still, Saturday morning.  

Also, since this snow won't be melting any time soon, please do your best to help the sanitation people.   They can't see over snowbanks and such.  Try to put your trash near a path that leads to the street.  If you have white trash bags, try putting your bags near your neighbors black bags so they can be seen.   And, as always, make sure your trash is in sealed garbage bags.  Please, no trash in paper department store bags or convenience store plastic bags - all trash needs to be in secured barrels or in appropriate garbage bags.

The change of date is for this week only.   Regular trash collection resumes next week.

Got a photo?

Got a good storm photo?  Or any photo of our neighborhood?   If you use Flickr, use the tag eightstreets and share your photos with the neighborhood?   (anyone use picasa?   Lemmie know and we can use tags there as well)

Flickr eightstreets photos...

No January ESNA Meeting

Greetings and Happy New Year everyone!

We will not be having a January Eight Streets Meeting.   We had no issues to vote on and no speaker scheduled.   And I think like myself, many of you are just getting back into the swing of things after a busy December.     Once we are able to move back to the Ballet meeting space, we'll most likely change to the second week of the month, just so the monthly meetings don't sneak up on anyone.

Speaking of which, the next meeting is Tuesday, February 1st.     Currently we just have a project update form the new owners of 5 Dwight street.   This will be informational only - as of now, no votable items on that project.  

As always, let me know if there are speakers you would like to see at our meetings.   We don't have to be all business.  There are many State and City folks who would come to the meeting to speak and ask questions.   (In December we had two city councilor's offices in attendance).   If there's a speaker you'd like to see come to a meeting, or a topic you'd like to discuss, send to the email list or reply to the blog and let us know!

As a reminder, Eight Streets member renewals were do as of September.   If you have not renewed yet, head over to the Membership Page; where you can use paypal to renew your ESNA Membership; or print out a member form and US Mail it in.

Thanks everyone, and see you February 1st!

Christmas Tree Recycling

The city will be recycling Christmas trees from January 3 through January 14th, on the neighborhood recycling days.  For Eight Streets this means you can put your tree out for recycling on the mornings of January 4th and January 11th.   Trees put out on any other day will be taken as trash.

To get your tree recycled, it has to be free of all lights, ornaments and decorations, and must not be in a plastic bag.  If you use a bag to remove your tree form your home, take the bag off the tree once you get streetside.

Trees taken for recycling are shredded and turned into compost which is given out free by the city each Spring.

It's not too late to donate to Ringgold

Theres still a day left to make your tax deductible donation to Ringgold Park and help raise money for the center circle capital campaign fund.   Use their on-line donation form to donate to ringgold park and have your donation apply to the 2010 tax season.  (Or start the new year off by donating on January 1).

Any donation you make will help bring us closer to completing this beautiful project in Ringgold Park.

Ringgold on-line donation site.  From here you can use your credit card to donate any amount.

More Information on Ringgold Donations and the Center Circle project.

Dude, where's my car?

Car missing?    It could have been towed - especially if you didn't move it from a major artery during the snow emergency.   The City's web site has two tools to help you.

On the City's Towed Cars web site, you can enter your license plate and see if your car has been towed.  

A little more useful is the Towed Car Alerts - where you can enter your license plate, and receive an emil or a text message should your car ever be towed.  (Notices are sent 1-4 hours after towing.  For more information see the Tow Alert FAQ)

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!

SE News, delivered

You can now get the South End News delivered - right to your inbox.  head to their web site at mysouthend.com and scroll all the way to the bottom of the page.  There's a box labelled Get on our email list!  and add your email address.  You'll get an email once a week with the news headlines.


For those needing more of a fix, you can always follow @SouthEndNews on twitter

SE News article on crosswalks

The South End news has an article on the new crosswalks being installed at Shawmut and Waltham/Union park.

December ESNA Meeting

Our monthly Eight Streets business meeting will be this Tuesday, December 7th at project

Place (Washington & East Berkeley).

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

7-8:30 - Business meeting.

On the agenda this month:

• City Councilors - Representatives from the offices of City Councilor Pressley and City Councilor Arroyo will be in attendance. Bring your city questions and have the chance for City Hall to hear your concerns!!

• Gate wrap-up - Alan has the results of some research on gates he had done in response to our October meeting. This is just a report - there will be no 'gate discussion' this meeting.

• Watson Park - An abutter has some thoughts on Watson park, so we might get a some light discussion going...

• 2011 planning - don't let the cold get you hibernating yet! Are there any events you'd like to see the NA do this coming Spring and Summer? Are there any speakers you'd like to come to the NA in 2011? let us know!!

We hope you'll be able to make it!!

Food Drive at the South End Library

Ann Smart, of the South End Branch of the BPL lets us know of the food/can drive happening:

The South End Library, 685 Tremont Street, is participating in the 2010 Can Share Food Drive during the month of December. Please bring any canned proteins, fruits, vegetables, soups, and beans to the south end library.

Holiday Shopping Night Out

The holidays continue this Wednesday (12/8) with the South End Holiday Shopping Night Out.

Shop at your neighborhood businesses in the South End and enjoy 15-20% discounts. Grab dinner at one of your favorite South End restaurants who are offering specials for this evening only.

Participants include: 570 Market, Aquitaine, Aunt Sadie’s, Bark Place, Bead + Fiber, Boomerangs Special Edition, diseño | bos, Flock, Flour, Foodie’s Urban Market, Galeria Cubana, Gallardo Works, Gaslight, Gifted, Hudson, J.E.M., Kiwi Baby, Lekker, Looc, M. Flynn Accessories, Metropolis, Michele Mercaldo Jewelry, Michelle Willey, Mohr & McPherson, Motley, Myers+Chang, Patch NYC Shop, Polka Dog Bakery, POPS Restaurant, Posh on Tremont, Restoration Resources, Sara Campbell LTD, Skoah, Sooki, South End Athletic Company, South End Buttery, Stephen Baumbach, Stir, Tadpole, Turtle, Uniform, Union Bar and Grille, Upper Crust, Laura Preshong, D Scale, Charles Tersolo, Face Facts Healing Spa and Escape Salon & Spa.

Tree lighting Sat, Dec 4.

Mayor Menino Invites you to the South End Trolley Tour and Tree Lighting

Saturday, December 4th, 2010 BCA Plaza, 539 Tremont

Entertainment begins at 3pm; tree lighting at 4pm

Performances by:

Senior Singers

Mike Dylan from Little Groove

Baby Wiggle - Music Education for Children music teacher

Refreshments and Activities for children and families

Activities for Children in the Mills Gallery

Sponsored by:

Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services,

Department of Public Works,

Mayor's Office of Special Events

South End Business Alliance,

Boston Center for the Arts, and

The Ellis South End Neighborhood Association

Download the flier here

South End Historical Society calendars

The South End Historical Society is celebrating its 45th anniversary. A special commemorative calendar for 2011, a perfect gift, is now available. It contains historical information about our wonderful neighborhood.

For more information please contact admin@southendhistoricalsociety.org.

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.

Major theft at Berkeley Garden

It is unfortunately that I have to pass on news that there has been yet another incident of theft at Berkley Community Gardens.

Sometime between 5pm October 29 and 7am October 30, the side door of the shed was broken into, and their snow blower was stolen. While there has been scattered vandalism in the garden over the summer, this seems to have been a well orchestrated event. They pried the handle and lock mechanism right off of the door and stole just the snow blower. Not being a smash-and-grab item, they may have had a vehicle waiting to haul the snow blower away.

A flier from the garden with picture and contact information can be found here (view / download). If anyone from the neighborhood, or any of their Dwight neighbors noticed anything this past Friday night, please contact the police or the garden via the contacts listed on their flier. Any help is greatly appreciated.

No November ESNA Meeting

Welcome to November everyone.

We will not be having a November Eight Streets meeting. There have been no business agenda items brought forth; and many of our ‘regulars’ will be helping out on election day (either helping the city or supporting their candidates). Given these conditions, we’ve decided to cancel the November meeting. We encourage you to use this free time to head out and Vote on Tuesday – polls will be open until 8pm!


Please remember to keep an eye on our blog to keep up on neighborhood news and notes. The next scheduled ESNA meeting is Tuesday, December 7th.

_________________
John McLachlan, President
Eight Streets Neighborhood Association
South End (Boston) MA
http://eightstreets.org/
http://eightstreets.blogspot.com/