Debate Postponed!

Due to the death of Sen. Kennedy, WBZ has made the decision to postpone tonight's scheduled televised Mayoral candidates debate. We'll pass on word on any new scheduled date.

Set your DVR!!!

A reminder that the first televised Mayoral debates will happen this Wednesday, Aug 26. They'll be broadcast form 7-8pm on WBV (channel 4). This will be one of the few debates attended by Mayor Menino. All 4 candidates will be represented. In alphabetical order, they are

Michael Flaherty

Kevin McCrea

Tom Menino

Sam Yoon

Another reminder that September 22nd are the primary elections, where the Mayoral candidates will be reduced form 4 to 2. You must register to vote by September 1 to vote in the primaries!!!

Added: The Boston Globe adds this additional debate info: "In addition to the live broadcast on WBZ-TV, the debate will be carried live on wbztv.com, and WBZ Newsradio 1030 and rebroadcast on TV38 (WSBK-TV) at 8 p.m. tomorrow. The four candidates have also scheduled a Sept. 10 debate on WFXT (Fox 25). The two winners of the preliminary election will go head to head in an Oct. 19 debate sponsored by the Globe, New England Cable News, WGBH-TV (Channel 2), and WBUR (90.9 FM)."

Dog Ice Cream Social

Boston veterinary Care is sponsoring a free Ice Cream Social for Dogs.

This Thursday, 8/20. 5-7 in the Joe Wex DRS in Peters Park (rain date 8/24)

• Cool treats from Polka Dog
• Photographer Cheryl Richards
• Meet their vet staff
• Cool treats for all

[[Download flier here]]

Free Yoga

South End Yoga is hosting a free week-end of yoga. This will give the neighborhood a chance to explore the various types of yoga.

Where:

South End Yoga
111 West Concord Street
REAR ENTRANCE
Boston (South End)

When:

Saturday September 26th 12noon - 6PM and
Sunday September 27th 9:30AM - 4:45PM

Website: www.SouthEndYoga.com

Contact: southendyoga@gmail.com
or call 617-947-8892

Thank you.

Your neighbor,
South End Yoga

Election season draws near

It's just over a month before primary elections in Boston. The field of 15 City Counciler-at-large candidates will be culled to 8; and the Mayoral candidates will be reduced from 4 to 2. We of course encourage everyone to vote in the primaries on September 22nd (we'll post more notices as the date gets closer).

Today's globe provides an overview of all 15 Counciler candidates. Read the article here.

The Phoenix also profiles the candidates. Read it here

And set your DVRs April 26th for the first Mayoral debate, broadcast live on WBZ at 7pm.

Free Movies!

The Mayor's Movies on the Diamond film fest continues this season with free movies at Peters Park. On the next three Thursdays you'll find

8/13 - Madagascar 2 (Escape 2 Africa)

8/20 - Hotel for Dogs

8/27 - Kung Fu panda

All movies start at 7pm on the baseball diamond in Peters Park. Enjoy Free popcorn and drinks with the free movie!!

Restaurant Week

A reminder the next Boston Restaurant Week starts next week, and runs August 9th through the 21st (except Sat 8/15). "Diners (can) enjoy 2-course lunches for $15.09, 3-course lunches for $20.09 and/or dinners for $33.09 at restaurants throughout Boston, Cambridge, the suburbs and beyond."

For more into see the Restaurant Week Web Site, which has a list of all 200 participating Boston restaurants

South End Sidewalk Sale

the South End Business Alliance is having a "sidewalk Sale" this weekend, where area businesses will have discounts inside and outside the stores.

For complete details, check out the web site here.

Free Shakespeare on the Common

This fridy starts the 2009 run of Shakespeare on the Common. This year the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company brings us The Comedy of Errors. Shows are Tuesday-Sunday evenings, with a Wednesday and Sunday matinee; running this Friday (7/31) through August 16th. Shows are free and take place on Boston Common near the Parkman Bandstand.

For show times and more details see the CSC Web Site

Free Movies at the Pru

From the Prudential Center Web site:

Join us for free family movies this summer, Saturdays in July & August! Entertainment begins at 6pm. All films start at sundown on Prudential Center's South Garden.

August 1 Hotel for Dogs
August 8 Curious George
August 15 Wall-E
August 22 The Little Mermaid
August 29 Cars

Berkeley Garden Public Meeting

Boston Redevelopment Authority & the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services are sponsoring a public meeting for the Berkeley Community Garden on

Monday, July 27
6:30 to 8 PM at
Project Place
1145 Washington Street (at the corner of East Berkeley Street)

This meeting will be an opportunity for community input into the new all over garden design and fence plans for Berkeley Community Garden.

Questions should be directed to Randi Lathrop, BRA 617-918-4302, randi.lathrop.bra@cityofboston.gov
OR Tabitha Bennett, ONS 617-635-3485, tabitha.bennett@cityofboston.gov



Tabitha Bennett
South End and Bay Village Coordinator
Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services
City of Boston
Room 708, City Hall
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201
617-635-3485
tabitha.bennett@cityofboston.gov

Free Friday Flicks

The 'BZ Free Friday Flicks schedule is on line (Now that it's not all disney they can publish it). Head down to the Esplanade Hatch shell and see a free movie every Friday at sunset

Click here for schedule

MFA For free

The Museum of Fine Arts is free on certain days as part of their community outreach. Check out the schedule here.

How do you feel about Health Care?

Congressman Capuano, our representative in Washington, wants your opinion on health care reform.

His latest newletter (below) is asking for constituant feedback concerning the health care reform legislation that's currently being debated. I encourage you to read the newsletter and then let our congressman how you feel about health care legislation.

I also encourage you to go to Rep. Capuano's web page (http://www.house.gov/capuano/) and sign up to receive his newsletter. (e-updates, on the left hand side of the page). It's a great way to keep up on what your representative is doing for you...

---

Dear Friends,

Due to the importance and complexity of the debate relating to HEALTH CARE REFORM, I am very interested in obtaining broad based commentary from you on the draft before us today. You may click here to review the proposed House legislation which was released this afternoon. The bill is lengthy and we will post links on my website to summaries or section-by-section outlines as they become available.
Democratic leadership still hopes to complete action on this landmark legislation this year but, as you can imagine, there are differences of opinion and competing priorities on a whole host of issues that are too numerous to detail in this newsletter.

The most publicized aspect of the debate over health care reform concerns whether or not a public insurance option should be part of any package. I strongly support such an option but there are many Members, including some Democrats, who feel just as strongly that a public option should not be included. Even amongst those of us who want such an option, there are significant differences of opinion over the design and funding of a public plan. Another and equally difficult question is how to pay for health care reform. These are only two of the many issues we will have to resolve. Despite the challenges, the House still may vote on a bill by the end of the month.

For me, the two most important aspects of health care reform are (1) whether the bill advances the important goal of universal access to health care, and (2) how the bill impacts Massachusetts. Disparities in medical care and in medical outcomes between rich and poor Americans are more than troubling. They are morally unacceptable. I am aware also of the responsibility I bear, as a Member of Congress, to cast votes with the best interests of my constituents in mind. On this issue, that would include whether the proposal preserves health care related jobs in Massachusetts and whether we can preserve our regional pre-eminence in academic medicine and biomedical research.

Right now, 97% of Massachusetts residents already have some form of health insurance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the national average in 2008 was 83%. In light of these facts, I am compelled to ask: How much can fairly be asked of Massachusetts residents and taxpayers to bring the rest of the country up to our level of commitment? I do think most of my constituents would be willing to pay a little more so that all Americans could have access to health care. That said, I think it is also fair to ask:

What improvements will we see in Massachusetts as compared to what we have already?
· If there are significant changes in the delivery of health care, would they benefit Massachusetts?
· If there are cuts in the current Medicare and Medicaid programs, how will they impact Massachusetts?

In addition to those questions, I am also keenly aware of the direct economic impact that health care has on Massachusetts. Our regional economy is unique. In my district alone, there are approximately 70,000 employees of hospitals. Tens of thousands more work for Community Health Centers, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities and other health-care related businesses. Others work for health insurance companies and in jobs related to health care – like the people who clean the laundry for hospitals, the engineers and designers at medical instrument companies whose work is used in hospitals across the country, and lab technicians who conduct hospital-related research.

Furthermore, many of my constituents work at hospitals and other health care related jobs outside the 8th Congressional district – like Lahey Clinic in Burlington, Good Samaritan in Brockton, and UMass Medical in Worcester, just to name a few. Massachusetts is the proud home to hundreds of thousands of health care jobs.

One of my most important responsibilities is to protect the jobs of Massachusetts citizens. Therefore it is my duty to ask –
· How many of those jobs might we lose from the proposed reform?
· How many might we gain?
· Are the job shifts (especially if there is a large loss of jobs in Massachusetts) worth the benefits?

To give you an example of one aspect of the debate here in Washington -- some Members of Congress are pushing hard to increase spending in rural areas at the expense of urban hospitals. I support equitable access to health care but I cannot do so at the expense of my own constituents.

As I weigh my vote on health care reform, I will have to be convinced that the final package will ultimately make the lives of my constituents better, not worse. We must also defend the interests of our great research institutions and teaching hospitals. Medical education and scientific research are not simply relevant for the 8th Congressional district, they are essential to the health and well-being of all American citizens. Everyone needs the doctors we educate and everyone benefits from the new discoveries in Massachusetts laboratories.

We cannot expect to achieve legislative perfection on health care reform. Realists know that is an impossible goal. Like almost every other bill before me, I will have to weigh the components that are on target against those that are not. I am working hard to shape the end result into a bill I can support.

I am very much interested in your thoughts on health care reform, particularly as we get closer to a vote in the House. Everyone is in favor of “reform”. That is easy. However, I would like to know your opinion as to whether the proposal currently before the United States Congress – the proposal on which I must vote “yea” or “nay” – meets the needs and desires of the citizens of Massachusetts. Please call the office or send us an e-mail if you’d like to weigh in on the proposal.

Congressman Mike Capuano8th District, MassachusettsCommittee on Transportation and InfrastructureCommittee on Financial ServicesCommittee on House Administration
District Offices:
110 First Street, Cambridge, MA 02141andRoxbury Community College, Campus Library, Room 211
District Office Phone:
(617) 621-6208
DC Office:
1414 Longworth Building, Washington, DC 20515
DC Office Phone:
(202) 225-5111
Website and e-mail:
www.house.gov/capuano

Old Boston footage

A 1920's aerial newsreel-like view of Boston in the 1920's

Repaving Eight Streets

As you may have read through other outlets, Boston DPW has announced street re-paving for the south end. The list is far more extensive than earlier lists, and almost all of Eight Streets will be repaved. Work will begin this week. The city adds "The PWD contractor will initially excavate the targeted roadway areas which have deteriorated due to potholes, utility cuts, depressed manholes, etc. They are then topped with asphalt providing a smooth surface.
Temporary parking restrictions will be posted in advance in these specific locations and all vehicles will be flyered with scope of work and contact information". A full list of all South End streets to be repaved is below. Questions can be directed to Tabitha Bennett, our South End coorinator for the Mayor's ONS. 617.635.3485

1.) Berkeley St ( Tremont St - Cortes St )

2.) Clarendon St ( Columbus Ave - Tremont St )

3.) Dartmouth St ( Tremont St - Columbus Ave )

4.) Lawrence St ( Dartmouth St - Berkeley St )

5.) Cazenove St ( Chandler St - Dead End )

6.) St. Charles St ( Chandler St - Dead End )

7.) Chandler St ( Claredon St - Columbus Ave )

8.) Dartmouth Place ( Dartmouth St - Dead End )

9.) Appleton St ( Dartmouth St - Dead End )

10.) Warren St ( Berkeley St - Dartmouth St )

11.) West Canton St ( Columbus Ave- Tremont St)

12.) Montgomery St ( West Canton St- Claredon St )

13.) West Brookline St ( Warren St - Tremont St )

14.) Columbus Sq. ( Pembroke St - Columbus Ave )

15.) West Newton St ( Columbus Ave - Tremont St )

16.) Rutland Sq. ( Columbus Ave - Tremont St )

17.) Greenwich Park ( Columbus Ave.- Claremont St )

18.) Concord Sq. ( Columbus Ave - Tremont St)

19.) West Springfield St ( Columbus Ave - Tremont St )

20.) Massachusetts Ave( St..Botolph St - Washington St ) ( Both Sides)

21.) Chester Sq ( Mass. Ave - Mass Ave) ( Both Sides)

22.) Tremont St ( Mass Ave - Berkeley St )

23.) Dwight St ( Tremont St - Shawmut Ave )

24.) Milford St ( Shawmut Ave - Tremont St )

25.) Bond St ( Hanson St - Milford St )

26.) Public Alley # 701 ( Tremont St - Shawmut Ave )

27.) Aguadilla St ( Tremont St - Tremont St )

28.) Hanson St ( Tremont St - Shawmut St )

29.) Waltham St ( Tremont St - Washington St )

30.) Bradford St ( Waltham St - Shawmut Ave )

31.) Union Park St ( Washington St - Tremont St )

32.) Upton St ( Tremont St - Shawmut Ave )

33.) West Dedham St ( Shawmut Ave - Washington St )

34.) Shawmut Ave ( West Dedham St- Berkeley St )

35.) West Brookline St ( San Juan St - Washington St )

36.) San Juan St ( Shawmut Ave - Shawmut Ave )

37.) West Newton St. ( Tremont St - Washington St )

38.) Rutland St ( Tremont St - Shawmut Ave )

39.) West Concord St ( Tremont St - Shawmut Ave )

40.) Worcester St ( Tremont St - Washington St )

41.) West Springfield St ( Washington St - Tremont St )

42.) Shawmut Ave ( West Dedham St - Mass Ave )

43.) Washington St ( WQest Brookline St - Herald St )

44.) Harrison Ave ( Herald St - East Berkeley St )

45.) Traveler St ( Washington St - Albany St )

46.) East Berkeley St ( Albany St - Harrison Ave )

47.) Harrison Ave ( East Berkeley St - Malden St )

48.) Union Park St ( Harrison Ave _ Albany St.)

49.) Paul Sullivan Way ( Harrison Ave - Albany St )

50.) Albany St ( East Berkeley St _ Malden St )

Recycling reminders

Single stream recycling, introduced last year in the South End, has been so successful it is now being put in place city-wide.   Single stream allows us to mix all of our recyclable materials together - we no longer have to separate paper from plastics, etc.

A reminder that materials to be recycled should be put into clear plastic bags.  Use of the blue bins is discouraged, and the blue bins will eventually be phased out.  'Open' containers like the blue bins allow papers to blow out and are easily tipped over, scattering material all over the sidewalks.   If you have the space you can use a trash can with a lid to hold your recyclables.  "The can must be no larger than 32 gallons and have a lid. Call 617-635-4500 to request an official sticker to label one of your existing trash cans as a recycling container."   Clear plastic bags can be found at Foodies and Shaws (the bags from Shaws ones are a little thicker).   Do not use the blue bags that some stores sell as recycling bags - the city will take those bags as trash.

Remember:

- use clear plastic bags for recycling

- do not put recycling into paper bags curbside - they will blow over or get knocked over

- Break up cardboard.  The city won't take your large cardboard boxes as recycling, plus passers by will throw their trash in them.  

- Pizza boxes are now recyclable, but put them in the recycle bag - don't just lay them on the sidewalk.

- Do not put your returnable/depost cans and bottles in the recycle plastic bag or in your trash.  The trash pickers will rip open bags to get them.  Put them in an open bag next to your recycling or put them out in some other way.

 

The city lists the following items as recyclable - all can go in your plastic bags.   

The following items can be mixed together in your recycling cart or container as of July 1, 2009. Leaving plastic windows, staples, paper clips, and spirals in paper is okay. Please rinse out cans, bottles, and jars. Leaving labels and lids on is okay.

    * Newspapers with inserts

    * Magazines and catalogs

    * Junk mail, colored paper

    * Flattened food boxes

    * Paperback books

    * Pizza boxes (empty)

    * Flattened cardboard boxes

    * Telephone books

    * Milk and juice cartons

    * Juice/soymilk boxes

    * Glass jars and bottles

    * Aluminum and tin cans

    * All plastic containers

    * NEW ITEM! Spiral cans (potato chip/coffee/nut cans, etc) (these are the pressed cardboard with metal ends type of cans)

    * NEW ITEM! Rigid plastics (laundry baskets, buckets, toys, etc)

Report from first City Councilor At-large debate

Universal Hub provides us with a transcript/overview of Tuesday's first debate, attended by 13 of 15 of the candidates for the 4 offices...

Ailanthus

I always wondered what these trees were called.   Boston Zest reminds these are Ailanthus trees - the invasive quick-growing 'city' trees that car parkers everywhere loathe...

At-large Candidates Debate This Tuesday

The Ward 4 & 5 Dems are holding the first debate for (currently) all 15 candidates for the 4 at-large seats. Full blog entry here. Meeting details:

Tuesday's event will be held at the Community Church of Boston, 565 Boylston Street, in Copley Plaza (over the Globe Bar and Restaurant). Beginning at 7 p.m., it is the first time the candidates will debate.