That time of year - ESNA resumes

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe September is about to smack us upside the head.   The summer doldrums are over and time for things we set aside for the summer to command our attention.   And so it is with the neighborhood Association as well.

Construction is finished at the Boston Ballet, and it looks fabulous.   The new boardroom is stunning - and huge - I hope we don't get lost in it!!  but today I confirmed the boardroom for the 2011-12 meeting year, so we will be returning to our regular time and location.  Thanks to Project Place for hosting us throughout 2011, and continued thanks to Boston Ballet for also hostin ESNA and other neighborhood groups in their space.

Beginning Wednesday, September 7th we will be returning to our schedule of First Wednesday of each month, and returning to the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room  (Board room is now right when you exit the elevators).

A complete meeting agenda will be going out later in the week, but please give us feedback if you'd like any topics or speakers in the upcoming year.  

And as we get the blog going with many September events - we want to let you know that our blog is now smartphone friendly.  If you visit eightstreets.blogspot.com on your smartphone, you'll see a smart-phone-friendly version of our blog! (see attached image for an example).

See you in September!

Sidewalk Sale this weekend

South End Business Alliance announces the annual South End Sidewalk Sale begins this Friday, Aug 19 and runs through Sunday the 22nd.  Shop local stores to see deals and special sales running all weekend long.

See flier for more details

Washington street survey

WGMS is conducting a survey to see what kind of businesses you patronize, and what kinds you would like to see along Washington street.    What do you think?

Take this short 5 minute survey

Dog Run users - feedback wanted!

  Peters Park Dog Park Patrons
We need your Help and want your Feedback !!

Tues June 28, 2011

7-8pm

Note Change of Location: The Franklin (11 E Newton St - corner of Washington St)

• Come and meet other DRS Users (and learn their names)
• Discuss planned improvements
• Learn how to be a good DRS user
• • Boston City License
  • Leash Law/Dog Fouling
  • Park Rules
• Review ongoing maintenance costs for park
• Learn ways to volunteer and contriute
• Share your thoughts in a positive way with us

Sorry - No dogs at the meeting

"Shakespeare for Everyone!"

 COMMONWEALTH SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S SUMMER ACADEMY KICKS OFF ITS TOUR OF THE PARKS WITH SHAKESPEARE ON LOVE

What:               Shakespeare on Love, a performance piece comprised of Shakespearean scenes and sonnets

Who:                Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Summer Academy Apprentices

                         Antonio Ocampo-Guzman, Director

Where:             Titus Sparrow Park (South End)

When:               Wednesday, June 29^th @ 6:30PM

Tickets:             Free

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Summer Academy Apprenticeship students are at it again with Shakespeare on Love premiering on Wednesday, June 29^th at 6:30PM in Boston’s Titus Sparrow Park. The twenty-three Apprentices that comprise CSC’s Summer Academy Class of 2011 begin their 12-show Tour of the Parks with a series of Shakespearean sonnets and scenes from the bard’s bountiful stock of gestic poetry. ‘Tis bound to be an evening of theatre not to be missed.

South End Garden Tour THIS Saturday!!!

(if this email doesn't display correctly, visit the site directly at http://www.southendgardentour.org/ ) www.southendgardentour.org The South End/Lower Roxbury Open Space Land Trust is one the country's first urban, neighborhood-based land trusts.  It was established in 1991 as a means to protect community gardens and parks.  It currently owns and manages 16 sites in the South End and Lower Roxbury neighborhoods of Boston.  The all-volunteer organizations enables over 500 individuals and families to grow their own food and enjoy nature in the city.  The South End Garden Tour is the organization's primary fundraiser. CHECK OUT THE LAND TRUST'S NEW WEBSITE: WWW.LANDTRUSTGARDENS.ORG

June ESNA Business meeting

Hi Everyone!

Our monthly Eight Streets business meeting will be this Tuesday, June 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.

• 26 Dwight - Seeking approval for enclosing their deck. This deck was cut in to the building, so enclosing the deck brings the rear wall even with the rest of the building, but triggers a F/AR issue. A vote will be taken. 

• 5 Dwight - they have their official city 'denial' letter for the planned rear decks, as shown to us at a previous ESNA meeting. They will be seeking support for the rear decks. A vote will be taken. 

• 251 Shawmut (Corner Shawmut & Milford) - Owners are planning to rehab the building, and wish to change the first floor from a commercial space to a residential space.  We'll have a discussion on the proposed change and what that could mean for the neighborhood.  A vote may be taken

 We  hope you can make this important business meeting.


See you on Tuesday!

Dover St hearing on Tuesday

On Tuesday, May 24 there will be a hearing on the East Berkeley/Dover street name change.   The hearing is at 6pm in the auditorium of the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (41 Berkeley st).

The purpose of the hearing will be resolve "any discrepancies" in the city's policy for street name-changes and to facilitate an open discussion on reclaiming the Dover Street name for the thoroughfare, currently known as East Berkeley Street.

More about the name change can be found here.

We encourage all to attend

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.

May ESNA Business meeting

Hi Everyone!

Our monthly Eight Streets business meeting will be this Tuesday, May 3rd, 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.

• 10 Bond street - Last month they informally presented plans for a roofdeck on the "L" of the building.   This month they will be formally presenting the roofdeck plans, and we will vote to oppose or not oppose said plans.    Ever up to today they were still waiting for their official 'letter of rejection' from the Zoning Board of Appeals.   As of this afternoon the ZBA told 10 Bond they would be getting their rejection letter on Tuesday and should have it in hand in time for the meeting. 

• Pops restaurant - Last month Pops also visited us, seeking support to extend closing hours from midnight to 1am.  At the time neighbors brought forth several long standing complaints concerning Pops - including improper trash disposal, smokers in front of residential buildings, noise issues during closing and the vent noise/smells at the rear of the location.   Doug Noble, now taking a managerial role at Pops, said those items went unaddressed in the past due to the former Pops manager.   Doug said that in his new role as Pops manager he would work to address all items ASAP.    Since neighboring Union Park association would not be meeting until after our May meeting, we voted to postpone a vote on Pops until the May meeting, giving Pops a month to "put their best foot forward" through April.    Now, a month later, we will hear feedback form both Pops and abutters to see if the situation has changed, and if abutters concerns have been addressed.   At this May meeting, we will vote to oppose or not oppose the request to extend the operating hours from midnight to 1am.

We  hope you can make this important business meeting.


See you on Tuesday!

Dedication of Land Wave

Mayor Menino will be on hand to dedicate the sculpture LandWave - the undulating mass of Land and Sea in Peters Park, next to the ball fields adjacent to Washington street.   The artwork represents the meeting of Land and Sea at what was once the "neck" of boston - the narrow strip of land (often covered at high tide int eh early days) that made the original boston land mass almost an island.  

Join the Mayor at 11:30am on Monday, April 25th for the dedication ceremony.

Complete information on Monday's event and an over view of LandWave.

The LandWave web site

Hearing on Public and Private alleys

On Wednesday April 27th the City Council will hold a hearing on Public and Private alleyways in Boston. the hearing takes place in the City Council chambers, 5th floor of city hall.  This hearing begins at 6:00pm. The hearing is sponsored by Councilors Arroyo and Linehan

We spoke of this hearing at the last meeting - the topic of this hearing is geared toward alleyways that are drive-able.   All Eight Streets alleys are walkable-only, and will not be discussed at this meeting.   Our only drive-able alley is already public - PA705, between Dwight and East berkeley.   (And if you missed the meeting - is due to be re-paved this season!!)

At issue in this hearing is the maintenance of alleys.   As the South End was built, some rear alleys were turned over to the city to become city property; while others remained private.    Private alleys allow the owners flexibility over use of the alley, but maintenance and snow removal must also be privately paid for.

Today, if the owners of an alley would like to turn the alley over to City control, the alley must be brought up to City standards, meaning in a state of good repair, ADA compliance, and conform to other city regulations.   This can be cost-prohibitive for the owners.    This hearing is to discuss this specific issue.

From the hearing flier:

The public is invited to attend and learn form city officials:

How alleys are designated as public or private
What jurisdiction the city has in providing services for private alleys
What duties private property owners have in upkeep and maintenance of private alleys.

Please feel free to attend the hearing.  Even though it is not an ESNA issue, it is a South End issue of concern to many residents.

A Boston.com article on the issue can be found here.

[Update] Two post-meeting articles can be found here:    South End Patch,   Universal Hub.

Egg Hunt Postponed Due to Weather

The Ringgold Park Egg Hunt has been rescheduled due to inclement weather.



Please join us next Sunday, April 24th, at 10 am.

We hope to see you there!

The Friends of Ringgold Park

---

email: ringgoldpark@verizon.net

Neighborhood News on-line

Since you're reading this blog, you probably have some intent savvy, and an interest in neighborhood news.  We'd like to remind you our two Press outlets also have a presence on line.

The South End News has a Web page as well as a Facebook Page and Twitter feed.    On the Web Page they also have (at the bottom of the page) and email sign-up, where you can get a weekly email of the weeks' headlines.

The South End patch also has a Web Page, Facebook Page and Twitter Feed, as well as an RSS feed for news stories.  They also have an email newsletter (link is on the upper right of the Web Page)

[[Update - the Patch now has an iphone app (android coming soon) ]]

Both outlets provide news covering the South End, and we hope you follow both and get all your neighborhood news...

Yard waste pickup for Spring

City of Boston press release.   Eight Streets' recycling day is Tuesday


If you don’t have time to compost your leaves or yard debris this spring, Boston Public Works Department will do it for you.  Public Works crews will collect your leaves and yard waste on neighborhood recycling days from April 25 to May 20.

• Residents should place leaves and yard debris in large paper leaf bags or open barrels labeled “yard waste” (no plastic bags).  Yard waste stickers for barrels are available by calling (617) 635-4500.
• Residents should tie branches with string: 3’ maximum length. 1” max. diameter. They should not put branches in barrels.  
• Barrels, bags and branches should be placed curbs:

7:00 AM on your Recycling Day:  April 25 through May 20
Yard Waste will not be collected for two weeks prior to the spring collection (April 11 thru April 22).  Residents should please hold their yard waste until collection begins the week of April 25. 


More Information on Yard Waste Guidelines

April ESNA Business Meeting

Hi Everyone!

Our monthly Eight Streets business meeting will be this Tuesday, April 5th at Project Place (Washington & East Berkeley).  

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

7-8:30 - Business meeting.   

We have some exciting items on the agenda this month.

• Pops restaurant - Pops is seeking support to extend closing hours from midnight to 1am.   Their hearing was last week - no word yet if it was denied or postponed.   But according to the city they still wish to visit the NA and get feedback on extended hours.

• 10 Bond street - they wish to present information on a planned roofdeck.   There was recently a hearing on the validity of their existing permit, but I have not yet received feedback on how that went.   but this is information only - there is no vote on this issue scheduled at this meeting

• Meet Eric Hill - Eric works at Paul Sullivan housing and will be a regular attendee at our meetings.

We've got some great agenda items this month, so we hope you'll be able to make it.   (A local business also promises to bring some treats to nibble on).   

See you on Tuesday!

Street Sweeping begins

A sure sign of Spring - Street sweeping is here!

As of April 1st, the street sweeping season for local streets has begin (although sweeping was postponed due to snow on Friday).   This week is the "first" week - many of our streets are cleaned on the First Mondays and Thursdays.  A full schedule for Eight Streets and surrounding streets can be found here (let me know if we need any corrections)

So please remember to move your cars this week.   Never mind the potential ticket - our streets are a mess after this long winter, and this is a chance to start the Spring cleanup.

March ESNA Meeting

Hi Everyone!  We seem to be storm-free at the moment, so the weather looks good for our March ESNA Meeting!

Our monthly Eight Streets business meeting will be this Tuesday, March 1st at Project Place (Washington & East Berkeley).  (Yes, this coming Tuesday is March already)

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

We have some exciting items on the agenda this month.

• Election season isn't that far off.   This November the City Council seats will be up for election.  Suzanne Lee has put her hat in the ring for the District 2 seat, and will visit us this month to let us know about herself and her candidacy.   I hope we can get a good crowd for this (and all) candidate presentations to show Eight Streets has an interest in who represents us in City Hall.

• Berkeley Greenery - Berkeley's fence on Berkeley street is now up, but they still have more work planned.   Along the fence they plan an to have array of greenery to compliment the fence and bring year-round color to the Berkeley edge.   Ann McQueen from the garden will give us a short presentation on their fence greenery plans.

• Rob Ferris, who is developing 5 Dwight street will give us a project update on the building rehab.  

We've got some great agenda items this month, so we hope you'll be able to make it.   (A local business also promises to bring some treats to nibble on).

See you on Tuesday!

Blackstone/Franklin fundraiser

Passing along this notice from our friends at Blackstone/Franklin Square NA...

The B/FSNA is having its annual book scholarship fundraiser on Thursday February 24 at Estragon, 700 Harrison from 6 to 8 pm. There will be free food from Estragon, Mela, Pita and Siraj Cafe; a cash bar and a wonderful silent auction. We have items from Toro, Orinoco, South End Athletics Company, Flour and more. Tickets are $25/in advance, $30/at the door; $30/$40 for couples.

All the proceeds go to support our book scholarship for South End high school seniors. More information is available at www.bfsna.org or email info@bfsna.org.