Tree lighting this Saturday

Yep - December is a mere 2 hours away - and you can kick off the holiday season by attending the annual South End Tree Lighting.  Come for an evening of family fun as the Mayor visits the South End and helps light the tree this Saturday (Dec 3) on the BCA Plaza.  Festivities start at 3pm, and a certain someone from the North Pole should make his appearance for the kids around 4:15.  They'll be plenty of entertainment, and they usually snacks and cocoa.   See the event flier here.

Ringgold: Informal opening & Fall Cleanup

While we tend to forget our parks come winter time, this Saturday, Dec 3 at 9am, Ringgold will have an informal park opening to celebrate the end of construction and the completion of the center area, including plantings, seating and the new fountain.   Come and join them for coffee and muffins to show off the new park and discuss Ringgold's future.   (There will be an official ribbon cutting come spring)

And while you're there, bring your gloves and help doa little Fall clean-up.  (Yes, by the calendar its still fall.  :)  Now that the fencing is down, you can actually get into the park, so time to clean before winter actually arrives.

You can see some fountain photos on the ESNA Facebook Page.  (Like us while you're there!)

Boston Shines

Boston's semi-annual city-wide cleanup, Boston Shines, takes place this weekend.    While Eight Streets doesn't not organize a neighborhood-wide cleanup, individuals are free to clean up their local area, or organize a street-wide cleanup.

Please let me know if you will be taking part in Boston Shines - I'll forward the information to the city, to ensure they have enough rakes, brooms and trash bags available at the BCA Plaza for your use.

If you do clean up, please place bags of trash on a street corner by Noon.   They need to be visible do DPW can see them during their afternoon special pick-up.

Full election results on line

The city has posted overview and detailed election results on line on their web site.

For Ward 3, Precinct 7 - of wich Eight Streets is a part of:

We had 15% voter participation

For district 2 councilor:

• 74.4% voted for Suzanne Lee
• 24.86 voted for incumbent Bill Linehan

For city councilor at large:

• Ayanna Pressley: 23.10%
• Felix Arroyo: 21.79%
• John Connolly: 20.67%
• Stephen Murphy:  12.95%
• Michael Flaherty:  12.83%
• Will Dorcena:  4.55%
• Sean Ryan:  3.55%

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!!!

ESNA on FB

Eightstreets continues to expand into social networking - we now have a Facebook page!

Facebook offers ESAN the opportunity to quickly post notices and photos.  (and, if I set it up right, these blog posts will also appear on our wall).  but I'm also hoping the FB page will inspire feedback.    We've had our email address for a while, but many folks don't feel comfortable emailing everyone.   I'm hoping people will post photos, links and other comments to the FB page, making it more of a community bulletin board than just an outlet for me to post notices.

So visit our new Facebook page.  Like us.   And maybe make a post or two!!!!

Last chance to meet the candidates

If you missed the at-large forum (That ESNA co-sponsored), the Rutland NA and the Friends of the S End Library are hosting one last city councilor candidate forum this Thursday, Nov 3rd, at the South End Library.

For complete details, see the schedule and format at the FoSEL web site.     This is your last chance to see the candidates in person before the elections on Tuesday!

Taylor street construction hearings

We have two neighborhood construction projects in the works, both of which abut Taylor/Watson park.  Both of these projects have hearings before the Landmarks District Commission on this Tuesday (Nov 1).  While both projects are currently scheduled for our December meeting, some abutting neighbors might be interested in attending these public hearings.

Both of these are Advisory Review hearings.  This means Landmarks is not taking any kind of vote or issuing any approvals.  Construction projects ask for an advisory hearing to basically take their early designs before landmarks to say "This is what I'm planning on doing - what's your opinion".    This allows projects to get Landmarks feedback before they spend time and money on detailed plans.  Landmarks then gives their feedback on the project's current direction, allowing the project to make any modifications to the project before the official Landmarks hearing.

Since this is an advisory hearing, there is no neighborhood association feedback as of yet, but this is an opportunity for residents to see a project in it's early phase.   I don't know what kind of (if any) feedback form residents is allowed during an advisory review.

Unfortunately, although a stone's throw from each other, the two hearings are scheduled 3 hours apart...  The hearings take place at City Hall, room 801.  After 5:30, enter city hall via theCongress street entrance.

5:30-6:00 - Advisory review of 8 Taylor street - "proposal to add onto the wood-clad townhouse at 8 Taylor st, which includes an addition onto the adjacent vacant lot at 10 Taylor st."   (10 Taylor is currently used as a driveway for 8 Taylor, and is enclosed by a stockade fence).  The hearing should cover both height and materials of the proposed addition.

9:00 - Advisory review of 251 Shawmut ave (Abandoned building at corner of Shawmut and Milford).   This hearing is for the external building changes.  This hearing will discuss extending the large plat windows on the first floor around to the Milford side, adding oriels, and recladding the external wall the faces the park.  The hearing will not address their request to change zoning of the 1st floor from Commercial to Residential.  ESNA should be taking that issue up at our December meeting.


Again, both these items are currently on our December agenda.   Another blog/email will go out before that meeting to give you extensive project detail for both projects, as each one will be coming to the NA to ask for our support for their projects.   These Advisory Review hearings are for direct abuters and interested parties to get  more information.  If you can't make the hearings, you'll still get all the project information and get a chance to vote on the proposals at our December meeting.

November ESNA Meeting

Hi Everyone!

Our next monthly Eight Streets business meeting will be this Wednesday, November 2nd in the Boston Ballet 5th floor board room (corner of Warren & Clarendon streets)

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

On the agenda this month:

• Buttery update - The South End Butter will be expanding into the adjacent space, formerly occupied by Hudson. They'll give us an update on what changes we can expect to see at the location.
• Let's Talk Trash - this our big Trash meeting.   Frank O'Brien from Boston's Public Works Dept will be joining us in a discussion about Trash.   Frank will tell us what the City's responsibilities are for trash collection, and will take your questions about trash and street sweeping. We'll also discuss what we the residents can do to ensure a cleaner neighborhood, including putting trash out correctly and grabbing a broom from time to time. I hope we can use this meeting as a spring board to a neighborhood trash education campaign
• Taylor Park Construction - we have two construction projects next to Taylor/Watson park that are on our December agenda. We'll finish tonight's meeting with a brief update on what will be discussed at the December meeting.

I hope many of you will be able to make it. Trash is always a hot topic, but we're going to make this a 'solutions' discussion rather than just a grip session.


A reminder that we meet on the First Wednesday of every month, September through June.  This detailed agenda tends to go out a few days before the meeting because our guest list is often in flux. I put potential topics on the web site as soon as they believe they can attend a meeting, but hold off on this detailed agenda until everyone is 100% confirmed, so everyone can see one final correct agenda.  



Hope to see everyone a the meeting this Wednesday! The Haley's will also be bringing in some refreshments, so save room for some dessert!

Leaf and Yard Waste collection

Flurries on Thursday not withstanding, it's still Autumn, and time to clean out those yards.

The city has begun collecting Leafs and Yard waste.   Green waste will be picked up on Recycling Day, between now and November November 30th.  For Eight Streets, this means Tuesday mornings.through the end of November.

Yard waste needs to be in paper bags, or open barrels.   No plastic bags - anything in a plastic bag will be taken away as trash.  Tree branches must be cut to no longer than 3 foot lengths, and tied with string

For complete details, or for more information, please see the City Leaf and Yard Waste web site

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  :)

Ringgold - Halloween is back on

Friends of Ringgold will be partnering with Friends of Peters Park to hold the Ringgold Halloween Celebration in Peters Park this year!!

The celebration will be from 4:30 to 6 in Peters park.   Friends of Ringgold is looking for volunteers to help set up, clean up, and "donate savory food items".  To help with Halloween please email ringgoldpark@verizon.net.

Additional info:

We will host a cleanup beforehand, tentatively scheduled for Sunday, Oct 30, from 2 to 4 pm.  Rakes, bags and gloves provided. Please join us in making this fun community event a success!  Our friends at the D4 Police Precinct are planning to close Shawmut Ave and Waltham Street for a short period so we can safely parade back towards our traditional trick or treating route, up Waltham and Hanson Streets before branching out to surrounding streets. All are welcome!

South End News also posted an article on the fountain construction... 

To get more involved with Ringgold park, please email the Friends of Ringgold park....

South End House Tour

The South End Historical Society's 43rd Annual South End House Tour is Saturday, October 15th from 10 am to 5 pm.  

 

From a sleek and contemporary reinterpretation of a row house to a family-friendly, traditional Victorian home, each of the featured spaces presents a different South End story.  Whether you are looking for fine historic architectural details, seeking design inspiration, or simply want to get a glimpse of the view from one of the South End’s best located roof decks—there is something for everyone on this tour.

 

General tickets are on sale and can be purchased through our website at www.southendhistoricalsociety.org or by check by calling 617-536-4445.  General tickets purchased in advance are $25 each.  Upgrade to a $50 Sponsor's ticket and attend the private party after the Tour! 

 

General tickets are $30 on the day of the Tour and will be available at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, or Rondeau-Tierney Real Estate, 69 Appleton Street. 

 

Please call 617-536-4445 or email admin@southendhistoricalsociety.org with questions.

 

Ms. Hope Shannon

Executive Director

The South End Historical Society

532 Massachusetts Avenue

Boston, MA 02118

p. 617-536-4445

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
www.southendhistoricalsociety.org

October Eight Streets meeting

Greetings Eight Streets members

 

A reminder that our monthly meeting is Tomorrow, October 5^th at the Boston Ballet’s 5^th floor board room.

We have no business items on the agenda this month.  I had hoped to have the city come and talk about Trash, but that will be happening at our November meeting.

Rather than cancel the meeting, I hope we can get together and get some engagement going.   If we want the Association to thrive, we need more participation by members and residents.   Some things we can work on over the next year include:

• Crime – Bernard has volunteered to work with the OD Crime committee.   Do we have others interested in crime?  Maybe put tips together and flier the neighborhood.   Have a neighborhood walk-through with BPD to point out hot spots and see how we can make our neighborhood safer?   Do we have enough interest to get neighborhood watches together?
• Trash – the City’s DPW will come next month to talk about the City and trash collection.  What can we do?   Fliers and brochures delivered to residents to educate US on proper trash containers & collection procedures?   How can we work to keep our neighborhood clean between trash days?  Should we fundraise to get big-bellies throughout the neighborhood?   Any other trash ideas?   Or better – people who want to form a trash committee?
• Greenspace – we have two parks in our neighborhood, we’re adjacent to a third, and are home to one of the largest community gardens in the city.   Is the association supporting them enough?  Is there more we can do to help the spaces “Friends” organizations?   Raise money?  Help with projects? 
• City services – How’s our infrastructure?   I attend a quarterly meeting with DPW.  Are others interested in joining in?   Do we need a place where people can report issues to ESNA so we can bring them to the city?  Or is Citizens Connect enough?  (Hope everyone is using that app;  :) 
• The neighborhood!!! – We moved to a blog form email to reach more people.   Are we reaching enough of our residents?   Should we also facebook?  Tweet?   Should we flier or direct mail residents to remind them we’re here?    Are you interested in a civic outreach campaign?  (possibly in conjunction with the fundraising mentioned above)
• Activities – We haven’t had many activities outside of the monthly meetings in a while – and the few we have had were lightly attended.   What kind of activities do you want to see?   What’s fun and exciting?   Are these events we can hold that tie together some of the ideas mentioned above?

None of this can happen without you.  We can have a passive neighborhood with Heather & I minding the shop and blogging you news.  Or we can have an active organization with more events and outreach to our community.   It’s in your hands.  Only your participation can decide what kind of association you want your neighborhood to be.

So come join us at this Wednesday’s meeting.  Regular meeting format with socializing and meet & greet form 6:30-7, and the business meeting starting at 7.

I hope you can make it for some great discussions!!!

- John

Ringgold park news

Friends of Ringgold Park just sent out a lot of news updates.   To summarize:

• The construction of the fountain has been delayed a bit due to manufacturing issues with some of the custom-designed pieces.  Fountain work should be complete in November
• Given the delay, there will not be Ringgold Park Halloween party this year.    Sorry kids.
• Parks department has announced the two Ringgold playgrounds will be renovated in 2012!!!

Check out the Ringgold Park News page for complete details.  And while you're there subscribe to their newsletter, subscribe to their news RSS feed, and Friend them on Facebook!!!

Free self defense class for Women

BPD is offering a free self defense class for women.   This is a 4 session class, being given at the JP Health center in Jamaica Plain.

Complete details can be found here

Tour Castle Square this weekend

Between 10 and 2 this Saturday, October 1, Castle Square will be offering tours of the ongoing Deep Energy Refit construction that has been going on at the square.   All the work going on will change the face of Castle square both inside and out, as units are made energy efficient and the exterior receives an insulation coating, transforming the look of the building.   Details of all the work can be found on the CastleDeepEnergy web site

Details and more information are below.   Hope you can take advantage of this opportunity!

---

The Castle Square Tenants Organization and WinnDevelopment invite you to tour the construction of what is likely the largest Deep Energy Retrofit in the U.S.

When:            Saturday, October 1^st, 2011, 10:00 – 2:00 pm

Tours will be offered on an ongoing basis during this time.

Where:           Castle Square Apartments, 476 Tremont Street, Boston

About Castle Square  - The 500-unit, low-and moderate-income Castle Square Apartments occupies an entire city block in Boston’s South End.  Constructed in the 1960s, 192 apartments are currently undergoing a trailblazing Deep Energy Retrofit Renovation.

Why are Deep Energy Retrofits Cutting Edge?  - Deep Energy Retrofits are the next wave in green building.  The majority of green buildings are only 20 to 30 percent more efficient than typical buildings in the U.S.   To date, there has been a technical glass ceiling on what is feasible for energy and carbon reductions in existing buildings.   Deep Energy Retrofits completely raise the energy savings bar.  Castle Square is expected to achieve a 72 percent energy reduction (a dramatic improvement over 20 to 30 percent energy savings)!

How is Castle Square  Different than Other Green Renovations?

ü  The key difference between Castle Square Apartments Deep Energy Retrofit and standard energy efficiency renovations is insulation, which at Castle Square will be located on the outside of the building (visually transforming the dated property).

ü  A new 5” super insulated shell, combined with a super insulated reflective roof, high efficiency windows and extensive air sealing, will increase the insulation value of the building by a factor of ten.

ü  Because of super insulation, the building will require only a fraction of the energy to heat and cool.

ü  Additional energy savings will be made using small high efficiency cooling and heating equipment, LED and CFL lighting, Energy Star appliances and solar hot water.

ü  This is not a gut renovation, so fewer resources are used.  Residents stay in their apartments during the renovation, with minimal disruption.

To learn more about the renovation check out www.CastleDeepEnergy.com

This free tour is being offered in conjunction with the Northeast Sustainable Energy Alliance Green Open House.  http://www.nesea.org/greenbuildings/

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

Vote - primary on Tuesday

A reminder that we have elections this week.  on Tuesday, September 27th there will be a primary election for City Councilor for District 2 (our district).   The top 2 vote getters will proceed to the final election in November.

On Tuesday's ballot you fill find

• Incumbent Bill Linehan
• Suzanne Lee
• Bob Ferrara

All of Eight Streets votes at Cathedral High School gym, corner of Washington & Union Park Street.  (We are Ward 3, Precinct 7).  Polls are open 7am until 8pm.

Hope everyone can make it!!

What's going on this week?

A reminder that Eight Streets has a Google Calendar which we try to keep up to date with local events.   The calendar holds out business meetings, as well as other events in the South End; such as open studios this week, and the City redistricting meeting on Monday.

How you can you see our calendar you ask?

• You can go to it directly through this link and see the calendar on its own web page
• If you have your own Google calendar you can add the NA's calendar - just go under other calendars on the left, and add our address - eightstreets@gmail.com
• Head to the Eight Streets web pages - we've embedded the Google calendar right on our calendar web page

On our web site calendar page, we've also included links to several other South End calendars, so you can keep up on all local South End events...