4th Annual Boston Bike Update, Feb. 28
Have you taken a ride around town on a Hubway bike yet? Has there been a new bike lane installed in your neighborhood this past year? Have you heard about the Boston Bike Network Plan? If yes, then you know that 2011 has been a big year for Boston Bikes.
For the fourth year in a row, LivableStreets Alliance will host the annual Boston Bike Update event. Nicole Freedman, Director of the Boston Bikes Program, will present her fourth report on past achievements, challenges, and future goals of the Mayor’s effort to create a “world class bicycling city.” Come hear details on Hubway, the Bike Network Plan, parking facilities, youth programs, festivals, and more. Special guest Mayor Thomas Menino will speak to his “the car is no longer king” policy for the city.
Event takes place from 5:45 – 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 28, at the Boston Public Library, Rabb Lecture Hall, 700 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Free and open to the public. Join fellow cyclists at this public forum on bicycle planning in Boston.
5:45 – 6:15 p.m. Transportation Community Showcase-come learn about all the different groups working together for better biking in Boston
6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Presentation
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Q&A/discussion
LivableStreets is your advocate for a balance of biking, walking, and transit with automobiles—creating safe streets and livable communities—making the Boston region a better place to live, work, and play.
>For more information: www.livablestreets.info / 617.621.1746 / kara@livablestreets.info
> For sponsorship opportunities, please contact jackie@livablestreets.info
Boston Urban Agriculture Kickoff, Jan. 30!
Brainstorm the future of agriculture in Boston! Learn about Urban Agriculture, taste food samples, and find out how zoning can support farming! Featuring Keynote Speaker Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power Inc., former pro athlete, and 2008 McArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” recipient for his work on urban farming and sustainable food production. Check out the Urban Agriculture Kickoff & Visioning Flyer! Additional flyers in Spanish, Haitian Creole and Chinese.
Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA), and the Mayor’s Office of Food Initiatives are launching a new project to update the Boston Zoning Code to support Urban Agriculture (UA) city wide. UA is small scale farming that makes healthy, fresh food more accessible and empowers Bostonians by creating economic opportunity. Examples of urban farming include rooftop greenhouse agriculture, aquaponics (fish farming), community farms, farm stands, composting, and other fresh food-producing endeavors. Continue Reading »
Peabody Square on WGBH, Dec. 5
Please tune in to WGBH Radio, 89.7 FM, at 5:20 p.m. on Dec. 5 (time subject to change) for their story on the “Peabody Square Rain Garden.” If you don’t have access to a radio, here is a link to the story: http://www.wgbh.org/articles/
The Rain Garden grew out of St. Mark Areas Main Streets’ 2004 community planning project, funded by Boston Main Streets, which led to the overall design for Peabody Square. The City’s Dept. of Environmental & Energy Services played a key role in funding the rain garden, which serves as a pilot program for other infrastructure renovations around the City. The Department also connected SMAMS with the Charles River Watershed Association, with whom we collaborated on design of the rain garden and on another filtration system, the “porous pavement” plaza in front of Ashmont Grill.
Community Mtg. Re: Dot. Ave, Dec. 6
Fields Corner Main Street has scheduled a community meeting regarding the construction on Dorchester Avenue for next Tuesday, December 6, at 6:30 p.m. at the Vietnamese American Community Center, 42 Charles St., Dorchester.
Representatives from the Boston Transportation Department (BTD) and possibly from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) will update the community on the construction schedule and efforts to alleviate some of the parking issues in the district. Continue Reading »
Dot Ave. Zoning Update Mtg., Dec. 14
The BRA will hold a Dot Ave Zoning meeting on December 14th at Viet-AID (Second Floor), 42 Charles Street, Dorchester MA. This Dot Ave Zoning public meeting is a review session geared toward the Advisory Group. A subsequent community-wide meeting in January will review all sessions and be geared toward the neighborhood at large.
Projected timeline for future public meetings:
-December 14th: AG meeting
-Mid January: Community-wide meeting
-February: BRA Board public hearing
-March: Zoning Commission public hearing for final approval
All maps and presentations are available on the project website: http://www.dotavzoning.org
Mtg. re: Closing of Upham’s Corner Post Office, Nov. 17
The U.S. Postal Service is planning on closing the Upham’s Corner Post Office in the spring of 2012. Community residents and businesses alike use the Upham’s Corner Post Office every day for: money orders, mail boxes, mailing packages overseas and throughout the United States, certified and registered letters, stamps, and much more. If the UC Post Office closes, residents would be required to travel to Fields Corner or Roxbury Crossing for postal services, which would be inconvenient and harmful to the local economy of Upham’s Corner. A Postal Service meeting on November 17 at Dorchester Bay EDC MLK room 402 at 594 Columbia Road in Dorchester. The meeting will be from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information about the closing, please call Michael Foley, District Discontinuance Coordinator for the U.S. Postal Service at 617.654.5686.
See the attached Post Office notice for more information.
Master Urban Gardener Program: Apply Now!
We wrote about BNAN’s Master Urban Gardener program on November 3. Since that time, Erika Rumbley at BNAN has sent GreenDorchester this lovely letter to local community gardeners which gives a better framework for the garden trainings. PLEASE NOTE: the sign-up deadline this year is December 1st. Read Erika’s note below, view a flyer, download the MUG Application, and continue after the break for the original program description.
Boston Community Gardeners,
As many of you know, the Master Urban Gardener (MUG) program is a 6-session training program for Boston’s community gardeners.
The MUG program is perfect for community gardeners who are ready to dig-in, build their gardening skills & share their knowledge with others. Whether you’re just getting started or have been gardening for decades, MUG covers everything you need to know to thrive in one of Boston’s community gardens- from vegetable gardening and composting to community organizing. Rather than paying a fee, Master Urban Gardeners give volunteer service to Boston’s gardening community.
Applications for the 2012 MUG program are due December 1st. Please encourage people from your garden to apply! Attached, you will find a complete program description and the application. Questions? Hosting an upcoming community garden event where we can spread the word about the MUG program? Call 617-542-7696 or write mug@bostonnatural.org.
Birds and Brew, Nov. 4
Have a hoot, and support Boston Nature Center’s education programs!
The Boston Nature Center will be hosting “Birds and Brew” on Friday, November 4 from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. This event will include free beer tastings from local breweries, including: Blue Hills Brewery, Cambridge Brewing Company, Clown Shoes Beer, Cody Brewing Company, Harpoon Brewery, Jack’s Abby Brewing, Mystic Brewery, and Sam Adams Brewery. Hear live music from the Plantsmen, compete in trivia contests for prizes, eat great pub food and of course – there will be bird demonstrations by the Blue Hills Trailside Museum!
Tickets for the event are $35 in advance, $40 at the door. For tickets, please call 617-983-8500, or buy your tickets online! Click on the image to visit the website.
This is a 21+ event and valid ID will be required.
Focus Groups Hosts & Participants Wanted
Organizations or neighborhood associations in Dorchester, Roxbury and JP interested in hosting/joining a focus group on the urban environment and neighborhood health should read the following: A research project affiliated with Clark University’s Human-Environment Regional Observatory is seeking groups of 6 to 10 participants for a series of focus groups which run between 1 to 1.5 hours. Food and small compensation provided. Sessions are available from September to November. The goal of the study is to understand residents’ perceptions and priorities for their neighborhood environment and to incorporate the information into Boston planning workshops.
Contact clarawool@gmail.com for details.
My Dot Tour Video Online!
A video profiling My Dot Tour is now online! View the video on YouTube or continue on to see it embedded on DEHC.org. My Dot Tour is a collaborative program that empowers youth and community through celebrating Fields Corner’s multicultural history. Based on a model made successful by mytown, inc. in the South End and Lower Roxbury, MyDotTour brings this innovative program to Dorchester—Boston’s largest and oldest neighborhood, founded in 1630. MyDotTour youth tour leaders meet weekly to learn about their community, research its history, and create a walking tour of the Fields Corner area. These youth serve as tour guides, developing leadership and public speaking skills in the process. Continue Reading »
