Steal Some Art!

Dear Friends, Family and Customers,

As some of you may already know, Chris' dealers, Camelia Genovese and David Sullivan decided to retire earlier this year and have closed the doors of their Thayer St. gallery for good. Our sadness at the gallery's closing took on a practical dimension for us when Camelia pulled up in front of our house with the first of several van loads of pictures (most of them framed) representing over a decade of Chris' work.

Of course we're both fond of these pieces. But Chris has new stuff to work on, and we need to run a business out of already cramped quarters here at Yale Terrace. So we've decided to try and clear things out at a 50% to 60% discount down from regular gallery pricing. There are dozens of framed photographs to choose from (you can see a few below), including images from Chris' Wonalancet River, April Fools Blizzard and Zakim Bridge series'. A number of these works are included in prestigious collections, including Fidelity Investments, the Boston Public Library and the Boston Athenaeum.

We'll be having open house 12-5 Sunday, December 16 for people to take a look. Or just give us a call if some other time would be more convenient for you. In any case, it'd be great to see you.

Cheers,

Chris and Kosta

PS
Feel free to forward this note to anyone you think might be interested. If you received this e-mail by error, we apologize - we try to keep our mailing list up to date, but stuff inevitably creeps in and out.

chris@3rdeyephoto.com
60 Yale Terrace
Jamaica Plain, Ma
02130
617-522-4337

Forest Hills Community Improvement Initiative Meeting

Dear Forest Hills Community Members,

Please join us for the next Forest Hills Improvement Initiative Community Meeting this, Saturday, November 17th, from 8:30 AM to 12:00 N, Covenant Congregational Church, 455 Arborway, Jamaica Plain (next to the Court House). Translation to Spanish will be provided. Translation to other languages will be provided if requested by tomorrow November 14th. Coffee, tea and refreshments will be served all morning; the meeting will start at 9:00 AM.

This meeting will focus on the Forest Hills District Concept Plan and site specific Use and Design Guidelines and Development Scenarios. For your review prior to the meeting, please find attached DRAFT Use & Design Guidelines.

Community participation is of great importance to the quality of this effort. We ask and hope each of you will assist us in community outreach by forwarding this notice on to friends and neighbors you think would be interested in attending. Attached and below are flyers in both English and Spanish for your distribution next week.

For additional information, visit the BRA Web site: http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra
Select “Planning Initiatives”, and then select “Forest Hills Improvement Initiative”.

Forest Hills Improvement Initiative Meeting: 11/17

Dear Forest Hills Community Members,

Please join us for the next Forest Hills Improvement Initiative Community Meeting on, Saturday, November 17th, from 8:30 AM to 12:00 N, location to be finalized, notice will be sent once confirmed. Translation to Spanish will be provided. Translation to other languages will be provided if requested by November 14th. Coffee, tea and refreshments will be served all morning.

Please note: an earlier notice appeared in last week’s JP Gazette advertising the wrong date.

This meeting will focus on the Forest Hills District Concept Plan and site specific Use and Design Guidelines and Development Scenarios. An agenda and DRAFT materials will be distributed prior to the meeting to allow for your advance review.

Community participation is of great importance to the quality of this effort. We ask and hope each of you will assist us in community outreach by forwarding this notice on to friends and neighbors you think would be interested in attending. We are preparing flyers in both English and Spanish and will forward those for distribution next week.

For additional information, visit the BRA Web site: http://www.cityofboston.gov/bra
Select “Planning Initiatives”, and then select “Forest Hills Improvement Initiative”.

Appreciatively,

John Dalzell, AIA, LEED-AP
Senior Architect
Boston Redevelopment Authority
One City Hall Square
Boston, MA 02201
617 / 918-4334

M-O-N-E-Y

ATTENTION:
ACTIVISTS,
ADMINISTRATORS &
DEVELOPMENT STAFF OF COLOR

Demand for adequate services in our neighborhoods is increasing.
Government funds are being slashed. Competition for funding is fierce.
You & your organization are expected to be there & you want to be there.
What do you do to increase your skills and help your organization survive?

ATTEND THE
INSTITUTE OF NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERSHIP’S
FUNDRAISING ACADEMY

When?
Thursday evenings 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
October 25 through November 15, 2007


• Grassroots fundraising introduction: Thursday, Oct. 25
• Make special events profitable: Thursday, Nov. 1
• Grants: Thursday, Nov. 8
• Meet the funders: Thursday, Nov. 15


Where?
Boston English High School
144 McBride Street
Jamaica Plain

2 blocks from the Green St. station on the Orange Line
Free parking lot next to building

How much?
Only a $5.00 donation to pay for materials.


This is a program of the Union of Minority Neighborhoods

FOR REGISTRATION & INFORMATION CONTACT:
UMN
617-541-4111
umnunity@gmail.com

Free Dinner

Break-Ins on Orchard Hill

Hi all,

Please be extra careful and also watchful as Orchard Hill Street has been experiencing numerous house-breaks.

Three weeks ago, a purse was stolen out of a house, and last night (July 4) there were somewhere between 5 and 8 attempted break-ins on Orchard Hill (two successful). A police dog tracked a suspect into the cemetery, and an emptied purse was found in the Morton Street Woods.

Help the Hyde Square Task Force

Hi all,
Paul Trunnell of the Hyde Square Task Force sent this email asking for help - please read down and see how easily you can provide support for the development of new opportunities for JP youth. For more information, or if you know of a good distribution list to use to spread the word, contact Paul@hydesquare.org.
Happy Clicking,
Liz



You'll remember that a few months ago the Hyde Square Task Force
entered a competition through an organization called RE-ZOOM, where we needed to click every day on their website in hopes of winning a $5,000 regional prize... well, WE WON! Thanks to your clicking, and those of our colleagues and supporters, friends and family.

Starting MONDAY, JULY 9, we have a chance to win an additional $100,000 through a national "clicking" contest. We are competing against 20 other non-profits nationwide - but I think our tech savvy and broad base of supporters gives us a distinct advantage over many of our competitors.

See http://www.rezoom.com/ABETTERWORLD/ for more details.

$100,000... is pretty close to what it's costing us to move into the Cheverus School, which as you know will give us added capacity to expand and improve our programs. Key features of the new space include a soon-to be renovated Dance Studio (think of how good Ritmo can get when they can actually practice in front of real mirrors!), an expanded computer lab , a youth space for YCO's, H-CAP and all our youth teams, and 1000 square feet of music studio space through a new collaboration with the Music and Youth Initiative and Berklee College of Music, beginning this fall. Altogether, we can expect to serve at least 100 additional youth through our new and expanded programs in the coming year!

What you can do:

CLICK! Sign up at rezoom.com/ABETTERWORLD and click once a day, starting Monday, July 9 until Friday, August 10.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS! To be competitive, we are going to need over 15,000 clicks - that's at least 500 clicks a day! Tell your friends and family now so they are ready to click for us every day until the end of the contest.

ASK YOUR COLLEAGUES! We work with dozens of community professionals every day - please let them know they can help us raise $100,000 through their clicks.

This is also a great time to get the word out to everyone we are connected with about what amazing things we are doing, and to emphasize the importance of our move to the Cheverus as a stepping stone in our growth and expansion, which will lead us in a few fast-moving years to the proposed Youth & Family Center. A national contest will bring us national exposure: the more competitive we are, the more we will be able to share our story with potential supporters across the country.

I am attaching two documents - a press release that we will be circulating to local media sources, and a statement of need that will be posted on re-zoom's national website about what impact the $100,000 would have on our organization.

PLEASE TAKE TWO MINUTES AND FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO AT LEAST FIVE FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES. We need to get the word out now, to maximize the number of clicks we receive every day between July 9 and August 10. Together we can promote our work and earn the Hyde Square Task Force $100,000 to support our youth and community development programs.

Hey you, join this! It's free and cool.

Through everyday transactions at participating merchants, Boston Community Change cardholders receive cash rewards while directing money to designated local non- profits or schools. These simple transactions help to channel money back through the local economy and positively contribute to the Boston’s overall quality of life.

Click here to get more information and to join up.

From the Franklin Park Coalition

Franklin Park Friends:

It seems the helicopter issue is not dead. We may still have landings in Franklin Park this summer. Our city councilors are holding a hearing on the issue at the golf clubhouse this coming Tuesday, May 1st at 6:00 pm. Please come out to show that this is unacceptable in our park. The hearing offers an opportunity to question how city officials could've considered Franklin Park's Playstead as "vacant land" suitable for helicopter landings in the first place. A big showing on Tuesday protesting the helicopters will help send the message that Franklin Park - and all parks - must be treated as protected land, not as available space for whatever's needed. Inserted below is the order calling for the hearing sent by Councillor Turner's office.

Especially needed are dog owners and those concerned about wildlife. The park will not be a place for animals if the helicopters arrive.

Don't forget the Franklin Park History Tour this weekend - Sunday at 1:00 pm, meet at the rear entrance to the Zoo.

--
Franklin Park Coalition
617-282-2881
www.franklinparkcoalition.org



City of Boston
In City Council

Hearing Order On Franklin Park Helicopter Launching Pad

By Councillors Chuck Turner, Charles C. Yancey and Sam Yoon
April 4, 2007


Whereas, constituents from the Roxbury side and the Jamaica Plain side of Franklin Park have complained about the sitting of a Public Safety helicopterpad in the Park; and

Whereas, there has been no public discussion of the sitting of the helicopterpad in Franklin Park; Therefore Be It

Ordered, that the appropriate committee of the Boston City Council hold apublic hearing and invite representatives of the Boston Police Department andany relative law enforcement agencies as well as Boston the Parks & Recreation Department to discuss such issues as: what led to the decision; were other sites considered; was there any discussion with the civic leaders or political leaders surrounding the park; expected effect on the park; who paysfor the negative effect on the park and zoo animals; and has there been any consideration of air pollution.

And Be It Further Ordered that the public be invited to give their perspective on the locating of a helicopter pad in Franklin Park.

Plea for Help

Hello Neighbors

As you may know, the 22nd Annual Neighborhood Cleanup is going to be on Sat. April 28. Generally, our area gets a pretty small turnout, though that small dedicated group manages to do a great job getting the trash cleared from the Morton Street Woods.

This year, we'd like to be a bit more ambitious and are asking you to join in by volunteering to clean up either the Woods or the street between the Woods and the corner of Hyde Park Ave and Morton. That stretch, running from the FitzInn lot to the Morton St. woods badly needs our attention, so please consider volunteering (and recruiting your friends, family and neighbors) to join us on Sat. morning.

The cleanup will be from 9 am to 1pm at which time the city picks up the tools and our trash bags. If you can't come for all four hours, come for what you can manage.

If you are able to volunteer, please send an email to Nigel Shaw at nigel_shaw@nps.gov to let us know (so that we can be sure to order enough trash bags, rakes, etc.) and most importantly, THANKS.

We look forward to seeing you on Sat. April 28th.

Nigel Shaw
Bruce Wallin
Liz O'Connor

Survey Results

Thanks to all of the residents (29 in total) who participated in the survey. The results are visible here.

We are also forwarding the results to the BRA for their inclusion as they collect neighborhood responses to planning options related to the sale of the MBTA parcels near Forest Hills.

Thanks again, all.

Liz and Bruce

The Survey

The West Roxbury Courthouse Neighborhood Association has created a short survey to help gather residents ideas for the BRA planning process now underway.

Click here to take survey

BRA Planning Meeting THIS SATURDAY

WRCNA meeting, Spring 2007

The West Roxbury Neighborhood Association held its spring meeting on Monday, March 20, 2007. It was well attended, with 25 residents plus representatives from Rep. Malia's office, Councilor John Tobin's Office, Mayor Menino's Office, the Boston Police, and the Woodbourne Association.

Chair Bruce Walling opened the meeting, welcoming all and introducing Councilor John Tobin who recapped some of the important issues facing our area, specifically, the imminent sale of three parcels of land owned by the MBTA, the ongoing struggles to control public drinking/drunkenness near the station and outside of Forest Hills Liquors, and the recent approval by CPCAY of the plan for the Arborway Yard.

Some of the issues Councilor Tobin and his staff are working on as of now include working with BPD to control business district crime, removal of the T tracks which run down Centre/South streets (they are obsolete, even if a trolley returned, we'd need new tracks). The track removal is important for both current safety concerns (bicyclists in particular are affected) and for future beautification efforts which will not be feasible in advance of the track removals.

Councilor Tobin closed by noting that he holds office hours in area coffee shops on Saturday mornings. If you would like to speak with him or get more information, contact his aide, Seth Donlin at seth.donlin@cityofboston.gov

Residents continued the meeting, discussing the following:

One resident raised the question of commuter parking and if it is now needed on Bremen Terrace and possibly Orchard Hill Street. Lesley Delaney Hawkins from the Mayor's office will be getting WRCNA some information on the process for making a street resident-only parking and we can discuss it at a future meeting. One member was concerned that it would negatively impact the Church but typically resident stickers are only necessary during regular work hours (M-F) so it would likely not be a problem for the church.

JP Pond Association is working to get the state to reengineer the rotaries in our parkway system. For more information on this, contact Jake at Liz Malia's office.

The MBTA is putting 3 parcels out to bid, and this will require the City to re-zone them for new uses. The current planning process underway by BRA is addressing this, all residents are encouraged to participate and make their priorities known. The next meeting for the BRA process is Saturday morning, March 31. Contact John Dalzell at John.Dalzell.BRA@cityofboston.gov for more information.

While crime has been down over the winter months, residents were concerned that the return of spring will bring back problems with people hanging around the bus stop at the foot of Orchard Hill and drinking/littering the bottles. Residents are encouraged to call 9-1-1 to report any instances of this, and the E-18 police will help to discourage this.

Our next meeting will be in Fall, 2007. If you would like something to be posted here, please email it to Liz O'Connor at Liz@strategymatters.org