By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

Former state representative Stephen W. Doran was held Wednesday on $10,000 bail after being charged with drug trafficking for allegedly receiving a package containing more than 400 grams of methamphetamine at a Jamaica Plain charter school where he works as a tutor, authorities said.

The package was mailed to Doran at 215 Forest Hills St., the address of the Match Charter Public Middle School, according to a statement from the Suffolk County District Attorney's office. It had been sent as Express Mail via the United States Postal Service.

At about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, State Police pulled over the vehicle Doran was driving just after he left the school, the district attorney's office said.

State Police had received "information that [Doran] might receive a package with a large amount of methamphetamine," and had obtained a warrant to search the package, said district attorney office spokesman Jake Wark.

Wark, citing an ongoing investigation, declined to say where the package was sent from.

Inside the package, police found two heat-sealed baggies containing 480 grams of a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine, a highly-addictive stimulant, authorities said.

Doran, 57, was arrested.

Authorities said they found another 38 grams of the same substance, about $10,000 in cash, a digital scale and "other items consistent with drug distribution" inside his home on Dix Street in Dorchester, after they obtained a warrant to search there.

Altogether, prosecutors estimated the total street value of the seized drugs to be about $50,000.

At his arraignment Wednesday in West Roxbury District Court, Doran was charged with trafficking methamphetamine and with violating the state's drug laws in a school zone, officials said.

A plea of not-guilty was automatically entered on Doran's behalf, said Wark.

He was ordered by a judge to be held on $10,000 cash bail, Wark said. If Doran posts bail, he will be required to wear a GPS device and remain confined to his home, except if he needs to leave for medical appointments.

Doran is due back in court on those charges June 24.

He will be charged with a second count of methamphetamine trafficking in Dorchester District Court for the methamphetamine allegedly found in his home, Wark said. A date for that arraignment has not been set.

Doran's attorneys, Vincent A. Murray Jr. and Joseph Daniel Eisenstadt, could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Between 1980-1994, Doran, a Democrat, served seven terms as the state representative for the 15th Middlesex House District, which includes Lexington, where he lived while in office and was also involved in town government.

Doran was born in Boston, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1978 and went on to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science, according to records from the State Library of Massachusetts.

His time in the State House included serving as chair of committees on ethics, education committee and taxation, the state's library records show. He also served as vice-chair of the government regulations committee.

"During his 14 years in office, Doran focused on budgetary issues, consumer protection, drug/alcohol abuse, economic development, education, elderly affairs, employment, environmental issues, housing, local aid, social services, and women's issues," the state records say. "Doran sponsored and co-sponsored a considerable body of legislation during his time in office, including legislation for tax reform, the prevailing wage law, and the greenhouse bill."

Doran will no longer tutor at the school, which is located at 215 Forest Hills St. in JP, according to Michael Larsson, chief operating officer of Match.

Doran had tutored there since Sept. 2012, Larsson said in an e-mailed statement.

Larsson emphasized that Doran was not a teacher and that Doran, "like all tutors at Match was subject to a Criminal Offender Registry check before he began his service with us. Mr. Doran passed that check."

"We have no knowledge, nor any reason to believe, that any staff, teachers, or students are involved in this matter or in danger in any way," Larsson's statement said. "We are cooperating completely with the police investigation, and we are conducting our own internally."

"We will share all appropriate information with our staff, students and families to assure them of the safety of our school," he added.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For the latest Jamaica Plain updates:
Follow @YTJamaicaPlain on Twitter, here.
And connect via Facebook by clicking the “Like” button on the top right hand corner of the Jamaica Plain homepage, here.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

An event tonight around the Hyde Square and Jackson Square districts in Jamaica Plain will encourage neighbors to support local businesses in those two commercial districts while traveling by foot, transit, bike, “or in any way except by auto,” organizers said.

The “Walk, Ride, & Roll Social” will be hosted by the Hyde Jackson Square Main Street organization and the Green Streets Initiative.

“Like other historic, urban commercial districts, the Hyde/Jackson Square business district’s strength is its walkability. Encouraging more people to shop, eat, and receive services without using their automobiles reduces traffic and pollution while promoting health,” Gerald Robbins, director of the Main Street organization, said in a statement.

The free event will is scheduled to run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, and event-goers will meet at the Ultra Beauty Salon at 401 Centre St.

Snacks and refreshments will be provided by Whole Foods Market in JP.

“The Hyde/Jackson Square district is critical to maintaining a healthy and livable neighborhood—encouraging people to walk, ride, and roll to their favorite establishments translates to a more successful business district,” Robbins said.

“The Walk, Ride, & Roll Social a great opportunity for residents, business owners, workers, and visitors to meet one another and talk about improving the neighborhood as well as encouraging others to visit local businesses by leaving their cars at home,” he added.

For more information visit www.GoGreenStreets.org and www.HydeJacksonSquare.org.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For the latest Jamaica Plain updates:
Follow @YTJamaicaPlain on Twitter, here.
And connect via Facebook by clicking the “Like” button on the top right hand corner of the Jamaica Plain homepage, here.

By Johanna Kaiser, Town Correspondent

Several Memorial Day observances and services are scheduled in the coming days at public parks and cemeteries throughout Boston.

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund will host a service at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument on Boston Common at 10:30 a.m. At the service, the names of Massachusetts soldiers killed during current military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan will be read among thousands of miniature American flags planted to honor all fallen Massachusetts service men and women.

Mount Hope Cemetery in Mattapan will host a ceremony and parade Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The short parade will begin inside the cemetery gate and march to the WWI and WWII Monument where the ceremony will be held.

On Memorial Day, an 8 a.m. service will be held at the Fogg-Roberts American Legion Post 78 in Hyde Park. From there, participants will march to a Mass at Most Precious Blood Parish at 43 Maple Street. They will return to the Post for the start of a tour of local veteran’s squares.

The procession will end at the Civil War Memorial at Fairview Cemetery for closing ceremony at 11 a.m.

Evergreen Cemetery in Brighton will also hold a Memorial Day observance from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

That evening, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the city's Veteran’s Services will host a free concert titled, “Remembrance 2013: A Musical Tribute to Our Heroes,” at Christopher Columbus Park at 6:30 p.m. The Metropolitan Wind Symphony and the Boston City Singers will perform.

E-mail Kaiser at Johanna.yourtown@gmail.com. For more news about your city, town, neighborhood, or campus, visit boston.com’s Your Town homepage.

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

Ellen Wade, at center-right in turquoise shirt, spoke at the gathering as her wife Maureen Brodoff, in striped cardigan, and other same-sex marriage supporters listened. At left are Jo Ann Whitehead and Bette Jo Green, married in 2004. At right are Michael Kelley and Ricardo Rodriguez, married in 2006.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

About three dozen supporters of same-sex marriage gathered in the Boston Public Garden recently to mark the ninth anniversary of its legalization in Massachusetts.

The Commonwealth issued the first marriage licenses for same-sex couples on May 17, 2004, following a landmark decision by the Supreme Judicial Court the previous November that found that same-sex couples had the right to marry.

Present at the celebration were Ellen Wade and Maureen Brodoff, a Newton couple that participated as plaintiffs in that case, Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, and wed on the first day it was legal.

“We thought our commitment was as good a model of a committed, loving relationship as you’d likely find in any community, straight or gay,” said Brodoff, 61, of their decision to participate in the Goodrich case.

“It’s just thrilling every year when this time comes around, not just as an anniversary for our marriage but what a spectacular day it was for Massachusetts and all its citizens,” she said.

Wade, 64, said she’s not bothered if same-sex marriage has become so commonplace in Massachusetts that residents don’t always stop to appreciate the historic struggle that made it possible.

“It’s great if people take it for granted,” said Wade. “I think there’s a place for appreciating the enormous accomplishment of getting this right, but ultimately that’s what you want.”

Wade and Brodoff recently celebrated Mother’s Day together, having dinner out with their 24-year-old daughter, Kate Wade-Brodoff. They said the one downside to having two mothers is that the adult child has two people deserving special treatment on the holiday.

Massachusetts was the first state in the country to legally recognize marriages between gay couples and remained the only state to do so until Connecticut became the second in 2008.

Just two days before Thursday’s celebration, Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill legalizing gay marriage in that state, making it the 12th where same-sex couples can marry. It is also legal in Washington, D.C.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino had been scheduled to speak at the event, but was unable to attend. Instead, Jullieanne Doherty, who serves as the mayor’s liaison to Jamaica Plain as well as liaison to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community, read a statement from Menino.

In the statement, Menino referred to a pair of cases currently under review by the US Supreme Court: one concerns the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bars married gay couples from receiving federal benefits, while the other reviews the legality of Proposition 8, the referendum that outlawed same-sex marriage in California.

“It has the chance — and I would say the obligation — to end the discrimination still faced by millions of gay and lesbian couples who simply want to marry the person they love,” Menino said of the court in his statement.

The mayor went on to say that he’d like to invite the justices of the court to Boston to see what is different now. “All that has changed is that Massachusetts now treats all loving couples and their families equally under the law,” he said.

Michael Kelley and Ricardo Rodriguez, both 42, were married seven years ago at a park in the South End. The couple said that they initially had some anxiety about having such a public ceremony, fearing some people might see it and react negatively.

They need not have worried.

“Residents started running out of their houses to scream and yell and throw flowers,” Kelley said.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Back Bay on Twitter: @YourBackBay.

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

About three dozen supporters of same-sex marriage gathered in the Boston Public Garden.

Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com

No one seemed unhappy at Savin Hill on Thursday afternoon, but it was early yet.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow him on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

(Wendy Maeda/Globe Staff)

Mayor Thomas M. Menino today at the proposed site of a handicapped friendly park near Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown.

Jeremy C. Fox, Globe Correspondent

Mayor Thomas M. Menino outlined a five-year capital plan today aimed at improving educational opportunities across the city, enhancing public facilities, and increasing accessibility for people with disabilities.

Menino submitted the $1.8 billion capital blueprint to the City Council in early April, along with a $2.6 billion budget plan for the next fiscal year. The council is required to hold its first vote on the capital plan, which calls for the city to borrow $177 million in the next fiscal year, by June 5.

In a speech outside the new Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Menino provided details about the plan. It includes 341 projects over five years, with $214 million worth of projects this year alone. It would create about 450 construction jobs this year, he said.

Menino said the plan includes $20.5 million to transform the former Mitt Romney campaign headquarters at 585 Commercial St. in the North End into a new K-8 school.

“Imagine Mitt Romney thinking about [how] he’s getting involved in public education,” Menino quipped. “Maybe he’ll send some money to pay for it.”

The plan also includes:

-- Several West Roxbury projects: $11 million in improvements at Millennium Park; a $6.5 million overhaul of playing fields at West Roxbury High School; and $3.75 million for the Draper Pool.

-- $18.6 million to expand the Eliot K-8 Innovation School in the North End.

-- $10.2 million for street improvements in Uphams Corner and East Boston’s Central Square.

-- $16 million to replace granite with glass at the Central Library’s Johnson Building and build new areas inside for children and teenagers.

As powerful winds blew off the Mystic River, buffeting about 50 officials, hospital staff, and reporters, Menino highlighted a project that would turn an adjacent vacant lot into a playground accessible to children with physical limitations.

Proclaiming the waterfront area a “spectacular site,” he asked, “And you know what’s going to be even more spectacular, as we go forward over the next several months? Seeing children with disabilities play on the state-of-the-art playground right behind me.

"Watching people recover from health challenges here and build up strength to walk along the HarborWalk. Seeing families and their kids exercise and have fun along the harbor,” he said.

Menino thanked the staff of the new Spaulding facility, which opened late last month and included survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing among its first patients. He said he hoped to see the park completed by November, allowing him to attend its ribbon-cutting while still in office until January.

Jeremy C. Fox can be reached at jeremy.fox@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeremycfox.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

The city redevelopment authority’s board has unanimously approved new guidelines for development along South Huntington Avenue in Jamaica Plain, which, in part, call for developers to include extraordinary community benefits and public improvements if they want to build projects there that would exceed zoning requirements.

The guidelines, first unveiled several weeks ago, were drafted during a nearly four-month-long study the Boston Redevelopment Authority led to address concern from residents over of a series of recent changes, and more expected in the near future, along the S. Huntington Ave. corridor.

The 49-page report, or “framework,” says that along with the standard level of mitigation measures required from developers, the city will seek “exceptional public benefits, which are above and beyond typical mitigation measures” for projects that would exceed certain zoning rules and guidelines for development height, density and footprint.

“The South Huntington Framework for Future Development establishes a comprehensive vision for the area primarily addressing the use mix, open space and connections, transportation impacts, the development footprint, floor area ratio, and building heights,” the redevelopment authority said in a statement Thursday.

“The framework breaks the corridor into three distinct areas with recommendations tailored to each of these locations. It also recommends action items and specific time frames to improve the public realm, address transportation needs, and manage future growth,” the statement added. “In addition the framework provides guidance for exceptional public benefits for cases in which a project exceeds underlying zoning and is at the upper threshold of the recommended guidelines.”

The redevelopment authority said the framework is not an amendment to existing zoning rules, but will serve as a “reference” for projects that require city review under the Article 80 process and zoning variances.

The study focused on a three-quarter mile stretch of South Huntington, from its intersection with Huntington Avenue to where it meets Perkins Street, and details a range of suggestions for the area’s future that could be explored and implemented over the next 10 to 15 years, timed, in part, on the pace of development.

For more details on the report’s dimension-related guidelines for new development and for background on recent and ongoing development along the S. Huntington corridor, click here.

The report itself is available online, here.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For the latest Jamaica Plain updates:
Follow @YTJamaicaPlain on Twitter, here.
And connect via Facebook by clicking the “Like” button on the top right hand corner of the Jamaica Plain homepage, here.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

The second-annual MathRocks competition brought mathletes from across the city together for a day of putting their mathematical skills to the test.

Hosted by the Boston Teachers Union and the Boston Public Schools, close to 55 BPS schools took part in the four levels of competition at the event held April 30 in Dorchester.

“The students from every corner of Boston competed and the bright future of the Boston Public Schools was clearly on display with how well they performed,” Richard Stutman, president of the teachers union, said in a statement.

(CoUrbanize)

A screenshot of the CoUrbanize website, which shows a map of existing Hubway stations and the areas being looked at for new stations.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

Boston residents and area cyclists can provide feedback about proposed locations for new Hubway stations as the bike-share program gears up to expand to the South Boston Innovation District, Jamaica Plain, North Dorchester, and Charlestown, city officials announced Thursday.

The city has selected Boston-based startup company CoUrbanize to provide a public on-line forum that offers information about Hubway’s expansion to those neighborhoods and ways for users to weigh in on where new stations should go.

The initial public comment period will run from May 16-June 6, officials said. CoUrbanize will provide updates about the selection of Hubway station locations and about the roll-out process through the coming fall.

“Hubway is a true community project and we’re excited to be expanding the program to new neighborhoods,” said a statement from Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. “Our partnership with CoUrbanize will engage the community through every stage of this expansion as we continue to develop innovative solutions.”

CoUrbanize offers a community management platform for leaders of various ventures, like developers planning to build something new, to share project information and to solicit public feedback, officials said.

“We will improve the development process by efficiently getting information out to the public and providing community feedback to Boston Bikes” said a statement from Karin Brandt, the company’s co-founder and CEO. “CoUrbanize helps developers reach a wide audience to quickly learn about and respond to community concerns.”

For more information and to access to the online forum, visit www.courbanize.com.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For the latest updates about your community, follow some of our local neighborhood, city and town Twitter accounts, here.

By Matt Rocheleau, Town Correspondent

The MBTA says riders will soon be able to receive faster, more reliable, and more informative alerts, via text and e-mail, notifying them about service delays and disruptions and planned changes.

The revamped “T-Alerts” notification system will launch June 4.

Riders can register for the new service today at www.mbta.com.

The more than 50,000 subscribers of the existing “T-Alerts” system must sign up for the new system to continue to receive alerts. The old system, which launched in 2007, will be discontinued.

The T plans to remind current subscribers that they should sign up for the new system by sending them alerts starting Friday.

Under the new system, alerts will continue to be posted to the T’s website, “with visual enhancements made to page layout and format for clarity, ease-of-use, and reader-friendliness,” the public transit agency said in a statement Thursday.

Text message and e-mail alerts will have more “reliable delivery times” through a new partnership between the T and GovDelivery, a digital communication management company.

“Service alerts and notifications will be clearer and more detailed with additional information regarding specific trip times, service schedule changes, and distinct directional, branch, and station communications,” the statement said.

Like the old system, the new T-Alerts allows riders to tailor which alerts they receive. Riders can choose to be sent alerts about a mix of subway, commuter rail, and boat lines, bus routes and elevators and escalators within the system.

Customizing is easier under the new system and allows some additional flexibility when signing up, including letting customers pick certain times of the day for when they want to receive alerts, T spokeswoman Kelly Smith said.

T officials also hope the new notification system will pave the way for third-party software developers to create new smartphone applications and websites around the “T-Alerts” system, Smith said.

Such apps could allow riders even more options for customizing how they receive alerts, she said.

Smith said the T will make new tools available to third-party developers later this month.

“Based on past experience we expect to see some innovative, useful and interesting applications of that information on smartphone apps and websites,” she said in an e-mail.

The new “T-Alerts” system “is built around data structures that enable sharing, encouraging innovative third-party development,” the T’s statement said. “It uses emerging standards introduced by Google in 2011.”

Developers interested in creating software applications around “T-Alerts,” can visit developer.mbta.com.

E-mail Matt Rocheleau at mjrochele@gmail.com.
--
For more news and stories about the MBTA, follow @LifeontheMBTA on Twitter, here.
For the latest updates about your community, follow some of our local neighborhood, city and town Twitter accounts, here.