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Two billboards proposed for Fairway Street building

June 4, 2012 12:15 PM


(Image courtesy Google Maps)

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development will hold a public meeting Thursday night to discuss a proposal to install two billboards on a Fairway Street building.

The billboards, proposed for 10 Fairway St., would be approximately 12-by-24 feet.

The meeting will be held June 7 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Mattapan Branch Library on Blue Hill Avenue.

For more information contact the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services at (617) 635-2677

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.

The MBTA - not much to tweet home about

June 1, 2012 03:36 PM

red line june 2012.jpg

(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)

Are all these people unhappy? Maybe.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

The MBTA - not much to tweet home about

Storified by Jeremy C. Fox · Fri, Jun 01 2012 15:47:06

There wasn't much positive to say about the MBTA this week, judging by the dearth of Twitter users sending messages using the #MBTAbrag hashtag. If this is any kind of measure of rider satisfaction, this is one of the worst weeks on the T all year. 

Sometimes the only good part of the ride is the scenery. 
@HottiesontheT nice one! http://ow.ly/bhdm8 #MBTAbragKenjimal
At least there were a couple of ambivalent tweets. 
Finding the mbta office at dtx is like finding a needle in a haystack. At least the officials have been helpful. #MBTAannoy #MBTAbragLukas Akerley
@YourHydePark I can't say I can ever brag about the MBTA. It's either #MBTAannoy or #MBTAmeh.Chris Faulkner
But come on, the MBTA doesn't always look so bad when compared to other forms of transportation. 
Did I say 2 hr delay @usairways ? Make it 4. #charlottedouglastologan #flight1176 #ithoughthembtawasbad #mbtabragLouYanos
But it seems that a lot of times, it really does look pretty bad. 

Riding public transit can be like death by a thousand cuts -- there are so many ways it can be unpleasant, and sometimes they combine in unpredictable ways. 

Some people just don't have any consideration for their fellow passengers. 
Speakerphone on the bus?? Really!? #MBTAannoyKrista Marie
It is 2012. Get a Charlie Card or get to the back of the line. You are clogging up the works. #mbta #MBTAannoyLukas Akerley
Dude in front of bus 2091, you need to SIT DOWN and leave the driver alone so she can drive. And stop blocking the aisle. #MBTAannoyJack Freeman
Its gross enough seeing people eat, but watching them chomp on rice and beans on the T is nasty. Germs and manners people! #MBTAannoymorgan e
Woman on #OrangeLine uses plastic bag as seatcover, leaves it there when she gets off train. I wonder why she thinks T is dirty. #MBTAannoyRobert D Sullivan
Some have hygiene problems. 
Lady next to me smells like diapers. Just straight up diapers. #MBTA #MBTAannoySarah Perkins
The joys of the Red line packed between a guy who smells like a liquor store and a stroller utility vehicle #MBTAannoyrev8056
Why do the #mbta elevators always smell like urine? C'mon people! #MBTAannoyJessica Chahanovich
Oh how nice! They changed the urinal cakes in the Chinatown elevators! #MBTAannoyThe Nandra
Sometimes the problem is crowding.
Big Red cattle car What a wonderful way to start the week Moo #MBTAannoyrev8056
Sometime's it's equipment failures. 
State St turnstile open for no reason (broken?). Some honest people scan cards, but most just walk through. #MBTAannoy http://pic.twitter.com/oSoVStubJulianne LaMay
Whyyyy is heat on on the subway?!?!? aaaaaaaaaahhhh!!!!! #MBTAannoy #redline #summer #MBTAAnne
Bought a June monthly pass last night (have the receipt for $59) and my pass is saying expired. Heading to customer service. #mbtaannoyBecki
Or inexplicable behavior by MBTA employees. 
Why is the MBTA RIDE parked in our parking lot? Blocking 5 vehicles in. #MBTAAnnoyKenjimal
@Mbtagm bus 0515 on route 100 is blocking the entire intersection at Fellsway and Fulton in Medford. #MbtaAnnoy #BreakingTheLawAndy Mallon
@YourRoxbury #MBTAannoy Taking my kid to school in the morning. Bus driver smoking in the doorway of the parked SL4 bus while we wait.Mary Churchill
The MBTA-Driven by customer service and a conductor who wont open back door for senior citizen w/ groceries. #MBTAannoy #frontdooronlygrampsMichael Scoville
I'm 94% that conductor either charged me twice or robbed me blind #mbtaANNOYAli Gatlin
It's the first of the month and you have ONE person working atthe 6-window customer service center?! #mbtaannoy #pissedBecki
Or the general slowness of the system, especially when shuttle buses replace trains. 
Its taking waayyyyy tooo long to get home on this bus @mbtaGM #blueline #mbtaannoyLauren B
The two-hour commutes I love most are the ones I'm not expecting. Thanks #MBTA #MBTAannoySacha
Why can't the T save time and money by announcing when there isn't a disabled train delay on the red line #MBTAannoyrev8056
Sometimes it's a perfect storm of issues, from fellow riders to the equipment itself. 
Nothing like being on a decrepit Red Line antique with heat blasting and already drunk red sox fans #MBTAannoyrev8056
@YTDowntown My commute was great. I love starting my day with no AC and 400 of my closest (literally) friends. #MBTAannoySam Howe
Ugh I love my commute. JK. #MBTAannoyKrista Marie
Is it really that bad? Isn't there anything to #MBTAbrag about? Be sure to use that hashtag anytime there is something good to say, and keep on using #MBTAannoy when the T gets you down. Not that you had to be reminded to do that. 

Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

Annual Senior Ball set for Friday

June 1, 2012 01:10 PM

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Seniors in Dorchester and Mattapan will be dancing the night away Friday night at the Annual Senior Ball.

From 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., June 1, seniors will enjoy free dinner and dancing provided by the Boston Police Department’s District B-3 Office.

The event will be held at the Unity Sports Club at 10 Dunbar Ave.

FULL ENTRY

Boston Natural Area Networks to lead walk along Neponset, talk about future of trail

May 31, 2012 04:41 PM

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Nature advocates will be hiking along the Neponset River this weekend as they eagerly wait for the U.S. Department of Transportation to announce the recipients of a Tiger grant, which could provide money to complete portions of the trail.

The federal money matched with local funds would be a big boost for the Neponset River Greenway, which is widely used among residents, although portions of the trail in Hyde Park, Dorchester, and Mattapan/Milton are not yet completed.

With the application the Department of Conservation and Recreation and Massachusetts Department of Transportation, a partner with DCR on the project along with the Boston Natural Areas Network, hope to get the funding to complete the trail that connects a network stretching from the Boston Harbor to Hyde Park.

FULL ENTRY

Meet this year's chief marshal of Dorchester Day Parade: Ralph Browne

May 31, 2012 03:44 PM

V.1.JPG

(Patrick D. Rosso/Boston.com/2012)


Dorchester Day Parade chief marshal, Ralph Browne.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Good weather and big crowds are expected for the 108th Dorchester Day Parade on Sunday.

This year, Uphams Corner resident Ralph Browne will be leading the parade as the chief marshal.

FULL ENTRY

A hot week on the MBTA

May 25, 2012 05:32 PM

MBTA bus May 2012.jpg

(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)

Will these unsuspecting passengers be greeted by waves of heat once they board their bus? Many commuters were this week.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

A hot week on the MBTA

Storified by Jeremy C. Fox · Fri, May 25 2012 17:36:58

Aside from the occasional transit police officer sleeping on the job, this was a pretty quiet week on the MBTA. As Boston slides into Memorial Day weekend -- and with it, the unofficial beginning of summer -- it seems a lot of local commuters are feeling relatively good about their transit system. 

Not only were there no major disasters, there were a number of remarkably positive experiences, judging by the number of #MBTAbrag tweets and the surprisingly positive stories they tell. 
Just saw a MBTA employee be very polite and help a blind man off the train and down the Back Bay platform! #MBTAbragTodd Johnson
I feel like I'm in the Twilight Zone. Malden Center Station smells like fresh orange zest instead of pee and mold! #MBTAbrag @mbtagmAndy Mallon
Yo, i think this morning on the otange line was by far one of the best i have ever had! #mbtabragJess Indeed
#MBTAbrag I'm on a nice quiet train. AC works. No bad smells.La Eve!
Commuter rail was very civilized this morning, since so many people are on vacation for the long weekend already. Nice change. #MBTAbragChris Faulkner
#PiousPoultry on the last bus home. Only one on bus, getting dropped off at my door. Like a limo service, only a little less fancy #MBTABragPious Poultry
At least when you commute with your sister you have someone moderately tolerable sitting next to you #MBTAbrag #MBTAannoyVanessa Marie Gatlin
A good week on the MBTA? Does it seem too good to be true? Maybe it is.

There were many more #MBTAannoy tweets this week (as always), and some of those tell tales that are just as frustrating as the tweets above are satisfying. 
Did the power really just go out on this train. #MBTAAnnoyConnnor
Well I was early for work until the #MBTA completely moved the stop a few miles down the road without signage or warning! #MBTAannoyLukas Akerley
Major Southie bus fail today #mbta #MBTAannoyDarren Mackiewicz
@universalhub waiting for E train green line outbound for the past 20 min. 3 D's and 2 B's have gone by. #MBTAannoyJen
#MBTAannoy guy in wheelchair just got crunched by doors several times at haymarket because orange line not adequately accessibleKenjimal
@MBTA The 120 bus didn't show up to Webster St. at 11:20am. And it never passed me as I ran to Maverick. Fail. #MBTAannoyJennifer Briney
#MBTAannoy signal problems weekly on the blue line 35 mins for three stops that usually take 10 minutes tops. Awesome!Dana Love
It continues to amaze me how rain magically makes public transportation not function #MBTAannoyIlena Ryan
It's good to know that Bostonians aren't alone, though, right? 
that happens in NYC too! argh!RT @ilenabeth: It continues to amaze me how rain magically makes public transportation not function #MBTAannoyBrittany Kotary
In an annual tradition, the MBTA this week ignored the warm spring weather and continued heating some train cars on the Orange and Red lines, as well as a few buses. 
Honest to god, Red Line. People are passing out on the T because it's still pumping the heat like it's Winter #mbta #mbtaannoyKristen
WHY is the heat on on the redline? #MBTAannoy #MBTA #suffocatingAnne
I am in #orangeline hell. #hotcrowdeddelayed #mbtaannoyMelinda C
#orangeline Why is this subway car so hot. Feels like heat is on and its 70 degrees outside! #mbtaAnnoySweetz
#MBTA crank the AC! #redline #comininhot #MBTAannoyAmy S
Best time to blast the heat on the bus? Humid mornings in late May!?! #MBTAannoy (@mbtagm bus 0518, route 99, driver 2744)Andy Mallon
WHY is the heat on? Why. Just why. #MBTAannoy #MBTASarah Perkins
Sometimes it's good to stop and remember that public transit is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than driving is that you share it with thousands of other people. 

It's worth pausing to acknowledge that because there are so many reminders that's also often what makes it miserable. 
How do I politely tell the lady next to me on the train that she smells like urine? #MBTAannoy #woofAmy S
Of course I wanted to listen to your cell phone conversation, instead of reading, thinking, or experiencing peaceful rest. #MBTAannoysnowgray,beautywhite
Everyone on this train smells like dead fish #talesoftheredline #MBTAannoyAmy S
Because you are taking up more than your half of the two-seater, my ass is half hanging over the side. This hurts. #MBTAannoysnowgray,beautywhite
“@YourCharlestown: How's your commute on the #MBTA today" sucks. Why can't people have loaded cards/money ready on the bus? #MBTAannoyMarco Falcone
You are listening to your iPod without headphones, *and* the music is terrible. Bring back the No Boomboxes signs! #MBTAannoysnowgray,beautywhite
Dear tourist: If everyone else gets off the train and turns left, you do too. There's no Batcave private exit in other direction #MBTAannoyRobert D Sullivan
Tell new why there are so many people getting on the orange line with giant suitcases at DTX. Just tell me why. #MBTA #MBTAannoySarah Perkins
Yes, I would actually really love it if your bag could take up 2 seats on the T #MBTAannoy #MBTA http://twitter.com/sarahkperkins/status/205782085032615936/photo/1Sarah Perkins
And some of the most frustrating people are the MBTA's employees. 
@mbtaGM yourr conductor on trolley 3263 needs to COLLECT fares #mbtaannoyCommonwealthRecycle
You know it's bad when the train driver stops at JFK, gets out and starts running down the platform. Wtf. #mbtaannoyKristen
Those may be valid complaints, but really, sometimes tweeters get #MBTAannoyed a little too easily. 
The one day this week taking public transit and nothing interesting has happened yet ...#MBTAannoy?Kenjimal
Apparently it's not very hard to find reasons to tweet using the #MBTAannoy hashtag. If you're not already venting your frustrations that way, why not? But if you use #MBTAannoy, you should also use #MBTAbrag to acknowledge that once in a while the MBTA gets something right. Hey, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremycfox@gmail.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow Downtown on Twitter: @YTDowntown.

Mattapan observes Memorial Day

May 25, 2012 09:38 AM

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

On Sunday the Mattapan community will pay tribute to the nation’s armed forces with a ceremony at the Mount Hope Cemetery, located at 355 Walk Hill St.

The event will begin at 11:00 a.m. with a short parade from the cemetery’s entrance that will end at the WWI and WWII monuments in the cemetery.

Ceremonies are expected to come to a close by 2:00 p.m.

FULL ENTRY

Boston Children’s Museum to expand programming in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan with new grant money

May 24, 2012 11:58 AM

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

The Boston Children’s Museum will be working to deepen its roots in Mattapan, Roxbury, and Dorchester through a grant from the Boston Foundation.

The museum says it will use the $365,000 grant to collaborate with neighborhood groups and to provide “dynamic” learning experiences for area families and children.

“BCM is thrilled to have this opportunity to build two-way partnerships and focus on expanding participation of children and families from Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan,” Carole Charnow, president and CEO of Boston Children’s Museum said in a statement. “We think of ourselves as a gateway Museum, where families often have their first museum experience. We seek to guarantee that this first experience is highly positive and results in launching a lifelong habit of participation in Boston’s rich cultural life.”

For more information about the Boston Children's Museum, click here.

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.

Mattapan Patriots seeking players for upcoming season

May 23, 2012 07:22 PM

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

It's time for local youths to dust off the old pigskin and register for the Mattapan Patriots Pop Warner.

The team, which has divisions for ages 7-14, will be holding registration drives in May and June for those interested in the program.

The registration fee for the season is $125 until Jun. 30, when prices go up.

To register online, click here.

For more information contact Niya Wise at (617) 276-6446 or mattapanpatriotsregitration@yahoo.com.

Below is the list of upcoming registration dates:

May 24 - Almont Park 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
May 29 - Mattapan Library 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
May 31 - Almont Park 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun. 5 - Mattapan Library 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun.14 - Almont Park 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun.19 - Mattapan Library 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun. 21 - Almont Park 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun. 26- Mattapan Library 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun. 28 - Almont Park 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Jun. 30 - TBD - 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (LAST DAY FOR $125 RATE)

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Email Patrick D. Rosso, patrick.d.rosso@gmail.com. Follow him @PDRosso, or friend him on Facebook.


ReVision Urban Farms to lead city's pilot Urban Agriculture Project

May 22, 2012 06:29 PM

Tucker Street.jpg

(Image courtesy ReVision Urban Farms )


A view of the Tucker Street location in Dorchester that ReVision Urban Farms will develop into a new urban farm.

By Patrick D. Rosso, Town Correspondent

Victory Program’s ReVision Urban Farms was recently named one of the organizations to lead a city initiative to create more opportunities for urban farming in the city.

The non-profit group currently has an urban farm located on Fabyan Street and a farm-stand on Blue Hill Avenue in Dorchester.

“We are thrilled for the opportunity to develop the vacant lot on Tucker Street into a fertile and lush vegetable garden. This new land for agriculture will ensure that our community of neighbors and friends in Dorchester will always have direct access to healthy food, grown locally, and sold at affordable costs," Jonathan Scott, president of Victory Programs, said in a statement.

The city's Department of Neighborhood is hearing the urban agriculture program.

FULL ENTRY

Mattapan REAL ESTATE

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