NewGal Concert Series Spans Spectrum of Sound, Led by Jamaica Plain’s Sarah Bob

Longtime Jamaica Plain resident Sarah Bob is the director, pianist and founder of the New Gallery Concert Series. She fielded questions about the series, her musical career, performing in Jamaica Plain, and more. What is the New Gallery Concert Series and why did you want to create it? Bob: The New Gallery Concert Series is a coming together of new music and new visual art. Everyone involved is alive, high quality, and kind.

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Stop & Shop, Hyde Square Task Force Disagree on Existence of ‘Pricing Inequities’ at Jamaica Plain Store

Youth of the Hyde Square Task Force have made headlines from their research that claimed that prices differ of the same products depending upon individual Stop & Shop locations.  

The youth met with Stop & Shop representatives last summer, providing their research from comparing prices at of stores in Jamaica Plain, Dorchester, Mission Hill, and Roxbury, and its Dedham location. HSTF youth said that residents of low-income neighborhoods often pay more for groceries than suburban areas. Four of the youths recently sent a follow-up letter to Stop & Shop leaders about the issue, and proposed a solution. "When we met with members of your team in late August, the company acknowledged the pricing differences and stated that prices are set to insure that each individual store makes a profit," said the letter.

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BHA Requests Waiving Large Project Review of New Hailey Apartments Electrification Project

Citing redundancy, the Boston Housing Authority has requested the Boston Planning & Development Agency waive the required large project review of the Mildred Hailey Apartments electrification project on Centre Street. "This project has been publicly reviewed in various venues convened by the BHA as well as through the City of Boston's capital budget process, and the Mildred C. Hailey Tenant Organization strongly supports the project," wrote BHA Administrator and CEO Kenzie Bok to the BPDA. Located at 265 Centre St., the development consists of several phases with numerous buildings. This particular part of the project is for 456 units of federally-assisted public housing, and due to its size, Boston's Zoning Code requires the BPDA to conduct an Article 80 review of the project. The project is already approved by the BPDA under the Master Plan review.

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Emerald Necklace Conservancy and Citizens Suing to Stop Proposed Development of White Stadium

The Emerald Necklace Conservancy and 15 plaintiffs are suing to stop what they say is "the unconstitutional privatization of public land" to rehabilitate Franklin Park's White Stadium so it can be the home field for a women's professional soccer team. The plaintiffs are suing the city, the trustees of the George Robert White Fund, and Boston Unity Soccer Partners. The lawsuit alleges that the proposed redevelopment of White Stadium by Boston Unity
Soccer Partners, a private for-profit investment group, “would not only violate the White
Fund Trust and [the Public Land and Protection Act, Article 97, of the Massachusetts
constitution] by transferring public trust land to private use and excluding members of the public from the Project Site, including some Boston Public School sports teams who currently use White Fund Stadium, it would fundamentally alter the nature and feel of a significant portion of Franklin Park during the majority of fair weather weekends each year,” according to a press release. The lawsuit contends the defendants are proposing to privatize White Stadium and 1.5 acres of surrounding public parkland in Franklin Park. They contend the plan would displace Boston Public Schools student-athletes and the local community from White Stadium and Franklin Park.

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JP Library Exhibit: Keddy’s ‘Women’s Work’ Exhibit Highlights Significance of Women’s Labor During Last 150 Years

The newest art exhibit at the Jamaica Plain Branch Library Jane Keddy's Women’s Work. Jane Keddy is a versatile artist with expertise in printmaking and textile art, exploring various mediums such as ecoprinting, shibori, and textile collage. She began her artistic journey with batik, and expanded into silkscreen printing on paper and fabric. "Women’s Work" comprises fabric panels crafted by Keddy that integrate vintage textiles, photographs, and stitching to depict women in both traditional and non-traditional occupations. The collection illustrates the diversity and significance of women’s labor during the past 150 years, offering a poignant homage to the history of working women through textiles and photography.

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40+ Heath Street Gang Members & Associates Charged in Federal Sweep

More than 40 members and associates of the Heath Street Gang, which operates out of the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain, were charged on Valentine's Day in federal court with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms, wire fraud, financial frauds, including COVID fraud. The charges were based from a two-year investigation, according to the U.S. Attorney's office. The U.S. Attorney's office provided a historical view of the Heath Street Gang that was formed in the 1980s, and how the gang recruits youth living in the Hailey Apartments, and what one needs to do to get into the gang:
It is alleged that the Heath Street Gang commonly recruits juveniles living in the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments to join the Gang and participate in crimes on the Gang’s behalf, including shootings. It is further alleged that members of the Heath Street Gang require younger prospective members/associates to commit acts of violence as an act of initiation and often reward the juveniles with appearances in Heath Street Gang songs or music videos, which are used to publicly assert and affirm Gang membership/association, brag about acts of violence they have committed and denigrate and threaten rival gangs. On numerous occasions, members/associates of the Heath Street Gang have allegedly brazenly assaulted local law enforcement officers while engaged in official duties.

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Momo Masala Now Serving Nepali and Indian Food in Hyde Square

Jamaica Plain's newest restaurant is Momo Masala, now serving up Nepali and Indian food, adding another food option to Hyde Square. As its name advertises, the restaurant features momos, which are a type of steamed dumpling in Tibetan and Nepali cuisine, and on the streets of Kathmandu. Momos are served steamed, fried, or soupor chili (chili is steamed and cooked with onion, tomato and green pepper, according to the restaurant's menu). There are eight different types of momos on the menu including a hariwali momo masala, which includes chopped spinach; and a tandoori momo, which includes Himalayan spices and masala. Along with momos, the menu is varied with lots of options for vegan and vegetarians (cauliflower, eggplant, potatoes, chickpeas, tofu, paneer) and non-vegetarian (shrimp, goat, chicken, lamb) with tikka saag, rogan josh, vindaloo, curry, and korma varieties.

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Threepeat! Luna and Charlie Most Popular Girls and Boy Dog Names in Boston

For the third year in a row Luna and Charlie are the most popular girl and boy dog names! In fact, Bostonians preferred the same dog names in 2023 as they did for 2022. The Top 10 lists for 2023 for both boy and girl dog names all appeared in 2022's Top 25 girl and boy dog names. 2023's Top 10 girl dog names 

Luna
Bella
Daisy
Lucy
Rosie
Penny
Lola
Stella
Millie
Winnie

2023's Top 10 boy dog names 

Charlie
Teddy
Max
Milo
Cooper
Leo
Finn
Winston
Oliver
Ollie

Naming your dog is important, as is licensing your canine. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Animal Care and Control Division wants city dog owners to remember that the annual deadline for licensing their pets is March 31.

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Snow Emergency Declared: What You Need to Know Starts with Parking Ban in Effect at 10 PM on Monday

Mayor Michelle Wu declared a snow emergency on Monday ahead of the forecasted winter storm. What does that mean for you? To start a parking ban is in effect starting at 10 pm on Monday night. Once the snow emergency goes into effect, vehicles parked on major roads and main arteries will be towed. Residents are also encouraged to sign up for emergency notifications through AlertBoston and to call 311 for non-emergency related issues.

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