Business
FoMu Alternative Ice Cream + Cafe in JP sells vegan ice cream

FoMu Closing Jamaica Plain Store on September 18

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FoMu announced on their Facebook page that they are closing their Jamaica Plain location on September 18. In a Facebook post, the owners said the store was hit hard by the pandemic, and was never able to recover. "When our lease came to term, it was a sad but sweet sign from the ice cream gods that we should bid farewell," said the Facebook post. FoMu's other locations in the South End, Fenway, Quincy Market, and the Seaport, will remain open. The post also suggested that if you'd like to see FoMu options around Jamaica Plain, to tag other retailers or restaurants, and that the owners will try to make it happen.

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Business

Shattuck Campus Redevelopment Virtual Meeting on Tuesday

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There will be a virtual public meeting on Tuesday to discuss the state's proposal to redevelop the Shattuck campus to include new treatment beds, permanent supportive housing, family supportive housing and emergency housing beds, and more. The state had put out a request for proposals (RFP) to redevelop the campus located at 170 Morton St. at Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, and received only one proposal. The state provisionally accepted the proposal of the Boston Medical Center (BMC) which includes two facilities with 326 treatment beds, 200 units of permanent supportive housing, 205 units of family supportive housing, 120 emergency housing beds, and seven-plus acres of green and open space. According to the state's website, the proposal is not a final plan.

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Business

Spontaneous Celebrations Receives $25,500 Grant for Solar Panels; Friday Fundraiser to Help Match Grant

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Spontaneous Celebrations received a $25,500 grant to install solar panels on the roof of its Danforth Street community center, and needs help from the community to match the grant. The $25,500 is coming from a TernSOLAR challenge grant from the Tern Foundation. The Tern Foundation’s TernSOLAR challenge grant program's purpose is to expand renewable energy use in Massachusetts communities, and make solar technology more accessible to nonprofit organizations like Spontaneous Celebrations. Spontaneous Celebrations must match the grant, and is holding a Sol Fest fundraiser on Friday to help raise funds (please see flyer below for more info). The remaining cost of the project will utilize the Direct Pay 30% reimbursement provision of the newly implemented federal Inflation Reduction Act, according to a press release.

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Business

Dozens of People Lined Up for Free Lunch Day at Ula Cafe

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There's an old saying that there's no such thing as a free lunch -- but at Ula Cafe on August 3 -- it was just Free Lunch Day. And dozens of people formed a line stretching well into the parking lot. Co-owner Beth Santos said that Free Lunch Day came about thanks to restaurant software company Toast. Ula Cafe and Toast recently started working together. "One day they showed up at the cafe with a check for $10,000.

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Business

What Did Jamaica Plain Look Like in the 1970s?

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Was there always a giant plastic cow head protruding from the current home of J.P. Licks? What was previously in CVS' current location? Well, check out the answers to those questions and more -- from these photos from the 1970s from the Jamaica Plain Historical Society. The following photos were taken by former Jamaica Plain resident Donald Latham, and were donated to the Jamaica Plain Historical Society by his brother Tom.  

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Business

Turtle Swamp Brewing Closing Permanently August 19 or When Beer Runs Out

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After six years of operating in Jamaica Plain, local business Turtle Swamp Brewing is closing permanently on August 19 -- or when the beer runs out. Turtle Swamp Brewing announced their closure on Instagram and on their website. Co-owners John Lincecum and Nik Walther said owning and operating the business has been an unforgettable journey. "Through good times and rough times we have had the pleasure of welcoming hundreds of our friends, neighbors, and visitors from around the country to our taproom to share a freshly brewed Orange Line IPA and a simple good time," wrote Lincecum and Walther. "Our unique beers were ultimately available throughout Massachusetts and we are grateful to the beer lovers from Provincetown to Pittsfield who enjoyed and praised our beers."

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Animals

Free Electric Shuttle to Franklin Park Zoo from Forest Hills Debuts

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A new electric shuttle bus running back and forth from the Forest Hills MBTA station and Franklin Park Zoo is now free to anyone on weekends. Zoo officials hope the electric, zero-emissions complimentary shuttle will attract a wider audience to the Franklin Park Zoo. “We couldn’t be happier to debut the shuttle and offer an alternative transportation option for our guests, that will not only make it easier for them to visit Franklin Park Zoo, but also directly supports our conservation mission,” said John Linehan, President and CEO of Zoo New England. “Fewer trips in single-occupancy vehicles alleviate traffic congestion, improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.”
The shuttle was converted by ZEVX (Zero Electric Vehicles) with a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), according to a press release. The shuttle route from Forest Hills to the Zoo is just under 1.5 miles, and is very easy to see because it's wrapped in bright colors with animals that live in the Franklin Park Zoo or Stone Zoo.

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Arts

Eliot School’s Artist-in-Residence Working with Teen Bridge Program This Summer

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The Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts recently introduced its 2023 Artist in Residence, Feda Eid. Eid is a Lebanese-American artist who’s current body of work, صنع في أمريكا (Made in USA), explores her upbringing as Arab, Lebanese, and Muslim in the U.S. She explored her work in the context of America's “melting pot” of assimilation, discrimination, orientalism, and dominating negative stereotypes perpetuated by art, politics, and the media, said a Eliot School newsletter. This summer, Eid is working with young artists from The Eliot School’s Teen Bridge program. She's helping them create self-portraits by exploring themes of home, pride, borders, and the creation of all things made in the U.S. She is encouraging them to draw inspiration from their own experiences. Working with Boston Public Library (BPL), teen artists will also create portraits of community members alongside oral history interviews.

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Business

Mike & Patty’s Launch Smash Burger/Chicken Sando Restaurant in Same Centre Street Location

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The team behind Mike & Patty's recently launched an afternoon/evening restaurant serving smash burgers and chicken sandwiches within the same space at 388 Centre St. Right now the new restaurant, Up & Down, is open Thursday to Sunday from 4 to 10 pm. Mike & Patty's is open 8 am to 2 pm Monday through Sunday. Among the burgers, fries and appetizers, the menu includes:

Taki Melt: two smashed beef patties, fried cheese patty, salsa roja and taki dust on our Flourhouse milk roll. Oklahoma Thunder: two smashed beef patties, two slices of american cheese and grilled onions on our Flourhouse milk roll
Phuct fries: golden crispy french fries served 'Savage Style' with housemade cheese whiz, phuct sauce and caramelized onions
Spicy Clucker: house-battered fried chicken breast, spicy chili, lettuce, house-made pickles and kewpie mayo on our Flourhouse milk roll

Click here for the full menu.

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