City Services

Dominicans in Boston: City Holding Neighborhood, Ethnic-Focused Presentations; JP on June 13

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Boston is conducting several neighborhood and ethnic-focused presentations to discuss communities' economic impact in the city. On June 13 in Jamaica Plain, there will be an exploration of the Dominican Republic community, and its economic impact on Boston. The goal of the series is to engage residents, and to see their reactions about data that will be presented from the U.S. Census Bureau, 2013-2017 American Community Survey, REMI Economic Impact Analysis, and BPDA Research Division Analysis. The Jamaica Plain meeting will be conducted in Spanish and English interpretation will be provided. The meeting will take place at the Curtis Hall Community Center (20 South St.), from 5:30 to 7:30 pm on June 13.

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City Services

O’Malley Proposes Curbside Textile Recycling

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Jamaica Plain's City Councilor Matt O'Malley has called for a hearing to determine the feasibility of a textile recycling program in Boston. “Curbside textile recycling is another opportunity of sound environmental policy that can generate revenue for the city of Boston. The city of Boston can reduce our waste stream, greenhouse gas emissions and receive payment for the value of the material,” said O'Malley to Jamaica Plain News. Ever the environmental politician of Boston, O'Malley points out that 40 Massachusetts municipalities, including Brookline, Somerville and Natick have implemented curbside textile recycling. Those programs have diverted more than 2.2 million pounds from their waste stream.

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Boston City Council

Free Menstrual Products in Public Buildings Proposed By Councilors O’Malley and Edwards

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Two Boston City Councilors have proposed that the city provide free menstrual products in Boston Public Schools, Boston Public Libraries, BCYF Community Centers, and in city buildings. An estimated 100 million high school students missed school because of a lack of menstrual products, according to an UNESCO report. In Boston, 78 percent of students come from low-income households and an estimated 16.5 percent of Boston's population lives in poverty. But councilors District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards and Jamaica Plain's City Councilor Matt O'Malley are looking to make sure more people have access to menstrual products. Having access to menstrual products will help people not miss school, not miss work, and avoid any other health, social or professional challenges that result from a lack of availability.

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Opinion

Mayor Walsh: How We’re Investing in Jamaica Plain

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Here in Jamaica Plain, we’re making investments across a wide range of projects, including parks and open space, streets and transportation, our schools’ infrastructure, and our delivery of city services. Every spring, we release our Capital Investment Plan which funds the critical improvements to our infrastructure and facilities in Boston over a five-year period. It is a reflection of our priorities, and is guided by the voices of over 15,000 residents who offered input for our citywide plan, Imagine Boston 2030. Our Capital Plan funds the essentials of community life -- our schools, streets, libraries, and parks, including climate and resilience projects. It’s a commitment to all those who call Boston home and to our future generations.

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Schools

School Committee Chair: Federal Government Must Maintain Funding for Boston Public Schools

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The last time I visited a Congressional office, I sat at the knee of the Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill. He gave me a Celtics pennant, which (rumor had it) was given to him by Red Auerbach following the Celtics championship run earlier that year. It was 1986, and I was eight years old. This past March, I returned to Capitol Hill with my Boston School Committee colleague, Jamaica Plain native Michael O’Neill, and representatives from the Boston Public Schools (BPS) and the city of Boston to ask our representatives and senators to preserve federal funding for our schools. Boston, like many other large urban districts around the country, has faced declining federal revenue streams during the last several years.

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