Coronavirus

Get COVID-19 Vaccination During Event at White Stadium and Get $75 Gift Card

By |

This Saturday the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is hosting ‘B Healthy Back-to-School,’ a free COVID-19 vaccination event at White Stadium and anyone who gets vaccinated is eligible to receive a $75 gift card. The event is from 11 am to 3 pm, and is part of BPHC’s efforts to encourage pediatric vaccination, support a safe and healthy school year, and improve equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines and boosters, according to a press release. COVID-19 vaccines and boosters will be available for all attendees ages 6-months and older at the event. There will also be free food, music, and games will also be available at the event. Plus, BPHC will be giving away backpacks to students and families.

1,985 Views
Government

Pressley’s Bill Looks to Address Credit Issues Faced by Trans, Nonbinary People Following Legal Name Changes

By |

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's  (MA-07) legislation to provide credit reporting accuracy after a legal name change advanced out of committee last week. 

Pressley, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, along with Congresswoman Katie Porter (CA-45), authored their brand-new legislation to make the credit reporting system more inclusive and address credit issues and discrimination faced by trans and nonbinary people who legally change their names. The legislation was passed by the House Financial Services Committee. Pressley's hope is that the bill passes the House of Representatives. “In this country, your credit score is your financial reputation, for better or worse, and the credit reporting system has perpetuated inequities and pushed our most vulnerable consumers—including our trans and nonbinary siblings—further to the margins,” said Rep. Pressley via press release. “Our Credit Reporting Accuracy After a Legal Name Change Act is a legislative fix that will help prevent the financial discrimination of trans and nonbinary people and improve accuracy in consumer reporting.

1,380 Views
Government

Councilor Mejia on Vaccination Rates, Community Building Dinners at Jamaica Pond, and More

By |

At-Large Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia describes herself as a “movement building official.” Mejia builds such movements with an emphasis on being deeply involved in communities across Boston while using her personal and professional life to guide her. 

Mejia grew up in Dorchester after immigrating from the Dominican Republic when she was five. At the age of nine, she started fighting for her community, Mejia said. In 2019, she became the first Latina elected to the Boston City Council. She used the story of visiting a welfare office with her mom as a child–where she served as the translator between the “incredibly mean” case manager and her mom–as a defining moment in her leadership career. “I knew then that I was going to be a fighter, and I haven’t stopped fighting since,” said Mejia.

1,586 Views
Government

Congresswoman Pressley Arrested for Peaceful Protest to Defend Abortion Rights

By |

Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and several of her colleagues were arrested on Tuesday outside the Supreme Court during a non-violent civil disobedience action in support of abortion rights. “This Supreme Court has been relentless in stripping away our reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, but we’re not backing down," said Pressley in a statement after her arrest. "...we put our bodies on the line to defend abortion rights because the stakes in this fight could not be higher. Due to the cruelty and callousness of this Court, millions of people now face insurmountable barriers to abortion care and the health of our most vulnerable—especially our Black, brown, low-income, disabled, Indigenous and LGBTQ+ siblings—is now further at risk." [Pressley is arrested around the 32:18 mark in the video below]

LIVE: Members of the @DemWomenCaucus and leaders from CPD Action affiliate orgs around the country are taking action?

1,596 Views
Government

BHPC Provides Guidance on What You Need to Know About Monkeypox

By |

There have been 13 documented cases Monkeypox in Massachusetts, and the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) has provided guidance to prevent the spread of it. BPHC's guidance comes amid a global outbreak that has accounted for more than 2,000 cases in countries that don’t normally see cases, and in the U.S. there have been confirmed in 25 states. Monkeypox is spread from person to person through close physical contact, and anyone who has close physical contact with someone who has monkeypox is at risk. Many of the current cases appear to be spreading through close contact in sexual and social networks among men who have sex with men, but the risk of monkeypox is not limited to people who are sexually active or men who have sex with men, according to a press release. Anyone can get monkeypox. 
BPHC’s priority is to advocate a non-stigmatizing public health response, to raise awareness about monkeypox to help people recognize the symptoms early on so they can isolate and seek care. 
 “Monkeypox infection remains rare.

1,301 Views
Development

Boston Completes Audit of City-Owned Land, Looks to Utilize Public Space for Public Good

By |

Hundreds of city-owned properties were identified as being underutilized in a newly completed audit of city-owned land. “In a city as dense and already developed as Boston, these parcels identified in the land audit represent rare opportunities to utilize public space for the public good,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “Parking lots and vacant spaces across our city have the potential to be transformed into providing crucially needed affordable housing, green space, and community services. I look forward to a robust engagement process to ensure our planning process reflects the needs of our residents.”

In total, 1,238 out of 2,976 city-owned parcels were identified as vacant or underutilized. The 2,976 properties totaled 176.9 million square feet.

2,221 Views
Boston Public Health Commission

BPHC Recommends COVID-19 Vaccine for Kids 6 Months and Older

By |

The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) announced it is recommending that all Boston children and infants ages 6-months and older get vaccinated against COVID-19. The BPHC’s recommendation follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines can be used for children 6 months and older.  
“Many parents and caregivers have been anxiously awaiting approval of COVID-19 vaccination for the under 5 age group after two very difficult years of worrying about the health and safety of their children,” said Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Commissioner of Public Health and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. “Some parents may be uncertain about getting their child vaccinated because there is so much information to consider. The vaccines are safe and protective against serious illness in this age group.

1,164 Views
Attorney General

AG Reaches Settlement with JPNDC & Management Company for Not Accommodating Young Child with Asthma

By |

The state's Attorney General's office settled with the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation and a large property management company for violating the state's anti-discrimination and consumer protection laws to make a reasonable accommodation for a young child with asthma, despite repeated requests from the child's parent and medical team. According to the AG’s settlement with Peabody Properties, a property management company, and the apartment’s owner, JPNDC, the two companies allegedly failed to adequately address secondhand smoke that was seeping into the young child's apartment. The companies also failed to mitigate a serious rodent infestation in the building that was aggravating the child’s asthma. Peabody Properties serves as property manager for JPNDC’s family rental housing. The two companies initially provided air purifiers for the family’s unit at the time they moved in, but the air purifiers did not stop the presence of secondhand smoke in the unit and the child suffered serious medical consequences as a result. Requests from the child’s parent and medical team to transfer to a non-smoking unit as further reasonable accommodation were ignored, and the child’s health worsened as a result.

Peabody Properties and JPNDC agreed to pay the family $35,000 in restitution, and implement no smoking policies across all of JPNDC's affordable housing units, announced Attorney General Maura Healey on June 8.

1,812 Views
Elections

Fierro Talks About State Rep Candidacy, Creating Affordable Housing, Green Energy, and More

By |

Richard Fierro, a three-year resident of Jamaica Plain, is a candidate to be the next representative for the 15th Suffolk County District. He answered questions from Jamaica Plain News about why he decided to run, how he can help the 15th Suffolk District, and the issues that are most important to him. Q: Why did you decide to run for the 15th Suffolk District state representative seat? Fierro: Several major crises affect the entire country, and we have not been spared here in our community and across the Commonwealth. These crises include climate change, housing shortages, the opioid epidemic, student loan and consumer debt, economic decline, and financial hardships.

2,654 Views
Government

Residents Invited to Testify at Boston City Council District 6 Redistricting Hearing on March 31

By |

The public is invited to offer testimony during a Boston City Council Redistricting Committee hearing focused on District 6 on March 31. District 5 City Councilor (and Suffolk County District Attorney candidate) Ricardo Arroyo will lead the hearing as chair of the committee. The majority of Jamaica Plain consists of District 6, but there is a little bit of Districts 4 and 7 in Jamaica Plain, too. Public testimony regarding redistricting from residents of Districts 4, 5 and 6 will occur at City Hall on March 31 at 6:30 pm. Read the public notice here.

2,326 Views