District E-13 (Jamaica Plain) Headquarters, Boston Police
Police and Fire

Police Issue Community Alert in Chestnut Avenue Assault

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Boston Police on Monday issued an alert about an indecent assault that took place Monday morning in the area of Chestnut Avenue and Paul Gore Street. Below is the entire text of the alert, including tips from police on how reduce your chance of becoming a victim:
Community Alert: BPD Seeking Public’s Help in Effort to Identify Suspect Wanted in Connection to Indecent Assault in Jamaica Plain: At about 10:24am, on Monday, March 14, 2016, officers from District E-13 (Jamaica Plain) responded to a call for an indecent assault in the area of 127 Chestnut Ave in Jamaica Plain. On arrival, officers spoke to the victim who stated that she was walking along Chestnut Ave when the suspect grabbed her indecently. Victim describes the suspect as a male in his early to mid-thirties with a dark complexion, approximately 5’8” to 5’11” tall, 160 to 180 lbs, wearing all black clothing. The Boston Police Sexual Assault Unit is actively reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding this incident.

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City Services

Photos: Library Addition Makes Progress

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Work continues on the long-sought renovation of the JP Branch of the Boston Public Library. Neighbors met with the city on Thursday to hear about the progress and discuss the hassles attendant to a big project being undertaken near the center of the neighborhood. We stopped by on Friday for a few photos of the construction. The Friends of the Library are also documenting the project. Its Facebook page is a good place to start to connect with the group.

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Students from the Neighborhood School on Peter Parley Road in Jamaica Plain were inspired by the demolition of the Casey Overpass to create a play (with music and dance) that looks creatively at transportation and neighborhood design decisions. The play, Changing Lanes, will be performed at Roxbury Community College’s Media Arts Center on March 11th and 12th.
Schools

Casey Demolition Inspires Local Children’s Theatre Production

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When students and teachers at the Neighborhood School, a K1-6 school in Jamaica Plain, returned to school last September, they had all noted a change in the fabric of the community. The demolition of the Casey Overpass had begun over the summer and the construction of new surface roads brought daily traffic jams that touched almost everyone in our community. As the students of Level 4 (grades 5 and 6) explored the neighborhood in search of a theme for the school’s biennial school play, they kept coming across the effects of the demolition of the Casey Overpass. Boston Police Officer Carlos Martinez, a friend of the school at Precinct E-13, told some of the students that he’d noticed that people were switching to back roads, and sometimes driving too quickly. The students had seen this on Peter Parley Road, the street in Jamaica Plain that the Neighborhood School calls home.

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Real Estate

Yale Terrace Group Gains Support in Effort to Revoke Permit at Bicon Dental

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In the latest chapter in a long, strange saga, neighbors of Bicon Dental Implants won a small victory. Calling the matter "unique and a challenge," Dave Barron, chairman of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council Zoning Committee opened a hearing at its Wednesday meeting to consider whether Bicon Dental Implants at 501 Arborway should have its certificate of occupancy revoked. In a years-long struggle with the company, the Yale Terrace Association and Gerard O'Connor, acting for himself "seek to untangle the confusing, incomplete and inaccurate regulatory history of the property" as its Dec 14, 2015 zoning appeal states. Recusing himself as a member of the JPNC Zoning Committee and moving to the opposite side of the room, O'Connor (a resident of Yale Terrace, a private way with nine homes on it) said "We are looking for support from the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council to require Debbie LLC (the owners of the Bicon building) to put right in the regulatory files a clear and accurate record of what  is" happening inside 501 Morton Street (also listed as 123 Morton Street). "The current uses are dental clinic, clinical laboratory and professional school," O'Connor said.

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Rendering of finished facade of JP Branch Library, as seen from South Street
City Services

Community Meeting Set on JP Branch Library Construction, Headaches

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If you live or operate a business near the heavy construction zone that is the JP Branch Library, mark your calendar. The Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library is holding a community meeting Thursday, March 10, at 6 p.m. at Curtis Hall, 20 South St., which adjoins the library site. City officials plan to deliver updates on construction progress and also on the attendant traffic and parking hassles. The library, long one of the busiest in the city's library system, is finally getting a massive makeover after many years of delays.

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Election Day, 2008, in JP, by Nick Sherman
Elections

Where to Vote in Jamaica Plain

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The Massachusetts presidential primary, aka Super Tuesday, is here and the stakes are high. Unenrolled "independent" voters and those enrolled in a political designation are allowed to vote in the March 1 presidential primary, according to the Boston Elections Department. Not sure where you vote in Jamaica Plain? Click on this link to find out where to vote in Jamaica Plain and anywhere in the commonwealth. At the same link you can get a preview ballot for any of the four parties: Republican, Democratic, United Independent Party and Green-Rainbow.

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Map of project area plus nearby parcels
Real Estate

Neighborhood Group Calls for Redesign of Proposed Stonley Road Apartment Building

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[Editor's note: The following is a letter from the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association to the Boston Redevelopment Authority and local politicians.]

76 Stonley Road Issues Statement
prepared by the 76 Stonley Road Subcommittee of the Stonybrook Neighborhood Association (SNA)

Background and Summary
76 Stonley Road is a proposal by developers John Morrissey, Bryan Austin and Michael Forde for a 5.5 story 32-unit apartment building. The proposal involves a portion of the Stonybrook Neighborhood currently zoned as and used for industrial purposes. A potential transformation in this area, from industrial to residential, represents a significant opportunity to provide additional housing in an established and increasingly popular neighborhood that is pedestrian friendly and well served by the MBTA. Any proposal for this area should reflect these facts, respecting the existing uses and planning adequately for the future. The project as currently proposed poses a number of problems in this regard and fails to fully live up to the site’s potential.

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Cecile Richards, left, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, former JP resident Katie Betz and Pondside resident Gladys Jenkins stop for a photo at a Hillary Clinton rally outside JP Licks on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2016.
From the Community

Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards Stumps for Clinton on Centre Street

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Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, visited Jamaica Plain on Sunday to stump for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz and State Rep. Liz Malia, both JP Democrats, were also among those who attended. Here are a few photos from the event, which took place on Centre Street between JP Licks and the post office. [Editor's note: While Jamaica Plain News does not generally cover political campaign events, participants in such events are welcome to post about them here in the "From the Community" section. If you would like to post about a campaign event in JP, here's how.]

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Transportation

T Beefs Up Inspections in Wake of Orange Line Evacuation

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An incident Tuesday night in which a long metal panel fell off a Forest Hills-bound Orange Line train, producing acrid smoke and leading passengers to push out windows to escape, has prompted T officials to add new inspections to the regular maintenance of the aging fleet. The general manager of the system, Frank DePaola, released a statement on Wednesday describing in detail what happened Tuesday at State Street Station and what steps the T is taking to ensure passenger safety. The whole thing is worth a read, but here are key points:

The cause of the smoke Tuesday was a 12-inch by 12-foot panel falling off one train. The train ran over the panel, sparking an arc and smoke. A second train also ran over the panel, with similar results.

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William Morales
Jamaica Plain People

Egleston Fixture Tapped to Head Boston Centers for Youth & Families

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Will Morales, who is well known in JP for his work with young people in Egleston Square, has been given a big promotion by Mayor Marty Walsh. Morales will become the commissioner of the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, a sprawling network of community centers serving the whole city. Most recently, Morales has served as executive director of the Egleston Square Youth Center, among other responsibilities. "William has worked tirelessly for over 20 years to make sure Boston's children and teenagers are getting the care, attention and services they need every day," Walsh said in a press release. "His commitment to his community is astounding, and his strong leadership and compassion for all residents, from our youth to our elders, will continue to benefit the people of the city of Boston."

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