From the Community

Jamaica Plain’s Christine Poff Wins Landscape Design Council Award

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The Landscape Design Council (LDC) of Massachusetts has recognized Jamaica Plain's Christine Poff, the director of Boston's Community Preservation Committee, as a 2018 awardee for excellence in the field of landscape design. Poff is the 2018 recipient of the Landscape Design Council Award for Excellence, given in recognition of outstanding civic accomplishment. “Throughout her career, Christine has worked in many ways to make life better for citizens,” said LDC chairman George Papavasiliou, via press release. “We particularly applaud her efforts on behalf of Boston’s Franklin Park and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, which stand out as supportive of the Landscape Design Council’s mission.”

As political director of the National Association of Social Workers, Poff advocated for economic and social justice bills at the Massachusetts State House, but she is likely better known for her 14 years’ service as executive director of the Franklin Park Coalition, a nonprofit organization that gives a community voice to Boston’s Franklin Park. She worked to bring back such beloved park institutions as the Elma Lewis Playhouse, the FPC Youth Crew, and the annual Kite and Bike Festival.

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Arts

Fog ‘Sculptures’ Celebrating 20 Years of Emerald Necklace Conservancy

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Starting Saturday, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a citywide exhibition of multiple fog sculptures, including two locations in Jamaica Plain. Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya has created five fog installations along 12 different Boston neighborhoods. The fog sculptures are, "...shape-shifting, pure water forms invite visitors to immerse themselves in the art, experience nature anew, and appreciate the vital role of the Emerald Necklace in our city’s history, present, and future." The sculptures will be on view every day, hourly from dawn to dusk, from August 11 through Halloween. Nakaya calls fog “the most generous medium” and has created fog sculptures all over the world.

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Neighborhood Life

Survey: What Do You See for the Future of Franklin Park?

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As part of Imagine Boston 2030, the city held a meeting last week to gather feedback from residents on what they want for the future of Franklin Park. But don't worry: If you couldn't attend the meeting, there is an online survey you can fill out. The Feb. 16 meeting was organized by the city as part of its Imagine Boston 2030 initiative, in conjunction with the Boston Parks and Recreation departments and the Franklin Park Coalition. Representatives from the Emerald Necklace Conservancy were also in attendance and tweeted a photo of the meeting showing it was a packed house.

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Sam Sherwood directs the Metropolitan Wind Symphony at Pinebank.
Obituaries

Sam Sherwood: Worked to Make Jamaica Plain Beautiful

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Some people live quiet lives in their neighborhoods; others change the life of the neighborhoods in which they live. Sam Sherwood was a life-changer. He and Sarah Freeman spent decades working together to help make Jamaica Plain the beautiful neighborhood it is today. He was an ardent environmentalist, a well-known political activist, a renowned raconteur, and a man with an insatiable love of life. Whether it was music, movies, theater, history, photography or world travels, Sam’s passions ran deep and his knowledge of each and every one of his interests was remarkable.

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