Letter: Rep. Malia Fails to Save the Safe Communities Act

When I was in high school, I became close friends with a girl who came from a family of proud immigrants. As we became closer, she shared with me the stories of family members who were undocumented and how they feared being stripped from their loved ones and the life they built here in America. Ever since then, I have become invested in the policies that affect the immigrants of our country. I have been heartbroken seeing the DREAM Act die in Congress while also feeling the growing presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in our state. This explains as to why I was incredibly disappointed when the news broke earlier this month that the Safe Communities Act policy rider was stripped from the MA FY19 budget.

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Sidewalk shoveling, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2015.

Wintry Mix on Sidewalks Will Turn to Ice

Many residents might have counted on this afternoon's rain to wash away the snow. But with freezing rain having already begun and expected to last until at least midnight, unshoveled sidewalks are going to be treacherous. The National Weather Service has issued a series of weather advisories for JP, including a freezing rain advisory. Up to a tenth of an inch of ice is expected to accumulate by dawn. The city requires property owners to keep the sidewalks in front of their personal or commercial properties clear of snow and ice.

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Ice dams are common all over JP, including this Prince Street home. Taken Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2015.

Brrr. Wind Chill of 18 Below Possible Friday Morning

The National Weather Service warns of dangerous cold in Jamaica Plain starting at 3 a.m. Friday. It issued an advisory to expect wind chills of -18 and temperatures of zero. That's cold even by our recent standards. The advisory runs from 3-10 a.m. Friday. The Jamaica Plain-based MSPCA reminds us that the cold can be dangerous for pets.

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Why Stuffed Socks Could Be the Solution to Your Ice Dam

(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));Post by Chepachet Hardware. Okay, this short educational video is actually from a hardware store in Rhode Island. But it's so topical, and I see so many ice dams around JP, that I wanted to share it. The Web site of the venerable New England renovation show "This Old House" confirms this as a temporary solution for ice dams, though they talk about using old panty hose instead of socks. You can get calcium chloride at JP's hardware stores, Yumont Hardware, 702 Centre St.

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