Neighborhood Life

New Pedestrian Walk, Path Around Pond Being Discussed at Celebration of Jamaica Pond Park Meeting

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Two grants that will fund the creation of a new path around Jamaica Pond and a pedestrian walk from the Cabot Estates into Jamaica Pond Park will be discussed at a meeting on Thursday night. The grants will also provide funding for landscaping. The Jane Addams-Ellen Swallow Richards-Harriet Tubman Institute is presenting a Celebration of Jamaica Pond Park on Thursday, Jan. 18th at the First Church in Jamaica Plain (6 Eliot St.) at 7 pm. The meeting is free and open to the public.

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From the Community

Massachusetts House Passes Legislation Banning Bump Stocks

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On Wednesday the Massachusetts House passed a $124.7M supplemental budget to close the books on FY17. This budget, my first as Chair of House Ways & Means, secured $4.75M to ensure full funding for the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative. This fully funds the program, and funding goes directly to organizations in our community that deal with youth violence, like Mission Safe, Boston Center for Youth and Families, and Youth Options Unlimited. The House approved an amendment to the budget that would ban bump stocks in Massachusetts. What we saw last week in Las Vegas was horrific.

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Opinion

Sanchez: In Tough Fiscal Climate Budget Protects Our Most Vulnerable Citizens

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In early July, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a $40.2 billion FY18 Conference Committee budget. After the House and Senate pass their versions of the budget, three House and three Senate members meet to reconcile the differences between the budgets. The product of their work is the Conference Committee budget which goes to both branches for a final vote of acceptance. In the midst of a tough fiscal climate, we achieved a budget that makes targeted investments to protect our most vulnerable citizens. I am particularly proud of the work we’ve done on early education and care, as well as services for the disabled.

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Government

Sánchez Nominated To Be Chair of House Ways and Means Committee

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Massachusetts Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo has nominated state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez to chair the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. "I'm incredibly humbled to be nominated for Chairman of Ways and Means by Speaker DeLeo. Having chaired committees on public health and HCF (Committee on Health Care Financing), I hope to use this post to protect those most in need of it -- like many of my constituents -- while being thoughtful about our state finances and the MA economy. I know that we're going to be able to work hard and make a difference in people's lives," said Sanchez in a comment to Jamaica Plain News. The House Ways and Means Committee is crucially important to the state government in regards to fiscal affairs and policy-making.

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Government

Advocates Come Out to Support Sanchez’s Bill to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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A diverse coalition of community advocates, health care professionals and public officials testified at a State House hearing on June 14 to support legislation seeking to address racial and ethnic health disparities. State Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez, D-15th Suffolk/Norfolk, the House Chair of the Committee on Health Care Financing, sponsored the bill. The bill establish a state Office of Health Equity. This proposed new office would coordinate the various state policies to address health disparities by evaluating the effectiveness of policies and setting state goals and reporting annually on progress made towards reducing health disparities in the Commonwealth. “Even with all of our successes in health care reform, focused on access, affordability and quality, there remain pervasive and persistent racial and ethnic disparities in health care status and outcomes,” said Sánchez.

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Opinion

Rep. Sanchez: I Want to Hear From You at Upcoming Community Meetings

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The Jamaica Plain Historical Society is one of my favorite Facebook pages. They have hundreds of photos posted depicting Jamaica Plain from as early as the 1800s. One of the best shows horse drawn buggies crawling along next to the pond – reminding us that JP was once known as the “Eden of America” for its rolling hills and vast green space. The area has seen a few changes since it was an epicenter for the Jamaica rum trade or a streetcar suburb. It’s changed since the anti-highway movement came together in the 60s to stop an eight-lane roadway from being built where we now see the Orange Line.

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From the Community

House Speaker DeLeo Visits Nurtury Learning Lab in Jamaica Plain

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On Monday Massachusetts State House Speaker Robert DeLeo visited the Nurtury Learning Lab located in the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain. "As the House advances its focus on high-quality early education and care, it's essential to hear from educators and to meet the families participating in these programs," said DeLeo. "We're fortunate to have a national leader like Nurtury in our backyard and I'm thrilled to visit the program and learn from them. Today's visit will inform the House's work this coming session, especially with regards to supporting the workforce." "Nurtury provides a safe learning experience for nearly 1,000 children in the neighborhood," said state Rep. Jeffrey Sánchez, D-Boston.

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Elections

Election Results: Stephen Murphy Wins Democratic Nomination for Register of Deeds

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Former Boston City Councilor Stephen Murphy won the Democratic nomination for the vacant Register of Deeds position against a deep field of seven candidates in Thursday's primary election. Murphy will now face three nonparty-affiliated candidates in November. Murphy, who last year lost his longtime city council seat, seems to now have the inside track to being elected Suffolk County's Register of Deeds. He will face Joseph Donnelly, Jr., Margherita Ciampa-Coyne and John Keith in November. Murphy nabbed 30 percent (9,696) of the vote.

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Elections

There’s a Primary Election Thursday: Who’s Running?

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In one of the sleepiest primary elections in years, Massachusetts voters will be going to the polls this Thursday -- yes, Thursday, not the customary Tuesday -- and Jamaica Plain residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on several contested races. Polls will be open Thursday, Sept. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Not sure where to vote? Click here to find out from the Massachusetts Secretary of State. In surveying the field, we'll start with one race that often flies under the radar: The Suffolk County Register of Deeds.

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Arts

Politicians Discuss JP Arts and Culture at State of our Neighborhood

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Jamaica Plain is home to many destination arts and culture events that draw participants and attendees from all over Greater Boston, including the JP Music Festival and JP Open Studios in the fall, the Wake Up the Earth Festival in the spring, and JP Porchfest in the summer. Yet the city and state could be doing more to support artists in pursuing their crafts and sharing their work with the public, in Jamaica Plain and across the city, according to the panel of politicians at the sixth annual State of our Neighborhood (SOON) community gathering, held Thursday, April 7, at the John F. Kennedy Elementary School on Bolster Street. City licensing and permitting processes, which can be difficult to interpret and follow, can constrain local artists, as well as the businesses looking to collaborate with them, said District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley. A more user-friendly experience is needed, with more forms made available online and better customer service offered to those needing assistance untangling civic red tape, he said. District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson echoed that "concierge service" for artists could unlock further opportunities to showcase arts across Boston.

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