Environment

Bikes Not Bombs Receives $130,000+ City Grant for Green and Mobility Jobs

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Bikes Not Bombs recently received a city grant to green jobs and mobility training.  The grant is for $138,232. “With the city of Boston’s funding, Bikes Not Bombs will give Boston youth the opportunity for apprenticeship, skill building, and career development. BNB uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change – and this funding will open the door for Black and marginalized Boston residents to achieve economic mobility, build relationships, and work towards a healthier Boston,” said Elijah Evans, Executive Director of Bikes Not Bombs via press release. Mayor Michelle Wu announced the recipients of Boston’s Catalyst Grants for Green Job and Mobility Training on Jan.

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Development

Mayor Wu Commits $50M to Mildred Hailey Apartments, Signs Executive Order on Fair Housing

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Mayor Michelle Wu announced a city commitment of $50 million in funding for capital improvements at the Mildred C. Hailey Apartments in Jamaica Plain on Jan. 20. THREAD: Today we joined advocates to sign an executive order reaffirming Boston’s commitment to fair housing & racial equity—and announce the City’s $50 million investment for capital improvements at the Mildred Hailey @BHA_Boston apartments. pic.twitter.com/4laB0LOdNw
— Mayor Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@MayorWu) January 20, 2022

“We plan to make affordable housing a top priority when it comes to putting federal recovery money to use," said Wu at a press conference at the Hailey Apartments. "That means preserving and improving affordable housing that already exists, as well as adding more affordable housing options for residents across the city.

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Coronavirus

Mayor Visits Muniz Academy, Headmaster Asks For More Rapid Tests, Protocols Clarity, Multilingual Comms and More

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Boston Mayor Michelle remained outside during her early morning visit on Tuesday to the Margarita Muniz Academy. Wu visited to understand the school experience regarding COVID during the recent surge. Wu said "it's been a very difficult time" for school communities, students, staff, school leaders, and administrators during the recent surge of the omicron variant. Wu said the variant has "effected everything that needs to logistically happen." Wu was joined by At-Large Boston City Councilors Erin Murphy and Ruthzee Louijeune, BPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius, and Muniz Headmaster Dania Vazquez

Cassellius said there are three key things they're looking at to make sure of safe operations: a) staffing b) health and safety in the schools c) operational effectiveness of schools.

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Coronavirus

‘Completely Unacceptable’ Says Mayor Wu About Hours-Long Lines at JP COVID Testing Center

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the hours-long wait for people to get tested at the Anna Cole Community Center was "completely unacceptable" on Sunday night. Wu was responding to a tweet by Heshan Berents-Weeramumi, who was standing in line at 11:50 am when he was at the edge of the Stop & Shop Supermarket up Centre Street, past the Mildred Hailey Apartments, and past the Jackson Square MBTA stop. https://twitter.com/wutrain/status/1477823459765936128

Berents-Weeramumi was tweeting his frustration at Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, detailing his wait as he slowly progressed in line, and later tweeted at 3:13 pm that he had finally made it out of the testing site. https://twitter.com/wheresmyporsche/status/1477734714731646978

Wu said that she would huddle with her team right after the Boston City Council inauguration on Monday morning to expand testing and improve the experience at each site. The long line on Sunday was not an outlier at the Cole Center.

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Government

Matt O’Malley Energized About Next Opportunity, Reflects on City Council

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After 11 years, Boston City Council President Pro Tempore and District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley is moving on from City Hall and is very excited about what the future brings. O'Malley spoke to Jamaica Plain News about his proudest accomplishments, unsung constituent services, and what's next for him. This is an edited version of the conversation. https://twitter.com/MattOMalley/status/1463893405604401160
Q: Tell us about your new job and what does it entail? O'Malley: I was named the Chief Sustainability Officer of Vicinity.

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Schools

Jamaica Plain’s Lorena Lopera Reappointed to Boston School Committee

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Boston Mayor Michelle Wu reappointed Jamaica Plain resident Lorena Lopera to the Boston School Committee on Tuesday. Lopera was reappointed along with South Boston resident Rafaela Polanco García. Lopera and Garcia had been appointed to abbreviated terms by Acting Mayor Kim Janey in July. https://twitter.com/LorenaMLopera/status/1465793586503589897

“Lorena Lopera and Rafaela Polanco García have served with dedication and urgency to ensure Boston Public Schools is connected to each one of our families,” said Wu. “I am excited and grateful to reappoint these passionate community leaders who have consistently advocated for equity, inclusion, and accessibility in our school system.

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Holidays

Mayor’s Enchanted Trolley Tour Stopping in Jamaica Plain This Saturday

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New Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will continue the city's tradition of neighborhood tree lightings this weekend with two stops in Jamaica Plain on Saturday. A little trivia for you -- Wu will be the third mayor to participate in the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour -- with the other two being former Mayors Thomas Menino and Marty Walsh. This is the 25th year of the Mayor's Enchanted Trolley Tour and includes visits with Santa, tree lightings, and more. The trolley tour is scheduled to make the following stops in Jamaica Plain:

1:45 p.m. - Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain
2:30 p.m. - J.P. Monument, Jamaica Plain

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History

Jamaica Plain Has Been Called ‘Home’ By Five Boston Mayors

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With Michelle Wu being elected as Boston mayor, we thought it would be interesting to look back at the mayors who called Jamaica Plain home. For the record, Wu currently lives one neighborhood over, in Roslindale. James Michael Curley
Many residents have stories about the house in the Curley era: clients who came to the door in the morning for help (as seen in the Curley novel, The Last Hurrah), the long line of mourners at the double funerals of his children, Mary and Leo, in 1950, and the famous people who visited 350 Jamaicaway over the years. The sale of the shamrock-shuttered home of James Michael Curley rightly drew the attention of a new generation to this legendary mayor’s long residence in our area. Though His Honor lived in the house from 1915 onwards, the second longest-serving mayor of Boston (16 years in all) did not die there.

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Schools

Hernández School Students Couldn’t Vote, So They Interviewed Who Could

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The eighth grade students of the Rafael Hernández K-8 School were too young to vote on Election Day. Instead they got an Election Day education by hitting the polls to interview voters and learn about their views on the candidates and issues.  

The following article was written by the eighth graders of the Hernandez School:

Views from Green Street 
Eighth grade students from the Rafael Hernández K-8 in Egleston Square took a trip to the polls on the  morning of November 2nd, 2021, the day of Boston's  election. We went to the Bowditch polling station on Green Street to interview voters. 

The weather was sunny and crisp, and many voters came out with their dogs and children. Fourteen students (and their two teachers) stood in a line in front of the Bowditch building with clipboards. Some voters walked by, staring with a confused look, but we pushed out of our comfort zones to start conversations with these strangers.

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Elections

Michelle Wu Becomes First Woman and Person of Color Elected as Boston Mayor

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In Boston's almost 200 years of having mayors there has never been a non-white male elected as mayor. That changed on Tuesday when Michelle Wu easily defeated Annissa Essaibi George. Wu was first elected as an At-Large Boston City Councilor in 2014 at the age of 29, and will be sworn in as mayor on November 16. Normally elected mayors of Boston are sworn in the beginning of January, but Acting Mayor Kim Janey agreed to a quicker transfer of power with Wu and Essaibi George. As expected, Wu easily defeated her fellow At-Large City Councilor, by a wide margin.

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