By Alexandra Gyarfas

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN — The neighborhood of Jamaica Plain went out to vote on the 22 of September, for the municipal preliminary election. About 24 percent of the residents participated. Even though this is a high number for the preliminaries, it still represents a very small amount of voters in the community. This issue raises concerns about the political participation in the area.

“Most people didn’t vote,” said Sandra Story, editor and publisher of the Jamaica Plain Gazette, “This is the way it always is in preliminary elections, but it is a small number.”

The results showed that Mayor Thomas M. Menino was the most popular candidate. City Councilor Sam Yoon had a mere 25 fewer votes than Menino, according to the Jamaica Plain Gazette. Residents seemed to favor Menino’s experience.

Joel Ohalloas, member of the Agassiz Community Center, told me, “He’s been mayor for 16 years, so for 16 years people have heard his name. They vote for what they know.”

Menino’s long presence in the mayor’s office has led some residents to support Flaherty and Yoon, not for their campaign, but for “something different.”

“New broom sweeps plain,” said James Devaney, 64, retired, “I like Flaherty. I don’t know why. Politicians should be Irish!”

Elderly crowds support Menino for his services and commitment to his word.

“He don’t tell stories,” said Valerie Smart. “He gets things done, stands for what he says, so he is well, popular. I like him a lot and hope they vote for him.”

Yoon’s strategy was to connect with minorities and people without resources, but wealthier areas in the community support him, while the poorest sectors favor Menino.

Regardless of which candidate Jamaica Plain’s residents support, the expectations for future plans in the community remain similar.

“We need gun control, and to get rid of violence,” Smart said.

They worry about violence; and the number of homeless people in the streets stand as a priority to be covered by the mayor.

“Get the muggers off the street,” Smith said. “We have issues with security. Cops are great, though. We just need more.”

Even though the sectors of the community favor different candidates, Menino’s presence is still well appreciated for his previous work in the community.

“He does a lot,” Devaney said. “He puts kids in school, plus he’s a happy guy.”

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN— Around a year ago, on Oct. 27 2008, the MBTA, the Executive Office of Transportation and the City of Boston began to work on a project concerning the Bus Route 39. They assembled for the first time at the Agassiz School with the Citizen’s Working Group and members of the Jamaica Plain community to discuss an enhancement plan on such route. Today, this project is close to becoming a reality.

“The improvements being proposed are intended to improve accessibility, reduce bus trip times by 10 to 15 percent, increase service reliability, and improve passenger comfort and convenience,” said Joe Pesaturo, MBTA spokesman.

As more people occupy the seats of the Route 39 buses -making it have the second highest ridership of all bus routes- the MBTA works on several changes to improve the route’s corridor service and accessibility, according to the EOT.

“I think there are a lot of stops,” Lina Dolph, 24, a regular user of the Route 39, said. “When you go to work it becomes an inconvenience because there are stops everywhere and it takes too long.”

Serving several stops from Back Bay to Forest Hills, some of the problems with Route 39 are that 50 percent of the bus stops are spaced too close together, and many of them don’t have shelters, according to the EOT. Also, seniors and persons with disabilities have limited access to the buses. Other problems include illegally parked cars that block the bus stops, bunching along the routes, and schedule adherence.

“It’s a good thing that they are taking care of the [illegally parked] cars, they are a problem for everybody,” said Nora Begley, 43, a regular user.

Pesaturo said that the project consists in consolidating and relocating bus stops along the five-mile corridor, modifying bus stop lengths and adjust parking as needed to improve accessibility. In addition, the MBTA will improve traffic signal phasing and timing at select intersections, construct full curb extensions at two to four locations, and accommodate bus stops with shelters and other amenities.

All these improvements have an estimated cost of $500,000, which will be founded by the ARRA grants, according to the MBTA. Few users don’t agree with some of the modifications,

“I don’t think [relocating] the stops is a good idea,” Tamekka McNeil, 21, a regular user, said. “The [Route] 39 is too crowded as it is, and if there is not the same number of stations, there will be no way to sit down.”

Users argue that relocating the stations concern the public the most.

“[The changes] are great depending on the stops they will get rid of,” said Shane Hassey, 24, a user of the Route 39. “My stops are spaced with equal distance from each other, so it’s more convenient”.

Pesaturo said Transit Corridor improvements are in the design phase and construction is anticipated to begin in Spring 2010. Loyal Route 39 users await the results, concerned with the way the changes will affect them.

“I think the [Route] 39 is well organized and benefits a lot of people, so they shouldn’t make a lot of changes,” said Begley.

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN— Every weekday morning, approximately 900 students and 75 faculty and staff members enter the three-story, cement and brick building of the Agassiz Elementary School. Its doors have been open since 1973, but parents don’t feel comfortable dropping their kids off at the institution anymore.

“It’s a very concerning issue,” Caitlin Rodriguez, 45, parent said. “My kids came home complaining from headaches, and covered in rashes. I knew something was wrong.”

As winter approaches and increases the need of proper heating and air conditions, a report from the State Department of Public Health (MSDPH) revealed high levels of carbon dioxide at the Agassiz Elementary School. The investigation started due to multiple headache complaints reported by the school’s staff, and the higher-than-average asthma rate in students, according to the MSDPH.

“This is not new,” Robert Russo, 56, parent said. “[School parent] Eugenia Arroyo has been fighting this situation since the year 1997. His song was significantly affected, and since then parents grew more concerned about the school’s respiratory conditions.”

The report revealed that carbon dioxide levels at multiple areas of the school exceeded 800 parts per million (the recommended level is of 600 ppm), according to the MSDPH. This indicated inadequate ventilation.

Specialists from the MSDPH interviewed 15 staff members. They reported symptoms like respiratory/irritant effects including allergies, headaches, sinus congestions or sore, hoarse or dry throat, according to the MSDPH report.

“These symptoms are commonly associated with ventilation problems in buildings, although other factors may also contribute.”

The MSDPH report offered a series of recommendations to solve the problem. “It appears that the building was intended to be an energy efficient building when constructed in 1973, as evidenced by the use of heat exchangers for fresh air supply,” according to the report. “A long-term solution would involve replacement of windows, repair of leaks in the building envelope, and installation of gypsum wallboard with insulation.”

The MSDPH also recommended to remove or replace the original water-damaged wood sills from the base of all windows, operate both supply and exhaust ventilation continuously during periods of school occupancy, and install filter racks on the fan coil units (FCU) to hold filters in place.

“I’m glad the report is out and public,” Vanessa Matos, 44, parent said. “People will be more aware of this and actually take action. We need to make sure our kids are healthy in a healthy environment.”

Parents from the Agassiz Elementary School will work together with the community to improve this condition and make sure the students remain safe.

“The community will help,” Sofia Jackson, 52, parent, said. “This community would do anything and everything for the children. It’s all for the children, we will all lend a hand and [the respiratory conditions] will get better.”

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN- Colors, arts and crafts, and musical instruments guide the way toward a room filled with products of creativity, in which kids and adults get their artistic side working, sharing laughs and their work to each other. Jomar Lopez stands up with enthusiasm and offers help to the new crowds. He is a member of Spontaneous Celebrations, Jamaica Plain’s community center, and dedicates his talents in arts and music to teach the youth of the neighborhood.

“It’s like home”, Lopez said, “There is no other way to describe it. People want you to succeed here, they help you. If you feel like talking to somebody, you can. Everyone is very friendly.”

Spontaneous Celebrations’ mission is to “create and sustain a community cultural life that unites and empowers people for positive change through the arts,” according to their website. Since 1979, it has developed different programs to accomplish such goals. Lopez is an important member of the community center, and gets involved in every project possible.

“It’s a part of him,” Jen Kiok said, one of Lopez’ colleagues, “He’ll be in any festival without anyone asking.”

Lopez first arrived at the center as a result of his misconduct, at age 11. After being identified as a “trouble maker”, one of Jamaica Plain’s middle school teachers, Ms. Rosalba, saw Lopez outside the principal’s office. She referred him to Spontaneous Celebrations, hoping it would change Lopez’s path.

“She looked at me as I was walking into the office and asked, ‘are you in trouble?’” said Lopez, “After noting I was in trouble, she gave me a handout about Spontaneous Celebration’s middle school program. So I came, and people were painting. So I started painting. And I kept coming every single day ever since.”

Now a college student, his responsibilities include organizing fairs, parades and musical events; visual arts, painting and music workshops for the middle school program; sex and drugs workshops for the high school program; reaching out to the community, making sure more people join the center; drum lessons for little kids, among others.

“I give class on Saturdays to 20, or 25 little kids, and I mean two or three-year-olds,” said Lopez, laughing, “It actually sounds like music! It’s like a big jam.”

Lopez claimed the center has influenced who he is today, and he hopes to bring that same influence to his students and members of Jamaica Plain’s community.

“Jomar grew up here and lives a few blocks away,” said Kiok, “He feels it’s his second home, and it is. So that’s why he wants to give back.”

According to other members of the center, Lopez dedication and teaching skills have had a good influence on the students.

“He always has a positive attitude,” Maaak Pelletier, member of the center, said, “His presence is full of love and happiness, and it has had a good effect on the kids of the program.”

Lopez plans to continue in the center, providing all the help possible, and changing other people’s lives, as it has changed his own.

“[Spontaneous Celebrations] made me realize things about myself,” said Lopez, “I went from being a bad boy to a good boy, behaving better in school as I kept attending the center. It made me want to be successful. And these thoughts still remain today. Nobody tells you that you can’t do nothing. “

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN — On one block in Hyde Square, many restaurants offer new tastes to the public. El Oriental de Cuba is known for its mamey milk shakes, Miami’s Restaurant serves fried plantains, and the Pimentel Market provides a variety of tropical fruits, making evident the presence of a large Hispanic population.

“Sometimes I just go into a store and start speaking straight in Spanish,” said Fernando Tamayo, a 20-year-old local Peruvian student. “I feel that I’m in a Spanish neighborhood inside the United States.”

As more Latinos move to Boston, Jamaica Plain has taken on the look of a barrio of a city in Latin America. Now, 14 percent of the population of Boston is Hispanic, and more of them live in JP than any other neighborhood, according to the Department of Neighborhood Development.

The neighborhood represents 6.5 percent of Boston’s population, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

“I think most of the people here speak in Spanish,” said Luis Dorta, 32, Puerto Rican local. “We are a very close Spanish-speaking community.”

Some locals say that Spanish is the most spoken language in the area, yet only 18 percent of the population has it as a first idiom. English remains the first most popular language, spoken by 66 percent of the locals, according to the Jamaica Plain Data Profile.

While Spanish may not be the main tongue, 23 percent of Jamaica Plain’s population is Hispanic, having the highest foreign percentage in the area.

“We all know each other, and our nationalities,” said Rosa Zúñiga, 63, Cuban local. “It is very nice to walk around and everyone says hello. Most of us are good friends.”

Latin locals said they decided to live in the neighborhood partly because of the high percentage of Hispanic population.

“It makes you feel more like home,” said Ximena Carvallo, 42, local Mexican. “It turns into, how you would say it, a ‘home away from home.’”

Other Hispanic locals said that this percentage could include their chances of being employed.

“They need more people that speak Spanish in some businesses,” said Pedro Rengel, 34, Guatemalan local. “This is why it is always an advantage to speak more than one language.”

The neighborhood’s Hispanic population has increased since the year 2000, even though the total population has been decreasing since 1990, according to the Jamaica Plain Community Information from Trulia Real Estate.

“We are a growing and loving community,” Carvallo said. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in Boston.”

Restaurant El Oriental de Cuba

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN— In the heart of Boston’s Latin quarter, a many of businesses light up Centre Street by Hyde Square. But at the center of the square, big signs that read “For Lease” crown the entrance of an abandoned establishment with a colorful mural that indicates Bella Luna/Milky Way was once there.

“They were here before I was,” said Jason Cohen, agent for Century 21 Pondside Realty. “They had to be here for at least a good 10 to 15 years.”

After years of new businesses opening in Hyde Square and gentrifying the neighborhood, high rent scared away at least three major establishments from Hyde Square.

After approximately 20 years of business, restaurant and lounge Bella Luna/Milky Way could not afford to pay the high rent for its establishment, and moved to Amory Street at the Brewery Complex, according to surrounding businesses.

Zons was a second restaurant that also had to close its doors due partly to the increased rent. It opened in Hyde Square for an estimate of eight years, said Michael Ortiz, local hairdresser from Ultra Beauty Salon. This establishment is in the same area Bella Luna/Milky Way was.

“The owner [of Bella Luna/Milky Way] was paying about $14,000 by the time it closed,” said Ortiz. “Zons payed around $ 5-6,000. “

The manager from June Bug Café, former neighbors of Bella Luna/Milky Way, declined to comment on the issue.

Carol Downs, general manager of Bella Luna/Milky Way, said that the main reason the restaurant had to move was due to an increase of 85% of their rent.

“We received information from [owner of Bella Luna/ Milky Way] when she talked to the board and presented the case,” said Yi Chin Chen, director of Lifelong Learning and Economic Development from Hyde Square Task Force Inc. “But their landlord apparently haven’t raised the rent in 15 years, so he was just bringing the prize up to market rate.”

Chen said that even though high rent was a main issue for these particular businesses, there are a lot of others struggling and closing toward the area of Jackson Square. She said that the employees’ income is one-quarter of what it used to be two years ago.

“People are not spending as much as they used to,” said Chen. “And if they do, they look for places outside of Jamaica Plain.”

The empty establishment continues to be available for lease after eight months since Bella Luna/Milky Way left Hyde Square. According to Chen and Ortiz there has been interest, but due to the restaurant’s prestige, it has become “bad juju” to actually buy or invest in that space.

“A lot of people had been interested, but no one showed security,” said Ortiz. “No one wants to settle in this place.”

Bella Luna/Milky Way welcomes old costumers into their new location, said Downs. They hope to start a new beginning.

Location where Bella Luna/Milky Way used to be.

By Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN –It is 4:30 p.m., and pedestrians occupy the sidewalks of Center St.. Rosa J. Ansell, a short, elderly woman stands outside waiting for a bus by herself, looking side-to-side and remaining alert. Working as a nurse for 48 years at the Boston Medical Center has taught her that many victims of violent crimes come from JP. She refuses to be one of them.

“You have to be aware and not be afraid,” Ansell said. “I have a whistle wrapped with my keys at all time. If I feel endangered, I do a prayer, and I use it.”

The whistle Ansell relies on for protection is a result of JP’s Crime Watch Whistle Alert Program. According to the Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit, “Whistle Alert is an immediate means of communication whereby neighbors, ‘armed’ with whistles, can signal other neighbors anytime they feel threatened. When participants hear the whistle, they know that they should respond.”

“I think this is very effective,” Ansell said. “I work until 11 p.m. and I have to walk by myself. It brings comfort to have the whistle with me.”

Even though the crime rate has decreased significantly since

1970, JP still faces a large amount of problems concerning public safety.

“We have a rash of robberies right now in Stony Brook,” Officer Carlos Martinez of the Boston Police Department (Area E-13) said.          “[The public safety situation] may have gotten better compared to sometime ago, but right now there is still a lot of burglary and robbery going on.”

Unarmed robberies remain the number one issue in JP. The police recommend local residents to stay in groups and avoid being alone in less traveled places.

“I’ve seen [violent acts] happen to others but not to me,” UPS distributer for JP, Michael Hughes said. “I’ve been delivering everyday for the past eight years. People steal packages, I know that much. And someone stole my computer a few weeks ago but it appeared by a pond.”

Locals seem aware of the safety improvements, yet they see the problem far from being resolved.

“We need more police presence,” local resident Peter Mark said. “Instead of driving around they should be on foot.”

The JP community argues that the police system is effective, but should make changes to keep improving the public safety.

“[Policemen] shouldn’t be more present during rush hour,” Ansell said. “And they shouldn’t be so fat!”

The art scene on South Street in Jamaica Plain serves its community as a grassroots rival to the grandiose museums and full-fledged galleries of downtown Boston.

You can find anything from vintage to retro to contemporary fashions at Forty South Street.  There’s a community owned, not-for profit market across the street called the Harvest Co-op for fresh, often organic, local produce.  You can even learn how to fix your bike or buy a refurbished one at Ferris Wheels Bike Shop, and the popular Boston Public Library Jamaica Plain branch is on the corner.

“Hispanics, Asians, African Americans, all ethnicities, we respect each other in JP,” said Steve Alexander, mosaic artist and manager at the JP Art Market Studio and Gallery in Jamaica Plain.

Alexander is a volunteer at the studio, a veteran of the US military and long-time resident of Jamaica Plain.  He found his way into the studio as an artist himself, looking for a place to display his art in his community.

It’s true that JP has an abundance of art.  What is obvious in the community today is a need for places for the neighborhoods many artists to show their work.  For now, artists are turning to South Street’s galleries, local businesses like J.P. Licks, and even the Jamaica Plain Branch of the Boston Public Library.

James Morgan, a Jamaica Plain resident and branch librarian, says the branch appreciates the work that artists donate to the library for showcase.

“We’re involved with the Business Association who sponsors performances and art showings on the first Thursday of every month during the nice weather.  There’s so many artists in JP, we really wanted to get involved.”

Many of the paintings are strategically placed on the library’s walls to cover holes that need filling.  Rather than a run down atmosphere, the art helps to create one of liveliness.

In November, the library will feature photography of the neighborhood by numerous artists.

A new gallery, named The Hallway, opened just a few doors down from the JP Art Market Studio in May.  The new studio features exclusively local artists from the Boston area, and is especially ideal for up-and-coming artists.  The owner gives nearly any artist the chance to showcase and sell their work – so long as they volunteer to work for him a few hours a week.

But perhaps what is even more remarkable about South Street is it’s sense of community.  With two art galleries on the same block, one might think there would be competition, but not here.  In fact, Steve Alexander of the Art Market Studio says it’s just the opposite.

“There’s more talent here than anywhere in the world I would say, I am always over impressed by the talent here.  The city just isn’t standing up and seeing it as a Mecca of art, we should be showcasing this work [to the public]” said Alexander.

Massimo Giardo, a graduate of Mass Art, just began showcasing his work in The Hallway studio and has already sold some of his pieces.

“I think this place is really good for local artists that want to get people to see their work and who want feedback,” said Giardo.

New artwork can be seen on the first Thursday of every month at a launch party, then on the last day of the month there is a silent auction.  Artists lower the prices of their pieces, and let the bidders decide how much their artwork is worth.

Overall, Jamaica Plain’s artists treat their community as a community.  Rather than petty competition, they seem to thrive off of each other’s successes so long as it helps their arts community grow.

Says Steve Alexander, “We’re encouraging The Hallway, we want people to see the range of what art means to other people.  The same goes for the library.  They see that art speaks like books, we can both read Moby Dick and get a different feeling, the same as can happen from looking at a painting.”

Someday, maybe, JP will be home to galleries comparable to those in other neighborhoods, and more importantly, galleries that will hold the immense amount of work the communities’ artists have to show.

When you get off the Orange Line T at Forest Hills, it seems like any other residential area of Boston.  Houses line the streets, and there are nearly no businesses in sight.  However, many city dwellers and Boston suburb residents travel here every day to visit Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum.

Maria Sparaggi, a seventeen-year resident of Forest Hills walks through the Arboretum occasionally when she’s going to Faulkner Hospital.

“It’s amazing,” says Sparaggi.  “There’s a place with all different kinds of Christmas trees, a garden of roses, and at the end of my walk I always visit the walnuts.”

The Arboretum features bonsai, centenarians, conifers, lilacs, rosaceous plants, a shurb and vine garden, and hundreds of different types of trees.  The entire area is a remarkable 265 acres, including main roads for bikers, and several paths and hills for those looking to really lose themselves in nature – a true escape from the busy traffic of the city.

Right now, workers at the Arboretum are focused on their newest project known as Weld Hill, potentially the first research facility on the grounds.

Sheryl White, the visitor education assistant and tour coordinator, says Weld Hill will provide labs for researchers at Harvard studying botany and biology.

“It will allow researchers to bring students in and will provide research offices for some of the staff here.”

Weld Hill is a green facility, something that is becoming more prominent in the community.  Boston Green Buildings, a sustainable contractor, held a forum in Jamaica Plain on October 3 to inform residents and businesses on how to become more energy efficient.

According to White, “Something like 95 percent of materials from recycling will be reused either here or will be donated elsewhere. We’re keeping all the soil on the site and then it will be integrated back into the site.”

Beyond its attraction to visitors of the neighborhood, the Arboretum has opened it’s doors to visitors from all walks of life.  According to White, they are now focusing their tours on the greater public in Boston, as well as students from any Boston Public School.

“We do lots of tours. We have programs with schools in the spring and the fall. We run a lot of programs in conjunction with the schools and individual classes curriculum,” said White.

The Arboretum educates adults on their walking tours, provides field studies for children in cooperation with their science curriculum, has family activities, and even has online exhibits for anyone who is interested.

Employees and volunteers at the Arboretum work very hard to provide an open, educational atmosphere for visitors.  General questions can be answered at the visitor center, as well as by any groundskeeper you happen to run into on the trails.

Tours are given every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, or by appointment with the visitor center.

by Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN— A broken fence protects over nine acres of land that await renovation for more than 10 years in Jackson Square. Multiple neighborhood organizations attempted to change this, joining efforts to compose a renovation plan.

Local non-profit organizations Urban Edge and Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) work with developer Mitchell Properties, the Hyde Square Task Force, and the Jackson Square Citizens Advisory (CAC) to develop this project, according to Urban Edge’s website.

Urban Edge proposed the fourth renewal plan of the year, which consists on constructing “mixed-income housing with affordable and market-rate units on a taller, expanded Webb Building at 1542 Colombus Ave.,” said MossikHacobian, Urban Edge’s President, during a interview. “Between 10 and 20 percent of those units will be dedicated to the formerly homeless.”

Despite the need for moreaffordable housing in the neighborhood, Urban Edge has nixed its plans to build a 30-unit
complex for formerly homeless people and has replaced it with an upscale development.

CAC members wanted a mix of subsidized affordable and market rate units, instead of a complete building of low-market units. Because of this, Hacobian said the new concept attends the CAC’s concerns, and goes back to Urban Edge’s original plan during the first phase of the project.

The organizations work to create a “New Jackson Square”, according to Urban Edge and Jackson Square Partners. The project’s objectives include “a great new neighborhood center; distinctive places to live, work, play, eat, and shop; a broad mix of housing opportunities for families; [a] transit-oriented, pedestrian-friendly design, integrating green and sustainable design principles; job and business opportunities for local residents,” according to Urban Edge’s informational booklet.

The first phase of the project consists on building a 30,500 square-foot Youth and Family Center with educational and cultural programs for residents, 30,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, and 30,000 square-foot Webb Building and youth rehabilitation in the Department of Youth Services facility (DYS), according to the Jackson Square Partners.

These constructions with the 140 new homes that compose the housing segment of the projecthave an estimated cost of $115 million, according to Urban Edge.

The overall project was based on the construction of 436 new homes, 60,000 square feet of shops and restaurants, a 60,000 square-foot Youth and Family Center and Active Indoor Recreation Facility, and the 30,000 square-foot Webb Building and rehabilitation facility, according to Urban Edge.

The complete project, based on four phases, has an estimated cost of $250 million, according to the Jackson Square Partners.

An important part of the project emphasizes on a “green” and sustainable design, according to Urban Edge. It consists on “a comprehensive approach to renewable and alternative energy including solar power, wind power and geothermal heating and cooling, (…) [and] more than five acres of vacant, contaminated land reclaimed for community use.”

“After more than 10 years of community planning, the dream of a New Jackson Square is about to become real,” according to Urban Edge.

by Alexandra Gyarfas

JAMAICA PLAIN— On the corner of Bourne Street, several volunteers help reconstruct a 100-year-old, two-story wood store. A sign that reads “JP Greenhouse” welcomes environmental activists and members of the community to come inside and lend a hand.

“There are few greenhouses in the country,” said Andrée Zaleska, environmental activist and owner of the JP Greenhouse. “We want to make a model out of this house that will be our home.”

As local environmental groups fight global warming, Zaleska and partner Ken Ward are rebuilding an old corner store to build the first “greenhouse” in Massachusetts.

This house would emit zero carbon dioxide, and will use solar energy for heating and other basic functions.

“Essentially, it will be a house powered by body heat,” Zaleksa said.

Ward and Zalenska have been working with environmental issues for over more than 10 years. Zaleska said she got involved in activism for the future of her children.

“When I started realizing the threats of climate change, I couldn’t envision a safe future for my children,” Zaleska said. “Protesting and writing [for website Grits.org] just wasn’t enough anymore.”

JP Greenhouse will be a self-sustained home, and will also offer space for a community center, where members may pursue activities from book readings to climate change awareness workshops, said Zaleska.

“It’s about time we took environmental action in Jamaica Plain to this level,” said local environmental activist Manuela Walfenzao. “They say that if you want to change the world, you should start with your own backyard, and that’s what [Zaleska and Ward] are doing.”

To assure the house will be self-sustained, three vegetable beds have been planted in the front yard with the help of local gardeners and farmers.

“The community is involved and wants to help,” said local environmental activist Iker Ellorriaga. “If there’s something we can do, we jump in.”

The JP Greenhouse has been built with the help of local volunteers. However, due to lack of funds, Ward and Zaleska will be forced to ask for donations for the first time.

“They’ve never really asked anything from us,” said local activist Isabella Bertorelli. “I’m sure no one will hesitate to donate for this great cause.”

The activists said that Jamaica Plain was the ideal neighborhood to build the Greenhouse.

“We looked at a lot of houses that where in bad shape, in many different neighborhoods,” Zaleska said. “But non of those had any ‘feeling’. We love JP and we knew that this place was just right.”

The two partners and their three children will move into their new home on January of next year.

Even though the community has been helpful to the family, Zaleska said she would like the local government to be more involved with environmental causes and provide financial help.

“I’d like to see the local government step in and take part,” Zalenska said. “It’s sad to see the nation investing more in war than on a sustainable future. There is no way we will survive this way.”

I’ve visited the Great Lakes Brewing Co. two or three times and taken the tour each time in hopes that the next will be better than the last.  Alas, alak they insisted on being a full 15 minutes long.  Highlights included talking about the history of the place, looking at sealed bags of barley and malts and empty mashtuns, then popping out a quarter for a quarter sized sample of their most lack-luster beers.

I’m confused and disappointed by this, the largest regional brewer in Ohio presenting such a downer.  Even Sam Adams in Jamaica Plain, Boston can put on a tour that shows you the difference between various hops and barley – taste, smell and feel them – then wind up the tour with communal and bountiful samples of multiple beers.  Why must the largest Ohio brewer be such a bummer?

Autumn in New England brings beautiful, crisp days and brilliant colors to the trees.  I think this year’s foliage has been particularly brilliant.  The past couple of weeks I’ve been taking photos around the city, mainly in Arnold Arboretum and collected them in a photo gallery called Autumn Color.

I also had the delightful serendipity of coming across a parade of animals on Charles Street as I was going to take the Boston By Foot Tour of the Month of Bay Village.  This was a reprisal of the Bay Village Tour of the Month I reviewed last year.  I added new photos to my Bay Village photo gallery with as special emphasis on capturing the autumn colors.

So we said we would announce our big news on Wednesday, but since we’re both downright giddy about it and got the hard part out-of-the-way, we figured it’s time…. We moved! Nella Pasta is officially out of Pembroke and into our new space in Jamaica Plain. You may remember back to the early days of planning when we mentioned the Nuestra Culinary Ventures kitchen incubator right across from the Sam Adams Brewery in Jamaica Plain. Previous to the start of the markets, NCV was extremely helpful to us in planning our business by teaching us valuable lessons in choosing a legal entity, signing up for the ServeSafe program, and logistics of selecting and selling our product in farmer’s markets. Unfortunately, 2 weeks prior to Hingham’s opening day, we learned that NCV was closing. In a mad rush we scoured the internet and newspaper listings for a new kitchen and thankfully found our former spot in Pembroke. 6 months later, we learned that NCV is back up and running under a new non-profit, CropCircle Kitchen, Inc. The Jamaica Plain Gazette reports, “CropCircle formed in January as a group promoting sustainably, locally based food production and distribution, according to state records. A new, separate non-profit called CropCircle Kitchen, Inc. was formed on July 29, according to state records, with the purpose of “securing the current and future success of Boston’s only shared-use kitchen and culinary business incubator” (John Ruch, August 27, 2009). Soon after we learned the news, we set up a meeting with the manager of the kitchen who gladly re-opened our membership and after a grueling 4 hours and 3 cars loads with both the Nella girls and oh-so-wonderful-and-strong, strapping young boyfriends, we’ve moved! Not only will we shorten our commute (well, for me at least) and get closer to Boston, but we will also obtain our wholesale license (scheduled for later this week), have access to a number of valuable resources such as legal, tax and business advice, and host a series of cooking classes (more details to come!). We’re thrilled to be back as part of the CropCircle group of CE’s (culinary entrepreneurs). A huge thank you to J.D for all his help in facilitating our move and to Jeff and Jordan for their patience and most importantly, muscles, to move our gear. We’re so excited for our first day of production in the kitchen to crank out more ravioli, dried rigatoni, and finally nail down our list of specialty stores.

A few reminders– 1) We have some amazing specials planned for next weekend’s Halloween market, so don’t miss it!, 2) We want your pictures! Send in your photos to the Nella Photo Contest and you may win a package of ravioli, 3) We’re working on putting together some beautiful gift baskets for the holiday season. We’ll have photos and details in the next week, but keep these gifts in mind for your host or hostess on Thanksgiving, a thank you gift to a favorite teacher or neighbor, or hey, be greedy, get one for yourself!

It’s one of Jamaica Plain’s most beautiful parks, yet the most rarely visited.  The bells are ringing as I walk down a small wooded path and up a stone staircase.  I reach the top. The bells stop.  It’s eerily silent.  You’d never guess it was on the outskirts of a major city.  I begin my search for a hidden landmark, it’s not on the park’s map for some reason, in fact, for such a landmark, there is little information mentioned anywhere of it’s whereabouts.  There are so many paths to choose from.  I turn to the right and begin walking along rows upon rows of gravestones.  This is Forest Hills Cemetery.

Today’s task is to find Reggie Lewis.  Why Reggie Lewis you ask?  I suppose I could have went in search of many of the historical figures buried here such as Francis Cabot Lowell, the Father of the American Industrial Revolution or Major General Joseph Warren, a leader of the American Revolution or many other notable figures of Boston’s past.  What intrigues me about Reggie Lewis, other than being a fellow Northeastern University Alumni, is that his grave site is not on the map.  It’s a challenge, and that makes it worth finding.

Besides, even if I don’t find it, exploring the many statues, intricate graves and pathways covered with red, yellow and orange leaves ought to make for a pleasant afternoon stroll.  It really is a nice place to visit, after all, people are just dying to get in.

It’s been over two hours of wandering around.  I’ve got some great pictures of various sculptures and statues.  There is only one problem.  Every path looks the same, all filled with slabs of carefully cut rock.  I’m disorientated.  I can’t remember which way I came from.  I am lost.

I’ve run through the cemetery in the past and forgot how big it really is.  With over 250 acres of grave stones, you can imagine how easy it is to lose your way.  Regardless, the only thing to do is keep plugging along, always continuing around the next bend until you recognize something.

There’s only one thing that creeps me out about cemeteries and it’s not the hundreds of dead people.  It’s cars.  Actually, to be more specific, it’s slow moving cars that give me the heebie jeebies.

I’ve been making my way around for almost three hours now when I hear the crackling of small twigs breaking behind me.  I turn.  It’s a car slowly moving up behind me, only several feet away.  I’m in the middle of hundreds of acres of parkland with no one else in sight.  It seems a bit ironic, being surrounded by the dead, yet the scariest thing around is the living.

Of course, within seconds I realize there is nothing to worry about, it’s just a little old couple driving around, probably looking for a loved one, or perhaps checking out the real estate.

It’s almost dinner time.  I finally make it back to the main entrance.  No luck in finding Reggie Lewis.  I check the map at the main office to see if he is there but to no avail.  I begin wondering if my original information was correct, maybe he isn’t even in this cemetery.

My stomach is growling. It’s time to pack it up.  It seems I need to do more research before closing out this particular expedition.

In my earlier post about walking to Dorchester, I mentioned a garden area behind Mass. Ave station. My friend Alison responded that that green space is part of the Southwest Corridor, an unassuming name for a space that I found to be uniquely compelling when I walked the length of it yesterday. The weather was odd — sun and clouds, with an occasionally stiff breeze — but it was still possibly the Last Warm Day before autumn tightens its grip.

I didn’t know much of the history behind the Southwest Corridor when I started my trek, but luckily there is plentiful signage along the way that tells the story. Running along the length of the Orange Line between Back Bay and Forest Hill stations, the land was originally acquired and cleared in the 1950s and 1960s to make way for a new multi-lane extension of I-95.  After residents rallied against the highway, the land languished until the community began mobilizing to turn it into preserved parkland. The resultant Southwest Corridor combines park resources (tennis/basketball courts, etc.) and green spaces/community gardens with walking/biking paths and a transportation conduit. It’s about 4.7 miles in length and not particularly wide, but it cuts right through the heart of the city and gives you a great urban perspective.

The most interesting thing about the Southwest Corridor, for me, is how it is such a good example (for better or for worse) of urban evolution. It was originally the location of Stony Brook, a main water conduit for industry in the area. It then became the elevated Orange Linesite of the New York and New Haven train line, and was then intended to become a highway before the community rallied against that. Then it was reclaimed by the community as a green space, closely tethered in purpose to the transit system it runs alongside. It also showcases a lot of vestigial features of the city, like the leftover Green Line signage and tracks at Forest Hills from the long-”postponed” E line. It’s a living history lesson. All of the public art (EDIT: more about the art) and signage lining the path only enhance that.

It was a delightfully Boston day. Not only did I see some new parts of the city, but I even saw the Tricycle Guy and ate lunch at Doyle’s Cafe. On that note, this walk reminded me of two things. One: I am long overdue for a thorough jaunt around the South End. Two: I need to spend much more time south of the river. I am missing out on a lot, and there is a lot left for me to discover.

Check out all of my photos on Flickr.

i found this lantern randomly on tuesday and knew my girlfriend would love it. i’ve cleaned it up a bit and not sure if i want to try and restore or leave as it i guess only time and idle hands will tell.

for Jamaica Plain Open Studios!

My mom and I spent all day today setting up for Open Studios. I’m really excited for tomorrow! I always look forward to Open Studios every September. This years Open Studios will take place on Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th. For those of you who don’t know, Jamaica Plain Open Studios is a weekend when artists open their studios to the public. Usually it’s a time for artists to promote whatever it is that they make and hopefully make some sales as well. Any artist who is participating in Open Studios will have a red and yellow banner (like the one pictured above) and will be listed on the JP Open Studios map. I will be selling my hand knitted hats and my mom will be selling her hand marbleized toddler shoes. We are listed on the map under Robin Maxfield. Come by and see us if you’re in JP!

The second in a series in which I continue to chronicle my favorite sandwiches.

The Green Monster Burger – The Real Deal, Jamaica Plain, MA

Some might argue that a hamburger cannot be a sandwich. I argue that a hamburger might be the best kind of sandwich. Try to approach life with an open mind.

Anyways, the deliciousness of this burger speaks for itself. Avocado. Cheddar. Bacon. Any one of these things is a worthwhile eating experience. When you combine them all and add a burger underneath, you start to complete my life.

avoiding,
Puns

Link dumps occupy an odd place in the blogging universe, and are to be treated alternately with curiosity, suspicion, and a modicum of heightened alertness.   For one, they are points of reference that fully haven’t been taken in by the poster of said links.  Had the person posting the link truly made the works they reference his/her own, then the poster could just as well dispense with the reference altogether and have the reference return as some artifact or remnant within another work the poster provides (preferably with a link if it’s online).

As with practically everything that is done here at tirado/thrown, the bullet points that follow are not meatballs, but barbecue: charred, gristly, messy, and nearly-indigestible.  However, as a way to look back at the summer that will have just passed on September 22, here are some links to short pieces to that helped make it worthwhile:

• Boston’s master of experience, James Parker, dwells in the marrow of the MBTA’s scorned jewel, the Orange Line.  Incidentally, the line passes through our beloved Jamaica Plain, where tirado/thrown calls home. [Boston Globe]
• Though tangled in the throes of a post-racial America (whatever that means), the term “Racism” has some words to offer the kind folks at We Are Respectable Negroes on its use and abuse.  [W.A.R.N]
• Theory spares us from disasters:  A brilliant interview with Sylvere Lotringer, co-founder of that most abrasive and alluring of publishers, semiotext(e)  .  He speaks with Nina Power on art, the academy, thought, and theory’s ongoing relevance.  [frieze]
• Our favorite blogs are the ones we are entirely jealous of when we come across them, leaving us wishing that this blog were only as good.  Planomenology is in fact one of those blogs that belong in the class ‘aspirational peers’. The posts can be lenghty at parts, but there’s some visceral and fascinating stuff going on there- not to be missed.  [Planomenology]
• Another philosophy blog worth paying attention to:  The Inhumanities launches with a discussion of Matthew Callarco’s book, Zoographies, which is sitting on the shelf waiting to be read.  We wish we were better readers, as much as we value our idleness.  However, work towards an articulation of being that includes the world of animals and tilts its spears towards unseating anthropocentrism as a philosophical paradigm is an admirable and necessary task. [Inhumanities]
• Having just mentioned in passing an outstanding blog with vegan links, we continue with a nod to our ethical impotence.   The New York Times discusses the Sonorense, the Chicano/Mexican contribution to the American hot dog landscape. How could something so wrong just be so good?  For our money, though, Daniel Hernandez’s LA Weekly piece on danger dogs from early 2008 remains the best treatment on the bacon-wrapped hot dog thus far. [NYT]
• Over at Buddyhead (when was the last we read that???), Chris Checkman offers readers a passionate, bile-laced appraisal of James Carr, whose rendition of “Dark End of the Street” lets us know the Flying Burrito Brothers could conjure up the soul, but not like Carr.  Checkman (aka Papa John, the former host of KXLUs infamous Blues Hotel) should be read with Carr’s music playing loud.  Conveniently, the article has samples of Carr’s output to allow readers just that pleasure. [Buddyhead]
• Our closer: What if Fantasy Island were actually set on Beirut’s Riviera instead of some tropical island?  We think that visitors would have been welcomed with the sounds in video Filastine Frequencies posted at his blog. There he invites us to imagine a Middle East not besmirched by crackpots, fanatics, and imperialists alike, and witness hybridity at its finest.  The video for the Bendaly Family’s “Do You Love Me?” also leads this post.  [Filastine Frequencies, with a big nod to WayneandWax]