Tuesday, May 14, 2013
See who is running for city council in the South End's District 2 race.
As of Monday, May 13, which was the last day to pull nomination papers, two candidates were in the race for the South End's District 2 city council race. Those candidates are South Boston's Bill Linehan and Chinatown's Suzanne Lee. If those names sound like deja vu, that's because they are. The 2013 race is an exact copy of the 2011 race, which Linehan won over Lee by less than 100 votes. "I am confident that my first six years in office will stand up in comparison to anyone who has held office both as a State or City elected official from the neighborhoods of South Boston, South End, Chinatown, Bay Village, Downtown and look forward to continuing my efforts and improve on my ability to deliver for the people of District 2," said …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The crowded field includes contenders also seeking the mayor's chair.
The mayor's race has gotten all the attention, but there are actually more people running for an at-large City Council seat this year. There are currently 25 people trying to secure the four at-large slots. Which makes sense: If Mayor Tom Menino is the keystone on Boston politics, then removing him leads to all the other stones shifting and sliding into new places. Some would-be candidates are hedging their bets, taking out nomination papers for mayor and at-large city council. Others are focused on one race. May 13 is the last day to take out nomination papers, so there's a small chance this list will grow. And there's no guarantee all 25 will return with the required signatures. For now, however, the ranks of at-large candidates are …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Lee will take on current City Councilor Bill Linehan, who currently represents District 2.
Suzanne Lee, who came within 97 votes of unseating incumbent Bill Linehan in 2011, announced on Wednesday she is again running for the Boston City Council in District 2, which includes the South End. Lee said she remains committed to improving the quality of life here in Boston, and to developing "safe and vibrant communities." “As I’ve continued to talk to residents throughout the district, I still hear concerns about jobs and liveable wages, about ensuring that every child has a quality education and about making Boston a place where families can find affordable housing options," Lee said. "As City Councilor, I will build on my years of service to our communities and work hard to deliver the results that our families deserve.” More …
Monday, March 11, 2013
Boston City Councilors Stephen Murphy and Tito Jackson have proposed updating the way people can pay parking meters and bills in the city.
The Boston City Council will be discussing whether to enable residents to use smart phones to pay parking meters or pay bills at payments kiosks throughout the city. The two ideas are separate and were proposed by different councilors but fall under the same idea of using technology to make things easier for residents. At the council meeting on Wednesday, March 6, City Council President Stephen Murphy filed for a hearing to discuss the feasibility of payment kiosks. "Several other cities and towns do this. They have kiosks that are located in heavily populated and trafficked areas," Murphy said. "It's like a remote satellite station to pay a municipal bill. I’ve seen them at sports arenas, libraries, transit stations, and they get good use…
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Former Mayor's Office liaison Jack Kelly has said he may seek one of four at-large seats.
A Charlestown resident is considering a run for Boston City Council. Jack Kelly, who formerly served as Charlestown's neighborhood liaison in the Mayor's Office, has announced interest in running this year for one of the council's four at-large seats, the Dorchester Reporter wrote on Monday. Kelly, who served as the mayor's community liaison from 2006 to 2011, told the Reporter that he was "considering all my options" and hadn't made a final decision about running. The Charlestown resident currently works as a community relations manager at Massachusetts General Hospital. According to his LinkedIn page, Kelly serves on a number of community organizations, including Charlestown Against Drugs and the Charlestown Substance Abuse Coalition. He…
Friday, September 7, 2012
Council voted, 7-6, in favor of the submitted redistricting map on August 23.
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino vetoed the redistricting map submitted by the Boston City Council, saying the map "concentrates our many citizens of color into too few districts, and in doing so may limit their equal opportunity to elect candidates of their choice." In his letter to the Boston City Council, which was received by City Council President Stephen Murphy today, Menino outlined his suggestions for improving the map. (The letter is attached to this article.) The Boston City Council contentiously approved the redistricting map, 7-6, on August 23. The mayor has to approve it to become law, but several city councilors voted against the map due to the same concerns Menino has now voiced. The rejected plan called for the South End to still…
Thursday, August 2, 2012
One positive aspect of Wi-Fi hotspots across the city would be providing access to those who cannot afford access to the Internet.
New York City recently converted payphones into Wi-Fi hotspots, and City Councilor At-Large Felix Arroyo would like to see the same happen in Boston. "We're using iPads, tablets, and an increase in Wi-Fi would lessen congestion on phone networks. A key point is for the access to technology, for people who don't have access to the Internet," said Arroyo at Wednesday's Boston City Council meeting. "We already do it with libraries and community centers. We depend more and more on the Internet in our daily lives." New York recently made 10 payphone kiosks into Wi-Fi hotspots, providing free wireless service up to 300 feet away. Arroyo said a neighborhood group, or a private company, such as a local business, would sponsor the hotspot and pay …
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The Boston City Council approved a plan to raise funds by renting the plaza: The money would go to either the general fund or a fund for the Arts, City and Tourism.
Do you need a big space for an outdoor event? The Boston City Council thinks it may have the place for you. There's currently no formal structure for businesses to rent City Hall Plaza. On Wednesday, the Boston City Council approved an amendment to the City's charter to allow plaza rental for a fee. The measure would create a sliding fee scale to rent the plaza for events. District 6 City Councilor Matt O'Malley, chair of Government Operations Committee, said the fee structure would start with a $25 application. He said smaller events that are a day or two could be charged $200 per hour. "Presume it's eight hours; that's $3,200 for two days," said O'Malley. Larger events that stay on the plaza longer, like the circus or the Peter Pan …
Friday, June 29, 2012
Improvements coming to neighborhood parks, pools and playgrounds.
The Boston City Council unanimously passed Mayor Thomas Menino's Fiscal Year 2013 operating budget of $2.5 billion at Wednesday's regular council meeting. There is $215 million in new FY 2013 project authorizations throughout the neighborhoods - so let's see what Menino and some of the councilors believe are the highlights to the FY '03 budget, which begins on July 1, 2012. Overall, the city's budget increased 3 percent over last year, coming in at $2.5 billion for fiscal 2013. That's an annual increase of $72 million. Property taxes continue to be the city’s largest source of revenue, along with hotel, meals and other excise tax revenue. according to city officials. The city’s second largest source of revenue is net state aid from …
Thursday, June 7, 2012
The Boston City Council mulled a plan to create a volunteer registry of autistic residents, which first responders could use to help rescue special needs residents during a fire.
Boston City Councilor Rob Consalvo proposed creating a voluntary registry that would help identify individuals with special needs to rescue workers at a rescue situation. Consalvo made the proposal at Wednesday's City Council meeting. Consalvo said he's working with Bill Cannata on the issue. Cannata is the statewide coordinator for the Autism & Law Enforcement Coalition of the Family Autism Center. Cannata, a Westwood firefighter, was featured in a "Today Show" segment about rescue workers saving kids with special needs. Consalvo recounted a story Cannata told him that emphasized why rescue respondents need training on how to work with special needs individuals. "An 18- or 19-year-old autistic person was told by his parents to never …
Southender
1:55 pm on Sunday, May 19, 2013
Hopefully this time around Suzanne Lee will get it. Linehan is never around until election time. He does nothing for us, but he does like the party on St. Patrick's Day which is of little interest in the Southend. more ›