Wednesday, November 24, 2021

Don't Miss The Last Neighborhood Gathering of the Year

 Join FPNA
for

Fort Point Seaport
Last Neighborhood Gathering of 2021


Tuesday, November 30, 2021
6 pm to 8 pm

in person at District Hall (75 Northern Ave.)
 or
 via Zoom

Sign Up Today


introducing
Our New City Councilors-At-Large
Ruthzee Louijeune
&
Erin Murphy


plus
Representative David Biele
&
Our C-6 Community Officers
 
with
Neighborhood News & Conversations

&
A New Restaurant
Gordon Ramsa
y Street Pizza
368 Congress St
requesting a beer & wine license

We invite you to become an FPNA member or to renew your membership. An individual membership is $35 and a family membership is $50. You can pay by check or via venmo @FPNA-Boston.  Join FPNA today!

In The Holiday Spirit

Saturday, November 27: The City of Boston, Friends of Martin's Park and the Boston Parks & Recreation Department invite you to the Martin's Park Ship Holiday Lighting With Santa who will be arriving by boat, of course. This free, fun, festive event runs from 4pm - 6pm. The Friends of Martin's Park are also looking for day of event volunteers. More details.

Snowport Holiday Market now through January 2nd and Curling runs through February 2022.

Thursday, December 2: South Boston Christmas Stroll starts at 4pm with Santa riding in an antique fire truck. East & West Broadway. The Stroll kicks off "Shop, Dine & Splurge" events the next two Thursdays, December 9 & 16.

Thursday, December 2:
Opening for 249 A Street Artists Annual Holiday Sale Paper Clips, small artworks priced under $200, from 5pm to 7pm at 249 A Street.  

Friday, December 3: Light Up Seaport + Holiday Stroll from 5 pm - 9pm on Seaport Common. Shop, sip, and stroll across the neighborhood, enjoying exclusive holiday deals at your favorite Seaport stores. Tree lighting at 7:15pm.  

Sunday, December 5: Mayor's Tree Lighting at Medal of Honor Park from 12pm - 2pm.  Mayor Wu will light the tree at 1pm. There will be a bounce house and obstacle course, balloon animals, music, special guests, food and more. 

Monday, December 6: SeaportStrong Holiday Social from 6pm - 9pm at bartaco. Bring a toy and enjoy complimentary food and drink while mingling with your neighbors. 

 
Let's build a better neighborhood together. Contact FPNA today!

Friday, November 19, 2021

Santa Is Coming To Martin's Park

Santa Claus is arriving by boat and landing at the Harborwalk. From there Santa will enter Martin's Park and magically illuminate the much loved wooden play ship on:

Saturday, November 27, 2021 
4 pm - 6 pm
Free holiday event

Join Santa for some hot cocoa, caroling, and holiday fun. Hot cocoa will be provided by Flour Bakery and Tuscan Kitchen. Entertainment is by the a cappella group, Ball In The House, performing a selection of holiday classics, along with special guest, the Seaport’s Betty the Yeti.

Martin's Park, built in memory of eight-year-old Martin W. Richard, a victim of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, is an inclusive, resilient Boston City Park along the Fort Point Channel at the Smith Family Waterfront next to the Boston Children's Museum.

The Martin's Park Ship Lighting is presented by Friends of Martin's Park and the Boston Parks and Recreation Department. The Friends of Martin's Park is looking for volunteers to help:

set up starting around 2pm
serve hot cocoa
manage the photo props
breakdown around 6pm 
Sunday walk through to make sure the Park is shipshape

Get in the holiday spirit by volunteering at this fun family holiday celebration. Contact Sierra Rothberg for all the details. 

Martin's Park is located at 64 Sleeper Street 
within the historic Fort Point Channel Landmark District. 

Thursday, November 04, 2021

Boston City Council Looks At Mass Ave Bridge Safety, Parking Minimums, Homelessness & More

City Councilor-At-Large Michelle Wu publishes notes from Boston City Council meetings. Below are some highlights from October and her final City Council meeting yesterday, November 3, 2021 with a special message:

This week’s City Council meeting will be my last as City Councilor At-Large, as next week the Council will not meet in observance of Veteran’s Day. It’s been a true honor to serve on this body over the last eight years. I am humbled by the trust that has been placed in me to serve as Boston’s next mayor, and I look forward to continuing the work. 

VOTES

Safety Improvements on the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge Resolution: We voted to approve a resolution from Councilor Bok supporting key safety improvements on the Mass Ave Bridge, also known as the Harvard Bridge, including flex post-protected bike lanes by the end of the year and mode-separated travel for buses and bikes as soon as can be feasibly coordinated with the MBTA and MassDOT.

Youth and Young Adult Homeless Awareness Month Resolution: We voted to approve a resolution from Councilor Essaibi George recognizing November 2021 as Youth and Young Adult Homelessness Awareness Month, in support of the efforts of organizations, educators, and volunteers dedicated to meeting the needs of Boston’s children and youth experiencing homelessness.

Surveillance Oversight and Information Sharing: We voted to approve an ordinance that I sponsored in partnership with Councilor Arroyo on surveillance oversight and information sharing. This legislation establishes clear safeguards to ensure that the surveillance technologies used by the City are deployed with transparency, public accountability, and democratic oversight. It also prevents Boston Public Schools safety specialists from sharing sensitive student information with the Boston Police Department to protect students from inappropriate surveillance and ensure that BPS is a welcome and safe environment for all students, regardless of race or immigration status.

Parking Minimums for Affordable Housing: We voted to approve a text amendment to the Boston Zoning Code with respect to parking minimums for affordable housing. This amendment will eliminate parking minimums for residential housing where at least 60% of the proposed residential units are income-restricted at or below 100% of the area median income (AMI), preventing the use of parking minimums as a tool to delay or prevent the construction of these affordable housing projects. This amendment still needs approval from the Board of the Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA) and the Boston Zoning Commission before it takes effect.

REPORTS OF PUBLIC OFFICERS

Landmark Center Chapter 121A Project: We received communication from the City Clerk of the filing by the Boston Redevelopment Authority of the Application for the REport and Decision on the Eleventh Amendment to the Report and Decision on the Landmark Center Chapter 121A Project. Chapter 121A is the section of the Massachusetts General Laws that authorizes the creation of urban renewal corporations to undertake residential, commercial, civic, recreational, historic or industrial projects in areas considered to be decadent, substandard or blighted open space.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR

Housing Stabilization Home Rule Petition: We received notice for City Council approval of a home rule petition for a special law, Expanding the Authority of the Public Facilities Commission with Respect to Housing Stabilization. This matter was referred to the Committee on Government Operations.

MATTERS HEARD FOR POSSIBLE ACTION

Reparations and their Impact on Civil Rights of Black Bostonians: Councilor Mejia reported back as Chair of the Committee on Civil Rights regarding a hearing recently held to discuss reparations and their impact on the civil rights of Black Bostonians. At the hearing, we heard from advocates, community members, and members of the Administration about health and wellness, land and gentrification, education, arts and culture, economic empowerment, and more. This conversation is not just about slavery, but about the repeated injustices and policy decisions that have been made to disenfranchise Black communities. We heard strong support from the community for continuing the work of creating a reparations program and process. (Remains in Committee)

Literacy Task Force: Councilor Edwards and Councilor Flaherty reported back as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Government Operations, respectively, regarding a hearing recently held to discuss creating a literacy task force to address literacy rates in the City of Boston and develop a plan to enact policies and programs to serve both adults and children with literacy challenges. (Remains in Committee)

Tuesday, November 02, 2021

Be A Boston Bloomer This Sunday


Boston Blooms 
200 Daffodil Bulbs To Plant
Sunday, November 7th (rain date 11/14)
12pm -3pm*
Wormwood Park (A & Wormwood Streets)

Create future joy and beauty by planting daffodils in November to bloom next spring. Those who don't like to garden can help spruce up the A Street fence line.
 Gloves, tools and apple cider will be provided. 

Special thanks to the City of Boston Parks & Recreation Department for the donation of 200 Daffodil bulbs. 

*Daylight Savings time ends Saturday evening 11/6 and the clocks turn back.