Opinion: Do Boston Families Even Want Public Schools?

Low attendance at a city-sponsored meeting sends the wrong signal.

When you’re a member of the audience, you hope to outnumber the performers.  An empty venue is disheartening for those on stage and there’s less energy in the room. Boston Public Schools (BPS) took the stage this past rainy Tuesday night at Copley Library, holding its latest community meeting on improving school choice. But with fewer than two dozen people attending, speakers included – we barely made it. Go ahead, you can yawn – “community meeting on improving school choice” is one boring string of words, and not an event destined to be standing room only. But I was wide-eyed, thinking of the immense task Mayor Thomas Menino created for the city in January, in promising to overhaul the lottery assignment process and begin fostering school…

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JP Man Writes Globe Column About Attempted Mugging

Dave Goodman, who can often be seen at JP public meetings making sound recordings, recounted his experience as a man pointed what seemed to be a gun at him.

In a column for the Globe, Jamaica Plain's Dave Goodman recounts his experience of an attempted mugging outside his home. If you've been to any big public meetings in JP, you've likely seen Goodman making recordings or covering the event. He publishes much of his work at Open Media Boston, where he is a senior staff writer. For Goodman's column, please visit the Globe.

Letter to the Editor: What's With All The Crime News, Patch?

A reader says it seems like the last few weeks of Patch coverage has been all about crime.

Dear Editor, I appreciate the updates on crime in JP but how about other topics as lead stories? Seems like the last few weeks have been all about crime. For instance I thought the Wake Up the Earth article was worth being the lead. Those of us who want to know about crime (probably everyone) will find those stories and the blotter. On another note: Is there a place to post a general comment (like this) or does that happen by emailing to you? There's the post a photo, start a blog, but I don't see a general comment section. Thanks for your ongoing good work. Patch is a daily read. Kathy Gips Revere Street

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Growing Greener

Time to Get Growing (And Gird for A Possible Drought)

Preparing the Garden for a Summer Drought: Choosing the Right Stuff; with Watering, Less is More; Keeping the Container Plants Alive; Getting a Raised Bed Going; Boston's Perennial Divide

The floating clouds of white dogwood, the appearance of dandelions in the lawn, the forty shades of green that make up JP’s lush landscape,– a gardener doesn’t need to look at a calendar to know that it’s time to begin. The birds know it – they are already patrolling backyards and plots in the community gardens looking for the tasty seeds gardeners are planting. So whether you are planning on growing herbs in a container, flowers to attract butterflies to your balcony or backyard, or a family size vegetable garden… it’s time! Something we may need to consider in particular this year: the experts tell us that we may be in for a drought this summer. Which means we may want to change the way we garden. John Lee and Helen Glotzer, gardening …

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POLL: If You Heard a Cry For Help, Would You Tackle the Suspect?

Four MBTA riders bucked the stereotype that bystanders won't help crime victims in Boston. Would you?

On Friday, four T riders brought down and held an alleged cell phone thief after they heard a woman shout "They stole my phone!" It's a common perception that bystanders in Boston won't come to the aid of crime victims in this way. If you'd been there, what would you have done?

Connolly, Coppinger Testify About Raising Dropout Age at Joint Committee on Education

Two Boston City Councilors and two Boston state representatives testified about why they feel the high school dropout age should be raised from 16 to 18. What do you think?

Today At-Large Boston City Councilor John Connolly and District 7 City Councilor Tito Jackson, state Rep. Ed Coppinger, D-West Roxbury, and state Rep. Carlos Henriquez, D-Dorchester, testified before the Joint Committee on Education at the State House. The Councilors and Representatives supported a home-rule petition sponsored by Councilors Connolly and Jackson that would raise the drop-out age in Boston from 16 to 18. [Editor's note: This item is posted on West Roxbury and Jamaica Plain Patch.]

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Growing Greener

Jamaica Plain is a Hub of Bicycle Activism

From the Southwest Corridor to the Emerald Necklace and on, JP riders breathe fresh air, stay fit, and get a close-up view of the city.

Green Jamaica Plain holds the crown of Boston bicycling. JP cyclists have many of Boston’s sweetest cycle-spots in their back yard -- the Arnold Arboretum, the Jamaicaway Bikepath along the Emerald Necklace, Forest Hills Cemetery and Franklin Park. JP is home to Boston’s international bike charity, Bikes Not Bombs, and to unnumbered bike events, ranging from JP Bikes’ annual Spring Roll to Ferris Wheels’ free pancake breakfast for bikers participating in Boston’s Walk/Ride Day the last Friday of each month.  And it’s not just bikers out for a ride. JP is also a hub of activism; bicyclists are key players in urban planning and politics; led by JP’s Peter Stidman, the Boston Cyclist Union takes positions on issues like the Casey Overpass …

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John Keith: Resistance to Menino is Futile

It's time to give the man his due: Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has worn out his opposition. It's no longer worth fighting against him. Just give up.

Dear Mayor Menino: You win! On behalf of all city residents who have been holding out for a better Boston than you’ve provided for us, I concede. A few of us (a dwindling few) have always thought Boston could be better - that you could do better. We’ve seen the city grow and prosper during the past twenty years, but felt it was being held back from being a truly great American city. Not that we aren’t happy to live here, just that you could help us make Boston a better place to live by building badly-needed schools in our neighborhoods,  by recognizing, respecting, and responding to residents’ complaints about over-zealous developers and under-utilized zoning, by using the city's ever-increasing property tax revenue to give us safer, …

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Kosta Demos

10:32 am on Wednesday, April 4, 2012

I feel your pain, John. As someone who loves Boston, I've had a rough time watching the city's twenty year descent into bitter class stratification and cultural irrelevance. Even more appalling than the Menino administration's flagrant cronyism, incompetence and relentless pursuit of mediocrity (I like to call it "civic de-aspiration") is the general indifference of the press and the public. …   more ›

Legislative Update from U.S. Rep Michael Capuano

The following material was issued by the office of U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA, 8th District).

I wrote last week about Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan’s budget resolution for FY 2013. This week the House took votes on several budget proposals, including Rep. Ryan’s. His proposal goes well beyond what was agreed to in the Budget Control Act (BCA), which already significantly reduced spending. Over ten years, his budget reduces non-defense spending by more than $1 trillion, on top of the reductions made by the BCA. Under this budget, Defense Department funding would increase next year. Just like last year, this budget dismantles the existing Medicare program and replaces it with a voucher program. It targets Medicaid by cutting $810 billion in funding over ten years and turning it into a block grant program. The budget reduces …

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