Should JP Workers Take ‘Smoke-Free’ Breaks?

As part of the effort to rid Centre Street of trash generated from businesses, one business-owner suggests taking a break from smoking during breaks.

Jamaica Plain business owners have pushed a neighborhood-wide effort to clean up litter along the Centre Street business district. The movement has been a focus of several months’ worth of Jamaica Plain Business And Professional Association meetings, with calls to action for the business community to do their part and self-police the trash situation in front of their stores. Kim Mitchell, owner of Boing! Toy Shop and member of a BAPA anti-litter committee, suggested at a meeting last Wednesday that employees of Centre Street businesses join together to take breaks without smoking cigarettes. “We are noticing there are some businesses that their employees are going outside and adding to the litter issue we have on Centre Street,” she said …

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Readers React to Walgreens on Centre

Not only do JP residents not want a Walgreens, but they mentioned several West Roxbury restaurants when asked what they would like to see on their part of Centre Street.

  Imagine this, hip Jamaica Plainers pining for West Roxbury's eclectic array of restaurants. But it's true.  When asked whether they would like a new Walgreen's pharmacy on Jamaica Plain's Centre Street, many Jamaica Plain Patch commenters suggested several West Roxbury restaurants as their preferences for vacant storefronts. Patty wrote: "We do not need yet another pharmacy. A nice Italian restaurant sounds nice or Peruvian (Like Masona Grill)." Yogasong wrote: "...a nice sit-down Chinese restaurant along the lines of Mandarin Gourmet in West Rox or one of the more authentic Chinatown sit-downs." Mandarin Gourmet is actually in Chestnut Hill, but located on the West Roxbury Parkway. One of West Roxbury's favorite family restaurants also …

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Rosa S

10:49 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013

That's actually a briliiant idea   more ›

Police Investigate Suspicious Package on Centre

Centre Street was closed in the early evening Wednesday as officials investigated.

Police, bomb squad and other officials inspected a suspicious package in Jamaica Plain Wednesday evening. According to several reports on Twitter, the suspicious package was near 703 Centre St. Police stopped traffic and roped off the area to the public.

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Does Centre Street Need a Walgreens?

Rumors have swirled that the 600 block of Centre Street could get a Walgreens, despite evidence to the contrary.

A reader on Facebook and a JP Neighborhood Council member have suggested a Walgreens may be on its way to the even side of Centre Street somewhere across from J.P. Licks. However, a Walgreens spokesman said there are no stores planned for that area, and one business in question – Stamatos Property Management - said they are renovating their location at 660 Centre St. They moved to 617 Centre St. about two years ago. If the rumors are true, does Centre Street need a Walgreens? If not, what sort of business do you want to see move in to the limited space at this section of Centre Street? Leave your opinion in the comments.

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ann

10:15 pm on Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Stan, suspect owner would be Stamatos   more ›

Summer Street Sweepers a Possibility in JP

Boston’s Department of Public Works may provide additional cleanup in Boston’s neighborhoods this summer.

Jamaica Plain could see the return of “hokeys” this summer. Jullieanne Doherty, mayor’s office liaison for Jamaica Plain, said at a Jamaica Plain Business and Professional Association meeting Wednesday that street sweepers – humans, (not machines), known colloquially as “hokeys” –  will be deployed by the city’s department of public works throughout Boston’s neighborhoods this summer. The hokeys will not be assigned to specific neighborhoods, but instead will operate on a schedule which will rotate them from neighborhood to neighborhood including West Roxbury, Roslindale, Dorchester and others, Doherty said. The number of street sweepers, along with the possible addition of BigBelly solar trash containers along Centre Street, is dependent …

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Michael

9:51 am on Friday, March 22, 2013

see my note below. The businesses on Centre/ South, Washington, et alia, need to pick up a broom and take responsibility for where they do business.   more ›

Alternative Ice Cream Option Coming to JP

FoMu, a non-dairy ice cream shop, will open a second location at 617 Centre St.

FoMu Ice Cream Café Coming to JP

The dairy-free ice cream shop with one location in Allston will pop up on Centre Street sometime soon.

The ice cream shop with an alternative style and dairy-free delights will spread to Jamaica Plain’s main street sometime soon. FoMu Alternative Ice Cream & Café will open a second location at 617 Centre St., according to the café’s Facebook page. FoMu’s original location is Cambridge Street in Allston. FoMu specializes in a coconut-based, non-dairy ice cream and other products. There is no opening date yet, according to the page, and 50 people liked the post within an hour of its posting, (and even received a few comments about misspelling Centre Street as “Center” Street.)

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Sunday Power Outage Darkens Jamaica Plain

About an inch of snow accumulated in the Boston area Sunday, and Jamaica Plain dealt with unrelated power and heat outages.

Hundreds of Jamaica Plain residents dealt with power outages Sunday, but the outage was not likely due to the weather. WCVB reported that Centre, Pond and Elliot streets were primarily affected Sunday afternoon. The outage was caused underground, NSTAR officials told the news channel. Some residents went without power or heat on the chilly afternoon. “Still powerless on green street brrrrrrr,” David Ziegler-Voll (@davidtornado) tweeted during the outage, followed by: “NStar repairing "high voltage equipment" & the time for restoration has been pushed back to 8PM. Getting chilly!” Others had power, but heat still wasn't working. Rich (@brainofrich) at 9 p.m. tweeted: "We have a weird situation...lights, outlets are ok, appliances and heat …

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Readers React to Centre Street Litter Issue

Readers provided their opinions on how they would handle a possible litter issue on Jamaica Plain's main street.

Does Centre Street have an issue with litter? Some seemed to think so, and others offered ways to clean up JP's main street. Reader Sarah Freeman wrote in a comment: I grew up in a small town (not much litter),but when we went to visit relatives in New Yowk City, we often saw people sweeping in front of businesses - the sidewalks looked good, and it demonstrated a sense of pride in their business and their community AND respect for their customers & pedestrians. Of course, if people didn't litter, there would be less need for sweeping! Reader Hank Marvin wrote: It could be much worse, but it could certainly be better. Great for small business owners to be taking the initiative!  What do you think? Leave your opinion in the comments.

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Blizzard of ’78: View From Centre Street

A Jamaica Plain Patch reader submitted a photo he took during the historic Blizzard of ’78 in JP.

Friday’s predicted major snowstorm is befitting for this week. Thirty-five years ago was the historic Blizzard of ’78. Many Boston residents remember vividly the ferocious storm which dumped 27 inches of snow in Boston during a 32-hour span Feb. 6 and 7, 1978. Jamaica Plain Patch reader and resident Mark Hoffman snapped a photo of Centre Street that day, while standing on top of a pile of snow in from of Same Old Place restaurant. Hoffman recalls (via email):  "It was such a remarkable first week after the Blizzard, with private citizens prohibited from driving in much of Eastern Massachusetts, and the T not running. At the time of the Blizzard of '78, the Arborway Green Line trolley was in its last few years of running down the middle of …

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