photo credit BFD

BFD battles blaze on Sumner Street.

Eastie Neighbors, Zumix EastieNow: Fund established for fire victims

2013 Outlook from Punxsutawney Phil,: Spring is near!

Groundhog Day: Home

And so ye faithful,
there is no shadow to see
An early Spring for you and me.

No Eastie Casino Protest at Faneuil Hall Cancelled

The No Eastie Casino pickets scheduled for tonight's State of the City address has been canceled. Organizers are focusing their efforts on tomorrow's Eagle Hill Civic Association Meeting.

Latest from Friends of Meridian Street: Waiting for a response

The latest from Friends of Meridian Street:

It's time for our elected officials of East Boston, ( U.S. Congressman Michael E. Capuano, Senator Anthony Petruccelli, Councilor Sal LaMattina, Representative Carlo Basile ), officials of Massport and the Massachusetts Dept. of Trasportation (Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey, Massport CEO Thomas Glynn)  to respond publicly about what is being done about the Logan Airport taxis continuing to use the public streets of East Boston.

 The The Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road at a cost of $23.5 million and the Chelsea Street Bridge at a cost of $125.3 million project of taxpayers money should have solved this. The spending of $148.8 million dollars of the taxpayers money for the Martin Coughlin Bypass Road (Massport CEO Thomas Glynn "The road will provide limited commercial access between Logan Airport and Chelsea Street, near the Chelsea Street Bridge. The new road is expected to improve traffic on residential streets significantly by removing commercial airport traffic from Eastie streets, and improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions such as volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen.") and the Chelsea Street Bridge,

(“I am very pleased that the Chelsea Street Bridge is now open,” said Representative Carlo Basile. “This new, state-of-the-art bridge serves as a vital connection for the people of East Boston to the surrounding communities and its opening will significantly help ease the traffic burdens for our neighborhood.")

 Let's have a response publicly what you are doing about this ongoing problem!

Source: Paul Howes 1/28

No Eastie Casino wants answers at next week's Eagle Hill Mtg from Host Committee

The following is a letter from Giordana Mecagni

Dear No Eastie Casino Supporters:

There will be Eagle Hill Civic Association meeting next Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 7:00 at East Boston High School.  The Mayor's Host Community Advisory Committee executive director Elizabeth Dello Russo will make a presentation on the proposal to put a casino at Suffolk Downs.

In the last HCAC meeting (October 19, 2012, recapped in this Globe article), Dello Russo and other committee members "told the crowd that the city and the Mayor’s Host Community Advisory Committee are still collecting questions from residents and working to get answers that would be provided at a later meeting yet to be scheduled."

The Mayor's Host Community Advisory Committee, a group designed to welcome a casino into our community, has been holding these meetings for nearly a year — with no community questions answered. Will they ever be answered?  And how will we trust the answers of a group whose main task is to make the casino happen in our community?

No Eastie Casino believes that these questions won't be answered to anyone's satisfaction without an independent community impact analysis.  Even if you are not a resident of Eagle Hill, I encourage you to attend this meeting and re-ask Ms. Dello Russo when the city plans to commission such a study.

Thank you! 

Giordana Mecagni
Trenton Street
Member, No Eastie Casino

PRNewswire: Roseland moves ahead at Pier 1

Headline Story: Mack-Cali Commences Significant Mixed-Use Development Project In East Boston

EDISON, N.J., Jan. 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Mack-Cali Realty Corporation (NYSE: CLI) today announced its Roseland subsidiary recently commenced construction on Portside at Pier One, part of the planned mixed-use community on the East Boston waterfront. This 176-unit luxury apartment project is in joint venture with The Prudential Insurance Company and is supported by a construction loan commitment led by Citizens Bank with participation by Salem Five. Portside will include 150 market-rate apartments and a 26-apartment affordable component in a five-story building adjacent to the pier. The Company anticipates project costs of approximately $67 million, with a projected initial stabilized unleveraged return on a pro forma basis of approximately 7.11 percent.  Read more at equities.com.

Time to ticket taxis say Friends of Meridian Street

Here's the latest from Friend of Meridian Street.

It's time for the Logan Airport unoccupied taxis to get cited for using the public streets of East Boston. The Logan taxi drivers that have been told to use the Coughlin Bypass Road or use the Logan Service Road to the new Chelsea Bridge and not use the public roads of East Boston must be cited now. They have had four decades of warning and it is time to take serious action. These Logan taxi drivers that have zero respect for the health of our children/residents ( improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions such as volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen) and the quality of life issues (traffic safety, horn honking, increased traffic on East Boston Streets) must be sent a serious message. After the work of our East Boston elected officials and Hackney Division of Boston have fallen on deaf ears from the many Logan taxi drivers and owners let's start giving out fines with citations. Maybe then the Logan taxi drivers and companies will get the message.

 

STILL 95% OF MORNING TRAFFIC USING MERIDIAN STREET TO THE BRIDGE ARE UNOCCUPIRD LOGAN TAXIS!!

 

After warnings from Massport officials: “The opening of the Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road marks a significant milestone in Massport’s commitment to minimize Logan Airport’s impact on our East Boston neighbors,” said Massport CEO Thomas Glynn. “Thousands of airport-related commercial vehicles will no longer use East Boston’s streets. Massport is proud to make Mr. Coughlin’s vision a reality for East Boston.”

    

“The Martin A. Coughlin Bypass Road is a great example of the quality of life improvements that can be made by thinking creatively and collaboratively about abandoned infrastructure,” said Massport Board Chairman and MassDOT Secretary & CEO Richard A. Davey. “The new roadway also complements the new Chelsea Street Bridge by allowing traffic in the area to flow more efficiently.”

 

R.I.P. Rex Trailer, a Great American and TV Pioneer in Boston

Back in the day when Bostonians had less of a hang-up about Texans making it in Massachusetts.  Rex Trailer set the stage for Saturday morning TV.

Rex Trailer mounted and trotting in the 2006 Columbus Day Parade in East Boston (file photo:eastboston.com)

Eastboston.com: Jeffries Point Neighborhood Association to meet Jan 14, 2013

Details at Eastboston.com

Eastboston.com News: 1/9/2013- Mayor Menino declares flu emergency

Eastboston.com News: 1/9/2013- Mayor Menino declares flu emergency

Photo credit: Frank Conte

New Year's Fireworks: The view from East Boston

How to file a complaint against taxis who charge Sumner Tunnel fare to East Boston residents

From a reader: 

I, myself, am almost always charged the Sumner Tunnel toll by taxi drivers, for them to go back through the tunnel to return to Boston, even though it's the law that they aren't supposed to charge East Boston residents. When this happens, I go to: www.cityofboston.gov/police/hackney/taxi.asp and then click on Complaints & Lost Property and compete the form.  And then Hackney gets a money order from the taxi driver and mails me the reimbursement for what I was overcharged.  And, to top it off, even though the drivers charge the Tunnel fare, they don't return to Boston via the Tunnel.  They go down Meridian Street, and through Chelsea and Everett, into Boston via Route 99. 

I've complained to both LaMattina's and Basile's offices about this, and am always told they'll pass along the message and look into it but, as far as I can tell, nothing has been done.  I've asked them to propose legislation to allow Hackney to charge the drivers a penalty when this happens.  As of right now, the only "punishment" is that they have to present a money order to reimburse the passenger what they overcharged.  That's not a consequence, since they're only giving back money that was stolen in the first place.  If there were some sort of punishment (especially monetary), maybe they wouldn't take a chance to overcharge.  As of now, it's worth the chance, because there's no punishment, so why not try..."  

No Sunday Morning Peace on Meridian Street thanks to Taxis

The latest from Friends of Meridian Street

Sleep in late? Get the kids ready for church? Plan a nice quite Sunday morning? NOT ON MERIDIAN STREET, EAST BOSTON!!!! We residents of East Boston that live on and around Meridian Street, East Boston get to hear, see, smell, breath and dodge the steady stream of hundreds of empty Logan taxis that bless our streets again this morning and all day long. But that's O.K. as the multi-million dollar Coughlin Bypass Road that these Logan taxis are supposed to be using gets to rest so us East Boston resident taxpayers can have a nice quiet Sunday morning. Not! We are still waiting for our State, East Boston officials and our friendly, cooperative Massport officials to make this right. Hopefully those of you in East Boston that don't live on Meridian Street can get a peaceful Sunday morning.

Friends of Meridian Street still upset over taxi traffic

Every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year from 4am to 6:30am there are hundreds of taxis that bypass the tolls via Meridian Street to the Meridian Street Bridge. Approximately 90 to 95% of the traffic at this time weekdays are empty Logan Airport taxis driving on Meridian Street to the bridge. It would be impossible to take all the plate numbers down without a video camera. In addition, there are Logan taxis using Meridian Street at all times of the day and night to bypass the tunnel. The Boston Police Department must be well aware of this as they drive right by the station. The elected officials of East Boston, and the Massachusetts Department of Environment and the BPD's Hackney Division have all been notified about this in the past.

Update from the Office of district city councilor Sal LaMattina: "I am waiting to hear from DOT to find out if there are any laws regarding toll avoiding.  Clearly they are charging their passengers $5.50 for the tolls. I am as frustrated too."

Friends of Meridian Street: Latest update on taxi problem

This just in from Friends of Meridian Street. 

Thomas P. Glynn, MassPort, needs to be contacted about this and we cannot access his email. 

 

Again and still 90% of the morning traffic on Meridian Street, East Boston are empty taxi's from Logan Airport driving to Chelsea on Meridian Street. Also 24 hours a day these Logan taxis are using this route without fares. 

 

With our children getting ready for school and waiting for the school bus pick up and families going off to work, the amount of air quality pollutants from these cabs (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly) is affecting all our health. Not to mention the heavy traffic safety factor. 

 

We especially are concerned for our children. 

 

Someone needs to address this problem in East Boston and rectify this serious community problem.

 

Billboard interrupted

The billboard hovering across the street from the Wood Island Blue Line Station felt the brunt of Hurricane Sandy yesterday. They certainly don't make billboards like they used to.

Photo credit: eastboston.com

Parking Problem on Meridian Street Irks Residents

This just in from Friends of Meridian Street!

As a member of the Friends of Meridian Street again we want to report the total disregard for our residents by the Canton Eatery (339 Meridian Street) owner and employees. They have been spoken to by the Boston Police Dept. Parking Supervisor/Sergeant and the MBTA police that they cannot park in the MBTA No Parking/Tow Zone. Again the owner and employee "take out" vehicles are using this parking space all day and especially at night.
 

The elderly/handicapped MBTA bus riders cannot enter/exit the buses at the curb and some cannot get on/off because the buses have to stop in the middle of the street and cannot pull up to the curb because the Canton vehicles are using the No Parking/Tow Zone for take out parking. There have been several complaints from our residents living on Meridian Street next to and across the street from the Canton Eatery, 339 Meridian Street, East Boston, MA  02128. This is making it extremely unsafe. 

One of our main concerns is right across the street to the MBTA bus stop is a MassHousing 50 unit apartment building that houses handicapped and elderly residents. It is necessary that these East Boston residents are able to board and exit the MBTA bus’s at the curb/sidewalk. And now that the Chelsea Bridge is closed the extra traffic makes this an even greater safety concern for our residents. We respectfully request that this is resolved.

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EB Republican Ward Committee expresses support for Suffolk Downs casino plan

This just in:
The East Boston Republican Ward Committee endorses the current Caesar’s/Suffolk Downs plan to develop a casino at the East Boston/Revere racetrack. The Committee believes a casino, hotel and related facilities will boost employment for East Boston and other local residents. After polling its members individually this summer the Committee affirmed this endorsement by majority vote of members attending its September 30, 2012 meeting.

East Boston Kiwanis Food drive planned for October 25, 2012

Eastboston.com 10/25/2012: Kiwanis Food drive planned for October 25, 2012

The Kiwanis Club of East Boston will conduct a canned food drive on Thursday, October 25, 2012, from 5-7 p.m. at Shaw’s Supermarket in Liberty Plaza. The food drive will benefit the food pantry at the Grace Church Federated in East Boston.

Let's make this video viral!! "Big Jet Plane" No Eastie Casino Makes A Point With Song!

With apologies to Joni Mitchell.

A great protest video.

Big Jet Plane - YouTube