Thursday, May 23, 2013
Tuesday at 5 p.m. was the deadline for submitting nomination signatures to be a candidate on the ballot.
Seventeen possible Boston mayoral candidates submitted papers Tuesday before the 5 p.m. deadline at City Hall. That doesn't mean all 17 will be on the ballot in the Sept. 24 election, as 3,000 individual signatures must be certified by June 25. Twenty-four people signed out nomination papers by the May 13 deadline, which leaves seven potential candidates by the wayside following this week's cut-off. With 17 possible candidates vying for signatures across Boston, it is possible that some voters signed for multiple candidates, and signatures can only count once. First come, first served is the rule, so some signatures may be thrown out. But for now there are some heavyweights in the biggest Boston election in decades. City Councilors John …
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Gov. Deval Patrick will honor those killed in action at a 10 a.m. ceremony Thursday.
You may have noticed a very patriotic sight in Boston Common starting Wednesday afternoon: thousands of small American flags planted not far from the intersection of Beacon and Charles Street. The flags were planted by volunteers with the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument. According to their website, the volunteers planned to plant 33,000 flags this year for each military service member from the Bay State who has given their lives in service to America since the Civil War. On Thursday, Gov. Deval Patrick will honor those lost in a ceremony at the site at 10 a.m. The ceremony will include the reading of names of those who have died during Operations Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Noble Eagle by …
42.355191
-71.063275
Boston Common
147 Tremont St, Boston, MA
/articles/thousands-of-american-flags-planted-on-common-5544ed82
1488469
/locations/9410157
Outgoing lieutenant governor said recent controversies had nothing to do with decision to resign.
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray said none of the controversies that have dogged him during his tenure on Beacon Hill contributed to his decision to announce his resignation. In a press conference at the State House Wednesday, Murray said his final day on the job will be June 2. The next day he will take over as president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce where his salary will reportedly be around $200,000. In January, Murray said he had no intention of running for governor when Gov. Deval Patrick's term expires in January 2015. "This has been a very difficult but empowering decision," Murray said. "It has been an honor to serve as lieutenant governor." Patrick called Murray an "outstanding partner" during his time in …
42.35763
-71.063499
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
/articles/murray-to-resign-june-2-patrick-calls-him-outstanding-partner
1465768
/locations/9409818
The city has launched a new online questionnaire designed to preserve open space and develop parks.
What makes a park great? Is it the amount of open space, the prevalence of natural features, shade trees, trails, benches, gardens or playgrounds? Is it a playground, like Myrtle Street, or a well-known favorite, like Boston Common? The city of Boston has begun its effort to plan for the preservation of open space and the development of parks through 2021, and wants input from residents through a new online questionnaire. The planning process will consider all of Boston's public spaces including parks, playgrounds, squares, malls, community gardens, cemeteries, trails and harbor islands, and consider demographics and socio-economic trends and how they fit into park use, officials said. Officials also plan to target natural areas for …
CBS Boston reports Murray has a new job lined up already.
UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: The Massachusetts Republican Party was quick to jump on the reports about Murray's resignation, saying Murray is trying "to outrun the scandal that dogs him" in a statement on their website. MassGOP attempted to liken Murray's exit to that of former House Speaker Thomas Finneran, who was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2007. “History doesn’t always repeat itself, but in this case it looks like Tim Murray is following the same path as a previous, disgraced Democratic official,” said Nate Little MassGOP Executive Director in the scathing statement. “Only time will tell if Murray follows the Finneran playbook to the end, complete with indictment and guilty plea.” UPDATE, 10:45 a.m.: Boston.com has updated their …
42.35763
-71.063499
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
/articles/lt-gov-tim-murray-to-resign
1465768
/locations/9408680
Mayor Thomas Menino's office released the full list of proposed streets for repaving.
The office of Boston Mayor Thomas Menino released a list Monday of streets proposed for repaving during the 2013 road work season. The total plans involve resurfacing 45 miles of road as well as 1,400 pedestrian ramps. “Our residents deserve the best roads and sidewalks in their neighborhoods. Not only are clean and safe passages a matter of public safety, they also help support our small businesses,” Menino said in a statement. “We’re looking forward to our best year yet in getting our roadways and pedestrian ramps ready for another great summer in Boston.” Proposed work for 2013 will exceed the amount of work conducted in 2012, which was the most "productive" construction season in the last decade according to Menino's office. The …
42.355191
-71.063275
Boston Common
147 Tremont St, Boston, MA
/articles/what-beacon-hill-streets-are-scheduled-for-resurfacing
1488469
/locations/9406057
Monday, May 20, 2013
Boston Fire, State Police responded to Ashburton Place building.
UPDATE, 2:30 p.m.: On Twitter, Boston Fire said they responded at 1:05 p.m. Monday to the state office building for "an envelope on floor 20 with white powder in it." Boston Fire confirmed the location was the state Attorney General's office. They said the envelope was left in place "per protocol" and there were no evacuations. Hazmat techs from Boston Fire "used meters in area and all were negative," the department said on Twitter. The envelope was then "over-packaged" and taken to the state lab for further tests. Boston Fire said they "checked out" the person who opened the envelope but that person did not require treatment. They added that Massachusetts State Police will be investigating the matter further. ORIGINAL REPORT: …
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-71.06243
Ashburton Cafe
1 Ashburton Pl, Boston, MA
/articles/envelope-with-white-powder-reported-at-ag-s-office
1289543
/locations/9402859
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Recap and analysis of the week in state government.
Like pieces of a puzzle that don't quite fit together yet, the Big Three may have been separated at birth, but with each incremental step their destinies seem to grow more intertwined. No, we're not talking about those Big Three - Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and Speaker Robert DeLeo - though they play major character roles in this thickening plot. Instead, three bills have come to define the early months of the 2013 legislative agenda and resolutions on tax hikes, local road funding and the annual state budget continue to be elusive and dependent on one another. Patrick spent the early part of his week welcoming British Prime Minister David Cameron to Boston for a few quick meetings and a visit to the Copley …
Friday, May 17, 2013
Livingstone touts support of Walz, Demakis; Dawson wins support of Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung.
The campaigns for Democrats Joshua Dawson and Jay Livingstone have each been touting several endorsements as the May 28 primary for the open 8th Suffolk County House of Representatives seat draws near. Most recently, Livingstone, a lawyer who lives on Beacon Hill, picked up the endorsements for the two most immediate past 8th Suffolk representatives, Democrats Marty Walz and Paul Demakis. The seat is vacant because Walz resigned to become the new Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts president CEO. In a statement Thursday, the Livingstone campaign said Walz's endorsement is her own personal one and not on behalf of PPLM. “The job of State Representative requires both policy expertise and a deep understanding of neighborhood issues…
42.35763
-71.063499
Massachusetts State House
24 Beacon St, Boston, MA
/articles/dawson-livingstone-pick-up-key-endorsements
1465768
/locations/9396722
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Friday marks the 9th anniversary of the law that allowed gay and lesbian couples to marry in Massachusetts.
Dozens of local gay and lesbian couples gathered at the Boston Public Garden Thursday to celebrate the 9th anniversary of the law that gave them the right to marry in Massachusetts. The celebration, put on in partnership between Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD), the Respect for Marriage Coalition and Mayor Thomas Menino, ended with a group photo at a location popular for wedding photography. "It's been an extraordinary five years," said Ellen Wade of Newton, who along with her wife, Maureen Brodoff, were one of the plaintiffs in the landmark case they won in 2003 that led to the adoption of marriage equality in the state. "It's been exciting and inspiring, and we're grateful to have played a small part in showing the country …
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-71.067828
Boston Public Garden
51 Beacon St, Boston, MA
/articles/marriage-equality-anniversary-celebrated-at-public-garden
1519171
/locations/9395402
Ken
9:49 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Just have the dirty dog walkers keep far away from this site. No need for them to bring their dog to this area and degrade it. Great job to all that made this beautiful site possible. more ›