I might be the only person on the planet who over the past weekend was cheering (often loudly) for both the New York Yankees and Boston Mayor Tom Menino.
Not a bad week for me. Mayor Menino earned a fifth term, easily defeating City Councilor Michael Flaherty. One night later, the Yankees captured their 27th World Championship.
Such apparent conflicts of allegiances can only happen for someone from an in-between state (Connecticut) who is also very interested in local politics.
A unique combination of victories, suited perfectly to me.
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
The Day After
Congratulations to Mayor Tom Menino for winning yesterday's Boston Mayoral election. I look forward to working with his entire administration in the months and years ahead. It was a privilege and a pleasure to volunteer with the Mayor's campaign team!
Congratulations to John Connolly, Steve Murphy, Ayanna Pressley and Felix Arroyo for winning at-large seats on the Boston City Council.
I spoke to my brother Brett in Virginia, and he says that the gubernatorial result there-- the Republican won-- should not be interpreted as any sort of referendum on the Obama administration. He had some very good points, and I hope to see them on his blog soon.
Congratulations to John Connolly, Steve Murphy, Ayanna Pressley and Felix Arroyo for winning at-large seats on the Boston City Council.
I spoke to my brother Brett in Virginia, and he says that the gubernatorial result there-- the Republican won-- should not be interpreted as any sort of referendum on the Obama administration. He had some very good points, and I hope to see them on his blog soon.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Signs of Multi-Use at Phillips Street Park
Phillips Street ParkBeacon Hill, Boston
November 1, 2009
I walked by Phillips Street Park this morning and witnessed the perfect result of the long public process regarding the park's redesign. A gentleman sat reading a book with his dog on the upper part, while children used the new playground equipment in the park's lower area.
When local residents began to invest countless hours discussing the park renovation, the intent all along was to create an area suited to multiple uses and to a varied set of neighbors. As one can tell, Phillips Street Park is not very big, so catering to multiple uses is a challenge. I was very happy the process created a compromise---catering to children as well as dog owners and those who wish to just take a break from the busy day. The picture above is the first evidence of the success of this approach. (I stopped in the park to chat with my mom on my cell phone.)
Kudos to Boston Mayor Tom Menino, his Parks Department, City Council President Mike Ross, his staff, park abutter Rob Whitney, neighbor Phyllis Brown and the countless others who made the new Phillips Street Park a reality. And special thanks to the Beacon Hill Civic Association for hosting the meetings throughout the process.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Phillips Street Park Opening
After a successful community process, the Phillips Street Park on Beacon Hill reopened yesterday. Mayor Tom Menino joined City Councilor President Mike Ross, City Councilor John Connolly, State Representative Marty Walz and Parks Commissioner Antonia Pollak to cut the ribbon of the park. The Mayor and Councilor Ross worked to secure the funds for the park.
Several members of the community worked long hours to design the park so it can cater to many uses. I had the pleasure of sitting in on the community process for the Beacon Hill Civic Association, and the best part is -- despite the relative small area within the park -- it really does have something for everyone. The area near Phillips Street includes a new drainage system that leads to the sewer system, an ideal situation for dog owners. The lower area of the park includes a jungle gym that is perfect for older children.
Not surprisingly, when you live in a dense neighborhood like Beacon Hill and are planning a park that caters to so many individuals, there can be debate as to the best layout and design of an open space. I applaud all of those who contributed to the design of the Phillips Street Park and the compromises that were made to create an area that appeals to a large audience. The park looks beautiful.
Several members of the community worked long hours to design the park so it can cater to many uses. I had the pleasure of sitting in on the community process for the Beacon Hill Civic Association, and the best part is -- despite the relative small area within the park -- it really does have something for everyone. The area near Phillips Street includes a new drainage system that leads to the sewer system, an ideal situation for dog owners. The lower area of the park includes a jungle gym that is perfect for older children.
Not surprisingly, when you live in a dense neighborhood like Beacon Hill and are planning a park that caters to so many individuals, there can be debate as to the best layout and design of an open space. I applaud all of those who contributed to the design of the Phillips Street Park and the compromises that were made to create an area that appeals to a large audience. The park looks beautiful.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Beacon Hill Neighbors for Mayor Menino
I was proud to sign the letter below, which is being distributed to my Beacon Hill neighbors this week.
BEACON HILL NEIGHBORS FOR MAYOR MENINO
Dear Neighbor,
We are writing as Beacon Hill neighbors to urge you to vote for Mayor Menino on November 3. With the municipal elections a few days away, we felt that it was time to look at the Mayor’s record and the positive impact he has had on the City of Boston and specifically on our neighborhood of Beacon Hill.
We find that what drew us to Beacon Hill – and has kept us here – are those quality-of-life issues the Mayor cares deeply about and on which he has had a profound effect. Our local parks have been completely transformed. The Myrtle Street Playground has received at least two makeovers since Tom Menino took office and, thanks to strong community input, the Phillips Street Playground will soon open as a multi-purpose park.
Our neighborhood institutions have been infused with energy and resources. When the Hill House Community Center outgrew its facility on Joy Street a few years ago and required an additional site, several of us turned to the Mayor. Although the City could have sold the vacated fire station on Mount Vernon Street for a substantial profit, Mayor Menino decided instead to give it to our neighborhood so that local programming could expand and flourish. Similarly, when the Beacon Hill Nursery School needed additional outdoor space, the Mayor made sure that public space was made available to increase the boundaries of the nursery school’s backyard.
We feel safer on our streets and in our homes, in and around our neighborhood. For those of us who are new – and not so new – to Beacon Hill, safety is a key concern. Many of us remember a time when it was not prudent to walk in and around our neighborhood after dark. With the Mayor’s focus on community policing, a strengthened working relationship with our public safety officers, and the added vitality of those businesses that are open in the evening, we feel safe to be out any time of the day or night.
Aside from the tangibles, there’s a growing, active partnership with City Hall that Mayor Menino has fostered. Leaders in our community have worked with the Mayor to organize neighborhood clean ups and to create a unique partnership to maintain trees, keeping our neighborhood clean and green.
Finally, when many of us were frustrated by Suffolk University’s plans, we reached out to the Mayor, and he listened. And then he made sure that university expansion did not have a negative impact on our neighborhood. We truly believe that our interests are the interests of his administration.
While we strongly appreciate the focus and support of Mayor Menino over his time in office, what we value most is the opportunity to carry on our work with him. We want to build on our successes and to continue to work on those issues, such as a new public school and future development that respects the community process—matters which the Mayor has pledged to pursue with us.
As we look at the real issues that face our community, it is clear that there is only one candidate who cares about our neighborhood. Tom Menino has been there for us. We need to be there for him on November 3 and beyond.
Sincerely,
John Achatz, Mount Vernon Street
David Beardsley, Pinckney Street
John and Suzanne Besser, Mt. Vernon Street
Tom Clemens, Goodwin Place
John Bowman and Leslie Donovan, Beacon Street
Gene and Meredith Clapp, Charles River Square
Tom Compton, Joy Street
Ryan Foscaldo, Charles Street
Steven Kaufman and Amy Ryan, Phillips Street
Susan Haas, West Cedar Street
Meghan Haggerty, Joy Street
Monica Halas and Rob O’Connor, S. Russell Street
Kim Jennings, Beacon Street
Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz, Myrtle Street
Mark Lewand and Jessica Goranson, River Street
Ross Levanto, Myrtle Street
Jay Livingstone, Revere Street
Brad and Sharon Malt, West Cedar Street
Rajan and Hilary Nanda, Garden Street
John Natoli, River Street
Paula O’Keefe, Chestnut Street
Robert and Elizabeth Owens, Mt. Vernon Street
Joel and Martha Pierce, Garden Street
Jason and Penny Pingree, Joy Street
Jim Stone and Cathy Douglas Stone, Lime Street
Keith and Elllen Plapinger, Joy Street
Kathy Plazak, Myrtle Street
Fred and Christine Pratt, West Cedar Street
Daniel A. Taylor, Phillips Street
Rob Whitney, Phillips Street
Nick and Leigh Anne Yoo, River Street
BEACON HILL NEIGHBORS FOR MAYOR MENINO
Dear Neighbor,
We are writing as Beacon Hill neighbors to urge you to vote for Mayor Menino on November 3. With the municipal elections a few days away, we felt that it was time to look at the Mayor’s record and the positive impact he has had on the City of Boston and specifically on our neighborhood of Beacon Hill.
We find that what drew us to Beacon Hill – and has kept us here – are those quality-of-life issues the Mayor cares deeply about and on which he has had a profound effect. Our local parks have been completely transformed. The Myrtle Street Playground has received at least two makeovers since Tom Menino took office and, thanks to strong community input, the Phillips Street Playground will soon open as a multi-purpose park.
Our neighborhood institutions have been infused with energy and resources. When the Hill House Community Center outgrew its facility on Joy Street a few years ago and required an additional site, several of us turned to the Mayor. Although the City could have sold the vacated fire station on Mount Vernon Street for a substantial profit, Mayor Menino decided instead to give it to our neighborhood so that local programming could expand and flourish. Similarly, when the Beacon Hill Nursery School needed additional outdoor space, the Mayor made sure that public space was made available to increase the boundaries of the nursery school’s backyard.
We feel safer on our streets and in our homes, in and around our neighborhood. For those of us who are new – and not so new – to Beacon Hill, safety is a key concern. Many of us remember a time when it was not prudent to walk in and around our neighborhood after dark. With the Mayor’s focus on community policing, a strengthened working relationship with our public safety officers, and the added vitality of those businesses that are open in the evening, we feel safe to be out any time of the day or night.
Aside from the tangibles, there’s a growing, active partnership with City Hall that Mayor Menino has fostered. Leaders in our community have worked with the Mayor to organize neighborhood clean ups and to create a unique partnership to maintain trees, keeping our neighborhood clean and green.
Finally, when many of us were frustrated by Suffolk University’s plans, we reached out to the Mayor, and he listened. And then he made sure that university expansion did not have a negative impact on our neighborhood. We truly believe that our interests are the interests of his administration.
While we strongly appreciate the focus and support of Mayor Menino over his time in office, what we value most is the opportunity to carry on our work with him. We want to build on our successes and to continue to work on those issues, such as a new public school and future development that respects the community process—matters which the Mayor has pledged to pursue with us.
As we look at the real issues that face our community, it is clear that there is only one candidate who cares about our neighborhood. Tom Menino has been there for us. We need to be there for him on November 3 and beyond.
Sincerely,
John Achatz, Mount Vernon Street
David Beardsley, Pinckney Street
John and Suzanne Besser, Mt. Vernon Street
Tom Clemens, Goodwin Place
John Bowman and Leslie Donovan, Beacon Street
Gene and Meredith Clapp, Charles River Square
Tom Compton, Joy Street
Ryan Foscaldo, Charles Street
Steven Kaufman and Amy Ryan, Phillips Street
Susan Haas, West Cedar Street
Meghan Haggerty, Joy Street
Monica Halas and Rob O’Connor, S. Russell Street
Kim Jennings, Beacon Street
Jeffrey and Cheryl Katz, Myrtle Street
Mark Lewand and Jessica Goranson, River Street
Ross Levanto, Myrtle Street
Jay Livingstone, Revere Street
Brad and Sharon Malt, West Cedar Street
Rajan and Hilary Nanda, Garden Street
John Natoli, River Street
Paula O’Keefe, Chestnut Street
Robert and Elizabeth Owens, Mt. Vernon Street
Joel and Martha Pierce, Garden Street
Jason and Penny Pingree, Joy Street
Jim Stone and Cathy Douglas Stone, Lime Street
Keith and Elllen Plapinger, Joy Street
Kathy Plazak, Myrtle Street
Fred and Christine Pratt, West Cedar Street
Daniel A. Taylor, Phillips Street
Rob Whitney, Phillips Street
Nick and Leigh Anne Yoo, River Street
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Additional Ward 5 Endorsements
The regular October meeting of Boston's Ward 5 Democratic Committee took place last night.
The committee endorsed Mike Ross in his race to be re-elected as Boston's District 8 City Councilor.
The committee also endorsed Steve Murphy for re-election as an at-large Boston City Councilor.
Earlier this election season, the Ward 5 Committee endorsed John Connolly and Ayanna Pressley for at-large City Council seats, and in September, the committee endorsed Mayor Menino for re-election.
The committee endorsed Mike Ross in his race to be re-elected as Boston's District 8 City Councilor.
The committee also endorsed Steve Murphy for re-election as an at-large Boston City Councilor.
Earlier this election season, the Ward 5 Committee endorsed John Connolly and Ayanna Pressley for at-large City Council seats, and in September, the committee endorsed Mayor Menino for re-election.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
My Poll is Better Than Yours
My fish is always bigger than yours.
In political-speak, my poll always turns out better for me than yours.
Last weekend, the Boston Globe published a poll that showed Mayor Menino a comfortable 20 points ahead in the race to be Boston's Mayor. However, Boston Phoenix reporter David Bernstein rained on the Globe's parade, citing a poll released by the Mayor's opponent, Michael Flaherty, showing the race as being far tighter (though the Mayor still led by seven points, which is not exactly a small margin).
It should not surprise anyone that Flaherty's team felt the race was closer than the Globe's poll indicated. Here's where it gets interesting, though. Bernstein concluded, "I think the race looks much more like Flaherty's poll than the Globe's."
As an observer, I must say that Bernstein's conclusion is somewhat baffling. Why would a reporter trust a poll released by one of the candidates over a poll conducted by another publication?
I actually sent Mr. Bernstein a Facebook message asking him why he trusted Flaherty's numbers so much. I will update this post if he gets back to me.
I also have not seen the actual data related to Flaherty's poll. However, based on a college course on research, there are other questions and concerns I have.
One example: Poll results are influenced by how questions are asked. What would stop the Flaherty camp from asking a few questions during the poll that might cast doubt on the Mayor before asking for the voter's preference in the election. After hearing something negative about a candidate posed as a question, the voter is more likely to lean away from that candidate.
I certainly don't blame any campaign from using this style, and I am not saying the Flaherty camp used this tactic in this case. However, it's one reason why we should all be trained not to trust polls released by a given campaign.
Editor's Note: I am volunteering for Mayor Menino's campaign in this election.
Hustle Award: JetBlue Airways
I always appreciate people who work hard. I was raised to believe that a little sweat and hard work goes a long way.
This week, the JetBlue team impressed me with its worth ethic, and as a result, it has earned more of my loyalty.
I flew to New Orleans for work, and my return flight was scheduled for Thursday mid-day, a direct flight from Louis Armstrong Field to Boston.
Arriving at the airport the customary two hours early, the line at the JetBlue counter stretched out the front door of the terminal. A power outage, I was told, made things a mess. The guy in front of me was on a 10:30 flight to New York. It was already 10 in the morning.
I looked up and saw a literal flurry of activity behind the JetBlue counter. It was organized chaos, including numerous employees who-- my guess is-- don't normally haul bags around.
With that type of effort, it did not take me long to check in.
At the gate, the aircraft I was to ride to Boston was delayed inbound. I would find out later the delay was due to a mechanical check-up at the plane's origin.
When the plane finally landed an hour late, the ground team in New Orleans, along with the flight attendants, cleaned and serviced the aircraft in about ten minutes. A half hour later, I was in the air on the way to Boston.
It's not often that I praise airlines, because, frankly, there's rarely praise worth bestowing. But JetBlue this week put a lot of extra effort into their service. And this weary passenger definitely appreciated it.
P.S. The guy in front of me made his flight to New York, too.
This week, the JetBlue team impressed me with its worth ethic, and as a result, it has earned more of my loyalty.
I flew to New Orleans for work, and my return flight was scheduled for Thursday mid-day, a direct flight from Louis Armstrong Field to Boston.
Arriving at the airport the customary two hours early, the line at the JetBlue counter stretched out the front door of the terminal. A power outage, I was told, made things a mess. The guy in front of me was on a 10:30 flight to New York. It was already 10 in the morning.
I looked up and saw a literal flurry of activity behind the JetBlue counter. It was organized chaos, including numerous employees who-- my guess is-- don't normally haul bags around.
With that type of effort, it did not take me long to check in.
At the gate, the aircraft I was to ride to Boston was delayed inbound. I would find out later the delay was due to a mechanical check-up at the plane's origin.
When the plane finally landed an hour late, the ground team in New Orleans, along with the flight attendants, cleaned and serviced the aircraft in about ten minutes. A half hour later, I was in the air on the way to Boston.
It's not often that I praise airlines, because, frankly, there's rarely praise worth bestowing. But JetBlue this week put a lot of extra effort into their service. And this weary passenger definitely appreciated it.
P.S. The guy in front of me made his flight to New York, too.
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