Claudia J. Dupre

Another phenomenal aspect about Brookline MA is the Climate Change Action Brookline Committee or more commonly referred to as the CCABwhich is a committee that is changing the way we live and work through environmental awareness and action with Brookline MA schools, businesses, town government, public policy, residences, transportation food and partners.

The Mission for the Climate Change Action Brookline: CCAB

- Engage 85% of Brookline households in carbon reduction by Dec. 31, 2012
- Achieve a 25% average carbon dioxide reduction for participating households
- Create a program that can be replicated by cities and towns throughout the U.S.

In addition, the committee has been hosting a number of very interesting events over the past week. Here are the remaining events for today and later this week:

Brookline MA Climate Week Remaining Events

Climate Week Brookline: Hope Beneath Our Feet, Restoring Our Place in the Natural World
1 PM
Brookline BookSmith
279 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA
617-566-6660
events@brooklinebooksmith.com
www.brooklinebooksmith.com

Climate Week connects people to ways they can create a better, greener future by taking action at home and work.

Hope Beneath our Feet: Restoring Our Place in the Natural World is a wonderful new anthology of 53 essays by leading environmental activists and writers, talking from the heart about what they are doing, thinking and feeling that gives them hope and inspiration. Authors include Alice Walker, Michael Pollan, Derrick Jensen, Barbara Kingsolver, Howard Zinn, Diane Ackerman, Bill McKibben, Frances Moore Lappe, Vandana Shiva, among others. Editor Martin Keogh, and local contributing author and activist Vivienne Simon, will discuss the book and lead a conversation based on it. http://shiftmakers.com/hope-beneath-our-feet/

Climate Week Information Session: Going Solar on Aspinwall Hill
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
The Brookline Center
41 Garrison Road, Brookline, MA
aspinwallhill@gmail.com
www.ahna.us

AHNA Annual Meeting features Going Solar on Aspinwall Hill

The Aspinwall Hill Neighborhood Association will hold its annual meeting on Sunday, January 30, from 4-6 p.m. at The Brookline Center, 41 Garrison Rd. In addition to the business meeting and election of officers, we will have a panel discussion featuring representatives from Green Guild, Sunbug, Alteris Renewables and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center along with Brookline homeowners who have installed solar. Learn about the costs, benefits, financial supports and feasibility of going solar for individual homeowners, multi-families and larger buildings. Light refreshments will be served. AHNA is a Brookline 2010 Climate Action Partner: please bring your own cup, sign up for an AHNA eco-team, and bring paper shopping bags for our reusables drive for Brookline Recreation kids crafts programs. The AHNA covers the area bordered by Beacon St., Washington St., Greenough St., the D-line tracks and Regent Circle. All are welcome. Visit us at www.ahna.us. Questions? Write aspinwallhill@gmail.com

UPCOMING RESCHEDULED EVENTS:

Climate Week Brookline, Making Sustainable Choices for Green and Healthy Living canceled due to winter storm. Rescheduled for Thurs. Feb. 3
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Brookline Adult Education Location, Brookline, MA 02446
(617 ) 730-2700
bacep@brookline.k12.ma.us
www.BrooklineAdultEd.org

Join Jess Lerner of Green on The Inside for up to the minute ideas for greening your life.

Do you hope to find the right "green" products but are not sure how to choose? If you are looking to live more sustainably, reduce your impact by choosing green, healthy materials, or just want pointers on where to start, this class is for you.

Go to www.brooklineadulted.org for course details and class registration.

ANOTHER RESCHEDULED EVENT: Originally scheduled on Jan 27th from 7 pm - 9 pm: NEW DATE TBA

Brookline Climate Week; Brookline Greenway Presentation and Charette canceled due to winter storm. Check CCAB events calendar for reschedule date: http://www.climatechangeactionbrookline.org/calendar.php

7pm - 9pm
Devotion School Library
345 Harvard Street, Brookline , MA 02446
bac@brooklinebikes.org
www.brooklinema.gov

Join the Brookline Bicycle Advisory Committee for a presentation and charette on creating a greenway network for Brookline. The evening will feature an overview of the Committee's green routes plan, a presentation by Northeastern University civil engineering students of a 2009 design to create a greenway along Lee and Clyde Streets, and an interactive discussion by Northeastern representatives and community residents on a conceptual design for a greenway along Newton and Hammond Streets.

NOTE: All of this info and MUCH MORE can be found at: http://www.climatechangeactionbrookline.org

Another really cool thing about Brookline MA is the Green Dog Program!

The Green Dog program was created by the Brookline MA Parks and Recreation Commission to allow dog owners to enjoy some off-leash time with their dogs.

There are several benefits to the dogs, their owners and the community

• Dogs get needed exercise and socialization time
• Dogs that are socialized and exercised tend to have better behavior
• Owners get to socialize and network with other members of the community including fellow dog owners and park visitors

There are a few catches though.

• Dogs are not allowed in all parks, just the 14 assigned parks and only during certain off-leash hours.
• All dogs must be registered at the Town Hall and wear a special "Green Dog" tag
• Dog owners must pay a $50 fee if they are residents and $100 fee if they are non-residents. There are other fees for folks who are Commercial Dog Walkers.
• Only dogs 4 months and older are allowed to participate
• Dogs must be licensed, vaccinated and healthy
• Dogs must be under voice control at all times
• Owners must pick up after their dogs

For more info on this Green Dog program, go to www.brooklinema.gov/greendog or call 617-879-5650

Fun Upcoming Brookline Event: Have a Heart Chocolate Extravaganza....Feb 6th

I am a member of the Brookline Rotary Club and we are hosting an event on February 6^th called "Have a Heart Chocolate Extravaganza". It will be held at the Holiday Inn on Beacon Street in Brookline from Noon to 3:00pm on Sunday, February 6^th, and proceeds will benefit the Brookline Emergency Food Pantry.

You can buy tickets to the event online at the event's website: http://rotarychocolateextravaganza.eventbrite.com/ If you plan to come, please buy your ticket in advance, as tickets will cost an extra $10 at the door.

There will be chocolate and sweet "tastes" for everyone, a silent auction, a raffle and chamber music. What a great way to support the community and help fight hunger in Brookline. Please spread the word to anyone you know who might want to attend.

I hope to see you there!

Brookline MA Real Estate Tool: Where am I?

I just stumbled across a really cool application on the Town of Brookline MA website that was made for people thinking about moving to Brookline or folks who are new to town. It's called, the "Where am I Resident Information Site"

This application allows one to input any address in Brookline and learn all about it's whereabouts. For instance, it will tell you what the closest T stop and bus routes are, what Brookline elementary school district you live in, how far away the town hall is, where your voting location is and where the closest park is etc.....

If you have a family and are thinking of moving to Brookline MA, this tool will easily tell you what school district you are in! If you couple this with the blog that I wrote a few days ago describing the 8 different public elementary schools, you will be way ahead of most people moving here. Here's a link to that post in case you missed it: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2074266/brookline-ma-public-elementary-school-system

Many people in Brookline don't have cars, so this tool will tell you exactly how far away the nearest bus and T stops are.

Here's a link to this great "Where Am I?" tool found on the Brookline MA website.

Check it out: http://gisweb.brooklinema.gov/WhereAmI/whereami.aspx

Hope that you find it helpful as you contemplate a move to Brookline MA. Always feel free to contact me should you need more information or have questions.

The clock is ticking...Brookline Tax Abatement Requests due by Feb 1st 2011!

A friend of mine was complaining that she recently refinanced her condo and that it was appraised for $100K less than the assessed value. I immediately told her that she should apply for a tax abatement from the Brookline Assessors office. Tax abatements are sought when someone feels that their home has been unfairly overvalued. When the tax assessment is higher than it should be, you pay more in property taxes than you need to.

The procedure to follow is rather simple, just fill out the tax abatement form which is available here: http://www.brooklinema.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=166&Itemid=90

Note: the tax abatement form must be filed for each property in each fiscal year in question. It also must be filed and received in the Assessors Office after the 3rd quarter tax bills have been mailed and postmarked or submitted by February 1, 2011.

For more info: click on the above link or call the Brookline Assessors office at: 617-730-2060. The office is located in the town hall at 333 Washington St, room 215. They are open Mon-Thurs from 8-5 but only open til 12:30 on Fridays.

Additional Note: There is also an appeals process in place if for some reason you don't get the abatement that you are seeking. You would need to apply to the State Appellate Tax Board located at: 100 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA. 02108-5292 (617-727-3100).