James Harrison

“We welcome Bostonians of all ages to join us during April school vacation week for events ranging from woodland plantings to the excitement of watching tree care professionals compete in a climbing contest,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino.  “These celebrations invite people to take part in the greening of our city while learning valuable lessons in sustainability and stewardship.”

On Thursday, April 22 the Boston Parks and Recreation Department’s Urban Wilds Initiative hosts an Earth Day celebration at the Allandale Woods Urban Wild in Roslindale.  From 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. there will be a free Nature and Wildflower Walk sponsored in part by Boston Natural Areas Network.  Participants should meet at the trailhead located at the rear of the parking lot at Annunciation Church, VFW Parkway at Centre Street, Roslindale.

From 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. there will be a volunteer planting at the Vincent Road trailhead located at the southern end of Allandale Woods.  Woodland restoration activities will include invasive plant removal and planting of native flowering understory trees.  Ample parking for this portion of the celebration is located at Vincent and Morey Roads, West Roxbury.  Volunteers of all ages, especially area residents, are encouraged to join in the Earth Day festivities.  

On Saturday, April 24, the Dimock Center, 55 Dimock Street, Roxbury, will be the site of a coordinated, day-long Boston Shines project from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. that will involve tree removal, pruning, and planting. Activities will involve a major grounds cleanup, restoration of flower beds, and the planting of perennials.  Massachusetts Arborists Association member C&C Maltby Tree Care will prune trees, remove diseased trees, and supervise new tree plantings.  A team of volunteers from Cisco Systems will donate their time, as well as Dimock staff.

Grow Boston Greener and the Boston Urban Forest Coalition will also use the day as an opportunity to provide tree planting and care training from 10 a.m. to 12 noon for local grant recipients of Grow Boston Greener Tree Grants, including the Dimock Center which has received a Grow Boston Greener grant for new trees to be planted on the Center’s main campus.

The purpose of the training is for grant winners to learn how to execute site analysis and planting and maintenance.  Each grant recipient must participate in the event as part of the grant requirements.  The training will begin with a demonstration by tree planting experts from the Urban Ecology Institute and will continue with hands-on planting assistance.  Following the training, the Grow Boston Greener Tree Grant Program awardees will be presented with their tree planting grants.  All grantee tree plantings must be completed by June 1.

Grow Boston Greener (GBG) is a collaborative effort of the City of Boston and its partners in Boston’s Urban Forest Coalition (BUFC) to increase the urban tree canopy cover in the city by planting 100,000 trees by 2020.  The planting of these trees will increase Boston’s tree canopy cover from 29% to 35%, by 2030 as the planted trees mature.

Boston’s Urban Forest Coalition (BUFC) is a coalition of non-profit, city, state, and federal organizations working to transform Boston’s urban forest in order to improve the urban forest ecosystem, public health, and quality of life for Boston’s residents.

On Arbor Day, Friday, April 30, the City of Boston and the Massachusetts Arborists Association will join together in Franklin Park from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the city’s official Arbor Day celebration. 

Seven major tree companies with over 30 arborist volunteers will participate in the event.  Spectators will get a firsthand look at the arborists’ tree pruning expertise including tree climbing, bucket work, and crane work.  In addition, participants will also help to eradicate one of New England’s most invasive plants, the Glossy Buckhorn. 

The day will include the thrill of a tree climbing contest held for professional arborist volunteers from Arborway Tree Care, Tree Tech Inc., Royer Tree Service, Inc., C&C Maltby Tree Care, Barrett Tree Service East, Inc., Northern Tree Service, Inc., and Hunt Landscape Co.  Mayer Power Products will provide prizes for the winners of the tree climbing contest.

The Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA) is a professional trade organization that serves the commercial arboriculture industry.  The MAA advances the goals of its members through education, certification, networking, advocacy, and research support.  Consumers can learn more about the importance of proper tree care and find a local, certified arborist at www.certifiedtreeandlawn.org.

For more information on the city’s Earth Day and Arbor Day events, please call (617) 635-4505.

Pumpkin Float: Bring a 6”-8” home-carved pumpkin to Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester. Each jack-o-lantern will have a candle inserted, be mounted on a float, and lit before being launched in the water. Floats and candles are provided. Free. Oct 24, 5:30pm. Register with BNAN, 617-542-7696, info@bostonnatural.org.

Halloween Town at the Seaport Hotel: Boston’s biggest and best Halloween Party for all ages. Don’t miss the chance to support local children and Boston Medical Center. Oct 24 & 25, 10am-6pm. Ticket prices vary. 617-638-0150, www.halloweentownboston.com

Infomation from: http://www.bostonyouthzone.com/

Pope John Paul II Park Reservation
Neponset District
(617) 727-6034

Open year-round, dawn to dusk. Formerly used as a landfill and a drive-in theatre, the site of Pope John Paul II Park was once a barrier between the people of Dorchester and the Neponset River waterfront. The park now re-connects area residents to the resources of their unique and delicate river estuary by offering picnic facilites, soccer fields, play areas, paths for walking, restored salt marsh, and extensive plantings of native trees and shrubs. The DCR's restoration of the formerly degraded, contaminated site has also benefitted area wildlife: black ducks, mergansers, teal, Snowy Egrets, and Great Blue Herons, have been spotted at the park since it opened in June, 2001. Future improvements to the park will add restrooms, a fishing pier, a ranger station, and a link to the DCR's bike path network.

Directions:
MBTA: Take the Red Line (Ashmont branch) to Fields Corner. The #202 bus route passes by two of the park's entrances: at Neponset Circle and at Hallet Street.

By Car: Take US-1 South to exit 12, Rt 3A South and merge onto Gallivan Boulevard (MA 203). The entrance is located on Gallivan Boulevard. A second entrance is located on Hallet Street.

Thursday, April 30, 2009
6:00 – 9:00 PM

I.B.E.W. Hall, 256 Freeport Street in Dorchester
Click here for directions.

Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door, and $15 for seniors & children.

* Raffle * Music * Cash Bar
*Free Parking across the street
from the hall

Live music all night by The Kevin Harris Project1st Annual Taste of Dorchester Restaurants

Purchase Tickets or just find out more at MAHA Website: MAHAHOME.ORG

Ashmont Grill
Belle- Cuisine
Big Moe's M & M Ribs
The Blarney Stone
CF Donovan's
Chau Chow
City Fresh Foods
dbar
Dot 2 Dot Café
Flames Restaurant
Flat Black Coffee Company
Freeport Tavern
Gerard's Restaurant
Greenhills Irish Bakery
The Ice Creamsmith
Irie Jamaican Style Restaurant
KA' Carlos
Lorenz Island Kuisine
The Mudhouse
Pat's Pizza & Catering
Phillips Candy House
Poppa B's
Restaurante Cesaria
Saigon Seafood Restaurant
Shanti: Taste of India
Tavolo
Venezia

Please contact Jennifer Tsolas at 617-822-9100 or jtsolas@mahahome.org with any questions.

All proceeds benefit MAHA’s homeownership education programs.

Open for business...

Well, its offical- Jessie Cuddy (www.jessiecuddy.com/) and I opened up our own real estate office. Its right across the street from our old RE/MAX office. Personally, I couldn't imagine leaving Lower Mills and though it took some work to convince Jessie the space would work, we are now Boston Bayside Properties:


Its exciting to be a business owner and we've been rolling since February 1st, 2009. Lots of stuff is coming together and hopefully this will be a stellar year.

As always we'll provide some of the best service out there in sales or rentals in the Boston area. With the latest tax credit ( ) hopefully I'll be able to get some of the first time home buyers sitting on the sidelines to move out there and find something that's right for them. There is still a lot of junk out there but I'm starting to see more and more deals in both single-families and condos.