HSHA Annual Meeting & Potluck Dinner
Monday, May 9th
6:00pm
Latvian Lutheran Church

Please join us for your neighborhood association’s Annual Meeting!

• 6pm Family Potluck Dinner*
• 7pm Moderated panel discussion
• HSHA annual business meeting and Board election to follow panel discussion

* Those with last names beginning with A-F please bring a dessert, G-M a salad, and N-Z a main dish.

Panel Discussion:  “Development on Route 9 and the Role of the Selectmen, Town Economic Development Office and Neighbors”
Route 9, between Cypress Street and Pond Avenue,* is rapidly changing. This past winter a medical marijuana dispensary opened in the former Brookline Bank building, and an extended-stay Hilton hotel, Homewood Suites, soon will open for business at the former Red Cab site. Boston Children’s Hospital’s large development project is beginning construction at Two Brookline Place, while a Hilton Garden Inn is being planned for the former Gulf Station site at 25 Washington Street. The Audi dealership seeks to substantial expand the size and number of buildings and cars on its lot. Across the street, Soka Gakkai International, a Nichiven Buddhist organization, is completing renovations to 303 Boylston Street. Will the Dunkin Donuts’ property on the corner of High Street be the next Route 9 development project? Come learn more about the changes that are taking place on our doorstep and how the town is managing development along Route 9.

Our panel will include:

• Andy Martineau, Brookline, Economic Development Planner
• Ben Franco, Selectman
• Neil Wishinsky, Selectman
• Kara Brewton, Brookline Economic Development Director (moderator)

The High Street Hill Association proudly presents the first in a series of talks by authors in the neighorbood. Eric Schwarz, a resident of Hawthorn Road and founding CEO of Citizen Schools and the College for Social Innovation, will discuss his book The Opportunity Equation, the story of triumphs and setbacks encountered in the development of Citizen Schools,  a program designed to combat rising inequality in our public school system.  Citizen Schools today partners with public middle schools in low-income communities to provide an expanded learning day, rich with new opportunities.  Hear how Citizen Schools has succeeded in bridging the wealth-based achievement gap by providing thousands of low-income students experiences they would not otherwise have access to.  We hope Eric will also bring us up to date on his latest project, the College for Social innovation.

When:              Sunday, March 13 –  join us at 3:30pm for a brief  reading/presentation by Eric, followed by discussion and (wine and cheese) reception

Where:             The home of Margaret Talcott and Scott Scharer

28 Allerton Street

Books will be available for purchase.

http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/237693/the-opportunity-equation-by-eric-schwarz/9780807073452/

Seating is limited so please email kimozaki@comcast.net or call (617)383-5366 if you would like to attend.

Wednesday, October 28

7:00 – 9:00pm

Town Hall, Room 103 

The Planning and Community Development Department has engaged a class of Land Use Planning students from M.I.T’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning to conduct an assessment of Route 9 East (Cypress St. to Brookline/Boston line).  With the construction of the Hilton Homewood Suites at the former Red Cab site well underway and with construction at Brookline Place and Gateway East commencing soon, there is an opportunity to build upon this momentum and to create a vision for the rest of this portion of Route 9.  The students will be helping us start the visioning process by examining variables including, but not limited to, expanded tax base, increased commercial/retail activity, housing, as well as additional bicycle/pedestrian improvements and other public amenities. Poster_Public Meeting_Oct 28_FinalThe students will be presenting their preliminary findings and analysis and soliciting feedback from the public at this meeting.

The demolition of the Washington Street (Rte 9) Pedestrian Bridge is scheduled to begin at 9:00pm this Friday, October 9, 2015. Please be aware of temporary inconveniences such as traffic delays, detours, and noise along Washington Street thru 7:00am Monday, October 12, 2015.

The Board of Selectmen granted a waiver of the Town’s Noise By-Law for the duration of the Columbus Day Weekend, during which time bridge demolition will operate continuously, 24 hours straight, and Washington Street (Route 9) will be CLOSED at the bridge site, between Washington/High and Pearl/Juniper Streets.

Please see the Demolition Project Webpage for the official press release detailing demolition logistics, roadway closures, contact information and vehicular/pedestrian detours, including the MBTA Bus Routes 60, 65 and 66.

Herewith a revised notice for a series of three upcoming public meetings – hosted by the Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation, The Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, Senator Michael Rush, and Representative Elizabeth Malia – with the goal of engaging area residents and stakeholders in addressing issues around improved multi-modal safety and access to the Emerald Necklace Parklands in Jamaica Plain, while reinforcing the parklands’ historic character. ArborwayCentrePerkinsOrtho_letterSized

Also attached is a map that outlines the three project areas to be discussed in the course of the series of meetings. Please note the specific subject area to be discussed at each meeting:

Thursday, October 1                       Perkins Street and Parkman Drive

Wednesday, October 7                 Centre Street from the VFW Parkway to Murray Circle

Wednesday, October 14               The Arborway, between Eliot Street and South Street, including Kelly Circle and Murray Circle

All meetings will take place at the Arnold Arboretum Visitor Center, 125 Arborway, Boston 02130.

We hope you can join us at these meetings and encourage you to share this notice with others who might be interested in attending them.

Fun & Games with Knucklebones at 5pm; Concerts at 6pm. At Allerton Overlook, Olmsted Park. August 9: Aphrolove — Futuristic soul band specializing in rich harmonies and polyrhythmic grooves. Bring a picnic and enjoy the Batch Ice Cream Truck. http://www.emeraldnecklace.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Olmsted-Map-and-Features.pdf

Also August 9th: A celebration of the 150th Anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Yosemite Report, 10:00am – 11:00am, Outdoors by the giant sequoia. Follow signs to the Conifer Collection, opposite Peters Hill of the Arnold Arboretum. Honoring the 150th anniversary of Olmsted’s Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report, 1865 and its vision for national parks. Known to many for creating public parks in cities, Frederick Law Olmsted was also an important advocate for scenic preservation across America. In his 1865 report, Olmsted articulated – some say for the first time by anyone – the role of government in protecting and making accessible our nation’s scenic landscapes for the enjoyment of all people in a democracy. Join us in the landscape by a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) as we read aloud portions of the report with Olmsted’s eloquent and prescient prose on the actual anniversary of its first public reading by its author.

We’ve all been hearing a lot about the Proposition 2 1/2 Override Vote May 5 here in Brookline, and it’s certainly hard to keep up with. The High Street Hill Association is proud to co-sponsor an informational meeting tomorrow night at the Lawrence School Auditorium on Francis Street to help all citizens sort through the different perspectives.
Rebecca Stone, representing the campaign Vote Yes for Brookline, will make a presentation alongside Dick Benka from the campaign For a Better Override. The convening is set to begin at 6:45 PM for a meet and greet, and go from 7 – 8 PM including brief remarks by speakers and then Q&A and discussion.
Co-sponsoring organizations are the Lawrence Neighborhood Association and the Coolidge Corner South Side Neighborhood Association

Roland Hayes Concert March 15

You’ve probably the heard of the great Marian Anderson and the great Paul Robeson but do you know who was the first African American concert performer of international fame that paved their way? Do you know that this ground-breaking musician was also a courageous champion against segregation and racism? Do you know that he lived on Allerton Street on Pill Hill for almost 50 years?

Roland Hayes, who grew up poor in Georgia, became one of the premier tenors of all time and was an inspired composer. He performed classical music at the highest level but he is best known for elevating Negro spirituals and what he called “Aframerican” religious music to the concert stage.

Throughout his life he used his fame to break barriers in our country and abroad. He was the first African American soloist with the Boston Symphony, gave a command performance at Buckingham Palace and even won over an overtly racist audience in prewar Germany by the sheer force of his voice. At a time when racial oppression was rampant he demanded that his audiences be desegregated. In 1924 the NAACP awarded him their highest honor, the Springarn medal.

Despite his stellar achievements and long dignified career this amazing man has not achieved the long-lasting recognition that he deserves. If you could hear his music, performed as he did so many times around the world, you would feel its power to move people to change.

The Hidden Brookline Committee, an ad hoc committee of the town’s Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations Department, wants to bring the music of Mr. Hayes and the story of his inspiring life to those who have not heard.

At 3 pm on Sunday, March 15, “A Tribute to Roland Hayes” will commemorate the art and legacy of this extraordinary force in American music history with a concert at historic Christ’s Church Longwood in Brookline. Presented by Hammond Real Estate and emceed by the always-engaging Reverend Liz Walker, this event promises to deliver a memorable afternoon of music and storytelling. Featuring the BSO’s eminent vocalist Robert Honeysucker, the program will also include the Joyful Voices of Inspiration Choir, the Brookline High School Camerata, Wenc Bogdanoff and a short film.

Admission is free but reservations are required because seating is limited. For more info contact Rob Daves atrobdaves@rcn.com or Betsy Shure Gross at betsyshuregross@gmail.com.

Go to www.rolandhayes.eventbrite.com to make a reservation. Seats are going fast.