 |
MINUTES OF THE NEWMARKET BUSINESS ASSOCIATION |
Membership Meeting held on December 18th, 2002
The meeting was
called to order at 8:10 am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone
present. He introduced new member Karen Drummey from Computer Warehouse. Then,
everyone present sang Happy Birthday to celebrate the 81st birthday
of longtime member Al Passaretti who blew out the candles on his cake. Members
in attendance introduced themselves. The minutes from the November meeting were
distributed. Representatives from standing committees gave their reports.
Gifts and money were collected to donate to South End Neighborhood Action
Project and Place of Promise to provide toys to needy children. Everyone had a
chance to enjoy the breakfast by the Victoria Restaurant and wish each other
well for the holidays.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Mason School:
The Mason School is going to submit a proposal to be recognized as a pilot school. The application will be submitted on Friday, December 20th. Becoming a pilot school will enable the Mason School to attract additional outside grants. The Mason School is already the pilot location where teachers are trained in literacy and math. Newmarket Business Association’s Issues Committee held their meeting at the Mason School to discuss the pilot school and other strategic issues of the Mason’s future as well as serious safety issues that are current challenges for the school. The Mason School has been facing problems in its vicinity including crime, drugs, prostitution, and car thefts. An immediate outcome of the Issues Committee meeting was that Sue Sullivan was able to get the Mason’s photocopier repaired in record time! The Mason School is facing a competitive situation as the Orchard Gardens School (a brand new K-8 school) nears completion. Principal Janet Palmer Owens again thanked all the members of the Newmarket Business Association for so much generosity to the School throughout the year! Wally Stevens of Slade Gorton has arranged for Santa Claus to visit the school on Friday, December 20th. The Mason School’s MCAS results were excellent: of the 75 K-5 elementary schools in Boston, the Mason School scored #1 in math and #9 in English.
Budget & Finance:
Dues notices for 2003 will be sent out the second week of January. Please pay your dues promptly. The 2003 dues are $150 for companies with 10 or fewer employees and $300 for companies with 11 or more employees.
Contributions:
At this meeting, toys and donations were collected for South End Neighborhood Action Project (SNAP of ABCD) and Place of Promise to provide gifts to needy children. Juan Chavez of SNAP thanked all the members present for their generosity and explained that they expected to assist 200-250 children this year. Charles Killian reported on the other contributions made to date and requested approval for a $480 contribution to Boston Public Schools to enable the Mason School to buy spelling books. The appropriation was moved, seconded and passed unanimously. Thank you for all of your support!
Safety:
The position of chairman of the Safety Committee is available. Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan if you are interested. The chairman discusses any safety concerns with the Police and Fire Chiefs in our area. This position does not take a major time commitment, but it is a great service to our membership. Until a new chairman has been announced, please report any safety concerns to Sue Sullivan.
Website:
Webmaster Bob Patcha reports that the Newmarket website had 658 visitors last month. The site will be kept up to date with new feature stories, so please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings!
Public Affairs:
The Public Affairs committee has organized a Newmarket Night at Pops to take place on December 27th. There has been a wonderful response and the event is sold out! There will be a pre-concert reception at the Victoria Restaurant prior and transportation to and from the concert will be provided. The great response means that NBA Night at Pops will undoubtedly become an annual holiday event!
Issues:
There is no new information or action on the incinerator site. Charles Georgenes met with the new Sheriff, Andrea Cabral. She will be invited to speak at a future NBA meeting.
There is a new Police Chief at the MBTA, Joe Carter, formerly superintendent of the Boston Police and Oak Bluffs Chief of Police. The MBTA met with representatives from Newmarket to discuss possible enhancements to service in our neighborhood. Because of our input, a stop on the Fairmount line is in the proposed budget. It is not too late to have them address your concerns, so please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan with any comments or suggestions you may have about how the bus service could help your business and your employees and customers!
Representatives from the BRA worked with a subcommittee of NBA members to compose an action plan and put together a map showing improvements for the core Newmarket area. The cost of the initial improvements will be paid by the $125,000 grant announced by Mayor Menino and BRA Director Mark Maloney at our annual meeting. An RFP for the signage, engineering, surveying, and infrastructure improvements shown on the map will go out and the work will be committed by June 30th.
The City of Boston is buying 1010 Mass Ave and the Community Servings Building on Magazine Street.
A residential development has been proposed for the former Branch Electric building.
The Biosquare development, which will add 831,000 square feet of laboratory and office space and close to 3,000 parking spaces to Albany Street, will be preparing to submit their phase 2 designs for BRA approval. Newmarket members are concerned about the impacts to Albany Street, especially traffic.
OLD BUSINESS:
Applications are still available for access to the Ted Williams Tunnel. Call Susan Sullivan if you are interested in an application.
NEW BUSINESS:
If you know of any business that has recently moved into our neighborhood, please encourage them to join and let Sue know about them so she can send them some information about the Newmarket Business Association. New membership recruiting will pick up in January of 2003!
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 am.
Membership Meeting held on November 13th, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:10 am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone present. Members in attendance introduced themselves. The minutes from the October meeting were distributed and accepted. Then representatives from standing committees gave their reports. Joe Cefalo introduced Kim Caggiano from Citizens Bank who gave a short presentation about 401K and retirement services. Then Joe Cefalo introduced Marc Fournier from WasteCap of Massachusetts who gave a presentation about waste recycling and money saving solutions.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Mason School:
The Mason School is facing a competitive situation as the Orchard Gardens School nears completion. The Orchard Gardens School will be a brand new facility and will offer K-8 instruction. The Mason School is an old facility and offers only K-5. Last year, the Mason lost ten 5th graders to charter schools. Mason Principal Janet Palmer-Owens met with the Chuck Levin and the Newmarket Business Association Issues Committee in order to bring this situation to our attention and ask for our assistance. Principal Owens is planning to try to get the Mason School approved as a K-8 school. In order to do this, the Mason will need to acquire the rights to use land adjacent to the Mason Building and install portable classrooms. The Mason School has also been facing problems in its vicinity including crime, drugs, prostitution, and car thefts. The next issues committee meeting will take place at the Mason School to review the situation on site.
Budget & Finance:
To date, 126 members have paid dues. Please send in your check if you have not already done so.
Contributions:
To date, the Newmarket Business Association has made contributions of $7,300. The most recent contributions were to support Rosie’s Place, Mass Children’s Services of Roxbury, and Mass Family. At the December 18th Holiday Breakfast Meeting, we will be collecting money for a local charity to provide toys for needy children. Please bring a check for $10-$20 to the meeting. Thank you for all of your support!
Safety:
The position of chairman of the Safety Committee is available. Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan if you are interested. The chairman discusses any safety concerns with the Police and Fire Chiefs in our area. This position does not take a major time commitment, but it is a great service to our membership. Until a new chairman has been announced, please report any safety concerns to Sue Sullivan.
Website:
Webmaster Bob Patcha reports that the Newmarket website had 555 visitors last month. The site will be featuring information about the health insurance program and the tax benefits for empowerment zones. Please take a few minutes to check out the website between meetings!
Public Affairs:
The Public Affairs committee has organized a Newmarket Night at Pops to take place on December 27th. There has been a wonderful response and only a few tickets are still available. Tickets to the concert are $45each and include a reception at the Victoria Restaurant prior to the concert, and transportation to and from the concert. This will be a festive holiday event, so invite friends and colleagues to join us for NBA Night at Pops!
Friends of the Newmarket Business Association hosted a fundraiser breakfast for representative Byron Rushing. In January, Sal DeMasi will become our representative due to the redistricting.
Issues:
The MBTA meeting with representatives from Newmarket to discuss possible enhancements to service in our neighborhood will be rescheduled. It is not too late to have them address your concerns, so please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan with any comments or suggestions you may have about how the bus service could help your business and your employees and customers!
On Thursday, October 24, there was a meeting with representatives from the BRA to discuss an action plan for the core Newmarket area. The outcome of this meeting was a map of the core Newmarket area marked with potential improvements ranging from truck staging areas to removing obsolete rail lines to traffic routing. We will be responding by notifying the BRA of NBA’s priorities of the list shown on this map.
The Biosquare development, which will add 831,000 square feet of laboratory and office space and close to 3,000 parking spaces to Albany Street, will be preparing to submit their phase 2 designs for BRA approval. Newmarket members are concerned about the impacts to Albany Street, especially traffic.
OLD BUSINESS:
Applications are still available for access to the Ted Williams Tunnel. Call Susan Sullivan if you are interested in an application.
NEW BUSINESS:
The members present unanimously voted to accept three new members:
Maxwell Products Corp/Maxwell Box, Transitions of Boston, and Andrew Middle Development LLC
If you know of any business that has recently moved into our neighborhood, please encourage them to join and let Sue know about them so she can send them some information about the Newmarket Business Association.
Kimberly Caggiano of Citizens Bank made a brief presentation about the retirement planning services she offers to small businesses. She is available for a free consultation either at your place of business or at the Newmarket branch of Citizens Bank. She explained that the rules governing retirement plans and 401K accounts have changed so that there are now plans available for small businesses with from one to five employees. She also stated that Citizens Bank may be able to negotiate preferred pricing on these plans. You can reach her to set up an appointment at 617-457-5731.
Marc Fournier of WasteCap of Massachusetts made a presentation about materials exchange and recycling. WasteCap of Massachusetts can assist your company in reducing trash disposal costs. Please check out their website at www.wastecap.org or call Marc Fournier at 617-236-7715. WasteCap offers many program options to save your company money: recycling services directory; technical assistance; a site visit program; a recycled products purchasing cooperative; surplus inventory donation program; business recycling cooperatives, and the Race to Recycle. They are the “go to” agency to call when you need non-regulatory technical assistance or if you have a question about the “Waste Bans” that prohibit disposing of your company’s trash in the landfill. All of the programs offered by WasteCap of Massachusetts are free except the site visit program for which there is a fee.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 am.
Membership Meeting held on October 9th, 2002
President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone present called the meeting to order at 8:10 am. Members in attendance introduced themselves, and then representatives from standing committees gave their reports. Marlowe Segal introduced James J. McSweeney from Comprehensive Insurance Providers, Inc. who then gave a presentation about health insurance services for member companies.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Mason School:
The Mason School has re-opened for the new school year. The Newmarket Business Association paid approximately $1,200 for the cost of buses to take the children to Boston area museums during the past summer. If you or your business can help the Mason School this year, please contact Chuck Levin or Susan Sullivan.
Budget & Finance:
Third notices will go out reminding members who have not paid to send in their checks ASAP. Three quarters of the dues have been received. Thank you for your prompt payments.
Contributions:
No new report.
Safety:
There was an incident at Citizens Bank involving the courier for the 1010 Mass Ave Café. The police have apprehended the suspect. Mary Alibrandi, Manager of the Branch would like to reassure Newmarket Business Association members that this was an unusual incident and the branch is a secure place to do business. Please report all incidents to Sue Sullivan so that she can follow up with the area Police captains.
Neighborhood Outreach:
Charlie Georgenes reports that the clean up took place on September 17th and 18th with the generous volunteer efforts of many whom Charlie thanked by name. In particular, the clean up focused on the area by the railroad tracks. Charlie is planning to organize a similar initiative to clean up the corridor along the railroad line leading into our neighborhood. Thank you all for helping to clean up the area!
Public Affairs:
The Public Affairs committee is organizing a Newmarket Night at Pops to take place on December 27th. Tickets to the concert are $45 each and include a reception at the Victoria Restaurant prior to the concert, and transportation to and from the concert. Please send in your reservation form promptly because we have to commit to the Boston Pops by October 17th. The reservation form is also available on our website, www.newmarketboston.org. This will be a festive holiday event, so invite friends and colleagues to join us for NBA Night at Pops!
There were 500 visitors to the website, www.newmarketboston.org last month. Your business can establish a presence on the web by having Bob Patcha at WebmastersBoston (617-451-7551) set up a homepage on the web for you and link it to our website for only $200/year.
Issues:
There is no change to the incinerator site since the last meeting at which it was announced the legislation has been signed into law. Language in the bill allows the site to be leased by the state for private development. The next step is for a Request For Proposal to be drafted by the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) and/or the Massachusetts Department of Capital Asset Management (DCAM).
The MBTA met with representatives from Newmarket to discuss possible enhancements to service in our neighborhood. There will be additional meetings so please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan with any comments or suggestions you may have about how the bus service could help your business and your employees and customers!
On Thursday, October 24, there will be a meeting with representatives from the BRA to discuss an action plan for the core Newmarket area. We are looking for 6-8 of the core Newmarket businesses to participate in this process, which is expected to take approximately 6 months.
The Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative and a group called New Ecology provided information to our association about the Massachusetts Materials Exchange. This organization links businesses that have reusable materials with users. The Massachusetts Materials Exchange can be reached at 1-800-369-3333 in MA and at 413-586-7350.
OLD BUSINESS:
Applications are still available for access to the Ted Williams Tunnel. Call Susan Sullivan if you are interested in an application.
NEW BUSINESS:
Sue Sullivan reported to the membership about a seminar she attended that explains the tax credits for businesses located in Empowerment Zones and businesses that hire employees who live in Empowerment Zones. Many of our member companies are eligible for these bottom line tax savings. The Newmarket Business Association will be scheduling a meeting to teach more about these tax credits and how to fill out the simple forms. Your company will want to send an accountant or its tax matters person to attend the meeting.
UMass Boston’s Small Business Development Center is offering some courses of interest to NBA members. There is a seven-week Basics of Finance course, and two-week courses in Exploring New Markets, one focusing on Government Contracts and the other focusing on Exports.
Guest Speaker: JAMES J. MCSWEENEY
COMPREHENSIVE INSURANCE PROVIDERS, INC.
For many of our member companies, the cost and availability of health insurance for employees is a growing concern. Small businesses, with a handful of employees face difficulty finding good and affordable health insurance plans. Over the course of several years, Marlowe Segal and Susan Sullivan investigated the options for the Newmarket Business Association to offer health insurance plans to our member companies. Theoretically, the aggregate group should have been able to achieve some cost savings by banding together. Unfortunately, the Massachusetts legislature had passed a law making it illegal to do so. Therefore, in an effort to assist our members with the difficulty of purchasing health insurance for employees, they got in touch with James McSweeny, our guest speaker, whose company, Comprehensive Insurance Providers, Inc., specializes in employee benefits, especially health insurance.
Mr. McSweeney and his staff provide administrative services for COBRA, Cafeteria Plans, review and analysis of current benefits contracts and plan designs, research and presentation of competitive rates at plan inception and renewals, and audits of your insurance bills. McSweeney’s company shops the market on client’s behalf; they charge nothing for consultations, recommendations, planning and implementation for prospective clients. They also offer expertise in other employee benefits including dental, disability, life, long term care and financial services like retirement plans.
You can reach Jim McSweeney on the telephone at 617-354-0866 extension 16, or by e-mail at jimm@askcip.com. Jim or one of his staff will come to your workplace to meet with you and review the demographics of your employees.
The meeting adjourned at 9:10 am.
Membership Meeting held on August 14th, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:05am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone present and thanked Ben Goldfarb from Suffolk Construction for hosting the annual meeting at their new building. Members in attendance introduced themselves, and then representatives from standing committees gave their reports. Dennis Davis and Lara Valentine from the BRA then gave a brief presentation about the Backstreets program.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Mason School:
The Mason School is getting ready to open for back to school. A new school for Kindergarten through 8th grade is now under construction and after it opens may adjust enrollment at the Mason school. If you or your business can help the Mason School this year, please contact Chuck Levin or Susan Sullivan.
Budget & Finance:
Third notices will go out reminding members who have not paid to send in their checks ASAP. Three quarters of the dues have been received. Thank you for your prompt payments.
Contributions:
We have started to receive funding requests and will make recommendations in our report at the next meeting. The State budget cuts are expected to result in an increase in the need for our help by these worthy charities.
Safety:
The problem of drag racing incidents has been brought under control. Panhandlers and solicitors are an ongoing problem that is currently being addressed. The Safety Committee will follow up with the chiefs to focus on these problems. Please report all incidents to Sue Sullivan or Wally Stevens of Slade Gorton Company so that they can follow up with the area Police captains.
Neighborhood Outreach:
Charlie Georgenes reports that the spring clean up has been postponed until later in the fall. If you are able to assist in this effort, please call Charlie at the Victoria Restaurant. Charlie has also gotten the Mayor’s office of neighborhood services to appropriate money for a sign for Clifford Park that will include the Newmarket designation.
Public Affairs:
The Public Affairs committee did a superb job on the arrangements for our annual meeting held on July 16th at the new location of Suffolk Construction. Mayor Menino was the keynote speaker at this special event where he announced that $125,000 has been earmarked for improvement to the newmarket neighborhood.
There were 360 visitors to the website, www.newmarketboston.org during the month of July. The website features a story about Waldo Bros, a Newmarket business adjacent to the site of the MBTA Silverline Bus maintenance facility that is under construction.
There will be no Oktoberfest meeting this year. There will be a major membership push after Labor Day leading up to another big event planned for December.
Issues:
The mapping project by UMass Boston is completed and provides a great tool for meetings. Thank you to the UMass team that produced these useful maps so promptly! We will try to get them in electronic format so that they will be available on the web-site.
House bill # 3630 that deals with the incinerator site has passed the state Senate and it is now on the Governor’s desk. Language in this bill allows the site to be leased by the state for private development. After the bill is signed into law, an RFP will need to be drafted by the BRA and/or DCAM.
The MBTA will be meeting with representatives from Newmarket to discuss possible enhancements to service in our neighborhood. Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan with any comments or suggestions you may have about how the bus service could help your business and your employees and customers!
The easement holders are in the process of creating an entity to buy the Newmarket Parking Triangle. A spirit of cooperation is now in place which should assist in the completion of this transaction.
In September, there will be an inaugural ceremony for Chancellor Gora of UMass Boston. In preparation for this exciting event, newmarket business association representatives were interviewed for a video to be shown during the festivities. Chancellor Gora came and spoke at a Newmarket Business Association meeting and has invited us to take advantage of the expertise available at UMass Boston. Her invitation resulted in the successful mapping project recently completed by UMass Boston; this is the start of a beautiful friendship!
Jack Hughes of UMass Boston has invited Newmarket business human resource managers to get in touch with him about a proposed program to include trends, common problems, development of talent, training, etc. If you know a human resource person who would like to participate, please let Susan Sullivan know.
Murray Communications is a billboard company that is installing a two-sided billboard on the Amtrak site. This is a conditional use under existing zoning. The NBA sent a letter stating no opposition to this proposal.
OLD BUSINESS:
Applications are still available for access to the Ted Williams Tunnel. Call Susan Sullivan if you are interested in an application.
NEW BUSINESS:
Three new members were unanimously voted to join the Newmarket Business Association:
Capital Wood Floor Supply
A-1 Battery & Electric Incorporated
BU School of Dental Medicine.
Dennis Davis, the Deputy Director for Industrial Development of the Boston Redevelopment Authority introduced Lara Valentine (telephone 617 345-0205), the person on his staff assigned as liason to Newmarket as part of the Backstreets program. They gave a brief presentation on the Backstreets program which is designed to assist industry and business development in the City of Boston. Ms. Valentine described her prior background running a family owned business and then described the features of the Backstreets program: 1. District Business Manager as liason and ombudsman for businesses dealing with city agencies. 2. Financial assistance in the form of loans and industrial revenue bonds available. 3. Human resources assistance available through the Jobs and Community Service part of the BRA. 4. Commitment from the top to maintain and enhance business and industry in the City of Boston. Please send a copy of your correspondence with city agencies to Dennis Davis or Lara Valentine to keep the apprised of your issues so they can assist you. Also, please notify the Newmarket Business Association if you encounter problems so we can bring our resources to assist you.
The meeting adjourned at 8:50 am.
Annual
Meeting held in July, 2002
Due to the special program, no minutes were taken.
Membership Meeting held on June 12th, 2002
The
meeting was called to order at 8:05 am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed
everyone present. Members in
attendance introduced themselves. The
minutes from the May 8th meeting were distributed and approved, and then
representatives from standing committees gave their reports
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Mason School:
Principal Janet Palmer-Owens reported that the Mason
School was celebrating its kindergarten graduation today and its last day of
school and fifth grade graduation on next Friday. The Mason School was the only school in the city of Boston to
have no failure of the math MCAS exam. The
Mason School was honored by City Council member Chuck Turner last week.
They received citations for student achievement.
Ms. Palmer-Owens thanked the Newmarket Business Association again for all
of its support and generosity. She
especially thanked Charlie Georgenes of the Victoria Restaurant for once again
hosting the entire fifth grade plus faculty for a lovely dinner.
The dinner was also attended by many Newmarket Business Association
representatives and was an enjoyable learning experience.
During the summer, the Mason School applies for numerous grants to obtain
funding. If you or your business
can help the Mason School, please contact Chuck Levin or Susan Sullivan.
Budget & Finance:
Third notices will go out reminding members who have
not paid to send in their checks ASAP. Thank
you for your prompt payments.
Contributions:
Two donations have been made since the last meeting:
Women’s Hope and Victory Program each received $150 donation.
These programs provide addiction counseling.
Additional donations will probably be announced at the annual meeting on
July 16th.
Aimee Coolidge from the Pine Street Inn spoke to the
membership about the drop in funding by the State Legislature.
She distributed information to use in calling our local representatives
to urge them to reinstate the level of funding of the Pine Street Inn in last
year’s state budget.
Safety:
There was a general discussion of drag racing
incidents. This is a
well-organized, but extremely dangerous, regular event near the Best Western
Roundhouse Suites hotel. The police
have been notified and have responded, but the activity resumes after the police
depart. The drag racers have police
scanners. The Safety Committee will
follow up with the chiefs to focus on this problem. Please report all incidents
to Sue Sullivan or Wally Stevens of Slade Gorton Company so that he can follow
up with the area Police captains.
Neighborhood Outreach:
Charlie Georgenes reports that the spring clean up
has been postponed. If you are able
to assist in this effort, please call Charlie at the Victoria Restaurant.
Charlie is also working on special signs for Clifford Park.
Public Affairs:
The Public Affairs committee is working on the
arrangements for our annual meeting to be held on July 16th at the
new location of Suffolk Construction. Mayor
Menino will be the speaker at this social event.
Notices will be sent out as soon as the arrangements are completed.
Don’t miss it!
Webmaster Bob Patcha has updated our website, www.newmarketboston.org.
The meeting minutes and committee reports are available on-line.
The members page is the most-visited page on the website.
It can be set up to link to your website. If you want to run a full page advertisement that links to
your website, the cost is a very reasonable $200/year. The lead story on the website is about Waldo Brothers and the
Silver Line maintenance facility – log on and check it out!
Issues:
The mapping project by UMass Boston is almost
completed. Thank you to the UMass
team that produced these useful maps so promptly!
We will try to get them in electronic format so that they will be
available on the web-site.
The Bubbles car wash on Southampton Street is under
construction.
The women’s facility of the South Bay House of
Correction is being constructed inside the present facility and not on the
incinerator site where the sign is located.
The Silver Line maintenance facility construction
seems to be delayed, although conflicting information indicates that they are
planning an opening ceremony as originally planned on July 20th.
The MBTA will be meeting with representatives from
Newmarket to discuss possible enhancements to service in our neighborhood.
Please call Joe Cefalo or Susan Sullivan with any comments or suggestions
you may have about how the bus service could help your business and your
employees and customers!
VICTORY! After
years of tenacious effort, especially by Joe Cefalo working with representative
Byron Rushing, the legislation to allow private development of the incinerator
site has passed the Massachusetts House of Representatives and it will now go to
the Senate where state senators Wilkerson and Hart have pledged to support it.
Joe Cefalo will continue to follow up by meeting with the BRA and DCAM to
draft the RFP. If there are no
major problems, the Request For Proposals will probably be available in a year. Thank you Joe Cefalo!
The BRA has notified Newmarket Business Association
of a proposal to build a Courtyard by Marriott Hotel at 33 West Howell Street,
next to the Holiday Inn Express. The
site is currently used for satellite parking by the Boston Medical Center.
The proposal includes a six story building, 164 rooms, 286 parking spaces
and a single story chain restaurant such as Chili’s or Applebee’s.
The site has unresolved access problems.
There will be another public hearing within the next two weeks. The proponents have been invited to appear before the Issues
Committee.
Crosstown Center has announced a July groundbreaking.
Their financing is in place.
OLD BUSINESS:
There will be a lane closure of the Sumner Tunnel on
Saturdays throughout the summer.
Applications are still available for access to the
Ted Williams Tunnel. Call Susan
Sullivan if you are interested in an application.
NEW BUSINESS:
Nstar was invited to be a speaker at this meeting but
was unable to attend. Several
Newmarket Business Association member companies have reported brown outs and
black outs recently. Please report
these incidents to Susan Sullivan and she will arrange for a meeting with a
representative from Nstar to resolve this critical problem.
Power for refrigeration and freezers during the hot weather is especially
critical.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00.
Membership Meeting held on May 8th, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:10am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone present. Members in attendance introduced themselves, new members from the Boston University School of Dental Medicine introduced themselves and were welcomed to the organization, the minutes from the April 10th meeting were distributed and approved, and then representatives from standing committees gave their reports
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Budget &
Finance:
118 member dues have been paid to date. Notices will go out reminding members
who have not paid to send in their checks ASAP.
Contributions:
Four donations have been made since January: South Boston Neighborhood House, National Night Out, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, and the South End Neighborhood Action Program all received contributions. Additional contributions will be recommended after the next meeting of the Contributions Committee.
Aimee Coolidge from the Pine Street Inn spoke to the membership about the drop in funding by the State Legislature. She distributed information to use in calling our local representatives to urge them to reinstate the level of funding of the Pine Street Inn in last year’s state budget.
A Motion was unanimously voted to send letters from the Newmarket Business Association to the Massachusetts Speaker of the House and Senate President in support of reinstating the Pine Street Inn’s funding.
Mason School:
Crystal English reported that the Mason School is one of five finalists for a $500,000 college scholarship program for urban schools. Over one hundred schools competing for this scholarship award was winnowed down to five finalists. Mason School was hosting the visit of the judges at the same time as our meeting, so Ms. English passed along the Principal’s gratitude for all of Newmarket Business Association’s continuing support and especially the efforts of Wally Stevens and Slade Gorton company. They recently hosted the Mason School students on a tour and are developing a new science curriculum.
Safety:
There was a general discussion of incidents happening on the boundary lines that divide Police districts. The Safety Committee will follow up with the chiefs to focus on these areas. Please report all incidents to Sue Sullivan or Wally Stevens of Slade Gorton Company so that he can follow up with the area Police captains.
Public Affairs:
Webmaster Bob Patcha has updated our website, www.newmarketboston.org. The meeting minutes and committee reports are available on-line. The members page is the most-visited page on the website. It can be set up to link to your website. If you want to run a classified advertisement on our website, the members rate is $16/month.
Neighborhood Outreach:
Charlie Georgenes reports that it is spring clean up time again. He will be in touch with the Sheriff’s department to arrange a detail to pick up litter and debris from the embankment, the streets and will also focus on the George Street area as well. Please call Charlie or stop by the Victoria if you can help out.
Central Artery:
Bill Moy announced that the Northbound Frontage Road has been realigned at East Berkeley Street. The Zakim Bridge will be open for walkers on Mother’s Day. Enter near North Station. Bill will try to arrange a Newmarket Business Association tour of the Big Dig.
Issues:
A map has been created showing the layout of the membership in the Newmarket area. Additional maps are under development to assist us in making our case about parking, traffic, infrastructure, etc.
A delegation from the Issues Committee recently met with the leadership of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and Mayor’s staff and shared concerns about the current situation and future impacts on the Newmarket neighborhood. City departments are being very cooperative in formulating plans for solutions to these longterm concerns. A future meeting with Mayor Menino is planned.
Please call Joe Cefalo, Carl Lizio or Sue Sullivan if you have specific suggestions or ideas.
Real Estate Development:
Joel Miller announced that Bubbles Car Wash has submitted plans to the City of go ahead with construction with their plans for 90 Southampton Street.
OLD BUSINESS:
Applications are still available for access to the Ted Williams Tunnel. Call Susan Sullivan if you are interested in an application.
NEW BUSINESS:
Jack Hughes from UMass Boston has proposed setting up a seminar for the Human Resources people at Newmarket Businesses. If there is someone at your company interested in participating, please call Sue Sullivan to sign up.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 am.
Membership Meeting held on April 10th, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:00am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone present. Members in attendance introduced themselves, representatives from standing committees gave their reports, and then there was a discussion about issues in the Newmarket area.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Budget & Finance:
Two thirds of the member’s dues have been received. Second notices are going out next week. Please send in your payment if you have not already done so.
Contributions:
The fundraiser at our March meeting was a great success, raising approximately $12,000, which we will be able to share with our neighbors who need our help. Special thanks to Citizens Bank for allowing us to use their space for the party, and to Susan Sullivan and the many members who volunteered to help out at the event. Thank you to all the members who gave such generous donations. It was a fun evening, with very spirited bidding!
The contributions committee recommends a donation of $500 by the Newmarket Business Association to South Boston Neighborhood House who will be holding their fundraiser in honor of Michael Kinneavy. A motion to authorize this contribution was made, seconded and passed by unanimous vote.
Mason School:
Chuck Levin reported that the Mason School is under severe budgetary pressure, yet continues to deliver outstanding service to its students and their families. The assistance of Newmarket Business Association members, and especially the classroom volunteers from Slade Gorton Company, is very much appreciated.
Safety:
Several incidents have taken place. There is a problem with drag racing, cars have been vandalized and stolen in all areas of our neighborhood, including faculty cars parked at the Mason School. Please report all incidents to Sue Sullivan or Wally Stevens of Slade Gorton Company so that he can follow up with the area Police captains.
Neighborhood Outreach:
Charlie Georgenes reports that it is spring clean up time again. He will be in touch with the Sheriff’s department to arrange a detail to pick up litter and debris from the embankment, the streets and will also focus on the George Street area as well. Please call Charlie or stop by the Victoria if you can help out.
Public Affairs:
Webmaster Bob Patcha has updated our website, www.newmarketboston.org. The meeting minutes and committee reports are available on-line. The members page is the most-visited page on the website. It can be set up to link to your website. If you want to run a classified advertisement on our website, the members rate is $16/month.
Central Artery:
Bill Moy answered questions about the future plans for the on-ramp to the Southeast Expressway on Albany Street, which should improve traffic backing up on Albany Street, when it is completed in 2003. He also answered questions about the plans to allow parking under the viaduct when the project is completed; he expects that there will be an RFP procedure for interested parties to get a chance to use the parking that will be available eventually. He also expects to share any beautification plans with the Newmarket Business Association as the plans are developed.
Issues:
A delegation from the Issues Committee recently met with the leadership of the Boston Redevelopment Authority and shared concerns about the current situation and future impacts on the Newmarket neighborhood. A future meeting with Mayor Menino is planned.
There was a general discussion of various subjects to bring to the Mayor’s attention. It was also suggested that the meeting with the Mayor should include several of the CEO’s of Newmarket Business Association member companies as well as Newmarket Business Association officers.
There will be a meeting of a subcommittee of 6-8 interested members before the meeting with Mayor Menino. Please contact Joe Cefalo at the Boston Flower Exchange if you are interested in being a part of this subcommittee.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 am.
Membership Meeting held on February 13th, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:05am by President Joseph Cefalo who welcomed everyone present. The minutes of the meeting held January 9, 2002 were accepted by unanimous vote. Members in attendance introduced themselves, representatives from standing committees gave their reports, and then the honorable Representative John (Jack) Hart gave a brief presentation.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Budget &
Finance:
Dues notices have been mailed. Please send in your payment.
Contributions:
There was no report at this meeting.
Mason School:
There was no report at this meeting.
Safety:
A few serious incidents took place. Three homicides are being investigated by
the D-2 station. An auto theft was also reported. Please report any incidents
to Wally Stevens or Susan Sullivan.
Neighborhood
Outreach:
The marble and granite company is renovating their building facing Clifford
Park. If you have a position open that may work for a disabled employee, please
call Charles Georgenes who is on the board of the Mass Rehab Commission. They
have successfully placed over 4000 people with disabilities throughout the
state.
Public Affairs:
Webmaster Bob Patcha has updated our website,
www.newmarketboston.org. The meeting minutes and committee reports are
available on-line. The members page is the most-visited page on the website.
It can be set up to link to your website. If you want to run a classified
advertisement on our website, the members rate is $16/month.
The spring fundraiser and networking event will take place on March 20th from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Citizens Bank. The theme will be the Winter Olympics. Auction proceeds from this event fund our non-Mason School charitable contributions throughout the year, so please plan to attend and bid, and please donate items or services to be auctioned. Volunteers needed to help set up and clean up after the party.
Please invite a guest, a potential new member, or an inactive member to come to this Spring event. The evening is always a great party.
Issues:
How much interest is there in the seminar that the issues committee is working
on putting together about Emergency & Contingency Planning for businesses in our
area. This seminar could be designed together with UMass, the Backstreets
Program, and public safety experts. Please tell Carl Lizio what interest you
have in this topic.
The issues committee is also working with Mayor Menino’s Backstreets program and universities to do a comprehensive mapping of the newmarket area. This will be a great tool for future planning for our neighborhood. Newmarket Business Association representatives met with the Boston Redevelopment Authority about the Backstreets program and emphasized that the area’s zoning should be enforced and that we should be informed of all proposed developments.
The Crosstown site is being partially funded with bonds issued by the City of Boston. Boston University has committed to 40% of the 250,000 square feet of office space. B The project also calls for a 650 car parking garage and a 150 room hotel.
There is no change to the status of the triangle site since the December meeting.
The developer of the Public Storage site fenced and cleaned up the site and they will begin construction in the Spring.
There is no change to the status of the incinerator site or its legislation since the last meeting. The redistricting of the state results in our sponsor of this legislation, Byron Rushing, passing the baton to Sal DeMasi, who has indicated that he supports it.
Development of the MBTA Silverline Maintenance facility has been slow due to crowding on the site. With difficulty, the MBTA police and Waldo Bros are trying to continue their operations during the development. We have been promised a letter by the General Manager of the MBTA to Boston Mayor Menino stating that there will be no future expansion of this Southhampton Street facility (the maximum capacity is 77 buses). A meeting with the MBTA is scheduled in March.
OLD BUSINESS:
If your business has seen a large, inexplicable, increase in your electric bills recently, please contact Joe Cefalo. He will try to arrange a meeting with representative from NSTAR to investigate. NSTAR may be installing a new generating station in Newmarket.
NEW BUSINESS: State Senator Elect, The Honorable Representative Jack Hart:
Jack Hart introduced himself as the Newmarket area representative on Beacon Hill. He pledged that the area will be protected for small businesses. He promised to do all he can in the legislature to support the small business community and preserve the jobs our businesses provide. He pledged his support for the incinerator site legislation and he offered to send a member of his staff to attend our monthly meetings. In January, he will no longer be the representative for our area due to the State redistricting. At that time, Diane Wilkerson will become our representative.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 am.
Membership Meeting held on January 9th, 2002
The meeting was called to order at 8:10am by President Joseph Cefalo who wished everyone present a happy new year. Members in attendance introduced themselves, representatives from standing committees gave their reports, and then Bill Moy of the Central Artery/Tunnel project gave a presentation on the final stages of the Big Dig in our neighborhood.
The minutes of the December membership meeting were unanimously approved as submitted.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Budget &
Finance:
Please pay your dues promptly. A
statement of the organization’s income and expenses will be available for
discussion at the February meeting.
Contributions:
Newmarket Business Association donated $345 in cash together with toys to
Mission Safe an organization that provides after school programs to
approximately 150 youth in the Mission Hill Roxbury area. Anne and Nikki from
Missionsafe thanked the Newmarket Business Association membership for the
generous donation.
Mason School:
There was no report at this meeting.
Safety/Neighborhood Outreach:
No incidents to report.
Public Affairs:
Webmaster Bob Patcha has updated our website,
www.newmarketboston.org and it has received over 5,000 hits already this
year. There are links to member businesses and members can also advertise on
the website for only $200/year.
The spring fundraiser and networking event will take place on March 20th from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Citizens Bank. Auction proceeds from this event fund our charitable contributions throughout the year, so please plan to attend and bid, and please donate items or services to be auctioned.
Please invite a guest, a potential new member, or an inactive member to come to this Spring event. The evening is always a great party.
Issues:
The issues committee is working on putting together a seminar on Emergency & Contingency Planning for businesses in our area. This seminar could be designed together with UMass, the Backstreets Program, and public safety experts.
The issues committee is also working with Mayor Menino’s Backstreets program and universities to do a comprehensive mapping of the Newmarket area. This will be a great tool for future planning for our neighborhood.
Representative Jack Hart has accepted an invitation to speak to the membership at the February meeting. He is running for the seat vacated by Steve Lynch.
The Crosstown site is slated to receive seven million dollars in federal empowerment zone funds. Recent newspaper articles identified Crosstown as a likely expansion path for the Longwood medical area.
There is no change to the status of the triangle site since the December meeting.
The Issues Committee is working with the developer of the Public Storage site to get a demolition permit in order to improve the condition of the site until development can begin in the Spring.
There is no change to the status of the incinerator site or its legislation since the last meeting.
Development of the MBTA Silverline Maintenance facility has been slow due to crowding on the site. The MBTA police and Waldo Bros are continuing their operations during the development. We have been promised a letter by the General Manager of the MBTA to Boston Mayor Menino stating that there will be no future expansion of this Southhampton Street facility (the maximum capacity is 77 buses).
NEW BUSINESS:
A benefit of membership is Ted Williams Tunnel access, which was negotiated six
years ago. Newmarket Business Association members do not need to be commuters
to the north shore to use the tunnel. If you would like to take advantage of
this great benefit, please call Sue Sullivan for the paperwork to obtain a
sticker and fastlane transponder.
OLD BUSINESS:
If your business has seen a large, inexplicable, increase in your electric bills
recently, please contact Joe Cefalo. He will try to arrange a meeting with
representative from NSTAR to investigate. NSTAR may be installing a new
generating station in Newmarket.
Cottage Cleaners is continuing the coats and clothing drive. If you have any apparel to donate, especially for children, please drop it off at Cottage Cleaners where they will clean and repair it and donate it to a needy recipient. Al Passaretti has also generously offered to clean and repair without charge any American flags that need it.
BILL MOY – CENTRAL ARTERY/TUNNEL PROJECT UPDATE:
Bill Moy has been the liason from the Central Artery Tunnel project to the Newmarket Business Association. He has been extraordinarily helpful to our members during the course of the Big Dig and he has kept us informed of anticipated changes, especially to truck routes for our businesses.
Bill Moy brought an updated map showing the projected completion dates of major sections of the project. They have sealed the leaks and expect the connection of the Ted Williams Tunnel to the Massachusetts Turnpike to open in fall of 2002. The voids in the Zakim Bridge have been filled and the bridge will open on time. The Mass Ave connector is complete. Lighting stanchions and sidewalks are being put in place. The staging area adjacent to Biosquare and the Boston Flower Market is being cleaned out. They are finishing the northbound frontage road. The Emergency Response Station on Albany Street will be in operation soon; it will be operated by the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (tow trucks, ambulance, etc.) The interim viaduct over Albany Street will be taken down in January of 2003. Traffic from Waltham Street to Albany Street will be permanently blocked due to residents’ complaints.
A contract was signed with a company to do the landscaping design for the Melnea Cass intersection and area one and a half years ago, but they have not yet done a design. The landscape designer will be invited to an Issues Committee meeting to discuss the landscaping in the Newmarket neighborhood.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 am.