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| Small Businesses in JP Work Together | | | In the midst of the worst economic environment in recent memory, merchants and small business owners in Jamaica Plain are coming together to discuss common problems and develop solutions.
This initiative grew out of the JP Neighborhood Summit on Building an Equitable Community, organized by the JPNDC in May 2008. Since then, the worsening economy has only made it more urgent. "At the Summit, we heard many stories about how small businesses were feeling pressure, especially from rising rents," said community activist and co-owner Kathie Mainzer of the Bella Luna Restaurant and Milky Way Lounge. "The small bus inesses in JP contribute so much to the neighborhood-from revitalizing abandoned street corners to supporting local organizations-so we thought it made sense to get together and discuss these issues as a group." Organizers from the JPNDC convened a series of meetings to hear directly from business owners. More than 55 individuals, representing over 30 small businesses, have attended organizing meetings that were co-sponsored by the JP Business & Professional Association, Egleston Square Merchant Association, Hyde/Jackson Business Association, JP Centre/South Main Streets, Egleston Square Main Street, and Hyde/Jackson Square Main Street.
Affordable rent, public safety and cooperative marketing are the three priorities to emerge from these discussions. In the weeks and months ahead, organizers and merchants will work together to address these concerns.
The meetings have also given merchants the opportunity to speak directly to City and State officials including Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, State Representati ve Jeffrey Sanchez, and City Councilor John Tobin. At a recent gathering, representatives from the Department of Neighborhood Development announced the Boston Buying Power program that allows businesses to participate in a group buying plan for energy to reduce costs, increase energy efficiency, and lock-in rates. For more information or to get involved, contact Kyle Robidoux at the JPNDC: 617-522-2424 ext. 279 or krobidoux@jpndc.org. | |
| Celebrating Afford able Housing and Neighborhood Heroes | | | "We developed the Angela Westover House with the idea that it would be a model for congregate elderly housing," recalls Barbara Kaplan, a long-time advocate for affordable housing and former executive director of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation.
"At that time, there were a lot of nursing homes in Jamaica Plain based in old Victorian homes. The regulations changed and many of them had to close. So we convinced the people at HUD to allow us to redevelop one." Although the building never became a model for other residences, it did win awards for architectural design. More important, it has provided a home in the community to seniors for more than 25 years. Today, the Angela Westover House offers dignity, independence, and security to eleven people who would be dangerously isolated if they lived alone. Mrs. Westover was a local resident who was actively involved in research and outreach to seniors. She died during construction and the building was named in her honor. Last summer, her childr en attended an anniversary celebration and were pleased with the community that has developed in the home on Parley Avenue. The JPNDC celebrated another anniversary last summer at the Nate Smith House. Ten years ago, this building at the corner of Lamartine and Paul Gore Streets opened on the site of one of Boston's most notorious properties. Thanks to the persistence of tenants, neighbors, City Life/Vida Urbana, and other JP agencies, the JPNDC was able to acquire the site from a bankruptcy trustee and redevelop it as 45 affordable apartments with on-site social services. Today, many residents of the Nate Smith House are active in voter mobilization and other advocacy campaigns, living up to the memory of the beloved activist Nate Smith. Since it was founded in 1977, the JPNDC has created 480 affordable homes for families and seniors in Jamaica Plain, helping to keep our community stable and inclusive. |
| | "I learned to value myself..." | | | | Working with neighborhood organizations has been "a huge benefit to me because I don't know what would have happened in Jamaica Plain if it weren't for these organizations," says community activist Ramona Gonzalez. "There were more drugs and a lot of vandalism. Jamaica Plain was ugly. Abandoned houses everywhere. It has been a tremendous change." A longtime JP resident, Gonzalez has been a leader in several organizations including the JPNDC, the Hyde Square Task Force and City Life/Vida Urbana. But it was a personal housing crisis-and the response of community organizers-that sparked her activism. The problem began when a new owner took over her building. "He wanted to renovate everything and raise the rents," she recalls. Organizer s from City Life/Vida Urbana visited the building and met with residents. "They came to my house and they said, 'Look, this is going to happen and we can help you.' And you know how it starts from there." Gonzalez emerged as a leader in the fight for better conditions in her building, organizing meetings and speaking at rallies. Eventually, she left the building and moved into affordable co-op housing, but she remained active in community affairs, including the struggle to build the Nate Smith House on Lamartine Street (see related story). Asked how her life has changed because of her involvement in community organizing in Jamaica Plain, Gonzalez said, "I learned to value myself, first. And how to deal with the people. How to engage each person. It's a whole world because there are so many different people and languages. It's a little difficult, but you adapt. You need to know how to struggle with the people." | |
