All Discussions Tagged 'Foods' - Neighbors for Neighbors2024-03-29T01:13:35Zhttp://neighborsforneighbors.org/forum/topic/listForTag?tag=Foods&feed=yes&xn_auth=noAdult Cat Adoptathon This Weekendtag:neighborsforneighbors.org,2012-06-22:1171189:Topic:906632012-06-22T21:29:11.662ZGretchen Van Nesshttp://neighborsforneighbors.org/profile/GretchenVanNess
<p>Every June, the MSPCA-Angell reduces the adoption fee for adult cats. If you have been thinking about adding a cat (or two) to your household, now is the time to do it! Here's the boston.com story that features some of the pretty great cats that are available:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.boston.com/community/pets/galleries/adult_cats_to_adopt/?p1=Well_Community_links">http://www.boston.com/community/pets/galleries/adult_cats_to_adopt/?p1=Well_Community_links</a></p>
<p>There's also…</p>
<p>Every June, the MSPCA-Angell reduces the adoption fee for adult cats. If you have been thinking about adding a cat (or two) to your household, now is the time to do it! Here's the boston.com story that features some of the pretty great cats that are available:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.boston.com/community/pets/galleries/adult_cats_to_adopt/?p1=Well_Community_links">http://www.boston.com/community/pets/galleries/adult_cats_to_adopt/?p1=Well_Community_links</a></p>
<p>There's also information on the MSPCA's Facebook page:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/#">http://www.facebook.com/#</a>!/mspcaangell</p>
<p>Check it out and please help spread the word!</p>
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<p>PS: If you can't adopt a cat, consider doing your grocery shopping at the Whole Foods in JP or Symphony on Tuesday, 6/28. 5% of the two store's profits for that day will be donated to the MSPCA-Angell.</p> no confidence in JPNC, ad hoc committee on Whole Foodstag:neighborsforneighbors.org,2011-06-07:1171189:Topic:745382011-06-07T03:14:02.271ZErica Bialhttp://neighborsforneighbors.org/profile/EricaBial
<p><span>Jamaica Plain, MA</span></p>
<p>June 6, 2011</p>
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<p><span>An open letter to the JPNC, its Whole Foods Ad Hoc Committee, </span>neighbors and friends: </p>
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<p><span>I am writing to you to formally resign as a member of the JPNC’s special Ad Hoc committee regarding Whole Foods and the future Whole Foods site, previously the Hi-Lo grocery story in Hyde Square. My reasons for this relate to serious flaws with the process, intent, and lack of…</span></p>
<p><span>Jamaica Plain, MA</span></p>
<p>June 6, 2011</p>
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<p><span>An open letter to the JPNC, its Whole Foods Ad Hoc Committee, </span>neighbors and friends: </p>
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<p><span>I am writing to you to formally resign as a member of the JPNC’s special Ad Hoc committee regarding Whole Foods and the future Whole Foods site, previously the Hi-Lo grocery story in Hyde Square. My reasons for this relate to serious flaws with the process, intent, and lack of transparency of both the JPNC and this committee.</span></p>
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<p><span>I have been a longtime resident and homeowner in Hyde Square, and have been privileged to participate in many community discussions during my time here. They have typically been mature, tolerant, and based in reality. I was excited that, in these currently troubled financial times, a business of Whole Foods’ calibre would be opening in a previously derelict location nearby to my home, bringing jobs, commerce, access to quality food, and further economic diversity to our community. </span></p>
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<p><span>With this in mind, in good faith, I volunteered as a member of the JPNC’s ad hoc committee. I had anticipated an open and honest dialogue about the betterment of Jamaica Plain, through an equitable and reasonable process, with clear goals and anticipated outcomes. I had hoped that the JPNC in general, and the Ad Hoc committee in specific, would be a venue for productive as well as representative conversation by members of the Hyde Square community on all sides of this issue. </span>However, the makeup of the Ad Hoc committee consists of several members who do not legitimately reside or necessarily work within JP. The membership is strongly skewed against those who might define themselves as “pro Whole Foods.” Members of the community who were not appointed to the committee were nonetheless permitted, and even encouraged, to not only attend meetings, but actively participate in and dominate not only the dialogue but also the document being generated by the Ad Hoc committee. Ultimately, I question the legitimacy of the intended charge of the committee (which was never clearly articulated <i>a priori</i>), the committee’s membership, and the controlling participation of several JPNC members on the committee. </p>
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<p><span>Within the early meetings of the committee, it became apparent that the goal for the Ad Hoc committee set by the JPNC was to generate a “researched” document to be presented by the JPNC as a means of assessing the current relevant state of our community as well as the possible impacts and future of the proposed Whole Foods on Centre street. Despite seemingly articulate goals, in actuality, these meetings rapidly devolved into jockeying for attention by various community factions, and dissenting opinions were frequently and aggressively squashed. It is my feeling and disappointment that the lack of clear process yielded a degree of chaos that was unable to foster compromise, let alone solutions. I observed pro-Whole Foods community members’ ideas and concerns be treated in a dismissive manner by the majority of the committee (both JPNC and non-JPNC members). </span></p>
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<p><span>Ultimately, I feel that I cannot participate in a group that cannot articulate a purpose and intent and be transparent with the community about that purpose. I have grave concerns about affiliating myself with a group that cannot equitably behave and define itself and its goals. The sole tangible outcome of the work of the committee, at this time, appears to center on obtaining an aggressive beneficial community benefits package from Whole Foods, with a particular focus on placating noisy special interest groups that do not, in fact, represent what I believe is the majority in JP. This is not an action that has been uniformly applied to businesses (or businesses of a certain size) in Jamaica Plain. While surely any new large-scale business in JP will present legitimate concerns (such as traffic, pollution, waste management, ethical treatment of employees, etc.), these have not been the issues addressed. I do not believe that it is under the purview of the neighborhood council to intercalate itself into a private, legal, and binding business transaction to this extent. </span></p>
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<p><span>There are many possible futures, and concerns about those possible changes (such as affordable housing, cultural sensitivity, content of our food supply, etc.) are worthy of respectful discussion. However, at this time the conversation about Whole Foods has devolved into prophecies regarding social class, race, and constantly shifting demographics in the urban environment in which we live, and deviated dramatically from those issues that we might be able to investigate and solve about a single store.</span></p>
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<p><span>In good conscience, I cannot participate in the generation of the JPNC’s ad hoc committee’s actions, and I do not support or endorse the process, intent, or product of the committee.</span></p>
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<p><span>Sincerely yours, </span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
<p><span>Erica Bial, M.D. M.P.H.</span></p>
<p><span>Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain</span></p>
<p><span> </span></p>
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<p><span> </span></p> JPNC seeking community members to join Whole Foods ad hoc committeetag:neighborsforneighbors.org,2011-04-08:1171189:Topic:691752011-04-08T13:09:41.029ZDave Demerjianhttp://neighborsforneighbors.org/profile/DaveDemerjian
<div><div><p>The next meeting of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council’s Whole Foods ad hoc committee will take place Tuesday, April 12 at 7 PM at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=92+Green+STreet+jamaica+plain+ma+02130&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.472848,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=92+Green+St,+Massachusetts+02130&ll=42.313608,-71.104175&spn=0.001849,0.004823&t=h&z=18">Bowditch School, 92…</a></p>
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<div><div><p>The next meeting of the Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council’s Whole Foods ad hoc committee will take place Tuesday, April 12 at 7 PM at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=92+Green+STreet+jamaica+plain+ma+02130&aq=&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.472848,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=92+Green+St,+Massachusetts+02130&ll=42.313608,-71.104175&spn=0.001849,0.004823&t=h&z=18">Bowditch School, 92 Green Street</a>. In addition to up to five JP Neighborhood Council members, up to 10 community residents may join the committee. If interested, email us at info.jpnc@gmail.com, or come to the committee’s April 12 meeting.</p>
<p>Below is a letter from Chair Steve Laferriere explaining the committee’s charge and next steps:</p>
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<div id="article_template"><div><blockquote><p>As chair of the new Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council Ad-Hoc Whole Foods Committee, I would like to inform you about what the Committee will be doing and invite your continued participation.</p>
<p>As many people are aware, after hosting two community forums, receiving numerous emails and website comments, and debating at a special meeting on March 8, the <a rel="nofollow" href="http://jamaicaplain.patch.com/articles/jamaica-plain-neighborhood-council-votes-that-whole-foods-is-not-a-good-fit-for-hyde-square">JPNC voted 9-8 to approve a motion</a> stating in part that “based on what we know now, we are concerned that Whole Foods is not a good fit for Hyde Square. The JPNC concurrently passed a motion to form an Ad-hoc Committee to continue to continue to gather information and to reflect the community’s voice about this important issue.</p>
<p>On Tuesday, March 29, the JPNC <a rel="nofollow" href="http://jamaicaplain.patch.com/articles/jamaica-plain-neighborhood-council-takes-second-whole-foods-vote">approved the following charge</a> for its Ad-hoc Whole Foods Committee:</p>
<ol>
<li>To build off the community input the JPNC has received to date and the community input the Council continues to solicit and receive, to come up with a list of questions and concerns about the future of 415 Centre, and to explore with the community how these concerns may be addressed by the community, Whole Foods, Knapp Foods, and any other relevant actors.</li>
<li>To generate (based on community input, historical research, research of similar situations in other neighborhoods and communities, suggestions from elected officials, and other appropriate sources) a report containing a prioritized summary of potential responses to community concerns and/or community benefits for each of the following scenarios: (1) a Whole Foods Market in the 415 Centre Street space, and (2) such other scenario(s) as the Committee may deem likely and/or feasible. Such report shall be made to the full Council at its May 2011 meeting.</li>
<li>To consider in what ways the JPNC may appropriately and effectively follow up on our resolution from February’s meeting and address concerns about vacant spaces, including expressing that we are open to suggestions from public, private, or non-profit entities as to how we could be helpful in exploring alternative uses of the 415 Centre St. site.</li>
<li>To plan, organize, and implement any necessary meetings between Whole Foods representatives and the JPNC, including open community meetings.</li>
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<p>This mandate reflects the Council’s commitment to move from the intense debate that has occurred to find common ground and explore a community vision for the type of development we want to encourage in our neighborhood. We’ve heard many arguments from both supporters of Whole Foods and those opposed to it. Now is the time take the concerns we’ve heard, whether about gentrification, investment in our community, jobs, or vacant retail space, and seek to generate solutions for the space at 415 Centre St., whether that space becomes a Whole Foods Market or something else.</p>
<p>We are looking for energetic and creative people who are interested in serving on this committee and working hard over a short period of time to find innovative solutions to bring people together and create an outcome for 415 Centre St. that a majority of our community can feel good about. If you are interested in being a part of this committee, please do one of two things: 1) send an email to us at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://mce_host/%22mailto:info.jpnc@gmail.com">info.jpnc@gmail.com</a> stating that you’d like to be on this committee or 2) attend the committee’s next meeting on Tuesday, April 12 at 7:00 PM at the Bowditch School at 82 Green St. Council members appointed to the Committee will formalize community members’ participation early in the meeting, so please be sure to be on-time! Our by-laws permit Council committees to have up to five Council members and up to 10 additional voting community members.</p>
<p>Based on the mandate above, we expect the specific tasks committee members may take on to include research and writing, outreach to local business owners, planning of meetings, liaison between the Council and the city and principal parties on conditions and requirements for occupancy of the space, and continued coordination with the JPNC.</p>
<p>The debate around this issue is an opportunity for all of us to talk about what makes Jamaica Plain a wonderful community and to create a positive vision for the 415 Centre St. space. Thank you to all those who have participated in this process so far, and I look forward to working with you all to continue to improve this place that we love so much.</p>
<p><strong>Steve Laferriere</strong></p>
<p><strong>Gartland Street</strong></p>
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