Neighbors,

By most accounts, it's going to snow a lot on Friday and Saturday - 18 to 24 inches. 

Here are the top 10 questions to ask yourself and your neighbors before the storm:

1. Do we have enough food and water to last three day?
2. Do we have have working flashlights and extra batteries?
3. Do we have all the medications we need?
4. Do we have enough heating fuel?
5. Are our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors working?
6. Does my…

Neighbors,

A massive snow storm is expected to hit Boston this Friday and dump 1 to 2 feet of snow!

While snow storms can be fun, they can also cause a lot hardship for our elderly, disabled, and sick neighbors as snow makes it very difficult to for them to get basics such as food, medicine, and getting around town.

Utilizing…

On Saturday, the area will host Urban Shield: Boston, a 24-hour training exercise that simulates large-scale public safety incidents in the metro-Boston area.  Urban Shield: Boston will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and conclude at 8 a.m. Sunday. It will include personnel from the City of Boston, (including Boston Police, Fire, and EMS) Metro-Boston Homeland Security Region, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), the Conference of…

TOP 5 SAFETY TIPS TO KNOW AND SHARE:

1. Power lines: When returning home, walk around outside first; check for downed power lines, gas leaks and structural damage. Do not enter if you smell gas.

2. Water safety: Listen to local officials for reports if water is safe to drink/safe to use to prepare food. …

Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall by early evening near the New Jersey-Delaware border. Forecasts from the …

Originally posted on CityofBoston.gov:

• Boston Public Schools: Closed on Monday October 29, 2012   
• Boston City Hall: Open for essential employees only. Non-essential employees are asked to stay home. 
• Community Centers: Curtis Hall, Hyde Park, Paris Street and Tobin are open Monday October 29, 2012 from 7:30AM-6PM. Other BCYF centers will open…

WASHINGTON - At the direction of President Obama, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is coordinating the federal government's assistance and preparations to support states affected by Hurricane Sandy. Today, the President joined an operations briefing at the National Response Coordination Center at FEMA Headquarters in Washington D.C. During the briefing the President received an update on preparedness activities underway from Administrator Craig Fugate and FEMA Regional…

Source http://www.ready.gov/hurricanes

Before a Hurricane

To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:

• To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Know your surroundings.
• Learn…

If you don't please make time to get them before Sandy arrives. 

Mayor Thomas M. Menino today announced preparedness plans for the City of Boston to deal with potential impacts of Hurricane Sandy. The high-impact storm is expected to reach Boston late Sunday, bringing heavy rain and hurricane-force winds, with the brunt of the storm arriving late Monday evening and into Tuesday morning. While City departments are taking measures to prepare for Sandy’s arrival, Mayor Menino reminds residents to take precautions and use common sense to stay safe throughout…

Neighbors,

Yesterday evening the second earthquake in 14 months hit the East Coast in Maine. 

Did you drop, cover, and hold? Probably not.During and earthquake it's the most important thing you can do to protect yourself. 

It turns out that tomorrow is the Great Shakehout earthquake drill. Join more than 13 million people nationwide - Register here!…

Neighbors,

I left Boston last September to move to Washington DC. It was not an easy choice, but I was presented with an awesome opportunity to bring my neighbor-centric approach to how the Federal Government engages and empowers citizens. It was an honor I could not pass up!

One my major projects involves developing the engagement, outreach, and community management strategy for FEMA's National Preparedness Online Community -…

BOSTON – Mosquito pools in Back Bay/Fens and South Dorchester have tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV), the Boston Public Health Commission reported today. In July, positive samples were found in mosquito pools in East Boston, North Dorchester, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and West Roxbury. In June, a positive mosquito pool was found in Roslindale. There have still been no confirmed human cases of WNV in Boston this year.

“As we have…

It's gonna get hot - please take care of yourselves and your neighbors. See the advisory.

DO:

• Drink lots of water and stay hydrated 
• Check on elderly persons and sick neighbors
• Rest often in shady areas

DON'T:

• Underestimate the seriousness of heat-related emergencies!
• Drink alcoholic or caffeinated…

At work, I've been exploring cool tools to help transform raw data into actionable information. 

I used TagCloud.com to visualize where our members live and how long they've live there.

As you can see the majority of members live in Jamaica Plain, followed by Roslindale, and then Charlestown. Note this data was is pulled from when members first signed up - and people move around.…

Neighbors,

Thanks to you, we have exceeded our fundraising goal. In total, we raised $660.00. NeighborsForNeighbors.org will remain online for another year!

So what's next?

Look for an email from me in the coming weeks with my thoughts about the potential roles we can play  as a network in the future.

What I will need from you is your input on what you think we should do next based what matters most to you, what is needed, and where we can…

Neighbors,



It costs $600.00 a year to keep this network online. The bill for 2012 year is due on April 12, 2012. 

Please make a secure tax-deductible donation now!

• $2 pays for one day
• $12 pays for one week
• $48 pays for one month…

Hey neighbors,

I miss you guys a lot, and DC is treated me well so far. I enjoy the 6 block commute as apposed to the relentless flights to DC. I've made some new friends and am definitely enjoying the warm weather, still....

I'm posting because I thought you might be interested a live stream I am hosting on Thursday at 12:30 pm on GovLoop.com with the folks from Challenge.gov. Challenge.gov is a place where "we the people"…

Similar to local Emergency Alert System tests, this test is scheduled for November 9, 2011

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The national test will occur on Wednesday, November 9 at 9 a.m.…

A press release I received this morning:

Jamaica Plain, Mass., (October 31, 2011) – Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM), the world’s leading natural and organic supermarket and America’s first national certified organic grocer, opened the doors of the newest location, in Jamaica Plain, today. 

The store, which spans more than 13,700 square feet and employs 104 full and part time team members will offer the Jamaica Plain community access to the freshest and…