‘City Hall To Go’ Truck To Visit the South End Every Month
Boston's "City Hall To Go" truck will begin making regular visits to several city neighborhoods this summer, starting on July 2. The bright red vehicle (which was originally a Boston Police Department SWAT vehicle) provides a range o South End Patch News
‘City Hall To Go’ Truck To Visit the South End Every Month
Boston’s “City Hall To Go” truck will begin making regular visits to several city neighborhoods this summer, starting on July 2. The bright red vehicle (which was originally a Boston Police Department SWAT vehicle) provides a range of city services, including the ability to pay or dispute parking tickets; request birth, death or marriage certificates; and pay property and excise taxes—all available right in Boston’s residential communities so constituents don’t have to go all the way to City Hall. In July, the truck will begin a regular rotation, visiting neighborhoods on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and available upon request on Fridays and Saturdays for special events, block parties and street festivals, according to a press release from the Mayor’s Office. The truck will be open weeknights until 7 p.m. and Saturdays until 5 p.m. The “City Hall To Go” truck will be in the South End on the first Wednesday of every month at 4 p.m. beginning July 3rd. On the fourth Tuesday of every month, residents can submit their preferred location for the truck that day via Twitter to @CityHallToGo. The most popular location will be announced on Twitter, and the vehicle will arrive there at 12:30 p.m. The truck will also host bilingual nights in certain Boston neighborhoods throughout the month, according to the Mayor’s Office. The “City Hall To Go” truck program was launched in December 2012 and since then, following a citizen’s survey, the city has added new services to the menu, including an opportunity to sign up for Renew Boston’s home energy audits and weatherization. The new menu also allows residents to request raffle applications and to submit claims to the city clerk, according to the Mayor’s Office. The full menu of offerings can be viewed online at cityofboston.gov/cityhalltogo. Below is a full list of locations scheduled for each month, beginning July 2. Locations are subject to change—for the most up-to-date information, follow @CityHallToGo on Twitter or call 617-635-4500. Allston—First Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. Back Bay—Third Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. Bay Village—Third Thursday, 12:30 p.m. Beacon Hill—Fourth Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. Brighton—First Tuesday, 4 p.m. Charlestown—Third Wednesday, 4 p.m. Chinatown—Third Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. Dorchester—Fourth Wednesday, 4 p.m. Dorchester (mid-Dorchester)—Second Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. East Boston—Fourth Thursday, 4 p.m. Egleston Square—Second Thursday, 12:30 p.m. Fenway—Second Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. Hyde Park—Third Thursday, 4 p.m. Jamaica Plain—First Thursday, 4 p.m. Mattapan—Second Wednesday, 4 p.m. Mission Hill—First Thursday, 12:30 p.m. North End—Fourth Thursday, 12:30 p.m. Roslindale—Fourth Tuesday, 4 p.m. Roxbury—Second Tuesday, 4 p.m. South Boston—Third Tuesday, 4 p.m. South Boston Waterfront—First Wednesday, 4 p.m. South End—First Wednesday, 12:30 p.m. West Roxbury—Second Thursday, 4 […]
How Can We Make Every Day Earth Day? (Sponsored)
Very few events are celebrated around the globe, but Earth Day is. This year, it’s come and gone. But we’re here to ask: What can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? On May 31st, Sony will release After Earth, an action-packed movie that takes place 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity to leave. It’s the kind of scenario that makes you want to donate to Greenpeace, recycle everything, and start biking every where, immediately. So, in honor of Earth Day, Patch has teamed up with Sony to present these ideas for making every day Earth Day. How can we make every day Earth Day? Begin with little things. Easy things. Obvious things. Things we take for granted each day, and use and/or abuse because of our lack of knowledge. Let’s start there. Remember that children learn from what we do. There are some wonderful family activities you can do together while learning about the environment. Make a “to do” list and make it fun! Do as many hands-on projects as you can each day to help save the earth in little ways. Have the children keep a chart or journal about everything they do. Here are some suggestions: Indoors: Learn more about the earth with your kids – surf the web, read books, magazines, and newspapers. Conserve energy and save water by letting children find (and a parent fix) dripping faucets; only running the dishwasher when full; taking short showers; turning the water off while brushing your teeth; turning off electrical items when not in use; doing full loads of laundry only. Recycle cans, bottles and newspapers. Outdoors: Plant a tree. Plant a garden. Clean up roadside litter. Create a habitat by putting up a birdhouse. Build a compost for food scraps, leaves and lawn clippings. Save rainwater and reuse for outdoor gardens. At School: Urge teachers and administrators to do activities for Earth Day and every day. Suggest ideas for projects: write poetry; create environmentally-themed music; have an environmental poster contest. Check to see which sources of electricity you can conserve in your school (electric pencil sharpener, lights on in rooms not used, etc.) and keep a chart about how many ways you saved energy. At Work: Make a company Earth Day resolutions list. Conserve paper and electricity. Close shades in the summer to prevent high heat in offices. Don’t use air conditioning all the time. Recycle cans, bottles and newspapers at the office. While Traveling: Visit parks and nature centers. Visit a maritime museum. While on a drive, have children count how many things might be […]
Every Day is Earth Day: Plant the Seeds, Inspire Children
Earth Day was on April 22, and was celebrated across the entire world. What can we do to show our love of the earth on that day, and every day? Love begins in the home and so does the love for our earth. If you teach your children to respect the earth on every level, they will continue to realize the global impact of environmentalism when they become adults. This is important for the sustainability of life as we know it. Perhaps we can set off that spark in a child, making them want to learn more about the process and do more to help. If we’ve done our part, they might strive to become an environmentalist—professionally or at heart. Inspire children, plant the seeds early on, and they will flourish. We all strive to do “acts of kindness” for our neighbors, to cement better relations locally or worldwide—but perhaps we also need to do “acts of environmental kindness” too, to save our planet. On Earth Day, we celebrate what the earth gives us—the air we breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, the trees we use for timber, paper, furniture, and to build our homes. We think about the plants and animals with whom we share the earth. Where do we begin in this teaching process (which we know is a learning process for adults, too) of how to preserve all that we love? Begin with little things. Easy things. Obvious things. Things we take for granted each day, and use and/or abuse because of our lack of knowledge. Let’s start there. Remember that children learn from what we do. There are some wonderful family activities you can do together while learning about the environment. Make a “to do” list and make it fun! Do as many hands-on projects as you can each day to help save the earth in little ways. Have the children keep a chart or journal about everything they do. Here are some suggestions: Indoors: Read books, magazines, websites and newspapers and learn more about the earth. Conserve energy and save water by letting children find (and a parent fix) dripping faucets; only running the dishwasher when full; taking short showers; turning the water off while brushing your teeth; turning off electrical items when not in use; doing full loads of laundry only. Recycle cans, bottles and newspapers. Outdoors: Plant a tree. Plant a garden. Clean up roadside litter. Create a habitat by putting up a birdhouse. Build a compost for food scraps, leaves and lawn clippings. Save rainwater and reuse for outdoor gardens. At School: Urge teachers and […]