Hubway Passes 1 Million Rides
Boston’s bicycle share service has been in operation since July 2011. South End Patch News
Hubway Closes in on 1 Million Rides
By: Bret Silverberg With the reach of Boston's bicycle share system growing this year, Hubway is on track to soon cross the 1 million ride threshold South End Patch News
One Fund Boston Gives $60 Million to 232 People
By: David Ertischek The One Fund Boston began distributing more than $ 60 million to all 232 eligible Boston Marathon victim claimants on Saturday, as planned. Fund South End Patch News
Families of Marathon Bombing Victims Could Receive $1 Million Each
One Fund Boston administrator Kenneth Feinberg led a Town Hall meeting on Monday to discuss how funds will be distributed to victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. Feinberg, who helped distribute the private funds for victims of 9/11, the Aurora, CO theater shooting and the Virginia Tech shooting, said the final protocol for fund distribution will be completed by May 15. The One Fund Boston currently has $ 28 million pledged, with $ 11 million in cash, Feinberg said in a publicly broadcast meeting from the Copley Public Library. Feinberg reiterated that it was possible the families of the four victims could be given a million dollars. Initial protocol listed different levels of compensation for double and single amputees. “Whatever we do with this fund is inadequate. Lower your expectations of this fund. If you had a billion you wouldn’t have enough money to … compensate people,” Feinberg said. Claims will be accepted from May 15 to June 15. From June 16 to the end of June, Feinberg and his six assistants will determine who is eligible. “Actual checks will go out to people who have proven claims on June 30,” Feinberg said. In attendance Monday were members of the Massachusetts Bar Association offering free legal advice to those seeking claims. Feinberg said emergency funds will be granted to claimants for initial claims, while victims provide things such as doctor bills to bring their claim up to protocol. Feinberg said there have already been “a couple 100” claims submitted through the OneFundBoston site. Individuals can also call 855-617-3683 (FUND) for more information. On June 30, an independent audit will begin to look at how much money was received and how much was given out. The audit will be made public. How much money was individually given and to whom will not be made public, he said. “The fund will continue. I’m sure there will be more money after June 30 that will come into the fund,” Feinberg said. A second town hall meeting was to take place on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. at the Copley Library and was available by webcast. Feinberg held an open discussion on the protocol for victims to receive money, but he stated his missive clearly. “The mayor has been clear. The mayor has been clear. Get the money out. Our mission at One Fund Boston is to get you your money,” he said. South End Patch
Report: Boston Economy May Have Lost $250 Million Plus from Lockdown
How much does it cost to shut down a city for an entire day? Bloomberg Business Week reports that price tag is somewhere in the range of $ 250 million to $ 333 million, citing a chief economist at IHS Global Insight. The citywide shelter-in-place order was lifted shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, about 10 hours after the police lockdown was extended to the entire city of Boston. As of 6:30 p.m., police continued to search for the remaining at-large suspect in Monday’s bombing at the Boston Marathon finish line, with heavy activity continuing in the greater Boston community of Watertown. The suspect was identified by authorities as 19-year-old Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev. While some businesses remained open during the lockdown, many didn’t open at all or closed early, sending employees home several hours after the shelter-in-place was issued, once government officials announced it was OK to leave for home. Dunkin’ Donuts shops in certain areas of the city remained open during the lockdown per direction from the city, the Huffington Post reported. Karen Raskopf, chief communications officer for Dunkin’ Brands, told the news site that the restaurants were asked to remain open “to take care of needs of law enforcement and first responders.” Business Week reports that the Boston metro area is a “$ 1-billion-a-day metropolitan area,” but that some of that economic activity could continue under a lockdown with the aid of telecommuting and technology. Other activities, such as grocery shopping, are simply shifted to another day. But even with some business in the city lost because of the lockdown, the economic expert said he did not expect the event to have a lasting effect on Boston’s economy. He pointed to New York City and Washington, D.C., both of which were able to recover relatively quickly following the attacks on 9/11. South End Patch
City Taps Out $17.8 Million Budget for Snow Removal
Before this most recent storm had even started, the city had overspent its $ 17.8 million snow removal budget, with costs so far coming in at $ 18.1 million. However, that’s not to say the city can’t continue to clean up after snowstorms, according to the city’s chief financial officer, Meredith Weenick. Weenick said that the city’s $ 2.5 billion budget should be able to take on the extra costs of this year’s snow removal through surpluses in other areas. “It all falls to the bottom line,” Weenick said. “Over the course of the year, we watch the budget, and based on my projections, I feel confident that the known surpluses will cover the projected deficits, and even the potential for the next storm,” she said. The $ 18.1 million overall winter of 2013 total roughly breaks down into: $ 2.7 million spent before the Blizzard of 2013 $ 13 million spent on the blizzard itself, with $ 7 million on plowing and $ 5 million on snow removal $ 2.6 million on March 8th storm Weenick said that in terms of city spending on snow removal, the city views snow plowing a public safety issue. “We’re going to do our job on every storm, the ones that have passed and the ones that will come, because that’s an important service to the people of Boston,” she said. “We will accommodate whatever that requires within the means of our budget.” SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch
What Sold in the South End: Upton Street Condo for $1.3 Million
Realtors & Homeowners: Add your photos of recently sold homes to this gallery! It’s easy—just sign into your Patch account (or sign into Patch using your Facebook account). Click the “Upload Photos & Videos” button below the photos and follow the directions. The property’s address, sale price, listing agent and other details can be included in the photo’s caption. Below is a sampling of five home sales this week. Look at the photo gallery or the easy-to-scan chart below. Don’t forget to check out our Real Estate section. Neighborhood Address Details Sale Price List Price Listing Agent Charlestown 60 Mystic St #1 Condo, 2 Beds/1.5 Baths, 1111 sq. ft. $ 449,000 $ 449,000 Keller Williams Realty International – Boston – Charlestown, The Jane Reitz Team North End 65 East India Row #38D Condo, 1 Bed/1 Bath, 757 sq. ft. $ 515,000 $ 565,000 Meridian Realty Group, Amy Bofman Beacon Hill 21 Lime St Single Family, 3 Beds/4 Baths, 2675 sq. ft. $ 1,975,000 $ 2,475,000 Brewster & Berkowitz R. E., Sally T. Brewster Back Bay 100 Belvidere Street #8 B/C Condo, 3 Beds/2.5 Baths, 2842 sq. ft $ 3,705,000 $ 3,695,000 Otis & Ahearn – Newbury St, Elisha Pierce South End 16 Upton St #4 Condo, 3 Beds/2.5 Baths, 1831 sq. ft. $ 1,300,000 $ 1,395,000 Keller Williams Realty International – Boston – South End, Linda Ciborowski “Sold!” is a weekly column featuring the latest real estate sales in and around Boston. Photos and information compiled using MLS data, courtesy of Century 21 North Shore and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. SOUTH END PATCH: Facebook | Twitter | E-mail Updates South End Patch