A federal judge this week sentenced Priya Bhambi of Brookline to 46 months in federal prison and allowed the government to seize numerous assets in a bid to recoup the more than $2.5 million she admitted embezzling from Takeda Pharmaceuticals of Lexington, where she worked as a senior technology executive Read more.
West Roxbury Roche Bros. this afternoon.
Members of the family that owns Roche Bros., which grew from a Roslindale Square meat market in 1952 into today's Roche Bros. and Sudbury Farms chains, are selling controlling interest in the company to a Connecticut food-delivery concern that has long been the chains' principal supplier of food and other products. Read more.
Secretary of State Bill Galvin, BC Police Chief Bill Evans lose battle against proposed wine and cheese at hearing.
The Boston Licensing Board today approved a packie license for a proposed gourmet food shop in the block of stores next to the Boston College Green Line stop over the strong objections of both the school - which serves beer and wine at on-campus events, including football games - and Secretary of State Bill Galvin, who lives just up the street. Read more.
The City Council voted 12-1 today to ask the state legislature and the governor to let Boston increase the tax rate on commercial properties to higher levels than normally allowed over three years as a way to protect homeowners from potentially large property tax rates. Read more.
In an emergency Zoom meeting this morning, the City Council agreed to hold a public hearing before voting on a proposal to potentially increase taxes on commercial properties over a three-year period to help cushion the blow on residential property owners from expected large decreases in the value of downtown office buildings because many have higher vacancy rates as a higher percentage of workers continue to stay home in the aftermath of Covid-19. Read more.
The City Council yesterday approved holding a hearing at which to consider ways to combat what some said was drug use and related violence that are so bad they are making some residents think of moving away and of threatening Boston's tourism industry. Read more.
A company in Plymouth called Beantown Home Services yesterday filed a federal trademark-infringement suit against a company in Middleboro called Beantown Home Improvements. Read more.
CommonWealth Beacon reports that under a compromise with city business organizations, the city will seek state approval to raise the tax levy from commercial properties higher than otherwise allowed for three years to help shield residential property owners from some of the shock of upcoming property re-assessments, expected to show a significant drop in commercial tax revenue due to continuing effects of fewer people returning to work downtown. Read more.
A Commonwealth Avenue resident whose condo backs up to the Newbury Street location of yet another proposed dispensary says the idea goes against city zoning codes and would help diminish the neighborhood and his property in so many ways, including through the generation of "noxious odors." Read more.
Scott Van Vorhis reports a possible deal between Mayor Wu and the heads of area businesses and local commercial property owners on a plan that would let Boston temporarily increase taxes on commercial property to minimize the amount city homeowners would see their bills go up because of the Covid-related decline in property values downtown - just by a smaller amount than Wu had originally proposed. The move still needs the approval of the legislature and governor.
A bedeviled resident filed a 311 complaint about the infernal racket outside the Verizon switching station on Belgrade Avenue near Lord's and Lady's Way in West Roxbury: Read more.
The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to let the new owner of the old Green Gardens packie and market on West Milton Street in Hyde Park change the store's name to Stop & Shots Liquors & Deli. Read more.
The co-founder of Flatiron Energy of Boulder, CO met with Brighton residents yesterday to talk at length about the company's proposal for a two-story, 62,000-square foot building filled with lithium-ion batteries on Electric Avenue - except for the one thing most of them wanted to hear more about: How the company would protect them from the risk of a fire at a large electric facility as close as 40 feet to some residents' property. Read more.
Verizon cell zones in East Boston; new zone in green.
The Zoning Board of Appeal yesterday approved plans by Verizon to install 20 new cell antennas in four clusters atop an apartment building at 319-327 Chelsea St. in East Boston.
The City Council agreed today to look into the environmental and safety issues related to plans for at least two industrial-sized electricity-storage plants, one on the aptly named Electric Avenue in Brighton, the other on a wooded hill behind the Stop & Shop mall on American Legion Highway on the Roslindale/Hyde Park meet that was most recently in the news for being the summer home of Moodini the Steer. Read more.
The State House News Service reports Mayor Wu is continuing to push for the state Senate to approve a measure that would let city assessors temporarily increase the total amount they can level in taxes on commercial property as a way to help reduce impending increases on residential property. Read more.
Boston Building Resources will celebrate National Reuse Day on Saturday, October 19, with a free community event from 11:00 to 2:00 promoting the craft and creativity of reuse in all its forms. Eliminating needless waste through reuse is a straightforward, but often overlooked, way to live more sustainably.
The celebration will take place at Boston Building Resources, 100 Terrace Street, Roxbury Crossing. Free food will be available, and live music will be provided by the Emily Grogan Band.
A San Francisco man was arrested yesterday on charges he sent several voice-mail messages to two companies, one in Somerville, one in Cambridge, that he was furious at them and was planning to head over with an AK-47 and a handgun with a silencer and mow down everybody he can. Read more.
The Chelsea Record reports the city Planning Board has approved a proposed industrial-strength battery complex on Eastern Avenue that will use two floors of batteries to store electricity for the local grid for times when it just needs some more juice. Flatiron Energy's proposal now goes to the city zoning board. Read more.
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