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Jamaica Plain News

Hop on Main Streets on Tap Trolley Tour on April 11

A limited amount of tickets are still available to hop-on and hop-off the Main Street on Tap Trolley Tour on April 11. The tour will visit local breweries and eateries to sample their libations. Attendees receive complimentary appetizers at each location and a history tour on the trolley. The stops include Jeanie Johnston Pub in Jamaica Plain Drawdown Brewing in Jamaica Plain Roundhead Brewing in Hyde Park (owned by Jamaica Plain residents) Sophia’s Grotto in…

Boston’s First Non-Alcoholic Bar – Beyond Proof – Opening in Jamaica Plain

When it opens its door for the first time on Tuesday in Jamaica Plain, Beyond Proof will be Boston’s only zero-proof bar. The new restaurant is being opened at 597 Centre St., where Ten Tables was until owner Krista Kranyak closed it in December — promising a new restaurant concept would be coming soon. In Facebook post, Kranyak said the concept is deeply personal to her. Three years ago, I made the decision to let…

JP History: Kindergarten for the Blind Once Stood Where MSPCA is Located

Did you know that in 1887 the Kindergarten for the Blind opened in Jamaica Plain where the MSPCA is currently located? In honor of Women’s History Month, the Jamaica Plain Historical Society hosted Perkins School for the Blind Lead Archivist Jen Hale, who spoke about the women who led the former JP school. “The Kindergarten was the first of its kind in the United States and had considerable support from prominent women in the Boston…

Councilor Weber Not in Favor of Students Drinking in Algebra Class

To no one’s surprise, District 6 City Councilor Weber is not in support of students drinking in algebra class, and he’s not planning on teaching the art of microbrewing to elementary school students. Now the context: Weber made these pronouncements in his weekly newsletter in reaction to last Wednesday’s City Council meeting. This week’s most ridiculous debate played out at the end of our Wednesday meeting in relation to a non-binding resolution put forward by…

Parents Raise Enough Money to Keep Croft School Open for Rest of School Year

Thanks to fundraising efforts by Croft School parents, the Jamaica Plain private school will remain open for the rest of school year. After shocking news that the co-founder had misrepresented the school’s finances, the Croft community jumped to raising around $5 million to keep the school open the rest of the school year. Croft School kids have also been involved in fundraising, as some students led a bake sale at the South Street mall (tennis/pickleball…

Tree’s Have Knees? They Do. See Them in the Arnold Arboretum

Everyone has heard of the “bee’s knees.” But what about the “tree’s knees?” Yes, just like bees, some trees have knees. The bald cypress, Taxodium distichum, native to the southeastern United States, can have spectacular knees. Like the golden larch (Pseudolarix amabilis), dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides), all larch species (Larix spp.), and the Chinese swamp cypress (Glyptostroboides pensilis), the bald cypress, as the common name would suggest, is a deciduous conifer, with magnificent copper to bronze colors…

New Fusion Tapas Restaurant Coming to Centre Street

Another new restaurant is coming to Centre Street. The newest addition will be an unnamed fusion tapas restaurant. The restaurant will be at 668 Centre St., and according to the JP Centre/South Main Streets sign in the window, the business is also looking to serve alcohol. But from the looks of it, the restaurant won’t be opening soon because it doesn’t look like any work, or minimal work, has been done in it yet. This…

Mr. Drinky Coming to Centre Street

Mr. Drinky is coming to Centre Street. Mr. Drinky is coming to 606 Centre Street. Mr. Drinky will be a craft cocktail bar with light fare. Mr. Drinky was granted an alcohol license from the Boston Licensing Board. It doesn’t look like there’s been a lot of work has gone on in the location that previously housed the J.C Fruit Shop and Caramelo Clothing Company.

Batey Comunitario at Hyde Square Task Force Celebrates Boston’s Afro-Latin Culture

Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) hosted a Batey Comunitario for the local community to celebrate Afro-Latin culture. The event, held on March 12, featured live music and dancing lessons inspired by the practice of Bomba, one of Puerto Rico’s oldest music and dance traditions, originating in the 17th century from enslaved people on coastal sugar plantations. The first half of the event featured a workshop where HSTF teaching artists Marcel Santiago, Genesis Rodriguez, and Nicolas…