Submitted by James Bowen on Tues., Nov. 16, 2010.

Eagle Hill Civic Association to hold November Meeting

Please join us for the next Eagle Hill Civic Association meeting THIS Wednesday, November 17th, at 7:00PM in the High School. Among the agenda items are:

-Update from East Boston Police
-Discussion with City officials about the water main project on Lexington and other streets
-Presentation and solicitation of feedback from the Boston Preservation Alliance on a historical study they are conducting of Boston neighborhoods
-Update on our holiday wreath-making party and potluck for next month


Also, two quick items of interest:

1.) There are two new Eastie businesses that I wanted to highlight because they offer something new and different to the neighborhood. If residents support new types of businesses, it will encourage others to open us and we can help diversify the business offerings here.

The first is Cafe GiGi at 102 Meridian St. They serve superb Lavazza espresso in the morning and during the day along with light food. At night it is an upscale wine bar. The service is excellent (the owner also works as a manager at a downtown hotel), and the environment is trendy yet cozy.

The second is Mehak Restaurant at 329 Sumner St in Jeffries Point. It is Boston's first Pakistani restaurant that also has some Indian food items. The owner is a very nice gentleman and the food is quite good - especially the typical Pakistani dishes. They imported a tandori oven that makes the best naan bread I have ever had!


2.) IPhone & Android Users! - The City of Boston has an excellent smart phone app called Citizens Connect where you can report all kinds of issues directly to the City and track your responses real time. Examples include:

-reporting a streetlight that is out,
-a pothole in the road,
-graffiti on a building,
-trash put out improperly,
-a TV on the street,
-building code violations,
-and pretty much any other issue the City is responsible for.

They just issued a software update and it is even better. It now shows you outstanding issues around the City on an interactive map - but I have noticed there are almost no reports in East Boston! This means that all the City's resources will be directed towards other neighborhoods unless we get out there and let them know about the issues we see in the neighborhood. I have reported hundreds of issues through this app and have been very impressed with the response. Even complex issues like incorrect street signage or large amounts of graffiti are customarily handled speedily when reported on this app.

If you don't have a smart phone, you can always call the 24 hour hotline at (617) 635-4500 to report any issue. Make sure to ask for a case number when you call so you can track the status online. The City also has a good online reporting system as well: http://www.cityofboston.gov/online_services/default.aspx