More and more, it seems, Boston is going to the dogs. No matter where you look these days — sidewalks, brunch spots, the hallways of your office — you’re likely to find yourself surrounded by K-9s. “It’s a pretty different landscape,’’ said Mike Valencius, a realtor in Boston and Brookline. “You get out of work 5, 6 o’clock, and everyone is out walking their dog.’’ Dog ownership has jumped nationally — with nearly 40 percent of households owning one, based on one report — but the bump has been particularly stark in Boston. According to city data, the number of registered dogs has more than doubled in the past few years, from around 2,700 in 2012 to more than 7,000 this year. The reason? There’s never been a better time, perhaps, to be a dog owner in the city. “As a dog owner, for sure it’s easier, because your dog is welcome so many more places,’’ said Jenifer Vickery, longtime … [Read more...] about There’s never been a better time to be a dog owner in Boston
Brookline dog walkers
George H.W. Bush remembered at dog-walk gathering in Kennebunk
KENNEBUNK — About 200 people gathered Sunday afternoon at Gooch’s Beach to walk their dogs and tell stories of close encounters with the 41st president, who spent his summers at the Bush family compound at Walker’s Point in Kennebunkport. While attendees at a similar gathering in April held after the death of former first lady Barbara Bush donned pearls as a nod to her signature neckwear, many of those gathered Sunday wore colorful socks in recognition of George Bush’s affinity for eye-popping hose.Confined to a wheelchair by a form of Parkinson’s disease later in life, Bush, who died Nov. 30 at the age of 94, knew his ankles were frequently on view and enjoyed wearing interesting socks. He was buried Thursday in a pair of socks with an image of squadron planes, in acknowledgment of his Navy pilot days during World War II. The spring gathering included a collection of children’s books – Mrs. Bush was a children’s literacy advocate – … [Read more...] about George H.W. Bush remembered at dog-walk gathering in Kennebunk
A smart speaker leads to a scare
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Emily Sweeney Globe Staff December 07, 2018 Every day, police officers respond to reports of all sorts of events and non-events, most of which never make the news. Here is a sampling of lesser-known — but no less noteworthy — incidents from police log books (a.k.a. blotters) in our suburbs. ALEXA . . . IS THAT YOU? As smart speakers like Amazon Echo and Apple HomePod become more prevalent in homes, voice assistants like Alexa and Siri have become more intertwined in our lives than ever before — and in ways you might not expect. Case in point: Shortly after midnight on Oct. 31, a woman in Marblehead called police when she returned home and found her front door open and heard music playing in her house. Fearing the worst, she asked for an officer to walk through her home to make sure no one was inside. She also told police it “could … [Read more...] about A smart speaker leads to a scare
Want change? Start locally
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page By Jennifer Fenn Lefferts Globe Correspondent September 28, 2018 From banning plastic bags in Topsfield, to changing the name of a school in Brookline that honored a town benefactor and former slave owner, to protecting the shoreline in Scituate, citizens have stepped up to initiate change in their communities. Working through the citizen petition process at town meeting, residents have spearheaded proposals related to zoning, government operations, and social causes such as the environment. As the fall town meeting season gets underway, several communities will be voting on new citizens’ petitions, including proposals to limit dog kennels in residential areas of Natick, reduce the tax levy in Walpole, designing a rail trail in Sudbury, and changing the time of town meetings in Billerica. Advertisement “Generally, people create these petitions to … [Read more...] about Want change? Start locally
Hassled by hound, blasted by leafblower: One man’s sweaty bike share adventure
Visit The Boston Globe Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Comment on this Scroll to top of page Nestor Ramos Globe Staff June 22, 2018 The two bright yellow OFO bicycles outside the federal building were behind enemy lines in the bikeshare border wars. Propped on their kickstands in full view of City Hall, they were sitting ducks in the Blue Bike territory of Boston. Long popular in China and more recently in other American cities, dockless rental bicycles of varying color and concept are popping up all over greater Boston, rolling in from companies like LimeBike, Spin, VBikes, and OFO. The idea behind all of them is basically the same: Find a bike on a smartphone app, scan a barcode on the bike to unlock it, and leave it wherever you happen to finish your ride. So as of a few weeks ago, when the bright yellow bikes invaded Quincy, I’m an OFO man. Advertisement But Boston, along with Cambridge, Somerville, and Brookline, are under agreement with … [Read more...] about Hassled by hound, blasted by leafblower: One man’s sweaty bike share adventure