Attendees at Chester Square Neighbors’ Jan. 4 virtual meeting unanimously reelected its acting slate of officers while voting to add a new events coordinator to the roster.
The officers whose terms were extended include Carol Blair, president; Sara Mitchell, vice president; Kelsey Schiller, secretary; Teodor Georgiev, treasurer; and Alyssa Faria, online coordinator. Alessandra Fix will serve in the newly created role of events coordinator.
In another matter, the consensus among the group was that they wanted to see the holiday wreaths in the neighborhood remain up for as long as possible.
Those in attendance at the group’s Nov. 9 virtual meeting voted unanimously to match individual donations up to $250 to support the Mass. Ave. Coalition’s annual holiday decorating campaign. Blair credited the campaign’s success to Bob Barney of the Claremont Neighborhood Association, who has spearheaded the annual holiday decorating in the “Claremont part of the neighborhood” for a number of years.
Once a time has been determined to remove the holiday decorations, Blair said she would notify the CSN membership so interested parties could lend a hand.
Moreover, Blair said CSN collected enough money towards the decorating effort that a surplus remains, which would go towards the Mass. Ave. Coalition’s next activity.
Both the holiday wreaths, as well as the Mass. Ave. Coalition’s Festival, which took place Sept. 18 in Chester Square Park, are poised to return in light of the community’s positive response to both events, according to Blair.
“The general consensus is pretty clear,” she said of the holiday wreaths. “We like it and would like to do it again.”
On the topic of sustainability, Schiller discussed the To Good to Go app, which allows participating grocery stores and restaurants to sell food they would otherwise throw away to consumers at a deeply discounted rate. The app was highlighted in the Innovators Q&A column in the Jan. 2 edition of The Boston Globe, she noted.
Local businesses to participate in the program have included Eately, as well as Otto pizzeria and Union Park Pizza, said Schiller, while the food is usually distributed via a “grab-bag so you don’t know what you’re going to get.”
Visit togoodtogo.com to learn more.
CSN’s next monthly meeting, which takes place on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m., is scheduled to take place as a hybrid event, including in person at the Fenway CDC’s new community space/studio at 607 Columbus Ave.