A lack of community interest or the impact of summer holidays could have been what limited the number of attendees at the first community meeting for the proposed Bayside development on Columbia Point.

Less than 50 people showed up on Monday evening at the Boston Redevelopment Authority Article 80 meeting that will help decide the direction a local developer will take the massive shopping, office and residential development in terms of design, density, and mitigation for increased traffic.  Read more

Hundreds of spectators are expected to visit Dorchester Park this Sunday evening for a free, outdoor classical concert that will feature the music of George Gershwin and Gospel favorites, a contest for most creative picnic and an official ceremony marking Dorchester Park as a historic site. The Boston Landmarks Orchestra, led by conductor Charles Ansbacher, will headline the festivities, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Dorchester Park's main baseball field.  Read more

After months of deliberation, the board of the Vietnamese-American Initiative for Development (Viet-AID) terminated its director Hiep Chu last week, sending shockwaves through the Vietnamese and Fields Corner communities where he is respected as a civic leader.

The move was described as a "difference in mission" by former board chair Nina Nguyen, now co-director for the interim, but Chu himself called that reasoning nebulous and said that he is not entirely clear on exactly why he was let go.  Read more

The gem of Frederick Law Olmstead's Emerald Necklace, Franklin Park, is getting a shine this summer. A 32 youth with Franklin Park Coalition and six from Youth Build Boston are working to spruce up areas inside the 527-acre refuge that connects the distinct neighborhoods of Dorchester, Mattapan, Roxbury, and Jamaica Plain.

The Franklin Park Coalition's Summer Youth Conservation crew is made up of teenagers, ages 15 through 18, working in paid positions to improve the grounds, specifically 220-acres of woodlands that are in need of care.  Read more

The intersection at Gallivan Boulevard and Morton Street could undergo a study and an overhaul, with members of the State House delegation pushing for the area to get re-done.

"Car accidents happen there almost every day," said Danny Hardaway, president of the Morton Street Chamber of Commerce and owner of the Final Touch With Class boutique.

Pedestrians cross at their own peril, Hardaway said.

"The most dangerous intersection in that district, I would say," said state Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry, a sentiment echoed by state Sen. Jack Hart.  Read more

"Johnny Lee and me: Two black people from Dorchester who love Shakespeare."

That's how recent Harvard College grad Faith Imafidon describes herself and well-known actor and teacher Johnny Lee Davenport. Both are currently appearing in the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of "As You Like," the annual Free Shakespeare on the Boston Common.  Read more

Three teenagers were injured Saturday night during a violent brawl outside a Papa Gino's restaurant on Gallivan Boulevard that witnesses said began with a racially-charged dispute between a restaurant employee and customers. Boston Police confirm that the incident is now being investigated by the Community Disorders Unit, which will make a recommendation on whether any civil rights violations occurred.  Read more

Just about everyone in Dorchester can agree that a little public education on keeping the neighborhood clean is in order. A good image can help reduce crime, boost business and lift spirits. But when it comes to how that might be accomplished, as some neatniks are finding out, there a few differences of opinion.  Read more

National teen employment has fallen to pre-World War II levels, according to a study of census data released from Northeastern University this month, and although the overall picture in Massachusetts may be rosier, Mayor Thomas Menino's summer job program has become more important than ever for the city's young people.  Read more

It was a Saturday, not a Sunday, when the former St. William's church had people back in its pews and songs that could be heard out on Dorchester Avenue.

Over 300 people, worshippers from Dorchester, Roxbury, Rhode Island, New York and Cape Verde, came for the first service in the ex-Catholic church, now in the care of Seventh-Day Adventists from Roxbury.

"We are here because God is good," said Pastor Samuel Bulgin, welcoming his congregation to the first service at the church. A chorus of "Amen" followed.  Read more

Boston Diaspora Ventures is a Dorchester-based company with a keen eye for investing in Jamaica. On June 16, the investment group signed an agreement with the All Island Bee Farmers Association of Jamaica, creating a partnership that aims to expand the bee industry on the island and worldwide.

The company invests in projects based in Jamaica, with members from Jamaica, of Jamaican descent, or those who fell in love with the island later in life.  Read more