Boston moves food waste pickup to biweekly starting in October

From Boston News

• ZBA clears South Boston courthouse project, NECAT purchase. The Zoning Board of Appeal unanimously approved variances for Cedarwood Development to convert the former South Boston Savings Bank at 460 West Broadway into a new South Boston Municipal Court, and cleared NECAT's $9 million Nubian Square purchase.Boston News
• Council hears testimony on Roxbury waste sites, no vote. The council heard hours of testimony on Roxbury waste transfer stations, citing nearly $50,000 in penalties against the Howard Transfer Station and the March 2025 Gerard Street fire, which caused $4 million in damage. No vote was taken.Boston News
• Committee examines two Roxbury waste transfer stations. A council committee examined the Howard Transfer Station and a second Gerard Street facility, hearing sensor data on the 2025 eight-alarm fire and testimony that the surrounding census tract ranks in the 99th percentile statewide for environmental burden. No formal vote was taken.Boston News
• Council presses BPS on last four schools without AC. Boston Public Schools has cut buildings without air conditioning from about 90 to four: Community Academy, Mather, Mozart and Taylor Elementary. A full fix could cost $35 million; BPS spends about $12,000 a year on popsicles as an interim measure. No votes were taken.Boston News
• Council advances BPS budget oversight, condo protections. Councilors Erin Murphy and Edward Flynn filed a home rule petition for council oversight of the $1.8 billion BPS budget after a state audit found $857,000 in improper spending. The council also expanded condo-conversion tenant protections to triple-deckers, raising relocation aid to $15,000.Boston News
• BPDA accepts $11.4 million grant for neighborhood shuttles. The BPDA and EDIC boards voted unanimously to accept an $11.4 million MassDOT grant funding free 'Link' shuttle service in Allston-Brighton, Charlestown, Mattapan, Roxbury and the South Boston waterfront. The board also approved 82 new housing units across two Brighton and Dorchester projects.Boston News
• Council panel hears security guard training bill, no vote. A council committee heard hours of testimony on a bill requiring 40 hours of initial training for Boston's unarmed security guards. Small firm owners warned of costs, while SEIU 32BJ, representing about 1,800 officers, backed the mandate. The docket remains in committee with no vote.Boston News
• Council hears data on BPS student homelessness. BPS officials said 5,405 students, more than 10 percent of the district, were identified as homeless in 2024-25. Housing officials said nonpayment drives more than 70 percent of evictions citywide. Earmark funding for the homelessness program fell to $450,000 this year. No votes taken.Boston News
• Panel weighs strategies to prevent student homelessness. A second hearing on the same topic detailed BPS's Early Homelessness Intervention Program, which partnered with Family Aid to help more than 1,300 families secure permanent housing, though officials warned pandemic-era grant funding has expired. Boston accounts for 16 percent of the state's homeless students.Boston News
• Council reviews shift to biweekly food waste pickup. Chief of Streets Chris Osgood said the shift to biweekly curbside food waste pickup, starting the week of October 5, will save $700,000 annually and clear a waitlist of about 1,700 households.Boston News

Today in Boston

• Bruins open preseason with shootout win over Capitals. The Boston Bruins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 in a shootout in their preseason opener at TD Garden on Sept. 20, with defenseman Charlie McAvoy scoring during regulation, the Boston Herald reports.Boston Herald
• Landmarks panel reviews demolition request in Jamaica Plain. Boston's Landmarks Commission is reviewing a proposed demolition under Article 85 demo-delay rules for 45 Yale Terrace in Jamaica Plain, part of the city's standard historic-review process for older buildings.City of Boston
• Back Bay Greek restaurant adds new weekend menu item. Boston Patch reports a Back Bay Greek restaurant is now serving a popular dish during an extra mealtime, giving regulars another reason to stop in on weekends.Boston Patch
• Concert review: Dermot Kennedy plays MGM Music Hall at Fenway. Rock DNA Magazine reviewed Irish singer Dermot Kennedy's recent show at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, calling the Boston performance a powerful reminder of his stage presence.Rock DNA Magazine

Coming up

• Tomorrow: Council committee hears three dockets Monday. The City Council's Committee on City Services holds a hearing Sept. 21 on Dockets 1085, 1395 and 1397, part of the council's ongoing committee review calendar.City of Boston
• Tomorrow: Government Operations panel takes up Docket 1414. The City Council's Committee on Government Operations meets Sept. 21 to hear Docket 1414, according to the city's public events calendar.City of Boston
• Tomorrow: Digital Literacy Workshop set for Monday. The city is hosting a Digital Literacy Workshop on Sept. 21, part of ongoing digital-skills programming listed on Boston's public events calendar.City of Boston
• Tomorrow: Abutters meeting set on 97 Paine Street project. The city has scheduled an abutters meeting Sept. 21 on a proposed project at 97 Paine Street in Roslindale, giving neighbors a chance to weigh in before permitting moves forward.City of Boston

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Compiled from official town feeds, community organizations, and local press. Outside reporting is attributed inline.