bostonzest

Tag: law

  • Ollie Says, Time to Get a New Dog License

     
    CHE_2513 - Version 22013-03-04-ollie-poodle-begging-dog-license-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Here's our pal Olivier – better known to the local dog pack as Sir Ollie. Today, he's here to remind you to get a shiny, new dog license to add to that collection of tags on your collar. 

    It's the Law

    The law says that by April 1st of each year, all dogs in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts must obtain a new license from the city or town where they reside.

    Ollie says, since most dogs can’t write out a check or fill out forms, responsibility for following this law falls to the people who love them and choose to have a dog in their life.

    CHE_2501 - Version 32013-03-04-ollie-poodle-begging-dog-license-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    A Few Tips & Links

    • Applications for the 2013 Boston Dog Licenses arrived in homes earlier this month.
    • You can also download the forms on the city's website.
    • Those who mail in their applications should be certain to include copies of the requested neutering and rabies vaccination certificates, a check payable to animal control, and a stamped self-addressed envelope. 
    • That envelope will be used to return your dog’s license and tag to you.
    • Once your dog is registered with the city, Animal Control will provide a business reply envelope for you to mail in your application and you will only have to pay the postage one way.
    • Boston has a two-tiered price structure for dog licenses.
      • It costs $6.00 per year to license a neutered male or spayed female dog.
      • That fee jumps to $17.00 if the animal is intact.
      • The ordinance that set a separate price for pit bulls was voided by a new state law that went into effect on November 1, 2012.
    •  If you happen to be near city hall, you can bring everything you need with you and pick up the forms and obtain a dog license in room 811.
    • Only checks are accepted for payment, in person or by mail – no cash or credit cards. 

    CHE_2529 - Version 22013-03-04-ollie-poodle-begging-dog-license-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Don't worry, Ollie did get a little reward for helping us with this message. And, he said to tell you that it's really important to let the city know how many dogs live here and should be considered when the politicians do their planning and spend our money. Getting everyone to license will send a message. 

    So, stand up and be counted!

    Related Posts:

    Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs!

    Tips on "Being" from Sunday Dog Ollie

    Sunday Dog New Year's Resolutions (including one from Ollie)

     

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    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

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  • Wine Doggie Bags: Bring the Rest of That Bottle Home

    We took home our first 'Doggie Bag" of wine recently. Achieving one of our BostonZest milestones gave us a reason to enjoy a small celebration. So, we treated ourselves to an Uber ride to Hamersley's Bistro and instead of a glass of sparkling wine, we decided to share a bottle of an old favorite, Argyle Brut, over a long lazy meal. 

    DSC_3605 - Version 22012-04-11-atd-bht-anderson -31-© 2011 Penny Cherubino

    Alas, as much as we were enjoying the food and the good company at the bar, the early, early start to the day caught up with us and we realized we were only going to make it through two courses. Finishing the bottle was also going to be out of the question.

    So, we asked our bartender, Mark, to bag it up for us to take home. He laughingly suggested that we blog about it. But, he added a serious note that he is always happy to bag a bottle and have his customers drive home safely. 

    As with every aspect of the service at Hamersley's, this task was performed in a completely professional manner. Mark found a cork that fit the bottle snuggly, sealed it in one of the bags that the state requires, printed and attached a copy of the receipt for the wine and the meal we had with it, and put it into a take out carry bag along with part of the remainder of Penny's chicken entre.

    There are a few rules you have to follow in order to take the remainder of a bottle of wine with you from a restaurant. Since regulations do change over time, here's a link to the state's The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission regulations on the topic.

    Getting comfortable with asking for a wine doggie bag opens the whole wine list as a regular option. If you see an old favorite, a great value, a hard to find wine, or your server has a great suggestion, you can try it without feeling you have to finish the bottle.

    Wines by the glass are wonderful and many places work hard to make those choices exciting and a good match for their food. But, those same places put a lot of work into the rest of the wine list and usually have some real treasures by the bottle. 

    Driving wasn't an issue for us. We clicked on our Uber app and another limo arrived quickly to drive us home.  We'll tell you more about this new twist on car service soon. In the meanwhile, click on this UBER link, for a discount on your first ride and to send a few Uber miles our way too. 

    Love wine? Join our Our Sparkling Resolution

    Check Out: Our Wine List

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here's, The Food Lover's Guide to Wine– the latest addition to our wine reference shelf. Here's our review of this book.

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.