What Does Your Dad Mean to You?

As Father's Day approaches, consider honoring the men most influential in your life by sharing their stories in Local Voices on West Roxbury Patch.

  Father's Day is right around the corner, and the sale signs and circulars are everywhere promoting gifts like ties, electronics and other gadgets for Dad.  But this year Patch invites you to gift your father, stepfather, uncle, grandfather or any other man that has been influential in your life with a unique tribute: share his story. What are some of your fondest memories with Dad? What advice has he offered you that has helped you the most over the course of your life?  Why is he so special to you? Why does he deserve recognition?  (You can also take the opportunity to brag on your husband about what makes him an amazing father.) Tell us about your Dad and share photos through our free Local Voices blogging section.  Then you can …

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Should Boys and Girls Be Vaccinated Against HPV?

Human papillomavirus, or HPV, vaccinations were originally advised only for girls. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Pediatrics now recommend that both girls and boys be vaccinated.

Are Tolls a Good Way to Finance Roads?

At one time, tolls were assumed to be a thing of the past along the MassPike, now it appears they’re going to stay.

  Drivers who live in the towns and cities along the Massachusetts Turnpike west of Route 128 are used to paying tolls. However, in 2009 the state wrote into a law a deadline for the tolls along Interstate 90 to be taken down once the state’s highway debt is paid off, according to the Boston Business Journal Wednesday. The site reports that date is Jan. 1, 2017 as of now. The state does plan to get rid of the tollbooths as currently constituted in one form by installing a high-speed all-electronic tolling system that bills drivers as they zip through. This change will take effect as early as next year on the Tobin Bridge. BBJ reports that top state Department of Transportation official Richard Davey wants to roll the MassPike tolls west of…

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8 Great Posture Changes You'll Get with Yoga

Hunching over your desk? Pain in your lower back? Improved posture, through yoga, may be just what you need!

  When I began practicing yoga, I already had pretty good body awareness through my background in physical therapy and my love of running and exercising in general. But it was only through yoga that I was able to develop a deeper understanding of anatomy, body mechanics and greater awareness of the unhealthy habits in my own body when it came to how I stood, walked, sat, lifted things and moved in general. In my work with people in yoga classes and private sessions, I am able to see how stress, the effects of sitting, hard work, raising kids and just overall sensory overwhelm has affected people’s bodies. There are several things I usually see: tight shoulders, lack of overall strength, tightness in the legs and an overall lack of …

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Would You Be OK with Boston Marathon Bomber Being Buried in West Roxbury?

Tamerlan Tsarnaev is NOT being buried in West Roxbury. As a West Roxbury cemetery was one of several that said they wouldn't bury the Boston Marathon bomber.

  The dead Boston Marathon bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev is not being buried in a West Roxbury cemetery.  A West Roxbury cemetery employee says he was one of several Greater Boston cemetery representatives who preemptively refused to bury the body of suspected Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev.  Which brought up an interesting question - how would you feel if Tamerlan Tsarnaev were to be buried in West Roxbury?  There was already a lively discussion on the topic on West Roxbury Patch's Facebook page - but I wanted to open it up to everyone, and allow me to voice their opinions or take a poll.  Leave your comments below and take the poll. 

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10 Ways To Get Unstuck

Can't work your way out of a problem? Here are some fresh ways to find new perspective.

  We’ve all experienced times where we feel stuck. We struggle to find a new way to approach a problem. It could be about money, relationships, career, family or even our schedule. In situations like this, we need an infusion of fresh energy around the issue as well as a new way of thinking. There is no way out of approaching a problem from the same perspective unless something shifts. Einstein said that the definition of insanity is “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” So, how do we find this new way of thinking? 1. Exercise. When we feel stuck, we need to refresh our brain and move the stuck energy of feeling defeated through the body. The best way to do that is to move. Walk, run, practice yoga, …

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When Kids Don’t React to Tragedy

After Boston comes face to face with terrorism, mental health professionals say not to worry if your children aren’t as concerned as you are.

  Never was Boston so grateful for a Monday: Back to work, back to school, back to routines, after a five-day ordeal shook the city and the world watched.  Gone are most of the satellite trucks, the clusters of reporters and cameramen, the strands of law enforcement officers for every street on our normal path. By Wednesday, barricades and memorials for the victims of the April 15 bombings, bookending Boylston St., were moved and the street reopened. One week ago, my innocent concern was for the magnolias on Commonwealth Avenue, and whether they’d be at their showy peak when 23,000 marathoners rose up out of the underpass to greet the last six-tenths of their 26.2-mile race. Last year, the trees bloomed pink and white in March, and …

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'Run, Run, Run'

Parkway children's book author Suzie Canale wrote a poem about the Boston Marathon events.

Suzie Canale is a Parkway author including children's book - “The Land of Chocolate Cosmos" and she wrote a poem about the Boston Marathon.   "Run, Run, Run" by Suzie Canale   The sun was shining and the air was warm, As the runners took their place at the start, Lacing their sneakers and stretching their legs, While the thrill of the race pound each heart.   Off they went, crowds of hundreds and hundreds, All set out on the exciting run, Joining together in the infamous race, Patriot’s Day Marathon Monday had begun.   The fans were aroused as they cheered each one on, While the athletes passed by in quick haste, Although they competed to win the gold first, Themes of brotherhood were seen interlaced.   No one expected such a tragic end, …

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Parkway Running Club's Shields will be at Starting Line Next Year

Keith Shields said Parkway Running Club members used social media to make sure that everyone was safe and accounted for.

  Parkway Running Club's Keith Shields, of Roslindale, was asked to share his thoughts, experiences, and where he was during the 2013 Boston Marathon explosion. All Parkway Running Club members are safe. Below is Shields' response, and this is a Q&A with him before this year's marathon: I did finish the marathon. I was in the first wave that left at 10 a.m. so I crossed the finishline around 1:15 p.m. I was home in the shower at 2:50 p.m. when the explosions happened. I got out of the shower and a friend had called telling me to turn on the TV, and an explosion had occured at the Boston Marathon. That friend had been standing very close to where the second bomb exploded, thankfully, he left after he cheered me on and wasn't close when it …

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