The Week in Review: Break-ins, Trash Fire and Plans for New Hope Baptist Church

South End residents spoke up this week on a myriad of topics. Proposed renovations at the New Hope Baptist Church evoked comments from several neighbors at Tuesday's Landmark Commission meeting, neighbors of Ming's Supermarket lamented the lack of sidewalk access for pedestrians, and one resident took her fight against littered streets to the internet. Those stories and more are below (just click the link to see the full story):

For neighbors and pedestrians, the situation in the Ming's parking lot worsens in winter. Sidewalks surrounding the lot often become storage for mountains of snow, forcing walkers to cut through the busy lot or risk walking in the bus lane. When shoveled, the sidewalks serve simply as an extension of the parking lot, one resident said, allowing more cars to fit into the space.

owners arrived to work on Thursday to find their front door smashed in and the door lock damaged. The inside of the restaurant was trashed, and between $500 and $750 was stolen from the cash box, according to a report of the incident.

A two-alarm fire broke out in the trash chute of a Tremont Street apartment building around 7 p.m. Monday night, causing an estimated $50,000 in damage.

A South End resident fed up with trash in the streets is taking action online, running a Facebook group called “Firebrand” that calls upon the city to step up its enforcement of the municipal trash ordinance.

A Brookline couple has signed a letter of intent to purchase the with plans to convert the building into eight residential condominiums.

City Council hopeful Suzanne Lee paid a visit to members of the Eight Streets Neighborhood Association Wednesday night, welcoming questions from District 2 residents.

A new furniture store will open in the South End later this month. Addo Novo, a contemporary furniture store based in Portland, Maine, will open its second location at 1313 Washington St. with a grand opening date tentatively set for March 15.