Jamaica Pond no longer sickly green and mean

The Boston Public Health Commission has lifted its advisory against fishing - mostly ignored - boating and letting your dog splash in Jamaica Pond, because the now annual toxic algal bloom has subsided.

The commission said this morning that two straight weeks of testing have shown levels of cyanobacteria, which can sicken people and kill dogs, are now well within safe limits - 5,000 of the pesky cells per one milliliter of water on Oct. 16 and 9,500 cells on Oct. 23, compared to the maximum safe limit of 70,000 cells per milliliter of water.