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(Photo above by Don & Susan, available under a Creative Commons license).
Hasty Pudding Theatricals fêtes Claire Danes at their Woman of the Year parade.
Fellow Citizen Journalist Andrew Vitvitsky and I shot this January 26, 2012 footage. I edited it with the help of several other NeighborMedia folks. Thanks!
You can find Andrew's blog at: http://www.cctvcambridge.org/user/avitvitsky
Last year, the budget discussion in Cambridge grew testy when City Councilors insisted the City focus on technology innovation. The results of those discussions are beginning to bare fruit as Cambridge has released its first smartphone application.
The Cambridge iReport application, available for both Android and Apple smartphones, is an example of the new breed of applications cities are often providing. Designed to allow citizens who see a problem to immediately report it, the iReport app accepts reports of potholes, defective streetlights, graffiti, rats, missed trash or recycling pickups and unshoveled sidewalks. After selecting a problem type, the application uses the GPS of your phone to locate you, allows you to take a picture of the problem, asks for identifying information and submits the report to the Cambridge Request System. An email confirmation is immediately sent, as well as another one when the problem is "closed". You can also get a status report on problems you've submitted.



This basic functionality is very convenient for reporting conditions you observe during travels within the city. But convenience is not a consistent experience with this application. You must, for example, enter your name and email address every time you use the application. And the email reporting that ones request has been "closed" reflects a status in the City's internal tracking system, rather than the ultimate disposition of the problem.
If you wish to report a problem somewhere other than your present location, the application is puzzling. Despite lacking visual cues such as scroll bars, the displayed map can be moved to another location. But since the map can't be zoomed out, scrolling more than a small distance is tedious, and quickly results in repeated error messages.

Reporting graffiti can also be frustrating. By policy, during the winter, the city will only remove "profane" graffiti. Rather than informing you of that before you make your complaint, it is the confirmation email that reveals that policy.
The City has yet to perfect the processes behind iReport. An iReport of an obvious pothole at the corner of Mass. Ave. and River St. (pictured above) was quickly closed, yet the pothole went unrepaired. According to Lisa Peterson, Commissioner of Public Works, who took to Central Square herself to discover what happened, the address as reported via the iReport app was "22 Central Square", a location closer to Green Street. The photo supplied was not helpful, as it did not come through that iReport process in a way that City staff could open it. Thus, some minor potholes, closer to Green Street were fixed. Peterson says that the issues uncovered by this report are being reviewed. She was not yet sure whether the picture problem was a unique problem or something systemic. However, the "reverse geolocation" issue - assigning an address to a specific geographic point - had been encountered before and that improvements are expected. And, after the correct potholes was identified, the collapsing manhole that was causing it was quickly repaired.
It is difficult to assess the effectiveness of the iReport app. Peterson reports that the Department of Public Works is still "trying out" the app, assessing whether it meets their business needs. According to city Chief Information Officer Mary Hart, who responded to questions via Ini Tomeu, Public Information Officer, to date, the application has been downloaded 510 times, with 84 problem reports received through it. In both the Android Marketplace and the Apple iTunes App Store, all 7 ratings have been 5 stars. Hart says that it's "early to fully evaluate the success of this new app, we anticipate that it will improve the delivery of services both through better customer service and streamlined business practice."
Hart said that the applications "platform development cost" was $45,045. She clarified that the city had contracted with American Contract Services, a Newton-based IT services provider, to develop the application, but that the city now owns the application and plans to enhance it using city staff. Other costs, such as that of city staff to integrate that application with city's infrastructure, are not included in the $45,045 figure according to Hart. A maintenance release is planned in about a month.
The City has also not followed through on promises made during last year's budget discussion to create an "E-Gov Steering Committee" that would include citizens as well as city staff. Instead, in November, City Manager Robert Healy, in a communication to the City Council, asserted:
1. Public input- Develop a workshop for January 2012, which will assemble City departments and provide a forum through which the E-Gov Executive Committee is able to receive input and suggestions from the public on technology improvements to enhance interaction with the City.
STATUS: Planning is in process for this workshop for January 2012. A working group of the E-Gov Executive Committee, comprised of the Deputy City Manager, Deputy Finance Director/Budget Director, Chief Information Officer, Assistant City Manager for Community Development, Commissioner of Public Works and the School Department Chief Financial Officer, plus three members of the public, will be responsible for selecting the date, time and location of the workshop, developing a workshop format and other details. This working group will report back to the E-Gov Executive Committee.
Hart says that planning for this event, dubbed an "IT World Café", is underway, though no date has been set.
City Councilor Leland Cheung, a consistent advocate of technology innovation since his election, says that he "applaud[s] the IT department for launching this application" and that he's "excited to see how it evolves."
The iReport App can be downloaded from the iTunes Store and the Android Marketplace.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" Each year, Americans answer this question by joining their neighbors and communities on MLK Day to participate in local days of service.
This year, the City of Cambridge embraced Dr. King's legacy with the 2nd Annual MLK Day of Service- an event that brought more than 800 Cambridge residents together to help their neighbors and make the City a better place. In just 3 hours on MLK Day of Service, hundreds of volunteers made 88 fleece blankets for homeless children at Cambridge family shelters, 158 Polar fleece scarves for the homeless men and women in the City, 974 activity kits for children waiting in the Emergency Rooms in Cambridge hospitals, 1396 Bookmarks for Cambridge literacy programs, and 1564 Valentines cards for home bound Cambridge residents and Cambridge veterans and servicemen and women. Volunteers sorted more than 875 pounds of clothes that were donated to people in need, 55 bags of food given to the twelve food pantries in the City and 32 Bags of donated children’s books for youth and family serving organizations.
To help create year-round culture of service, Many Helping Hands, the organizers of the Cambridge MLK Day of Service, have created a website of volunteer opportunities: www.manyhelpinghands365.org. People interested in volunteering in Cambridge can go to the site to help residents easily find out about opportunities. You can also subscribe to the site, so that you will know when new volunteer opportunities are posted and follow Many Helping Hands on Facebook and Twitter (@MLKDayCambridge).
"We are here to renew your energy and connection to life by soulfully serving you the most fantastic, vibrant, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could
ever imagine in an inspiring environment that honors local artisans, the community, and our global ecology.
We know you no longer want to compromise between whole food goodness and fast food convenience, so we have devoted ourselves to making nourishing and delicious "slow" food convenient and full of pleasure.
Our extraordinary food, space, and service are grown, supplied, prepared and designed with the health and vitality of our bodies, communities, and earth formost in our mind.
By providing you with ease and great enjoyment in one of the most important aspects of your wellbeing, we give you the profound experience of contributing to personal and planetary wellness as you blissfully nourish yourself."
Boston joins the international Ladyfest movement this winter with the debut of Boston Ladyfest, February 3 – 5. The fest showcases bands from across the country and the Boston area who are unified in examining the current state of feminism.
More than 25 bands will convene in Cambridge for a three-day festival including the bands Waxahatchee (NJ), This is My Fist! (Chicago) and Alice Bag of famed LA punk band the Bags, as well as readings and workshops. And, throughout January, Boston Ladyfest presents a series of events, including a gallery residency and a screening of the new Le Tigre documentary. Proceeds benefit the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Fund (EMA).
At a time when it’s being argued that feminism languishes in the dust of riot grrrl’s third wave, or even that the women’s movement has expired, Boston Ladyfest responds to the need for community awareness, spotlighting women in creative arts. Boston Ladyfest brings together dozens of female artists, from authors to avant garde noise artists to pop bands. Three days of music will take place at the Cambridge YMCA, including:
• Alice Bag (LA): reading from her new book, Violence Girl, performing with members of Foreign Objects
• New Jersey's lo-fi Waxahatchee, featuring Katie Crutchfield of P.S. Elliott
• Chicago's This is my Fist! and Daylight Robbery
• Shoppers (Syracuse, NY)
• Boston garage-punkers Girlfriends and Thick Shakes
• Boston indiepop jinglers Cotton Candy
• Boston hardcore punk: Sick Fix, Libyans, Ampere
Boston Ladyfest weekend also includes
• Workshops, including with Ignatz Award-winner & Top Shelf Productions comic artist Liz Prince (Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed?)
• DJs, pot luck, feminist vendors and information tables including the EMA Fund
Listen to a Sampler:
Ladyfest Boston 2012 sampler! by Ladyfest Boston
Learn more, attend, support: http://ladyfestboston.blogspot.com/
Like Homeowners Rehab Inc on Facebook!!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Home-Improvement-Program-at-HRI/215500121...
Photo: "Lechmere with no buses" by Mark Jaquith
By now if you haven’t heard that the MBTA has a huge operating deficit and is proposing steep fare increases and service cutbacks that still won’t solve the problem in the long term, then stop reading and go back to the TV. Most of the coverage of this mess has concentrated on the impacts on T riders. Very little has been said about what it might do to cities like Cambridge. Certainly, cutbacks will reduce ridership, and that will negatively affect access to education, employment, commerce, and recreation. These reason alone should be enough to worry you, with the associated economic, social and environmental impacts. But wait, there’s more.
The City of Cambridge relies heavily on good public transportation in its planning, permitting, and development policies. North Point, Kendall Square, and Alewife are all conceived of as transit oriented development (TOD) areas, and the city is staking its economic future on projected commercial real estate taxes from these areas. TOD relies on good public transit for access, traffic and parking planning, density bonuses, and efficiencies in energy and financing.
At the latest Kendall Square Advisory Committee meeting on January 26th. The topic was transportation, and it was made clear just how important good public transit is to the future of the area if any significant growth is to occur there. Many reasons were put forth. Roads are reaching capacity. Building parking is very expensive. The documented decrease in automobile use (which is dependent on good alternative transport) is used to justify a reduction in parking spaces. Simply to get the users in and out will be nearly impossible without significant increases in public transit to the area. Energy efficient building is also expensive, and reduced parking can offset some of these costs.
Then of course there are reams of evidence that the pollution reductions resulting from mass transit use reduces health related costs to individuals, employers and governments.
Massachusetts needs to come up with a scheme to make public transit sustainable (no pun intended) and expandable over the long term.
So what can you do? There are all of the obvious things like attending the T’s meetings and speaking out, writing T and State officials and legislators. We can take collective action as well. Together we are the City and its government is our voice.
The only action that the City Council has been willing to take so far is to request a “briefing or roundtable to inform the City Council about issues and impacts of MBTA service cuts and fare increases as they affect Cambridge” The order was passed on Jan. 9 and the meeting was to be scheduled before Feb. 8. As of Jan. 31, I can’t find it on the city calendar.
A roundtable is limited to those who are able to attend, because it's not televised, does not necessarily provide for public comment, and, most importantly, rarely results in action. The Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods has asked the City Council to do something a bit more pro active. To adopt a Policy Order with specific instructions to tell the T, Mass. DOT, Governor Patrick and his executive staff and our legislative delegation What the stakes are for our fair city, and what we want them to do.
Please read the policy order and if you think it would help ask your favorite City Councillor to sponsor this order. You can email the whole Council at this address: council@cambridgema.gov
To see the order click here.
The Author lives on Hurley Street and is the former President of the Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods.
It’s highly unlikely that you’ve walked around in Central Square in the last few months and not noticed baked goods calling out a siren song from the windows of locally owned Veggie Galaxy. What may be a surprise is that the display of cakes, pies, cookies and the like are not vegetarian, but in fact vegan. All the desserts are prepared without the use of products derived from animals, a true vegan bakery.
If you stop by early enough, there’s a chance you’ll see Pastry Chef Lesli Turock, who wakes every morning at 3 am and works till 12pm or even 2pm, depending on the day. She moved to our area to attend Dean College and Newbury College, where she specialized in Culinary Arts. Previous positions included Pastry Chef at La Morra in Brookline and Director of Culinary Services at Haley House Bakery Cafe in Roxbury. She also taught Adult Education Classes in areas such as baking breads and pies and comfort foods at Cambridge Adult Education, among others. In the hours away from the batter, Turock enjoys photography, watercolors, pottery, and jewelry making.
Social justice issues are important to Chef Turock, with a personal interest in assisting urban youth with culinary training and aiding local organizations in their work. Recipients of baked donations from Turock and Veggie Galaxy include the Cambridge Women’s Commission for their Women and Words series (disclosure: author is a Commissioner) and an upcoming film forum on human trafficking presented by the Boston Initiative to Advance Human Rights.
Turock freely admits that she is not vegan, and there is a contingency of people who this fact upsets. Her response,” I’m very interested in animal rights, you can eat consciously, you can still be cognizant of the animal’s welfare and environment.” In terms of providing diners with quality baking, she believes her non-vegan status works in their favor, by “raising the bar by bringing a non-vegan palate [to baking] which in the end benefits the taste buds [of non-vegans] if not their moral values.” Turock was intrigued by the intellectual challenge of vegan baking within the context of adhering to classic baking techniques and textures, specifically the scientific and artistic components. “Could I fool people?” There was a 4 month interview process for her position at Veggie Galaxy, with multiple tastings involved and the removal of 90% of the ingredients she usually used. Months later, she has about 500 recipes in an ongoing development file, and is most proud of the cream pies and meringue.
Food writers have noted bakeries avoiding the term vegan in their goods. Turock admits, “I’ve noticed it and I’ve done it myself. I suspect it has a bad reputation, there are products out there that aren’t very good.” When asked about trends in Cambridge eating, Turock believes gluten free baked goods are the wave of the future, with folks tending towards more modest eateries with accessible price points. As for the current cupcake craze, “…it reminds people of Grandma. There’s something comforting about it, it’s portion controlled but decadent and you can justify it.” In the cake vs. pie debate, it’s Team Pie, a nod to a personal love of fruit desserts and a previous business selling pies at local farmers markets.Many eateries in Cambridge cater to vegetarians and vegans, Turock comments, “I’m amazed at what a vibrant community it is” and cites Craigie on Main, Rendezvous and Oleanna as some of her local favorites.
Pastry Chef Turock ended on a messy, if not delicious sounding note. “One day I was making brownies, and the mixer suddenly switched from gear 1 to gear 3 and Taza chocolate exploded all over the wall and kitchen. I admit it did smell good, luckily with the leftover batter the brownies came out fine in the end.”
Dear Friends & Families,
As many of you know, the Deborah Mason School of Dance and not-for-profit Cambridge Youth Dance Program are searching for a home. Our current facility at Fawcett Oil in North Cambridge is on the brink of redevelopment, and we are being forced to relocate for the sixth time in the studio's 37 year history.
There is a meeting on Monday, January 30th at 5:30pm in the Sullivan Chamber at Cambridge City Hall, and part of this meeting will be dedicated to discussing our future in this city. There will also be a portion where members of the public may speak about the items on the agenda, and we are reaching out to you, friends, families, current and past students and faculty, for your help. If you would like to speak at public comment, you may call the Office of the City Council on Monday, January 30th between 9am and 3pm at 617-349-4280 and ask to sign up to speak.
We hope to have a serious presence at the meeting. Please attend.
Sincerely,
Deborah Mason
Founder & Artistic Director
NEW IN 2012! A short lesson will be included in each week's Computers for Seniors drop-in session. The regular drop-in time will continue as usual from 10am-12pm, with a short break for the mini-class at 11am.
Upcoming classes:
February 6: File & Email Management
February 13: Google Age Engage Reunion (10-11:30am)
February 20: CCTV Closed for President's Day
February 27: Sending Attachments by Email
March 5: Special Program - Google "Age Engage" (Click here for more info)
March 12: Special Program - Google "Age Engage" (Click here for more info)
March 19: Using the Library's Website
March 26: Understanding Different Types of Computer Files
Other classes will be announced soon. Have an idea for a mini-class? Please let us know!
Remember college? Or were you too dazed to remember? Come hear or tell a story about college room mates, food plans, pranks, teachers, libraries, parties, the new things you learned and tried and all the people you met. Bring your best personal story about those College Dayz, make it 5 minutes and make it count! 1st and 2nd place prizes, and bragging rights for all time.
Special guest hosts Join Dan “Danger” Dahari and Di “The Yellow Dart” Valentine as your hosts for College Dayz
After a successful story slam at the Precinct during last year’s season Diana Valentine brings it back for slam number 3. Tickets $5.00 available for early sales $7.00 at the door. click on http://massmouth.eventbrite.com/
WHAT IS A STORY SLAM?
· What is story slam? a story slam is a competition based on the art of storytelling. It puts a dual emphasis on content and performance, encouraging storytellers to focus on what they're saying and how they say it. It is an exercise in crafting stories within a set time limit. It is great entertainment.
· What is a story slam competition? A story slam is a competitive event in which storyteller s perform their work and are judged by panels made up of professional and nonprofessional storytellers who are massmouth members and members of the audience. The host or another organizer selects the judges, who are instructed to give numerical scores based on the storyteller s' content and performance.
· Who gets to participate? massmouth story slams are open to everyone 18+ years of age who wishes to sign up and can get into the venue. 10 names are selected from a box of slips entered by attendees with a story at the beginning of the evening. People’s Choice and Big Mouth’s Choice contestants may be added at the organizer’s discretion.
· What are the rules?
Each story must be of the storyteller’s own invention Copyright laws apply to literary works, and at story slams too. Your lived experience, told in the first person is the audience expectation. Judges will not award prizes to creative fiction, parody or traditional folklore, myths or other genres.
Each storyteller gets 5 minutes
(plus a under a 1 minute grace period) to tell a story. If the storyteller goes up to or over the 6 minute time, 1 full point will be deducted from the total score.
The storyteller may not use:
notes • props •costumes • musical instruments
Stories are judged on:
How much of a ‘story’ is developed in the time limits • How well a ‘story’ relates to the theme • How well stories are presented
A story slam is competition of stories not storytellers. Judging is weighted 2 to 1 on story to presentation. Winners may not tell in subsequent season slams but may be invited as feature tellers.
· Are the rules the same from slam to slam? We will adhere to these basic guidelines as updated and posted at massmouth.com / events. Winners of a regulation slam (regulation = a slam using these rules and registered with massmouth) may advance to the semi-finals and Season Finals
· How often do slams happen? What is the big prize: Winners advance to a local semi-finals and then on to Season Finals which is a yearly slam between the winners of the monthly slams.
The 2011 -2012 Grand Finale ~ 1st place is a week in a Tuscan townhouse ~Coolidge Corner Theater • Brookline, WED April 11th from 7PM-9PM Slams will run about 3xs once a month in Greater Boston from OCT to MAR with special events as inspired or needed.
· How does a story slam differ from an open mic telling?A story slam is a challenge to the teller and a gift to the audience, whereas a number of open mic settings are meant as a support network for storytellers. Slam performances are crafted for the audience.
· What can the audience do? Listen, laugh, groan, applaud & weep. No interrupting or heckling.
· What kind of stories are told at slams? Sharing stories that mean something to you, the teller. Story slams focus on true, personal narrative - and that is the intent of these events.
PRECINCT, Previously home to the Somerville Police Department is a unique basement-venue that features an outdoor beer garden/patio, live music every night, food served late, and sporting events.
Getting to The Precinct by public transportation Red Line MBTA:to Harvard Square, then the #86 (Sullivan Square) bus to Union Square. Orange Line MBTA: to Sullivan Square, then the #86 (Allston) bus or the #91 (Central Square) bus to Union Square.Green Line MBTA: to Lechmere Station, then the #87 (Clarendon Hill) bus to Union Square.
On April 11, 2012, 7-9PM All the finalists will gather at Coolidge Corner, main theater to compete for a week in a medeival townhouse in Tuscany and other prizes.
See eventbrite for semifinals and final slam tickets: http://massmouth.eventbrite.com/
“Because you have a life, you have a story. Bring it!” Listen to our podcasts at iTunes and podcast webpage. And check out our video archive to get an idea about 5 minute stories http://massmouth.ning.com/video
http://massmouth.ning.com/forum/topics/story-slam-rules-pr-what-is
http://massmouth.ning.com/forum/topics/way-to-be-sure-to-tell-at-a
Other massmouth slams this season:
Mondays: Club Passim in Cambridge, MA and Semi finals in March 2012
Tuesdays: Somerville, Cambridge and other venues Semi-finals in March 2012
Semi Finals: in March 11th for JP events
Finals: WED APRIL 11th the Finals will be at Coolidge Corner Theater main theater Brookline, 7-9PM
If you were wondering why there were so many people in Harvard Square today, the short answer is "chocolate."
The Harvard Square Business Association started the noon hour with a Chocolate Treasure Hunt. The proceeds from the $1.00 admission price to this event were targeted to support the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.
Then starting at 1:00 pm, the Second Annual Chocolate Sampling Event took place. Harvard Square restaurants and shops set up tables full of chocolate samples from their stores and gave them away for over an hour. Even though the line of people waiting to get their chocolate was a block long for the whole event, the smiles were unstoppable.
Bill Manley, the Marketing and Events Manager for the Harvard Square Business Association, gives us the details:
The Harvard Square Business Association has many more events planned for not only this weekend, but for the next couple of weeks as well.
Check their website (www.HarvardSquare.com) for their calendar of events.