Tantra, the Goddess of Shut the Fuck Up, or IKEA Redux

For the past couple of days, I've been receiving comments on my blog entry of April 18 from a person who identifies herself as Tantra, the Goddess of Flight. I used to see her name on the Noise Board (electronic message board) but I don't know that I've ever met her. Because her comments are emotional, nonsensical, and contained personal insinuations and attacks, I chose not to print them. But a video posted on Facebook by Somerville Local First crossed my path today that again raised questions about the impact on local communities of big box stores. Seeing as all this is now spinning around in my head, I'll post it all as an interesting case of point/counterpoint (or, more accurately, confused rantings of a possibly inebriated mind/counterpoint).

Exhibit A: Tantra's First Comment

I disagree with you on several points. First, Ikea can not in any way, shape, or form, be compared to Walmart. Ikea has a grand total of 230 stores worldwide with only 30 or so in the United States. Compare this to Walmart's 4500 or so and counting. Not even close. World domination is not the point with Ikea. Second, about your "box store" point: Ikea sells only furniture and domestic goods. In order to display furniture, you need a lot of room. Every Ikea is also a complete, fully-stocked warehouse hence the large buildings. They may have a cafe but there are no auto parts, clothing, pharmacy, and pet food. They are not even close to being one-stop shopping for all your worldly needs like Walmart professes to be (have you ever been to Ikea?). Third, I am completely in favor of supporting local business and agree that some corporations stifle competition, however, I doubt that Ikea will put Eddie's New and Used Furniture out of business. They serve a different demographic. Besides, the people who would go to Ikea won't necessarily be from Somerville; they'll be from everywhere else. What's more, Somerville has a large working class population that doesn't quite fit with your idea of the "zeitgeist." Sure, Somerville has its artists and local music types (I know; I know many in your crowd), but I can't imagine that everyone wants someone's old castoff furniture. I admit that I have culled furniture from the curb, but you know, sometimes you just have to buy new stuff. Eddie's just isn't going to do it for me.

Exhibit B: Tantra's Second Comment, sent after I didn't respond to the first one

Yeah, you're right. I concede that Ikea has some politically dubious merchandise. I bought a wardrobe from Ikea. It was very inexpensive. It was--gasp--made in Sweden, that bastion of sweatshops, inequality, and ill treated labor. Then, horror of horrors, a bookshelf I bought was actually made in Italy, land of extremely quick lunches, forced labor, and badly made mass produced shoes. But that wasn't the worst of it. I almost passed out from shock when I found out some towels were made in that completely for foreign place called los Estados Unidos. Boy, was I disappointed. I'll never shop there again. Boycott all products made los Estados Unidos!

Exhibit C: The Video

Rising from Ruins: Tax Subsidy Animation from Hanson Hosein on Vimeo.

I have seen the future, and it is now.

The theme of last month's ArtBeat Festival was "Somerville...of the Future". Well, this morning I witnessed a little slice of futuristic chaos: the collision of a bicycle with the fire department's brand new Prius. According to the bicyclist, the Prius stopped suddenly to avoid a pedestrian, and he couldn't stop in time to avoid hitting it. He seemed shaken but not injured, and his bike was fine (this conveniently happened in front of Ace Wheel Works), but the Prius, a beautiful red shiny thing with white stripes and FIRE DEPARTMENT written across both sides in white letters, suffered a few scratches on its right rear quarter panel. What ensued was a convergence on the scene of every sort of ground assault vehicle in the city's possession: police car, motorcycle, fire truck, you name it. Sirens and lights and about 10 cops and firemen making sure the guy was all right, filling out forms and getting information, taking pictures; the most sweet and apologetic group of law enforcement officials I've ever seen. Seriously. I was on my pink bike with my cell phone camera; they paid me no mind, so I snapped a few Harriet the Spy-style shots of the little spectacle. Apparently, when earth-friendly vehicles go bad, everybody wins. Yay!

Boston.com launches "Your Town" Somerville

In the wake of the now-defunct printed local news section of the Globe, Boston.com has devoted a section of its website to Somerville news. "Your Town" Somerville contains local news, announcements, links to blogs and local businesses, even grocery coupons.

The very best thing about the site is the "Report A Problem" section. It's a place where people can use a Google map to report issues like potholes, broken streetlights, anything the city needs to eventually deal with, and then it can be updated when (if?) the problem is fixed. People have been using it quite extensively, and from a whatever-thousand-foot view, Somerville is a such a clusterfuck of potholes that you can't see the map in some places. Of course, we knew that already, but looking at all the little orange markers on the map is pretty amusing. The good news is that out of the approximately 50 million reported, one has been fixed.

Travis Anderson is Boston.com's Somerville correspondent, and he can be reached by e-mail at travis.m.andersen@gmail.com with any juicy tips you might have (I'm still waiting for more news of raptors on hoverboards).

The Giobbe House

This beautiful house had been sitting unoccupied at the corner of Summer St. and Benton Rd. for quite some time recently, with a "sale pending" sign on it. I've spent years walking by it and admiring the almost 2-story stained glass window that looks out over the back yard. It's one of the few houses in the neighborhood with lots of land around it, part of which slopes down in a rolling hill toward the sidewalk and the building next door. It's always been surrounded by flowering trees and shrubs where the sparrows hang out. Because there was some really crappy white vinyl siding on the outside, I'd always assumed that the house was probably equally disrespected inside, but to my surprise, and ultimate dismay, that was not the case.

The sale pending sign having disappeared now (I have no idea what the place sold for), workmen have been showing up and making a lot of noise and dust. Curious as to whether they were going to keep it as a single-family or condo-ize, and dying to have a look inside, when I noticed the side door open, I walked in and could not believe what I saw. It was so amazingly well-preserved inside, with all the original molding, framing, stained glass, built-in drawers and bookcases. The wallpaper was even in beautiful condition. The man working in there told me that they were in the process of ripping all of it out. They're selling all the wood and fixtures, including the banister for the central circular staircase, to contractors, and taking all the stained glass out to be sold, as well. They're turning the house into three modern condos, and even though the wood shingles under the siding were in pretty good shape, they're throwing siding up again for the new place. Not that it will particularly make a difference at that point, as it will no longer belie the true nature of the place.

I'm so sad about this. I've really loved that house and was hopeful that someone would buy it and lovingly restore it, but instead they've ripped out trees, torn off all the window and door frames, and all I've been hearing for the last week is the sound of power tools and falling lumber. Fortunately, I was able to get some pictures of the interior, which you can see below.









More pictures here.

My kingdom for a hot dog

I probably shouldn't write about this, lest people who read it trample on Grover's good nature with off-menu requests, but I can't let this one pass without notice.

Picture: a summery Sunday eve, my boyfriend squiring me home after picking up the laundry from the fluff & fold, when I'm seized with the craving for a hot dog. It's July, the rain has finally stopped, and as we're cresting the hill where Boston Avenue meets Broadway, James says, "Maybe that place has hot dogs," "that place" being Eat at Jumbo's. We stop, go in, scan the menu from beginning to end, and alas, hot dogs do not appear. "Everything but that," says James.

Enter Grover, owner and local hot dog hero. "What are you looking for?" he asks.

"Oh, I was just craving a hot dog..." I said.

"I just bought some on the way here to cook for myself for dinner! Do you want some? I can cook 'em up for you."

Well. That was the last thing I expected. Like losing a rhinestone from a brand new shoe but then finding it again.

They were damn good dogs, too. Kayem natural skin, I believe, steamed, in untoasted buns. I really hope he adds them to the menu. He actually used to run a hot dog place in Swampscott prior to opening Eat at Jumbo's, so he knows his hot dogs f'real.

When people are generous in little ways like that, it's momentous to me. So thanks, Grover, for coming to Somerville and making me a couple of hot dogs.

The birdfeeder

For your listening pleasure, while you read:

Where the Flying Things Go (mp3) by The Gravel Pit

Lately, my greatest pleasure has been watching the traffic at my new bird feeder (I know, I have no life). There's a family of house sparrows that comes most often. The babies sit all fluffed up in the catalpa tree and the parents fetch seeds for them from the feeder. The babies have been venturing on to the feeder tray as well, and it's funny to watch them push each other off and then have to flap flap flap as fast as possible to get back up there.

There are a couple of mourning doves that occasionally buzz the feeder and scare the littler birds away, but since I put all sunflower seeds in there, they don't stay. Originally I had a mix of seeds in there, and the mourning doves were trying to get at it. Unfortunately (for them), they were too stupid to figure out how to eat out of the feeder and kept pecking at the plastic tube instead of going to the little eating stations. Now they mainly hang out in the tree and watch the action. I have named them Mutt and Jeff, but I can't really tell which is which.

At first I thought there were baby cardinals coming to the feeder because this little red-crested and -breasted bird kept coming over, but it turns out he's a house finch. There are actually a few of them that come by, and their songs are so sweet and beautiful. We named the main one Pimp Birdie Shorty.

Another new friend is Bucky the blue jay. He's a youngish bird that hangs out alone and comes to the feeder long enough to fetch a seed, then he goes over to the tree and uses a branch to bang it open. Lather, rinse, repeat. Blue jays can be really obnoxious and I've seen them fight other birds off of feeders, but Bucky is a dove, not a hawk, and he plays nice with the other birdies.

My favorite favorite is Henry James Bird (see above). He's the cardinal. The main reason I got the feeder was so that the cardinals would come, and the first bird I saw when we put it up was Henry James Bird. There's something so magical to me about the cardinal, I don't know why. I could watch him for hours, but he is here and gone so quickly! I think that being a cardinal, he has to be extra alert, because he's red and that makes him so visible. Twice, a female cardinal has come with him. Alice James Bird. Not to imply that there's anything incestuous going on (that I know of). Alice James Bird is really lovely. She's a soft golden color with an orange beak and the same black markings as the male around her face.

So I've been waking up every morning for the past couple of weeks between 5:00 and 6:00, usually because I can now recognize Henry James Bird's sound even in my sleep. Then I just sit up in bed and watch bird t.v. until I fall asleep again. We have three feeders, outside the kitchen, the bedroom, and the living room, so I get triple the bird watching. It's completely distracting. When I try to get work done, my eyes are irresistibly drawn to the feeder, and I can't bear to pull the shade down because I might miss Henry James Bird or someone else.

When I lived in San Francisco, I thought at first that I'd never stop noticing the colorful architecture, that I'd always be entranced by it and it would always jolt me out of whatever train of thought I was having. It only took a few months before I realized one day I didn't see it anymore. It became invisible through exposure. Right now, the birds have a similar effect on me. I hope it doesn't disappear! Right now it seems I'll never get tired of waiting for the cardinal to come, or watching the blue jay, or listening to the finches. It's like being a guest in bird world, and I like it here.

Union Square arts overlay district

A nice article from The Somerville News:

The arts overlay district in Union Square provides zoning relief, encourages growth

By Julia Fairclough

The adoption of the Union Square zoning, which includes the arts overlay district, will provide much-needed clarity for arts-related development, in addition to protecting precious space for artist use.

The zoning adoption is critical during this time of revival as the city awaits the arrival of the Green Line extension in Union Square, city officials agree. Developers will be attracted to building opportunities there, and passing the overlay protection will ensure that uses are set aside for the artists.

"This is a very positive development and the two-fold aspect is the most intriguing," said Richard Graf, the real estate advisor to ArtistLink, an arm of the Massachusetts Cultural Council that helps artists find work space. "This will help the artists, and help the square. I'm glad it stayed in the legislation...It will help solidify the character of the square for creative businesses and help speed up the redevelopment."

Passed at the city's Board of Alderman's meeting on April 23, the zoning ordinance has been in the works for the past fours years, with the goal to restore Union Square as the commercial center and better position it for the Green Line extension that will be in place by 2014. City officials have been saying that Union Square is a "hidden gem" that needs more attention.

The zoning will create three new areas: A commercial district spanning Washington Street and Somerville Avenue, a transit district around the proposed T stop and the arts overlay district that will encourage artists to take up residence.

The arts overlay district was created to encourage the preservation and enhancement of arts-related uses, particularly within Union Square, according to the zoning ordinance posted at www.somervillema.gov/ (click on "city departments," then "planning and zoning" and "Union Square rezoning proposal" and then "rezoning proposal 2008" and finally onto "Zoning amendment - adopted and ordained April 23, 2009.")

The district is also intended to preserve and enhance the area as a center for a variety of retail, business services, housing and office uses, as well as to promote a strong "pedestrian character and scale" throughout the district.

Specifically, the new zoning clarifies the following:

• The definition of artist live/work space as a building or any portion containing units of at least 750 square feet used for both residential and artist studio space. These households must include at least one artist certified by the city. Retail sales of art produced on site will not take place more than 12 hours per week.

• The definition of an artist studio space as space used for the creation, production, rehearsal or teaching of any visual art or craft, "including but not limited to painting, drawing, graphic design, photography, video, film, sculpture, and pottery; of written works of fiction or nonfiction; or of any performing art, whether for live or recorded performance, including music, dance, and theater, and accessory sales of such art."

• Expanding the definition of an artists as a "visual artist, craftsperson, musician or other performing artist, photographer or writer" and the office of an architect or landscape architect.

Parking requirements will also be relaxed within the overlay district. For example, an applicant may make either a cash payment in lieu of providing the required parking, or a partial cash payment, according to the ordinance, although it didn't specify amounts. The minimum parking requirements may also be reduced if applicants submit a plan demonstrating that such reduction will not have adverse community impacts.

The detailed, 50-page ordinance also outlines design guidelines that encompass signage and awning design, locations of entrances, building materials, pedestrian access, parking design, and so on. The Planning Board will serve as the special permit granting authority for arts-related uses. Variances would be granted separately by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

City officials are relieved to finally create clarity between what the arts community wants to do and what the inspectional services department sees can actually happen, said Greg Jenkins, executive director of the Somerville Arts Council.

Changing the previous vague term "artist housing" to defining what is an artist live/work space and what is an artist studio, with explicit parameters, is important to the artist community, Jenkins said. The ordinance also broadens the actual definition of art.

He added this is not just related to Union Square. "If you want to put an artist studio on Highland Avenue, there was never a defined use for one," he said.

For developers, the ordinance provides incentives to build for artist use, which is also good news for artists, Jenkins said. He added that the ordinance does not call for more building, but creates incentive or disincentive for certain kinds of development. "It creates a baseline by which the city says this is the type of activity that you want here," he said. "It's about relief for artists."

Will the new zoning laws create more studio space? "We don't know yet," Jenkins said. "It still takes money and a developer," he said. Once the economy turns around, the city will see more of what is to come.

Developers will be eyeballing Union Square as the Green Line project picks up, so having the zoning in place will keep the attention on the arts and provide a framework for developers to follow, said Beth Driscoll, a longtime resident, artist and former Somerville Arts Council board member, who worked closely with the city over the past four years.

It means a lot for the future economy of Union Square, as artists are a proven economic catalyst for underdeveloped areas, she said.

"The decision to reward development for arts related uses will benefit everyone in the city by making the Union Square district a more desirable place to live and work, while also encouraging economic growth," Driscoll said.