Shhhh, it's a DRUG BUST

The Somerville News reports today that:

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Somerville Chief of Police Thomas Pasquarello invite residents in the Oxford Street neighborhood to a community meeting to discuss recent police activity. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 15, at 7:00 p.m. at the Public Safety Building, 220 Washington Street. Chief Pasquarello and other officers will address issues of concern for the neighborhood, and answer questions from residents. If you have questions on any police matter, please call the police information line at 617-625-1600.

In case you assume this has something to do with loud donut and coffee tailgate parties resulting in complaints about the police slacking off, you assume wrong. Between the lines of that community group hug invitation is the fact that "police activity," concerned a crystal meth lab located on one of Somerville's sleepy, peaceful streets, about a half block from City Hall.

So, yeah, I guess Mayor Joe wants to tiptoe carefully around this one, though it's hardly a secret, as the incident was fully reported on Wicked Local Somerville November 7.

But what the hell is up with Somerville "News"? How do they call themselves a news organization and use a euphemism ("police activity") in place of the description of a bust that included helicopters, federal agents, hazmat personnel, and "shouts of 'fire in the hole'"(according to the MASSCOPS website)? You gotta give those guys credit for putting their careers on the line to get the story, no? In fact, this fine piece of journalistic integrity came verbatim from a City Hall press release.

Which leads us right back to mealy mouthed Mayor Joe. Every time I think maybe he's not so bad (I've been told he's against Wal-Mart), he pulls some bonehead move. By publicizing this meeting without admitting the real reason for it, he is not only patronizing all of his constituents, but trying to weasel out of taking public responsibility for having no idea what was going on half a block from his office. There's also a little voice in my head that keeps squeaking "property values," another incentive to say, "shhhh," and move on.

So, I'm just here to yell DRUG BUST DRUG BUST DRUG BUST as loud as I can because I hate a coverup. And I really hate being patronized.

Zoning Board of Appeals Meets Tonight

The Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals will meet tonight at 6pm at City Hall (93 Highland Avenue, Aldermanic Chamber). On the agenda is MLM Realty Trust's appeal of the Planning Board's decision not to let them subdivide the property at One Benton Road into two lots for the purpose of building luxury condos. Neighbors of the property are planning a thorough presentation of the facts of the situation and have received over 200 letters in support of the Planning Board's original decision not to grant MLM the requested zoning variance, which they need in order to subdivide.

Thanks to everyone who signed the online petition and/or sent a letter. The more people that show up tonight, the better, so if you're able to make it, please show up!

Also, in case you missed it, Somerville Patch published a nice article about the struggle thus far on February 24th.

One Benton Road's Last Stand

According to the Agenda published by the Somerville Planning Board, there will be a special meeting tonight at Somerville High School Auditorium (6:00, 81 Highland Ave.) to discuss whether MLM Realty will be permitted to divide the lot at One Benton Road into two, and build a second three-unit structure there.

The question of whether to finalize the permit now comes down to traffic safety. Because of the increased traffic to be generated by the additional residence, should it be built, combined with the limited lane space on Benton Road, and the foot traffic in the neighborhood during morning hours, the Planning Board has required MLM to present a traffic mitigation plan that would resolve these issues before allowing construction to go forward.

Supporters of the effort to prevent further construction on the One Benton Road lot will be attending tonight's meeting, and Alderman Tom Taylor has stated that the more people who show up, the more weight their opposition will carry. The petitions submitted by neighbors at the May 6 meeting have been instrumental in delaying construction this long, and forcing the developer to search for solutions to the negative impact that additional building on the lot will have.

Hopefully, MLM Realty's poorly conceived and executed assault on the city's precious remainder of open space can be halted before further damage is done to what was once a unique historical property.

The Giobbe House: The Saga Continues

While I was out of town last week, the Somerville Planning Board discussed the question of whether MLM Realty will be permitted to subdivide the lot at One Benton Road, where The Giobbe House formerly stood, into two parcels in order to build a second three-condo structure. As I mentioned in a former blog entry, the position of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, as well as a number of Somerville residents, is that the renovated house at One Benton Road demonstrates wanton disregard for the preservation of the character and history of the neighborhood.

The Somerville News blog reports that at the May 6 Planning Board meeting, aldermen and residents raised the issue that increased traffic at the site poses a potential danger to children walking to and from nearby St. Catherine's School. Design Consultants Incorporated presented a traffic study that was deemed irrelevant by board member Michael A. Capuano (not to be confused with Congressman Michael E. Capuano) due to the fact that it was conducted at a time of day during which the traffic problem in question was not an issue.

Despite the measures city and state officials are now taking in an attempt to control the chaos generated by the runaway greed responsible for this whole debacle, the outlook appears grim. There will be a May 20 Traffic Commission meeting during which the traffic concerns will be discussed, but board member Dana LeWinter is quoted in the Somerville News as saying, "We can't deny (the permit) unless there are intractable concerns. I want to know what possible mitigation measures there might be." The Somerville News does not mention Mayor Joe Curtatone in its article; all I know is that the March 22, 2010 document recommending conditional approval to MLM for the subdivision of the lot is on his letterhead.

At this point, making contact with your Alderman or -woman, the mayor, and the congressman by phone or e-mail are good options to voice your concerns about this project. Also, Attorney Richard G. Di Girolamo, located at 424 Broadway, Somerville 02145, who is listed as the agent for MLM Realty Trust on the above-referenced document, can be reached at 617-666-8200. Lastly, the May 20 Traffic Commission meeting is open to the public, so show up if you can. If enough people get vocal about this, it will be more difficult for MLM to continue to develop in the irresponsible fashion that characterized the renovation of The Giobbe House. As a community, I think we owe it to ourselves to make this process as difficult for MLM as possible, based on the complete lack of respect they've shown us. They haven't succeeded yet, and until they get full approval from the city, there's still time to fight.

Heartfelt thanks to everyone who signed the petition and posted comments here.

More tales of the Giobbe House

Remember this?
Now it looks like this. Nice, huh?
Just what we needed; another driveway. And a fence. That pink tree and green space looked like they were crying for a good paving-over. Note the four windows to the left of the fire escape. Remember these?
Much better, right? Oh, and remember this?
Maybe this will refresh your memory.
Mmm hm. Well, now we have this.

Admittedly, the Giobbe house needed work. But was it really necessary to strip it of all remnants of character and historical value in the interest of selling condos for a big fat profit? However, it's a fait accompli. At a 12/2/2009 meeting of the Somerville Board of Aldermen and the Historic Preservation Society, it was listed in a presentation as a "missed opportunity" and a "notable loss." (page 5)

In contrast, the same document refers to the Hood house, directly across the street, as a "realized opportunity," and as such, it won a 2008 SHPC Director's Award (see the before and after photos on page 9 of the presentation).

Unfortunately, the worst may be yet to come. A March 22, 2010 document from the office of Mayor Joe Curtatone has granted "conditional approval" for MLM Realty to subdivide the parcel of land on which One Benton Road sits (the Giobbe house, as was) into two parcels for further development construction of another building housing three condominiums, thus effectively removing all open space from the lot.

Apparently, I'm not the only one in the neighborhood who's good and pissed off about this. A petition appeared recently on the door to my apartment building stating that "new construction would damage the...watersheds for...two conservation districts;" that according to The Boston Globe (Monday April 5, 2010), "Somerville is already the most paved over and built upon city in the state, with 77% of its area paved over;" that "the treatment of the Giobbe house has been...the essential destruction of the historic character and design integrity of this house;" and that "the work already done on this site gives us no confidence that further building would be of good workmanship and design."

77% paved over! A friend of mine who regularly visits here from New Hampshire is constantly amazed that we all live together with so little space between us in this city, and he's got a point. Every spring I walk around the hills photographing the flowers, trying to preserve the burst of nature that temporarily obscures the almost ubiquitous presence of humans and our objects. Despite the over-development, I love living in Somerville, and I think our remaining 23% is worth fighting for. So do my neighbors. If you're interested in helping, you can sign a copy of the petition online at http://www.petitiononline.com/giobbe/petition.html or stop by 2 Westwood Road or 5 Westwood Road to sign in person.

Additional info:

The Somerville News blog http://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_somerville_news/2010/04/benton-road-project-criticized-by-aldermen-public.html

You are here

Last March, U2 strafed through here, playing four songs at the Somerville Theater to a bunch of industry insiders, ticket winners, and local politicos, on which occasion Mayor Joe Curtatone presented the band a certificate declaring March 11 "U2 Day" in Somerville. At the time, he asserted in print somewhere (the Somerville Journal?) that the event had put the city "on the map." This year, March 11 passed quietly, and while it's possible the mayor received a celebratory bouquet or box of candy from the band, I certainly never heard anything about it. No parades, no half-holiday for city employees; just a quiet little March 11, like pretty much any other. U2 Day hasn't seemed to make Somerville particularly more important culturally than it was before, and the federal government didn't seem to take it into account when deciding to cut the arts budget for Massachusetts this year.

On the other hand, an event of decidedly lower profile and profoundly greater cultural and community significance took place last night when The Church brought its 30th anniversary tour to the Center for Arts at the Armory. There were no crowds outside the venue, straining for a glimpse of the band; there were no parking problems caused in the neighborhood; there was nary a sign of Mayor Joe, and there was no holiday declared. Instead, one of the longest-lived, hardest-working, and most talented bands playing rock and roll took the audience on a tour backwards through the songs on its (to date) 23 albums. Instead of being a mere PR stop accessible primarily to non-residents, tickets to this show were available to all at an affordable $30. The ticket price also included a copy of the band's latest EP.

Why is it culturally significant to Somerville that this sleeper of an event occurred here? It shows me that we have a space that can intimately embrace those bands that are beyond superstars, whose success isn't measured in record company profits, but rather in terms of raw artistic accomplishment. Not that The Church hasn't earned its labels more than a little cash over time, but this is a band that hasn't had a hit in 20 years. The show was a little gift, a gem glowing softly in a velvet cushion. Seeing a band I've loved for 30 years a few blocks from my home was an experience I'm unbelievably grateful to have had.

If Somerville needs an additional push to find a place on Mayor Joe's proverbial map, beyond its 200 years of history, its own dynamic community, its arts, and its local businesses, I think it will come from more events of this type, rather than the hype of last year's forgotten U2 visit. Mayor Joe would do well to take note, and rather than hand out gratuitous honors to those who bring nothing to his city, celebrate the substantial contributions of those who bring their music to share with its citizens.

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.

An age-old question

Paper or plastic?

The paper bag has made a comeback in the grocery store. For the last few weeks, Shaw's in Porter Square has been offering paper grocery bags as an alternative to plastic and it couldn't have come at a more perfect moment for me. I used to shop at Trader Joe's quite a bit, but haven't been going there much in the past year. Consequently, all the Trader Joe's paper bags that I'd amassed to use for my recycling got used up, and I've recently been trying to figure out how to get more bags without having to go all the way to Trader Joe's for them. Now, Shaw's has brought them to me.

Like the rest of the ecologically minded grocery shoppers in the country, I've adopted the "bring your own bag" ethos enthusiastically, and have stockpiled a supply of them which I keep in the trunk of my car. Inevitably though, I walk into the grocery store without noticing I've left them there until I'm at the register. Extremely frustrating, especially when the only alternative is to accept horrible, nasty plastic bags. So when this happened a couple of weeks ago, and I spied a stack of paper bags quietly sitting where they used to in the old "paper or plastic" days, I was pretty ecstatic.

Shaw's has been absolutely silent public-relations-wise regarding this move, at least to my knowledge. It seems that they'd leverage the environmental advantages of the return to paper in their advertising, but they don't seem to have gone there yet. According to the information on the bags themselves, they are made of at least 40% post-consumer waste, and are "100% recyclable," not to mention biodegradable.

Just think what it would be like if America got rid of all the plastic grocery bags and returned to paper and reusable bags. No plastic bags tattered and flapping in the wind in the branches of the Catalpa tree, no poison plastic bag factories cranking out pollution, and the growth of that island of crap floating around the Pacific would slow exponentially. Heavenly.

Of course, I'm getting way ahead of myself. I'm sure the plastic bag industry will fight hard to survive; they've been enjoying some fat decades. At least choice is back. I'm just relieved that my recycling has a place to go again and that my imperfect memory won't result in plastic bag consumption, at least when I shop at Shaw's.

I love Spring

According to the Mass Dept. of Agriculture's list, Somerville's farmer's markets are starting up soon. The one in Union Square opens May 27 and runs through November, and Davis Square runs from June to October.

I went with some friends to Bread & Company's grand opening event the other night. They were serving appetizers, wine, desserts, and cocktails featuring Western Massachusetts-distilled liquors. I had a glass of wine in my hand or I would have ordered a Dark & Stormy; a reason to go back. The space now has a clean and streamlined decor, very anti-Bickford's. The food was so-so; somewhat underseasoned. Bread & Comany is open for brunch on the weekends, and it will definitely be worth trying in that capacity. They've got it set up for a few outdoor tables, too, for dining al fresco in the warm weather.

Some pictures I took on my walk in Spring Hill the other day:

IKEA and ultrafine particles

When I heard that IKEA was coming to Assembly Square back in 2003, the first thing I thought about was the increased traffic and pollution it would bring with it, especially on the weekends. I've been against the idea from the beginning, not only for those reasons, but also because I have no love for big box stores and their impact on local economies. To anyone who believes that these types of establishments are assets to their communities, I recommend the documentary Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price.

This past week, The Boston Globe (as well as the Somerville Journal) reported that a group of scientists will begin a study on the effect of ultrafine particles released into the air by combustion engines in high traffic areas, such as the neighborhoods abutting Mystic Ave. and 93 in the area of Assembly Square. Ultrafine particles are microscopic pollutants that have been correlated with increased incidences of heart and lung disease among people living within 300 feet and downwind of heavily used highways. Somerville residents have requested that the Tufts Community Research Center perform the study based on anecdotal evidence showing high rates of cardiovascular and pulmonary disease among those living in the Nunnery Grounds neighborhood. If their suspicions prove valid, and the already high volume of traffic actually increases with the opening of IKEA, then the situation becomes one of sacrificing lives for cheap goods. I'm curious to see whether IKEA will be allowed to begin construction before this study is complete; if the health risks will be rationalized by focusing on job creation and increased commerce.

In a town that's been shifting strongly away from the corporate mentality, with residents supporting independent local businesses, and getting furniture and other goods through craigslist, freecycle, thrift stores, yard sales, flea markets, and community swaps, building an IKEA doesn't reflect the prevailing Somerville zeitgeist. Going forward, I hope awareness of the health risks posed by increased traffic in the Assembly Square area will play an important part in any future decisions made about IKEA.

The Museum of Science will host a free public forum on the issue of vehicular pollution on Sunday, May 3, at 7pm. Advance registration is required. Call 617-589-4250 or email forumrsvp@mos.org.

A chicken in every pot, a Somerville Scout in every mailbox

Today, a stack of a new quarterly publication entitled the Somerville Scout showed up in the lobby of my building. With print media on the approximate evolutionary trajectory of the pterodactyl, it's an odd time to launch a magazine. The editorial conceit of this one is "scouting the best of where to go and what to do in Somerville," and the mission statement reads "Somerville Scout seeks to inspire its readers to enjoy all Somerville has to offer." Actually, it's an advertising vehicle for local businesses, which is a good thing if it gets people to support them, but I can't help feeling manipulated as a reader.

Somerville Scout's content is fairly stale, consisting mainly of news that other publications like the Somerville Journal and Somerville News have already covered, plus lists of upcoming events and performances at Somerville venues, and a few profiles of local business owners. The obvious flaws in the quarterly publication schedule are that by the time the next issue rolls around, the news content is going to three months staler and any changes to the event listings will be lost. The only thing that will still be "fresh" is the ad content, which brings me back to the manipulation factor.

Don't get me wrong; I thoroughly support local businesses and urge others to do so whenever possible. I also applaud the chutzpah it takes for anyone to undertake the launch of a new magazine the same week the New York Times is threatening to shut down publication of the Boston Globe. I sincerely hope the Somerville Scout achieves its misleadingly worded aim and does bring more folks through the doors of our local business establishments. I just wish there was a greater percentage of worthwhile content between the ads. I guess we'll just have to see what issue #2 brings.

Center for Arts at The Armory Dedication Ceremony

Tonight an important milestone in Somerville history will take place when the old armory officially becomes The Center for Arts at The Armory. The event will be marked with a tour of the beautifully redesigned interior of the space, an art show, dedication speeches from Mayor Joe Curtatone and Senator Pat Jehlen, even a youth drumline performance. There will be refreshments served and a chance to meet the visual artists (including me!) participating in the Center's inaugural show.

Oddly, there's an "inter-faith" blessing planned that includes only representatives of two Christian sects. I'm not sure why it was deemed necessary to bring a religious element into the mix, but considering Somerville's diversity, a rabbi and an imam would probably have been appropriate as well. Personally, I'd just as soon leave god out of it; I'm a rank secularist and I'd like to see religion left in the churches, synagogues and mosques, and out of the arts. Art provides a spirituality of its own that shouldn't need to compete with religion in its own space.

At any rate, Joseph and Nabil of The Middle East and Zuzu, have done an outstanding job with turning the Armory into a valuable space for Somerville artists and art appreciators alike. I think it's going to have a large role in the art community here in Somerville, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it develops.

Details of tonight's Dedication Ceremony:

5:00 - 5:45 PM
Building Tour

5:45 - 6:15 PM
Welcome and Master of Ceremonies
Robert Claycomb, Armory Neighborhood Advisory Committee Member

An Interfaith Building Blessing
Father Thomas Corcoran, St. Catherine´s Parish
Reverend Doctor Richard R. Buckner, III, Church of the Holy Spirit

Mayoral Dedication and Citation
Mayor Joseph Curtatone

Legislative Citation
Senator Patricia Jehlen
Representative Carl Sciortino
Representative Denise Provost

Aldermanic Citation
Alderman Sean O´Donovan, Ward Five

Youth Music Performance Drumline
A Percussion Group of 10 Somerville High School Students
Directed by Brian O´Neil and Nick Dalessandro, Somerville High School Music Department

A Community Reading Led by Robert Smyth, Armory Neighborhood Advisory Committee Member

6:15 - 7:00 PM
Armory ART Start!
Reception in the Armory Café
Meet the artists who participated in our first exhibit.
Also see before and after images of the Armory and bring your own photos and stories!

We want to be a good neighbor. We encourage you to take public transportation, bike, car pool or walk to the Armory. If you do decide to drive, please use our parking lot behind the Armory located at 191 Highland Avenue or the overflow lot located at 112 Central Street (before the bridge as you head towards Medford Street).

The annual return of the street sweepers to Somerville

It's not quite as romantic as the swallows' annual return to San Juan Capistrano, unless you're the person who counts the money generated by ticket fines on street cleaning day; however, April 1 is upon us and some of us will be moving our cars to the even side of the street before the sweepers come around on Thursday morning, preceded by the inevitable ticketers.

If my last year's experience proves consistent, there will be no grace period or warnings for those who forget to move their vehicles because it's the first week; instead there will be a bright orange envelope secured to your windshield wiper and flapping in the breeze for sending in your hard-earned (if you still have a job) $50 to the Traffic and Parking Office.

Boston.com does provide help for those of us who haven't memorized this year's list of first and third Thursdays and second and fourth Fridays yet. Go to bostonsweeper.boston.com and enter your city and street name to receive e-mail notification the day before the sweeper comes around.

My goal, as always, is to get it right every time, but there are a lot of first and third Thursdays and second and fourth Fridays to come before the end of December and the thought is rather discouraging. I really believe that one's first street cleaning violation of the year should be waived in common courtesy to residents who have more on our minds than whether tomorrow will be the first or second Thursday or the third Friday or whether it will be Thursday or Friday at all. Unfortunately, this year's budget cuts make it likely that parking ticket revenues will be grasped at harder than ever.

If you're frustated with Somerville's ticketing policies (and who that drives a car here isn't?), don't forget that you can hop over to the Somerville Parking Problems Google group to kvetch with others in the same boat. I think we should start keeping a running total over there of the fees we've paid as a constituency. I'm sure it will horrify us and make the parking commissioner dance with glee.

Somerville Journal reports on Give the Gift of Somerville

The Somerville Journal kindly published an article about my little Facebook application this week:

The unique gift of Somerville – now on Facebook
By Auditi Guha
Wicked Local Somerville
Posted Mar 24, 2009 @ 10:24 PM

You know you spend a lot of time on Facebook when you start creating your own applications. Thanks to Somerville resident Laura Slapikoff you can now gift your friends all kinds of Somerville things from the dreaded orange parking ticket to the historic Powder House.

“Give the gift of Somerville – a whole new way of sharing the City of Seven Hills with your friends” debuted Sunday and already boasts 185 users. “Wow, I am amazed!” the Spring Hill resident said when she counted it up. “It’s become very popular very quickly.”

There are 44 items available so far from historical landmarks and postcards to the plain wacky – a “suffocating Mary” or a garden statue of the Virgin covered with plastic.

An everyday Facebook user, Slapikoff, 44, came up with the idea because “I thought it would be a cool idea to send people Somerville things and because I know people who live here love Somerville.”

She aired her idea on online community Davis Square LiveJournal and set it up over the weekend with techie help from Dev Purkayastha, another local resident.

But that’s just where it starts. Slapikoff is working on using the application to raise funds for a local non-profit. She plans to approach area businesses interested in being a Facebook gift item to contribute for it and is working with Community Action Agency of Somerville to arrange the fund flow.

“I definitely want more people to use it so we can raise money for a cause,” she said.

Slapikoff grew up in Arlington and moved to Somerville in 1993. “I love that it is such a diverse community and love the support here for local businesses and artists,” she said. An artist, writer, web designer and recent blogger herself, she has embraced online social networks like Facebook and believes they can be used positively.

Raptors on Hoverboards

Thanks to my cousin Paul for sending me this important information about Somerville. According to xkcd.com the highest number of Google searches for "raptors on hoverboards" comes from our own little 'ville. I'm intrigued. Have there been sightings of raptors on hoverboards around town? If so, I hope some photographic evidence emerges. In the meantime, keep searching the skies!