A year or so ago I reported on the facts surrounding the conveyance of a condominium unit at 61-63 Walden Street, Cambridge to City Councillor Marjorie Decker. See Who Owns What at City Hall? What Your Public Records Can Tell You. In a nutshell, the deed said she got it for nothing, she claims she paid for it, and no documentary stamp tax appears to have been paid. See Decker’s answer in the Cambridge Chronicle.

This year things have gotten more interesting. An alert reader told me that there was litigation going on regarding this transaction. When someone sues, they are unhappy about something, usually money. There are two related cases filed at Middlesex Superior Court. read more...

Every spring it is a good idea to go outside somewhere and see what survived to live another year. Today I went up to Middlesex Fells in Medford. Contrary to popular opinion, (unpopular, I suppose, in certain places) the world may not be quite on the verge just yet. I won't bore anyone with descriptions of what I saw while there. I'll let the pictures speak for me. The one thing I will share is that by doing this it was confirmed that I too have survived. I'll be keeping an eye on things just to make sure.

The North Cambridge Family Opera Festival Chorus will be giving three FREE performances of the oratorio "Looking Up" featuring music from across the centuries about topics spanning the universe. The oratorio is being presented as part of the fourth annual Cambridge Science Festival. Works by G. F. Handel, Jonathan Coulton, Bruce Lazarus, David Haines, and Cambridge composers Andrea Gaudette and David Bass will be sung in "Looking Up". Four of the six composers will be making appearances in connection with the performances, and performing in at least some shows. Mr. read more...

Most Cantabrigians know that the State Department of Transportation (DOT) is planning to extend the Green Line from Lechmere into Somerville. This is good news for our neighbors to the north and the region. We get better public transport, making commuting to jobs and shopping better, while providing traffic, parking, and pollution relief. This will include a branch to Union Square, and a main line through West Medford to Tufts or Route 16 near the Somerville-Medford border. (Why they wouldn't go the last mile is a real puzzler.)

Little of the new construction will take place in Cambridge: less than half a mile of new track. The biggest local change happens at Lechmere Square. We are all familiar with this area as it has been configured since about 1920 with the T station on the point between Cambridge Street and the O’Brien Highway at their convergence. In ten years you won’t recognize the spot. read more...

SAVE THE DATE! FEBRUARY 24, 2010
The East Cambridge Planning Team will hold its Mid Winter Soiree at the offices of the Constellation Center. Come spend a pleasant evening with your neighbors, raise a glass and enjoy. There will be a short performance by Handel & Haydn Society singer Shannon Larkin with cello accompaniment. Constellation Center President Glen KnicKrehm will give a project update and you will be able to hear an example of the Constellation Center sound system.

Take this opportunity to chat, find out more about what's going on in East Cambridge, and learn about what may one day be one of the planet's greatest performance venues. Right here in East Cambridge!. I look forward to seeing you all there.

While walking home from work yesterday, I got a big shock. The 21 linden trees that grew in the grass strip in front of the Museum of Science were being cut down. By noon today, they were gone. I knew that the sidewalk was scheduled to be widened, but according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s project description that is still linked to on their web site, the “streetscape improvements” weren’t scheduled to begin until May of 2011. read more...

2010-2011 City Council Sworn in today at City Hall read more...