On Tuesday, 11/19/09, BeLive had as our guest local gardener and community builder Hatch Sterritt. Hatch can be seen pulling his cart of gardening tools around Area 4, interacting with neighbors to help them create beauty in the streets surrounding them. He believes that cleaning weeds and debris, planting bulbs and flowers in tree wells and -- in any way giving our “home streets” a cared-for look – adds immeasurably to the quality of life in our communities. Furthermore, it provides opportunities to meet your neighbors and have positive, bonding experiences with the people you might otherwise pass by day-to-day.

I've done a few posts on this new piece of open space, but I thought I should cover the opening. Well I didn't really do it myself. I spent all day photographing Italian fashion accessories for a catalog. My shots were only the back up, but I made grocery money for the week. I gave the camera to my eleven year old and asked her to do her best. Its a little shaky, but not too bad for a first time out.

Assistant City Manager Rich Rossi Was the master of ceremonies. Tim Toomey and Joe Grassi took turns at the mic as well. Check out the closing credit scene for some unexpected frivolity between city employees.

The event was attended by a fair number of people from the neighborhood with lots of kids underfoot.

Some of us have already christened the compost bins and hope that all of the garden plots will be used next year. Stay tuned.

Video contains a short speech by U.S. Representative and former Somerville mayor Michael Capuano

On Wednesday October 22, 2008 the Archstone Smith Company dedicated phase one of its portion of the Northpoint development. They own two parcels at the southern end of the 55 acres that make up Northpoint. They are not to be confused with Pan Am Railways (formerly Guilford Transportation, formerly Boston and Maine), who control the bulk of that land.

Archstone develops residential rental property and owns more than a dozen projects in the Boston area, and several in Cambridge. They have always dealt honestly with their neighbors in East Cambridge, further distinguishing them from many other developers that we have dealt with over the years. read more...

This Saturday, October 25, 2008, at 1:00 PM the new community garden at Costa Lopez Taylor Park on Charles Street in East Cambridge will be dedicated by the City of Cambridge. This space, known by locals as the Painted Park, was a fenced off vacant lot until this June when the city began construction of the new garden. They finished up last week.

The garden has about 30 four by eight foot raised plots (at least one of which is built specifically for wheelchair accessibility), compost bins, water, checker tables, benches, sculpture, birdhouses, and a big tree. The plots will be administered by the Cambridge Conservation Commission. If you would like more information about reserving a plot here contact the commission. Here is a link. Cambridge Conservation Commission read more...

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. has bought up seventeen acres along Binney Street in East Cambridge. They want to build about a million and a half square feet of office and lab space to lease to the biotech industry. Not happy with the limitations under current zoning, they have submitted an amendment to the zoning ordinance to the city that they would like to have passed.

This cheeky act did not come by itself, but was accompanied with the offer to the city and neighborhood of 1.75 acres for a park. It has since been expanded to just over two acres, making it the entire block surrounded by Bent, Third, Rogers, and Second streets. This was a pretty savvy tactic on their part. It got the neighborhood’s attention - without having their zoning petition rejected outright. They sent a delegation to the East Cambridge Planning Team last summer and asked if it was worth discussing the issue. The conversation is heating up. read more...

BANK OF AMERICA SUCKS FOR CERTAIN...

OF COURSE I DID NOT QUITE LISTENED WHEN ONE OF MY GOOD FRIENDS WARNED ME ABOUT THEM.

FIGURED WELL, I ALWAYS MANAGED, AS LITTLE AS MY MONTHLY INCOME IS AND HAS BEEN, TO CORRECT THINGS WITH THOSE PAPER-EATERS. I WAS WRONG. INDEED WE LIVE IN DESPERATE TIMES.
DESPERATE TIMES FOR THE PEOPLE. OUR RIGHTS. OUR NEEDS AND EFFORTS SHOVELED OFF AS HORSE MANURES TO GIVE LEEWAY INSTEAD TO THOSE CORPORATIONS WHO PRETTY MUCH OWNED THIS COUNTRY.

ANOTHER PLACE TO COMPLAIN AND INSIGHT REBELLION OVER WOULD BE: EXPERIAN read more...

Here's a terrific video produced for FreeGeek Chicago, which is . . .

"a not-for-profit community organization that recycles used computers and parts to provide functional computers, education, internet access and job skills training to the underserved communities of Chicago in exchange for community service."

This model of community-supported computer and broadband access would be awesome for the City of Cambridge.

Any takers?

Call me at 617-661-6900 and let's see if we can get something started here in Cambridge . . . I'm serious.