On Wednesday May 7th I buzzed into Cambridge City Hall’s Sullivan Chamber to witness some of the 2009 Budget Hearings. Every Spring, the heads of City Departments - from Cable T.V to the Women’s Commission – make their plea to at least get level funded for the upcoming year. And what is the bargain – getting scrutinized by City Councilors.

By 10:30 am, Councilors Decker, Seidel, Davis and Brian Murphy were in attendance, politicking to & fro. But it was Councilor Craig Kelley who eloquently fired up “the Grill” peppering questions & comments towards Lisa Peterson, Commissioner of Public Works a.k.a. DPW. It was then that I was reminded why I voted for Kelley in ’05 & last November – He is a head-chef when it comes to dicing up the meat of matters dear to himself and his neighbors. Plus as a seasonal bike rider, Kelley’s eye is on street level yearlong and he is an expert at boiling down the ‘pessimistic potatoes’ of pedestrians, drivers & fellow bikers. read more...

Guest commentary: Should the Charles be a private cooling pond for power plant?
By Mark Jaquith
Wed May 07, 2008, 07:51 AM EDT
Cambridge -

Cambridge - There are some nice changes on the horizon for the Broad Canal. That is the name of the inlet, which branches off the Charles River just downstream of the salt and pepper (Longfellow) bridge. For decades, it has been a rarely visited remnant of East Cambridge’s industrial past. It only extends about 600 or so feet from the river now, but in the 1800s it went all the way to where the train tracks now lie. For a time it connected with the North Canal, which ran to the Millers River, making East Cambridge an island. In its day, it was the delivery route for industries located on its banks. It has been filled to its present terminus east of Third Street. read more...

H, I was reminded this: wanted to make sure that it is understood that i was not praising only Blacks, or the blacks I brought up to the general public attention in this essay; rather it is merely to get a message of Respect of all of our differences and similarities, while honoring those who never got to be honored for paving the way. With the example of the Kendall Square area of Cambridge and moving along, now transforming into an exquisite Industrial city ; and also while slowly losing its grasps on that part of History, this constitute a sheer reminder and an alert for all to stay connected to our compassionate and humane values as opposed to our mundane desires alone.

P.S: People of all colorful backgrounds represented before and then this city and still do: one generation after another, and with greater populaces of new immigrants and old ones, lower middle or higher classes, all harmoniously and amicably co-existing as one.

Let's all keep that in mind. So not to lose ourselves, and in that, continue to be an example of Diversity and Progressiveness, the right ways, vis-a-vis of 1 world we can not help to be somewhat exemplary to.

Thank you
Peace

Koré

For starter, I have to say that i really don't know if it's become slowly a matter of brainwashing effort or aptitude, or for that matter one of sheer lack of information or misinformation. I doubt that half of the population of Cambridge even knows that their former city mayor for the last 5 to 8 years was a black man, gay man, and graduate of Harvard Law School, who also has some West-Indies background as it pertains to its family's origins in Jamaica. Wonder if they even knwo anything about anything besides their books' contents and the superficialities of anything and everything that comes to their eyes' peripherals. By the way, that former mayor's name is Kenneth Reeves, now one of our present city councillors. read more...

May 1, 2008 is the last day to submit public comment regarding Mirant Corporation's application to EPA to renew their permit to pollute the Charles. It is called a NPDES (National Pollution Discharge Elimination System) permit. Here is what I wrote. There's not much tine left, but please write.

Mr. George Papadopoulos
EPA New England, Region 1
1 Congress Street, Suite 1100
Boston MA 02114-2023
April 30, 2008
Dear Mr. Papadopoulos

I share the goal of continuing the improvement of the water quality and wildlife habitat in the Charles River Basin. I live within a half mile of the river and walk along parts of it daily. I enjoy boating, bird watching, bicycling, and photography in and around the Charles whenever possible. I have been an advocate of improvements in access and habitat for decades.

As I'm sure you know, the abutters to the Broad Canal are required to construct certain improvements in the canal as part of their state and local permit requirements. These include a boardwalk and public park along the north bank and a canoe and kayak launch and dock at the terminus. read more...