October 2009 - Neighbors - lists.buenavistasocialclub.org

post to neighborhood mailing list
by Georgia Orcutt 28 Oct '09

28 Oct '09

georcutt(a)verizon.net

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Gutter Cleaning
by Christine Tullius 28 Oct '09

28 Oct '09

Hi Everyone, I was wondering if anyone could recommend a reliable gutter cleaning company? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Christine Tullius 101 Upland Rd.

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are you missing a black cat with white underbelly and paws, and no tail?
by Ruth Ryals 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

We found him dead on the sidewalk in front of our house. I have put him on my porch. If anyone knows who's cat he was, please let me know. He has no collar, but is well groomed, and I have seen him around on Upland Rd, which was probably his undoing. Ruth Ruth A. Ryals IBCG Limited, LLC 115 Upland Rd. Cambridge, MA 02140 617-547-6453/0848 fx 617-834-4007 cell rryals(a)comcast.net

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FW: Thoughts on the St. James/Oaktree proposal/Planning Board Meeting of 10-20-09
by Ruth Ryals 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Neighbors, This is the letter I sent to the Planning Board after last week's meeting. Ruth Ruth A. Ryals 115 Upland Rd. Cambridge, MA 02140 617-547-6453 617-834-4007 cell rryals(a)comcast.net From: Ruth Ryals [mailto:rryals@comcast.net] Sent: Wednesday, October 21, 2009 7:45 PM To: 'lpaden(a)cambridgema.gov.' Cc: 'John Howard'; 'Susan Hunziker' Subject: Thoughts on the St. James/Oaktree proposal/Planning Board Meeting of 10-20-09 I have a few thoughts after participating in last night's incredibly long Planning Board meeting. I am in favor of the St. James/Oaktree development, as I think it offers a rare chance to save an historic church, further it's extraordinary community outreach, and develops appropriately dense housing units near Porter Square, making a good "green" statement. First, I am continually impressed with the dedication of the members of the various boards and advisory groups supporting Cambridge's Community Development Department. I am also impressed with the city officials who regularly give up their evenings to these meetings and who remain civil even when many of us citizens question their reports or decisions. As to the proposal put forward for review, some of the points which need better resolution, in my mind are: *Trash for the residential units 46 units will generate a lot of trash to be handled on Beech Street. I suggest the developer consider (and the city insist on) some strong steps to mitigate the trash volume/disruption of traffic during pick-up, with full or empty cans on the street for any significant period. Some things which might be considered are 1) trash compactors in units (and in the church kitchen/food pantry) 2) in unit food scrap composters and a regular program of recycling that waste into screened compost units in the Knight's Garden with the output regularly dug into the garden's soil 3) Consider a screened area inside the garage for the compacted trash collection and serious recyclables by type, and a commitment by the vendor (and building management/tenants) to keep both the garage and the street areas clean. *Surface parking spaces at the head/left of the parking entry It seems to me that there will need to be some warning light/buzzer signal to warn of a car coming up from the garage or a car backing out of these units. And that calls into to question the noise level for any buzzer which would be acceptable to neighbors. I am unsure of the details of the garage door, but it's operation will have the same warning/noise issues. I also suspect that the church/building management will need to work hard to avoid misuse of these spaces. Perhaps the time limit should be 15 minutes, except for the handicap unit(s). Both the church/building management should seriously restrict employee parking and strongly emphasize use of mass transit/foot/bike. To a lesser extent, the above would need to be applied to the spaces in front of the church on Mass Avenue. One overall consideration-why not lose some car spaces in the garage and sell the proximity to mass transit? That is the definition of "green". *Balconies facing the residential street neighbors I can understand why the church doesn't want them overlooking the garden on the church side, and I can certainly understand why the neighbors don't like them. I suggest the project eliminate them. Instead make it a green roof with a patio, even a covered (arbor?) area, safe (?) grilling area, etc. (all set back from view of the neighboring houses) on the roof for tenants. That plus the Knight's Garden should be enough to sell the units. *Creative plan to ease Beech Street traffic congestion, which needs review, regardless of this project Is it possible to think about a garage pass through? Meaning enter the garage on Mass Ave only and exit on Beech only? That would allow for a narrower entrance/exit at each and less traffic. Consider restricting left turns across traffic at both locations (with the current proposal of church function servicing on Mass Ave and resident entrance/exit on Beech or with garage pass through) between 7-10 am and 4-7 pm. Can some of the Beech Street traffic logically go onto another street? No one wants it, I am sure, and it is just another example of why it is imperative we eliminate the use of cars in Cambridge as much as possible. Finally, there were a number of views expressed last night about the architectural style/design of the development. Many want it to reflect the church, the Victorian houses on Orchard, even the firehouse. I think that while the materials used may reflect the stone of the church, or the wood of the Victorians, it is important to acknowledge that this is 21st Century building, which can be modern, yet compliment the historical buildings (think Paris). It would be a design mistake to attempt to follow too literally those prior designs. Thank you again for your hard work, Ruth Ryals 115 Upland Rd. Cambridge, MA 02140 617-547-6453 rryals(a)comcast.net

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FW: FW: LOCK ALL CARS ALLWAYS!
by Ruth Ryals 22 Oct '09

22 Oct '09

Did anyone else hear them, ID them? I cannot remember the specifics that night (might have been in back of house), but often, late at night, I am near calling the police, fearing vandalism or personal injury (to one of them), then I convince myself I am just old! Ruth ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Ruth, I'm wondering if you heard, or heard about, the group of young men who walked up Upland on Saturday the 10th. I think it was around midnight or 1 a.m., they were extremely loud and violent, and, frankly, I was prepared to hear gunfire erupt. (The last time I heard such a thing, from a hotel room in New Haven, the gunshots did come.) Has this sort of thing happened before? Any information? ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ruth Ryals" <rryals(a)comcast.net> To: neighbors(a)buenavistasocialclub.org Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 10:55:33 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [Neighbors] FW: LOCK ALL CARS ALLWAYS! REPORT TO POLICE, AND THIS LIST, (AND SNAP A PIX, IF POSSIBLE) OF ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. ALSO TURN ON OUTSIDE LIGHTS. -----Original Message----- From: Jan Brown [mailto:janbrown@earthlink.net] Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 10:24 AM To: tinekc(a)verizon.net; Kelli P. Washington Cc: Ruth Ryals Subject: Dear All: All is fine, including my guilty pleasure CD of Sade's Greatest Hits, though I want to let you know that my car was entered and rifled through last night while parked on Buena Vista, at about 9:45 p.m. From observer's report, it was three, possibly, four guys, sporting hoodies, otherwise non-descript. Despite our recent anecdotes, police officers said no particularized uptick in our area. Regards, Jan Sent from my iPhone _______________________________________________ Neighbors mailing list Neighbors(a)buenavistasocialclub.org http://mailman.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo/neighbors

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FW: LOCK ALL CARS ALLWAYS!
by Ruth Ryals 22 Oct '09

22 Oct '09

REPORT TO POLICE, AND THIS LIST, (AND SNAP A PIX, IF POSSIBLE) OF ANY SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY. ALSO TURN ON OUTSIDE LIGHTS. -----Original Message----- From: Jan Brown [mailto:janbrown@earthlink.net] Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 10:24 AM To: tinekc(a)verizon.net; Kelli P. Washington Cc: Ruth Ryals Subject: Dear All: All is fine, including my guilty pleasure CD of Sade's Greatest Hits, though I want to let you know that my car was entered and rifled through last night while parked on Buena Vista, at about 9:45 p.m. From observer's report, it was three, possibly, four guys, sporting hoodies, otherwise non-descript. Despite our recent anecdotes, police officers said no particularized uptick in our area. Regards, Jan Sent from my iPhone

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FW: [PSNA] Cambridge stationer is up for sale - The Boston Globe
by Ruth Ryals 22 Oct '09

22 Oct '09

From: psna-bounces(a)lists.portersquare.net [mailto:psna-bounces@lists.portersquare.net] On Behalf Of karen m klinger Sent: Thursday, October 22, 2009 6:45 AM To: psna(a)portersquare.net Subject: [PSNA] Cambridge stationer is up for sale - The Boston Globe Oh, no! Bob Slate's is up for sale--the owner of a chunk of real estate next to Long's that could be very attractive to developers. Not good news. Karen http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2009/10/22/cambridge_stationer_is_up _for_sale/

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FW: Food for Free's Party Under the Harvest Moon - October 23
by Ruth Ryals 21 Oct '09

21 Oct '09

From: richdale-ave-community(a)googlegroups.com [mailto:richdale-ave-community@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of P.E. Kutcher Sent: Saturday, October 17, 2009 10:57 PM To: Richdale Listserv Subject: [Richdale Ave] Food for Free's Party Under the Harvest Moon - October 23 Hello Neighbors, Just wanted to encourage folks to kick off next weekend with a fun evening in support of local hunger relief. Come to the Party Under the Harvest Moon, which benefits Food for Free's Produce Rescue Program. Join local luminaries including Tom & Ray Magliozzi from NPR's Car Talk and Steve Curwood, Executive Producer and host of NPR's Living on Earth, to enjoy delicious refreshments, live and silent auctions, Delta Blues by Jeremy Lyons (www.deltabilly.com) and fabulous dance music by Booty Vortex (www.bootyvortex.com) Location: MIT's Morss Hall, 142 Memorial Drive, Cambridge Advance tickets are $50 and may be purchased at www.foodforfree.org or by calling 617-868-2900 x326. About Food for Free: Food for Free responds to local hunger by rescuing fresh food that would otherwise go to waste and distributing it through the emergency food system. Each month, the program distributes fresh fruits and vegetables to more than 60 agencies in Cambridge and Somerville that collectively serve about 20,000 individuals. Last year, Food for Free delivered more than 800,000 pounds of food to food pantries, shelters, meal programs, clinics and youth centers. For more information go to: www.foodforfree.org Hope to see you there, Peggy Kutcher _____ Hotmail: Powerful Free email with security by Microsoft. Get it <http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/171222986/direct/01/> now. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Richdale Ave Community" group. To post to this group, send email to richdale-ave-community(a)googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to richdale-ave-community+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/richdale-ave-community?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---

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FW: [PSNA] PSNA letters to planning board
by Ruth Ryals 15 Oct '09

15 Oct '09

Neighbors, I have attached the Porter Square Neighborhood Association's letter to the Planning Board, and another letter specifically dealing with traffic concerns. I subscribe to the viewpoint expressed in both, after attending many meetings and following the online discussion. There has been a lot of controversy re this proposed development of 46 condo units and new church function/office buildings at Beech Street and along Mass Ave. Oaktree (the developers) bought the old car wash on Mass Ave near the fire station originally to build a condo unit, which they can do with the current zoning. St. James Church, which desperately needs to make repairs to the church itself, and wants to build decent out-buildings sufficient to allow the church to continue to operate many of its social outreach services-a food pantry/shelter, etc., approached the developers asking to join forces. There is also a proposed new church office to be located on Mass Ave. The neighborhood garden will be reoriented, and maintained. Many of the abutters and the immediate neighbors, on Orchard and Blake Street behind the proposed development, are opposed to the 4th story on the proposed building (the developer could build 60 units by right, so the proposal represents an attempt to build something to the scale of the church and buildings nearby). The neighbors also adamantly oppose the traffic entrance/exit for the underground garage on Beech Street. They insist Beech Street traffic is already a disaster, and that it must be on Mass Ave. Unfortunately, that is not the city's traffic department's view, and they want no entrance exit on Mass Ave for a new residential development. The PSNA letter addresses these concerns, but takes a measured view that the Porter Square Neighborhood Association must represent the larger neighborhood good to achieve the best possible project, one that stands a chance of actually being built, and allows the funds for renovating the historic church. The Planning Board meeting addressing this issue will be on Tuesday, the 20th. The city's website did not, as of this am, yet have the agenda up for that meeting. As usual, I will be happy to answer any questions you may have, Ruth Ruth A. Ryals 115 Upland Rd. Cambridge, MA 02140 617-547-6453 617-834-4007 cell rryals(a)comcast.net -----Original Message----- From: psna-bounces(a)lists.portersquare.net [mailto:psna-bounces@lists.portersquare.net] On Behalf Of John Howard Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 9:13 AM To: psna(a)portersquare.net Subject: [PSNA] PSNA letters to planning board Final versions of PSNA's letters to the Planning Board are on the PSNA web site. Main letter about the special permit application: http://www.portersquare.net/files/portersquare.net/PB-StJames-Final.pdf Supplementary letter about the traffic study: http://www.portersquare.net/files/portersquare.net/PB-Traffic-Final.pdf Individuals are encouraged to write their own letters or emails to the Planning Board, or to speak briefly at the hearing next Tuesday. For more information see the city's web site at: http://www.cambridgema.gov/~CDD/cp/zng/index.html John Howard _______________________________________________ PSNA mailing list PSNA(a)lists.portersquare.net http://lists.portersquare.net/listinfo.cgi/psna-portersquare.net

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FW: [PSNA] Porter Square books co-owner/co-founder passed away Oct. 11
by Ruth Ryals 15 Oct '09

15 Oct '09

So sorry! From: psna-bounces(a)lists.portersquare.net [mailto:psna-bounces@lists.portersquare.net] On Behalf Of Lisa McManus Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2009 5:28 PM To: PSNA(a)lists.portersquare.net Subject: [PSNA] Porter Square books co-owner/co-founder passed away Oct. 11 Perhaps many of you knew this already, but it was a sad shock to me to learn this today. She helped create a wonderful local store... Here's a link to the homepage of Porter Square Books. http://portersquarebooks.com/ It has details pertaining to the owner's passing as well as a link to an obituary, which I've pasted below: On Sunday October 11, Porter Square Books lost a member of our family. Leslie Reidel, owner and book lover passed away. The book store will be closed on Sunday November 15 from 9-11am to host a celebration of Leslie's life. A memorial fund has been established at the Concord Public Library in memory of the Mothers and Sons group she established there. For more information about Leslie and the memorial fund please click here <http://www.concordfuneral.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id= 4&Itemid=4&url=Leslie-Riedel-86915089> . If you have any questions feel free to email us at info(a)portersquarebooks.com or give us a call at 617-491-2220.

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