November 2020 - Neighbors - lists.buenavistasocialclub.org

2072 Mass Ave 11/24 Community Meeting presentation has been posted
by Ruth Ryals 28 Nov '20

28 Nov '20

Check: www.portersquare.net https://www.facebook.com/PorterSquareNeighbors/ or https://www.2072massaveapts.com/about for more details, pictures, plans & reports, FAQs, etc. Please note that the project would be built under 40B, used for much affordable housing. The AHO does not apply. The Comprehensive Permit requested at the BZA on Dec 10 would request specific exemptions/waivers from the applicable Cambridge zoning ordinances and regulations. BTW, I am no zoning expert, and will stand corrected if someone is better informed. Ruth

1 0

Fwd: “Stand Out Against Racism” in Porter Square, Sunday, Nov 29-10am to noon!
by raryals 27 Nov '20

27 Nov '20

Neighbors and Friends, We invite you to join us at Porter Square - Sunday, Nov 29, 10 am - 12 noon! Hopefully, we have all had a safe Thanksgiving with, most of all, a chance to see and hug (if only virtually) our loved ones. Most of us have much to be thankful for, although this has been a very tough year. There are, however, far too many families across this country crying for a member lost to police violence. Still, *we cannot, even here in MA, get a police reform bill out of Beacon Hill.* For just an hour or two bring your family, friends, dogs, your home-made signs, your masks and join your neighbors at Porter Square to "Stand Out Against Racism" to show *we continue to be outraged* at the continuing police violence and the lack of justice in this country. As we have all come to understand by now, we have many other issues with structural racism in our county. Let's vow to stand up and address them together. [image: IMG_2281.jpeg]

1 0

Comcast
by Ruth Ryals 26 Nov '20

26 Nov '20

Isn’t this the same City that gave Comcast the monopoly? ************************************************* O-2 Nov 30, 2020 COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN COUNCILLOR NOLAN COUNCILLOR MCGOVERN MAYOR SIDDIQUI WHEREAS: It has come to the attention of the City Council that Comcast plans to impose a home internet data cap on customers across the United States, including in Cambridge; and WHEREAS: Starting in March 2021, customers who exceed 1.2TB of data in any given month will be charged $10 per additional 50GB of data used, up to $100 per month in additional fees; and WHEREAS: Comcast has long admitted that its data caps are not necessary to manage network congestion, and network congestion has not been a major problem this year despite increased use due to the pandemic; and WHEREAS: It is unjust for working families to be hit with such frivolous fees in the middle of a pandemic and economic recession that has necessitated realities like remote K-12 learning and online eviction court; and WHEREAS: These fees will disproportionately impact people of color and other vulnerable groups, including many who are already struggling with limited, uneven, or non-existent digital access; and WHEREAS: It is essential that the FCC stand up for working people across this country by preventing ISPs like Comcast from abusing their monopoly power to nickel-and-dime consumers who rely on internet access as a daily utility; now therefore be it RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record urging Comcast to reconsider the decision to impose a data cap and additional fees on consumers starting next year; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Council go on record asking Cambridge’s Congressional Delegation to do everything possible to stop these additional fees from being implemented, and to advocate with the FCC for improved broadband regulations, including net neutrality; and be it further RESOLVED: That the City Clerk be and hereby is requested to forward suitably engrossed copies of this resolution to Comcast SVP Tracy Pitcher, Assistant Speaker Clark, Congresswoman Pressley, Senator Markey, and Senator Warren on behalf of the entire City Council.

1 0

FW: finally a budget
by Ruth Ryals 24 Nov '20

24 Nov '20

From: Senator Pat Jehlen <pat(a)electpatjehlen.org> Reply-To: Senator Pat Jehlen <pat(a)electpatjehlen.org> Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 8:33 PM To: Ruth Ryals <rryals(a)comcast.net> Subject: finally a budget View this email in your browser Dear Neighbors, First, I want to wish everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving. It seems strange that the best way to show love to family and friends this year is to avoid seeing them in person. The news about vaccines may give us hope that we can be together again. Meanwhile, too many people can only provide food and shelter for their families by working at jobs at nursing homes, or grocery stores or other dangerous environments. And they then put their families at risk: the most common site of transmission is within households. That's why we've worked so hard in the past few weeks to prevent evictions, which can cause people to have to double up even more, increasing the spread. Senate passes FY2021 budget Last week, the Senate passed its budget for the rest of FY21, several months late because of so much uncertainty about revenue and federal aid. The chart to the right is from MassBudget, which is always the best source of information on the budget process. I will just mention a few issues people wrote about and that I worked on. The process this year was very fast because it was so late, and the Senate and House Ways and Means committees tried to ensure there would not be big differences to resolve. The conference committee is trying to finalize the budget next week, resolving any of those differences. They also tried to avoid "outside sections" of policy for the same reason, but there were a couple of big exceptions. Most of the hundreds of people who wrote to us about the budget were writing about policy issues, since there was little room to add funding for programs in a very tight budget. Many people wrote in favor, and others in opposition, of the ROE Act amendment. It would allow abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases with a diagnosed fatal fetal anomaly and lower the age above which a woman can seek the procedure without parental or court approval from 18 to 16. Both House and Senate passed versions of the ROE Act as part of the budget, in both cases by veto-proof margins. Many also wrote opposing increased funding for the Department of Corrections and urging support for a amendment (325) that was adopted, requiring COVID testing of inmates and requiring the Department using tools like home confinement and medical parole to release inmates when it's safe to do so. One woman offered to house an inmate if he were released. A week ago, WBUR reported that MCI Norfolk had 178 COVID cases. The state has reported 12 current clusters with 401 cases in prisons. Many people asked us to cancel MCAS for the school year. I agree: learning time is even more precious this year than usual, and spending it on testing and test prep wastes that resource, especially if students are required to take tests in person. The tests will be even less meaningful than usual, and even more than usual will mostly measure students' family resources. This amendment was among those not taken up because it was a policy issue, but I expect it will be filed again as a bill next session, and I expect to support it. Another popular issue was Emergency Sick Leave, which would provide ten additional work-days of job-protected paid sick time during the COVID-19 outbreak to workers not covered by federal paid sick time protections. I cosponsored the amendment, and had previously worked to report the bill favorably from the Labor and Workforce Development Committee and it's now before the Ways and Means Committee. But along with other policy proposals, it was not taken up in the budget debate. Sports Gambling was also not taken up, though many people wrote in support. It was important to take up some policy issues because of the pandemic and its consequences. During the weeks since the eviction/foreclosure moratorium expired on October 17, my staff and I have focused on ways prevent people becoming homeless in the midst of a pandemic surge and the middle of winter, at a time when many have lost their jobs and income and their unemployment benefits are about to expire. Many of you wrote about the problem, and - while we hoped for more - I was pleased that the Senate adopted some important improvements. I will write more about that next week. (You can see previous newsletters about it here, here and here.) The Senate adopted my amendment to allow payment extensions to the unemployment trust fund for nonprofits who have had layoffs because of Covid19. This language is critical to the stability of nonprofits that have never experienced this level of unemployment.The Senate also adopted my amendment to protect restaurants from predatory practices of delivery companies that use restaurants' logos and menus without permission. More on that next week too.Till then, Stay safe, stay in touch, and have the best possible Thanksgiving. Please donate! Copyright © 2017 CTE Pat Jehlen Our mailing address is: 67 Dane St, Somerville MA 02143 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

1 0

Shop Locally! [CLF] Sharing our city-wide winter shopping holiday guide!
by Ruth Ryals 24 Nov '20

24 Nov '20

Please support our local businesses! You can view businesses by neighborhood. Ruth From: Theodora Skeadas <theodora(a)cambridgelocalfirst.org> Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 3:27 PM To: Board of Directors <board(a)cambridgelocalfirst.org>, <advisoryboard(a)cambridgelocalfirst.org> Cc: Anne Pigula Tresansky <anne.tresansky(a)gmail.com> Subject: [CLF] Sharing our city-wide winter shopping holiday guide! Hi CLF leadership team, Good afternoon! I hope you're well. In an effort to help aid small businesses this holiday season, we've partnered with the City to create a city-wide holiday shopping guide. That guide is now complete and can be viewed here! Please help us amplify the guide across your respective networks, to inform consumers of its existence, and encourage them to view it. I've attached a promotional graphic you can use, and here is a Twitter post on the subject, too. In the guide, businesses can be viewed both by category and neighborhood, and we've included some nonprofits, too. @Anne, thank you so much for your incredible work putting this guide together! Thank you everyone, and please let me know if you have any questions! Cheers, Theo -- Theodora M. Skeadas Executive Director Cambridge Local First (914) 582-3455 -- To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to advisoryboard+unsubscribe(a)cambridgelocalfirst.org.

1 0

Re: [Neighbors] [ACN] FW: Reminder Wed Nov 25 Breakfast - Elevating Black Owned Businesses in Cambridge
by raryals 24 Nov '20

24 Nov '20

On Tue, Nov 24, 2020 at 3:05 PM Blier, Suzanne <blier(a)fas.harvard.edu> wrote: > Wed AM 7:45 > > > > *From: *Lori Lander <lorilander(a)gmail.com> > *Reply-To: *Lori Lander <lorilander(a)gmail.com> > *Date: *Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 3:03 PM > *To: *"Blier, Suzanne" <blier(a)fas.harvard.edu> > *Subject: *Reminder Wed Nov 25 Breakfast - Elevating Black Owned > Businesses in Cambridge > > > > Dear friends, > > I hope this finds you and yours still well. > > The November 25 ZOOM Breakfast Gathering will focus on > > *Elevating Black Owned Businesses in Cambridge * > > Leading the conversation will be > *Nicola Williams, The Williams Agency > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…>* > *Angela Hoffman, Nussli118 > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…>* > *Erinn Pearson, Simply Erinn’s > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…>* > *Olritch Donnat, Cambridge Savings Bank > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…>* > *Theodora Skeadas, Cambridge Local First > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…>* > > *The November 25 discussion will be from 8:00am to 9:00am * > Informal conversation will continue until 9:30am > Join when you can and leave when you have to. > > Here is the ZOOM Link for the Breakfast Gathering > http://bit.ly/LoriZOOMBreakfastGatheringLogIn > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > If you are asked for a Passcode it is: 785740 > The ZOOM Room will open at 7:45am > > > *Background for this week’s Breakfast* > > *Watch* > *Cambridge Local First’s Town Hall on Black-Owned Businesses* > CCTV, November 16, 2020 > https://www.cctvcambridge.org/node/747354 > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > > *Shop Local and Black Owned* > Shopping Black Owned businesses this holiday season will keep these > businesses running. > Black Owned Boston Holiday Gift Guide > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > and Cambridge Local First Black Owned Directory > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > . > > *Boston Globe Media’s* supportblackowned > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > initiative. > > And > https://cache.boston.com/email/assets/906/906_SubscriberWeekly_103020_2.html > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Look for ads in the Boston Globe to support local black owned business – > free ad placement given to black owned businesses > > Cambridge Somerville Black Business Network > https://sbnmass.org/csbbn/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Cambridge Business Diversity Directory (2019) > > https://www.cambridgema.gov/CDD/News/2019/6/copyofdiversitydirectoryjune2019 > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Black Economic Council of Massachuesetts > https://www.becma.org > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Volunteer Needs* > Many black owned businesses are looking for expertise in many areas of > running their business. > Here are two online sites that coordinate these efforts: > > *Build for Black Lives* > Build for Black Lives: Building pro bono projects to support Black lives > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Spicy Green Book* > About Us - Spicy Green Book > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Read* > > *Priority Action List for Elevating Cambridge Black Owned Businesses* > (This list was discussed with three Cambridge City Council Members at a > Public Hearing last week) > > 1. *We Need Data* - We need to know the percentage of contracts the > city trades with MWBEs broken down by demographics. The State of MA and > City of Boston collect those numbers. How are we to know the progress of > the City unless we have a way to measure it? > 2. *Go beyond the Diversity Directory* - The Diversity Directory is > good to have, but how is the city using it? Are there any goals for trading > with MWBE’s? > 3. * Understand Why Black businesses are Leaving Cambridge *- We need > to know why Black businesses close and move out of Cambridge > 4. *Develop Stronger Mandates for Affordable Rentals for Dormant > Commercial Spaces*- We need to deal with the land bankers. Why are > commercial rents so high in Cambridge when we have so many empty > storefronts? If the commercial property remains vacant for a certain period > of time, how about having those landlords offer low or free space to MWBE’s > while empty or they pay city taxes for the equivalent that could be > collected if rented? > 5. *Update the Zoning Table of Uses* - They are antiquated and have > not been updated for decades. They are impeding the growth of many > entrepreneurs, especially retail and food makers > 6. * Increase the Number of Black owned Restaurants, Liquor License > holders, and Retailers in Cambridge* - There are less than 5 black owned > restaurants out of over 475( pre-pandemic) restaurants in Cambridge and > only 2 black owned full liquor licensee holders, and one is owned by a > social club > 7. *Address Lack of Diversity of Businesses in our Squares* - These > high traffic areas are untouchable for Black business owners > 8. * Increase Capacity of Commercial Kitchen Space in Cambridge* - > Support permitted Residential Kitchens, offer commercial kitchen space for > food makers, and seasonal caterers--many of whom are women and minority > owned businesses or self employed workers. There are very few places local > food makers can go in Cambridge to start a food business--they have to go > to Boston or Somerville for this support > 9. *Provide More Pop-up and Market Spaces* - Since commercial rents > are unaffordable, we need to use city property (or private property) for > flea markets, pop up spaces for entrepreneurs in high traffic areas--not a > side street with no traffic > 10. *Offer Access to Low Tech Incubator Space* - There are spaces and > places for high tech and biotech in Cambridge. How about supporting low > tech? > 11. * Offer a “Bow Market” Concept in Cambridge* - We need small > business community spaces with shared resources. > > > > *The Tapestry of Black Business Ownership in America: Untapped > Opportunities for Success* > Community-Wealth.org, a project of The Democracy Collaborative, March 2017 > > https://community-wealth.org/content/tapestry-black-business-ownership-amer… > > > *Racial Justice Learning and Reflection* > > I hope you will continue to join me in a daily practice of anti-racism and > racial justice learning and activism to help bring us closer to a racially > equal and just community. Thank you to those that have joined me already > this summer and fall. > > *To Read this Week* > > What if Instead of Calling People Out, We Called Them In? > Prof. Loretta J. Ross is combating cancel culture with a popular class at > Smith College. > > https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/19/style/loretta-ross-smith-college-cancel-… > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Hard Truths > A year-long AXIOS project on how racism and inequality holds us back. > https://www.axios.com/hard-truths > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > > *find more IDEAS* *in my* > > *Racial Justice and Anti-Racism Resources *Google Doc > Here is the link > https://bit.ly/BreakfastGatheringRacialJusticeResources > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > The *Resources *are drawn from many groups and individuals. I hope that > you will take the time to read, watch, listen, donate and take action. I am > continuing to add new resources. New resources are highlighted in *orange* for > about one week. > > > *Georgia Senate Run-Offs – What can we do to Help Elect Reverend Raphael > Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia* > Help if you can with time and money – this campaign is already ugly. > At the same time we want to be supporting local Georgian organizations do > their work of reaching out to their voters. > > *Helping both campaigns* > > *Swing Left Greater Boston *is sending Absentee Ballot Applications to > Democratic voters in Gwinnett and Cobb Counties, Georgia in cooperation > with the Democratic Party of Gwinnett County Democratic Party. > I will have packets of 50 letters + absentee ballot applications available > on Friday November 27. > > other SwingLeft opportunities > https://swingleftboston.org/calendar/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Together for 2020* > Good list of many opportunities to help win the Georgia Senate elections > https://togetherfor2020.org/take-action/state/georgia/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Reclaim Our Vote* > Phonebanking > https://www.votinginformation.org/rovphonebankcentral > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Fair Fight * > Stacey Abrams led organization > Volunteer for Fair Fight from where you are: > https://www.mobilize.us/fairfight/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > . > > *Movement Voter Project* > Make donations to support 13 Georgia grassroot organizations that will be > on the ground getting the vote out for the run-off elections > https://movement.vote/funds/ga-fund-c3/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > Alternate ROOTS > Asian American Advocacy Fund/Asian Americans Supporting Justice Atlanta > Black Voters Matter – Georgia > Georgia Equality/Equality Foundation of Georgia > Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights > Georgia Muslim Voter Project > Georgia Shift > In Defense of Black Lives ATL > New Georgia Project and Action Fund > SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective > Spark Reproductive Justice Now > Women Engaged > Southerners on New Ground (SONG) > Working Families Organization/ Center for Working Families Fund > > *GASenate.com* > https://secure.actblue.com/donate/georgiasenate > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > You can make a donation that will be split equally among FairFight, Rev. > Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff > > *Helping Reverend Raphael Warnock* > From *Daneika Ruffin, *Director of Rev. Warnock’s Campaign > (who spoke on Nov 11 Breakfast Gathering) > *“Right now, the biggest needs we have right now are for **fundraising **since > we are running against the richest member of congress **and **for **people > to make calls**.”* > *https://warnockforgeorgia.com* > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Phone banks > https://www.mobilize.us/warnockforgeorgia/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > Sign up to make calls. > > Donations > https://secure.actblue.com/donate/warnock-for-georgia_web?refcode=website > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Campaign website > https://warnockforgeorgia.com > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *news articles * > Warnock ad warning about coming attack ads > https://twitter.com/ReverendWarnock/status/1324321816102506497 > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Loeffler unleashes onslaught against Warnock in Georgia race for Senate > control > > https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/12/politics/kelly-loeffler-raphael-warnock-atta… > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Helping Jon Ossoff* > > Phone banks > https://www.mobilize.us/electjon/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Donations > > https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ms_hp_ossoff?refcode=ms_hp_fr_2019.09.10_… > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > Campaign website > https://electjon.com > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > > > *Looking towards the work of repair and progress* > * in a Post-Trump world* > > *Indivisible* > https://indivisible.org > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Essential Partners* > *Essential Partners *is spending the four weeks post-election doing what > we do best—empowering people to repair the fabric of their community, piece > by piece. > > https://whatisessential.org/what-happens-next-ep-offering-4-weeks-post-elec… > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *The Jar* > http://jumpinthejar.org > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > https://vimeo.com/jumpinthejar > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > A very cool experiment using art as a launch pad for building community in > this fraught time– “A vigorous producing organization that brings a global > perspective to a diverse, vital and growing community. Together, we create > experiences that awaken the courage to honor our differences and celebrate > our shared humanity.” > > > *Covid-19* > *Still collecting* *Food and Diapers* *for Chelsea families* > Non-perishable food, diapers and infant formula. More families than ever > are lining up at the Chelsea Collaborative emergency food pantry. And > people are coming from other towns. No one is turned away. > *The next delivery will go Thursday December 3 at 11 am.* > Bring donations to my house 74R Fayerweather Street (you can put them in > the brown Subaru in my driveway off Huron Ave next to the post for 320 > Huron Ave *or *by my front door if the car is missing). > Thank you to everyone who has made donations so far. > > *Face Masks Still Needed **for Vulnerable People in Cambridge* > More face masks are needed as more people venture out and school begins > (in some form). Cambridge non-profits still need more face masks for their > clients – for example Cambridge Community Center is sharing them with > people coming to their food pantry. > I still have supplies outside my front door at 74R Fayerweather Street and > a box for returning finished Face Masks which I will distribute. We have > made and donated more than 3200 Face Masks since late March! Thank you! > > *Eric’s Podcast - BRAVE NEW PLANET* > My husband Eric’s podcast *Brave New Planet *delves deep into exciting > and challenging scientific frontiers that have tremendous upsides but > potentially dystopian downsides. Deep Fakes, Geo-engineering, Killer > Robots, Predictive Algorithms, Gene Drives –*This week is a conversation > with Nialla Boodhoo of AXIOS.* > > You can subscribe on Apple Podcasts — > https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brave-new-planet/id1531898121 > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > The Podcast website has resources for each episode and information about > all the guests. http://bravenewplanet.org/ > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > > *Upcoming Breakfast Gatherings* > > In other future weekly ZOOM *Breakfast Gatherings*, we will continue to > discuss and examine several questions about wealth, housing and zoning, > health, policing, employment, education and more through the lens of racial > justice (and injustice) asking: > What is causing continued racial inequities? > How can we be more equity conscious? > How can we become more proactive about racial justice rather than > reactive? > How can we focus on race explicitly but not exclusively? > > Please email me with suggestions for future conversations. > > Hoping to see you virtually tomorrow *Wednesday November 25 from 8-9 am* > (with continuing conversation to 9:30 for those who can stay on). > > As always, please invite others you think may be interested. > > All the very best, > Lori > > > *Poems and Meditations for this fraught time* > > *Offering* > by Jean Dany Joachim > November 8, 2020 > > I am the poem without words; > I will not be read or said aloud. > I must now stand aside > As I leave the page as an offering. > > Come, and come all > To write the collective voice. > Write the redemption poem > With your slogans from the last protests > And whispers of endless nights of prayers. > Write down the paths to follow. > Write your hopeful days. > > Write all that is said, all that is heard, > Along with the children’s dreams > With their colors and divergences. > Write the land as it stands; > Let the page be a mirror… > > I am the poem without words; > I will not be read or said aloud. > Here, I take my leave. > > > > > > > > Thank you for participating in these Breakfast Gatherings. > Have ideas for future gatherings? Know others who would like notice of the > Breakfast Gatherings? > You can reach me at lorilander(a)gmail.com > Want to change how you receive these emails? > You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This email was sent to blier(a)fas.harvard.edu > *why did I get this?* > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > unsubscribe from this list > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > update subscription preferences > <https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__lorilander.us17.list-2…> > LoriLander · 74R Fayerweather St · Cambridge, MA 02138-3355 · USA > > [image: Image removed by sender.] > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Association of Cambridge Neighborhoods" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to > association-of-cambridge-neighborhoods+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/association-of-cambridge-neighborhoods/04… > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/association-of-cambridge-neighborhoods/04…> > . > -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

1 0

FW: 11/27 Chelsea food collection at Cambridge cohousing continues
by Ruth Ryals 24 Nov '20

24 Nov '20

Especially this time of year, hunger hurts. From: Polly Attwood <polly.attwood(a)gmail.com> Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at 2:03 PM To: Ruth Ryals <rryals(a)comcast.net> Subject: 11/27 Chelsea food collection at Cambridge cohousing continues Hi Ruth, please share with your list-- thank you & take care, Polly Greetings Porter Square area neighbors! Cambridge Cohousing will be collecting food for Chelsea this week as usual. IN ADDITION, for the coming four collection days (11/27, 12/4, 12/11 and 12/18) we invite you to include a children's book, new or in new-like condition and for ages infant to 10 years. The Chelsea organization we partner with is very grateful that we are adding books for the coming month. They say it will not only benefit the children but also adults who are learning English and/or learning to read to and with their children. They will distribute during the holiday seasons coming up. DROP OFF TIME: Friday, Nov 27, from 9am to 3:00pm WHERE: 175 Richdale Ave entrance to CoHousing. Please leave items just inside the gate either in a paper bag, small box or in boxes marked FOR CHELSEA. Various ones of us will be around to receive your food donations. THANK YOU!! REMEMBER TO DONATE ONLY THESE FOOD ITEMS BELOW and be sure food is in original packaging. nothing can be open, or re-bagged in any way. if it is, we have to dispose of it. Also, they are no longer collecting/distributing diapers, just food, including Baby Food. thank you! * Rice, 2-3 lb bags * beans, dried and canned * tomatoes, canned * dry pasta * tuna * unsweetened cereals * baby food, unsweetened PLEASE NO flour, sugar, condiments, or fresh foods (supplied by generous food producer) Here is LINK to the Chelsea Food Collaborative which our effort is supporting. Another option, if it works for you, is to make a financial donation, via link at top of page. Please email Anne Tonachel (annert(a)gmail.com) or myself (polly.attwood(a)gmail.com) if you have any questions. Thank you for your continued support, Anne and Polly

1 0

FW: $650, 000 Public Art Opportunity: Cambridge MA School Complex
by Ruth Ryals 23 Nov '20

23 Nov '20

From: Cambridge Arts <cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov> Reply-To: <cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov> Date: Monday, November 23, 2020 at 2:15 PM To: Ruth Ryals <rryals(a)comcast.net> Subject: $650,000 Public Art Opportunity: Cambridge MA School Complex Create Public Art For New Cambridge School Complex $650,000 Commission. Apply by Dec. 4 The City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is seeking artists to create a major public artwork outside the city’s new Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools complex, as part of a reconstruction of the educational and community hub at 197 Vassal Lane. We invite you to submit your qualifications—images of past work and biographical information—to be considered for the commission. See details below. (No proposals at this time.) Update: The deadline has been extended to Dec. 4, 2020, at noon. Introduction: The City of Cambridge, Massachusetts, is seeking qualifications from artists interested in creating a site-responsive outdoor public artwork for what will be the newly constructed Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools complex, located at 197 Vassal Lane in northwest Cambridge. The city seeks artists with public art experience, which we know can come in various forms. Recognizing that working in the public realm is multi-faceted, we welcome applicants within a broad range of artistic backgrounds, and we encourage artist-led interdisciplinary teams. The $650,000 commission must cover all artist’s costs from design through final implementation and installation, including but not limited to artist fee, travel, community meetings and engagement, fabrication, insurance, engineering and other consultants, transportation, installation, and coordination with city staff. At this stage, we are not asking for proposals, but rather only qualifications in the form of materials that represent an artist’s past work. From this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), four finalists will be selected by an Art Jury. Each finalist will be invited and paid $3,000 to submit concept proposals that are based on site parameters and developed in consultation with city staff and members of the community. Final selection of one artist or team will be made by a Site Committee of stakeholders based on community feedback, proposal presentations, and interviews with the finalists. NOTE: In normal circumstances, we require site visits and an in-person community meeting before finalists develop proposals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, plans for site visits may be altered. Meetings with community members and city staff, which will be required before proposal development begins, may need to be virtual. Background: Cambridge is a city of approximately 113,000 people, with approximately 7000 students in the school district. There are twelve elementary schools, five upper schools, and three high school programs. The Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools (197 Vassal Lane) serve preschool through eighth grade students and draw from across all city neighborhoods. The architect for the Tobin Montessori/Vassal Lane Upper Schools project is Perkins-Eastman. Preliminary schematic concepts feature guiding themes of climate change and sustainability; trees; water; early childhood and play (a significant population of students will be very young children); community wellness; natural materials that relate to the site’s former role in the brickmaking industry, its proximity to Fresh Pond, and the Montessori educational philosophy. The net-zero-emissions design will include new facilities for the Tobin Montessori elementary school and the Vassal Lane Upper School, in addition to the Special Start (the city’s preschool program serving children with disabilities), preschool, and afterschool programs, serving approximately 975 students in total. In addition to the buildings, significant open space will contain various programmatic areas for recreation and open play, incorporating the existing Reverend P.H. Callanan Playground, an important space for the surrounding community. The landscape design will also include multi-use paths through the site that connect with adjacent neighborhoods. As with all the city schools, outdoor space is open to the community when school is not in session. The city seeks qualifications from artists who would be able to develop a concept that responds specifically to the multi-faceted aspects of the site, both its physical attributes and its educational and community purposes. More information about the Tobin Montessori/Vassal Lane Upper Schools project can be found on the city website: https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/CityManagersOffice/TobinSchoolProje… The Site: In the mid-nineteenth century, the area of Boston changed from a mercantile seaport to an industrial metropolis. Open land in the northwest area of Cambridge, a city across the Charles River from Boston, was desirable for many industries, including brickmaking, ice harvesting (at Fresh Pond, a glacial kettle pond), tanneries, cattle yards, rail yards, and carriage factories. Railroads opened to support the industries. Immigrants working in these industries settled in the area and created neighborhoods over generations. The neighborhood around the Tobin Montessori/Vassal Lane Upper School project site retains features of these early industries. Fresh Pond Reservation is nearby, and residential neighborhoods surround the site on three sides with single and multifamily residential structures, both along Vassal Lane to the south and Concord Avenue to the north. Concord Avenue feeds into a major thoroughfare for commuters entering or leaving the city to western suburbs, and many large residential developments are sprouting up around that thoroughfare. Residents occupying these developments can connect to the Boston metropolitan area subway system through the nearby Alewife subway station, from which riders can travel to downtown Boston in seven stops. The eastern edge of the school site faces the backyards of houses on Alpine Street. The western edge faces commercial properties bordering Fresh Pond Parkway. The Tobin Montessori/Vassal Lane Upper Schools complex (approximately nine acres) is on the site of the former Cofran clay pit, land that was transferred to the city in the 1930s and used as a dump. The current school building for the Tobin school was built in 1971. The field that once was a dump and then the Reverend P.H Callanan playground remains an important recreational open space for the community. Artist Selection Process: • Artists/teams submit qualifications in the form of images of previous work and biographical information online through Slideroom, an online platform (see below). • An Art Jury will select 4 finalists. • DEPENDENT ON COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS: Finalists visit Cambridge for a site visit, meeting with City staff, and community meeting. • Finalists develop proposals. Each finalist or team will be paid $3,000 for their proposal. • Community feedback: Proposals will be made available to the public for feedback. FORMAT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. • Finalists present proposals to the Site Committee, which will select one artist/team to be awarded the $650,000 commission. COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS MAY REQUIRE VIDEO PRESENTATIONS IN LIEU OF IN-PERSON PRESENTATIONS AND OTHER MODIFICATIONS OF SELECTION PROCESS. Timeline (SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING ON COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS) • Dec. 4, 2020, at noon EST: Electronic Submissions due on Slideroom.com (Note: The deadline has been extended from Oct. 26 to Dec. 4.) • Late 2020: Four Finalists selected • December 2020-March 2021: Finalists’ Proposal development • April-May 2021: Selection of one artist/team for commission • 2024-2025: Artwork Installation How to submit your qualifications Please contact us with any questions whatsoever about this project or any part of the submission process. We are here to help! Submit images of past work and biographical information at http://cac.slideroom.com. If you are not in our artist registry, registration is free and easy: upload digital files of work samples and complete the form for artist’s information. Once you are in our registry you will be considered for the Tobin Montessori and Vassal Lane Upper Schools project as well as for future public art commissions administered by the City of Cambridge. If you are already in the registry, we recommend that you update your images and information. If you would like to submit updates, please email Hilary Zelson, Public Art Administrator, to access your profile: hzelson(a)cambridgema.gov. For technical support using Slideroom, please e-mailsupport(a)slideroom.com. For other questions, please contact Hilary Zelson, at hzelson(a)cambridgema.gov or 617-349-4388. About Cambridge Arts Cambridge Arts is the River Festival, Open Studios, Gallery 344, Sidewalk Poetry, Summer In The City, Community Supported Art, grants to artists, street performers, more than 280 works of contemporary public art in every neighborhood of the city, and a conservation program to preserve them for the future. We are the Cambridge Arts Council, a City agency that funds, promotes, and presents high-quality, community based arts programs for the benefit of artists, residents, and visitors in Cambridge. Active since 1974, Cambridge Arts is one of the most dynamic local arts agencies in the country. Cambridge Arts exists to ensure that the arts remain vital for people living, working and visiting Cambridge. Cambridge Arts embraces a vision that welcomes and supports everyone. Believing that a multiplicity of perspectives is essential to a strong society, we are committed, both in our policies and practices, to building participation in and awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the arts and all cultures. In our ongoing work to address cultural and historical inequities, we strive to be a community anchor that reflects the entire Cambridge community and expands access, opportunities, and inclusion in every form of creative expression. We value diverse voices and people of all ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, abilities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socioeconomic situations, religions, citizenship statuses, and family configurations. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate on the basis of disability. We will provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternate formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to persons with disabilities upon request. For information contact Cambridge Arts: cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4380 or TTY: 617-492-0235. ‌ ‌ www.CambridgeMA.gov/Arts Cambridge Arts | 344 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139 Unsubscribe rryals(a)comcast.net Update Profile | Our Privacy Policy | About our service provider Sent by cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov

1 0

FW: [CAA] Call for Proposals - 2020 Curatorial Platform
by Ruth Ryals 23 Nov '20

23 Nov '20

FYI From: Erin Becker <ebecker(a)cambridgeart.org> Date: Monday, November 23, 2020 at 8:01 AM Subject: [CAA] Call for Proposals - 2020 Curatorial Platform Hello all - the Cambridge Art Association is pleased to announce an open call for Curatorial Proposals for a 4-week exhibit, to be held in January 2022 at our Kathryn Schultz Gallery (located at 25 Lowell Street, Cambridge MA 02138). This call is open to New England-based curators. In 2019, the CAA launched an invited curator platform with Patricia Miranda’s thought-provoking exhibit, Material Lamentations: Art, Grief, and the Land. The focus of the exhibit was the impact of environmental change on female-identifying bodies, and included artists from the Northeastern United States. The exhibit was featured in The Ticket in the Boston Globe. In 2020, invited curator Cathleen Daley presented Soft Shoulder, an exhibit of 10 artists using fiber in innovative and exploratory ways. The exhibit was “a flexible address of surface and structure.” This exhibit was reviewed in Art New England magazine and The Boston Globe. For our 77th season, we are opening this curatorial Platform to proposals from New England-based curators. We are seeking new voices, and exhibits that are thought-provoking, transformative, and those that present new ideas. This platform is a unique opportunity for both emerging curators to present a project or idea with support from CAA’s full-time staff. In addition to presenting a curatorial exhibit, the selected curator will also jury a complementary exhibit in our University Place Gallery. Please see recent examples here: Art, Grief, and the Land (January 2019); Broken Beauty (January 2020). Click here for all of the details! And please, spread the word if you are able. Take care, Erin -- Erin Becker Norma Jean Calderwood Director Pronouns: She/her Cambridge Art Association Building a vibrant community through visual art, since 1944 cambridgeart.org • 617-876-0246 • ebecker(a)cambridgeart.org Support CAA's Framing Our Future Campaign

1 0

stolen bikes - beware!
by Ruth Ryals 23 Nov '20

23 Nov '20

Agassiz • 9 min ago Stolen bike. Belatedly I wanted to share that we had a bike stolen two weeks ago. It was locked to our front porch (in hindsight, a mistake) on Sacramento Street. We reported it to the police who told us there are about 5 bikes being stolen a day in Cambridge. He said bikes should be kept inside the house. He said that there has been a reduction in the production of bikes in the last six months, and so there has been an increase in demand for (stolen) bikes. He said thieves are breaking into storage sheds, garages, basements, etc.

2 1