November 2020 - Neighbors - lists.buenavistasocialclub.org

Yard Waste -we have patience, but how long?
by Ruth Ryals 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

Like most of you, if you are on SeeClickFix, my Inbox has been flooded with "yard waste pickup missed" this week, seemingly from all over the Porter Square/Avon Hill area. That includes virtually ALL of the two streets we can see, Buena Vista Pk and Upland Rd. Last week, it was a widespread "recycling pickup missed". All of these notices seem to have a canned response "Sorry we missed... we will get it the next day" acknowledgement directly from Save that Stuff, not the city. I realize there is a new collector, presumabl of everything, but who at the city is watching this? Could someone from the city weigh in and tell us that this will be fixed and when? Otherwise, I think most of us will be getting off SeeClickFix, which is useful otherwise. And, we will all start bombarding DPW with our complaints. https://www.cambridgema.gov/Services/CurbsideCollections Ruth

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FW: The unequal costs of Black homeownership — and how to fix them
by Ruth Ryals 17 Nov '20

17 Nov '20

fyi From: <livablecambridge(a)googlegroups.com> on behalf of Nicola Williams <nicola(a)thewilliamsagency.net> Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 11:13 AM To: livable Cambridge open <livablecambridge(a)googlegroups.com>, East Cambridge Planning Team <ecplanningteam(a)gmail.com> Subject: [livablecambridgeopen] The unequal costs of Black homeownership — and how to fix them Hi All I hope everyone is safe and managing OK. I am sharing a brilliant recent study by MIT. Yes, change is possible! Black homebuyers pay more mortgage interest, mortgage insurance premiums, and property taxes. A change to the way banks assess risk could help. https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/unequal-costs-black-homeowner… Best, Nicola Nicola A. Williams President, The Williams Agency 144A Mount Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 +1-617-395-7680 www.thewilliamsagency.net nicola(a)thewilliamsagency.net I am featured in Edible Boston Magazine. Check out Women and Food. Meet us at Boston Local Foodies on Meetup!Meet us at The Urban Homesteaders' League Meetup! Please consider the environment before printing this email. -- Livable Cambridge is a consortium of neighborhood associations that encourages and supports citizen input to ensure that Cambridge remains a livable and sustainable community. This is a public group. If you feel the frequency of these emails is too much. you might want to consider consolidating the communications to a once a day summary. Join our Livable Cambridge Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/327170258117294/

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FW: [NorthCommons] Stolen or Misdelivered packages?
by Ruth Ryals 16 Nov '20

16 Nov '20

From: <NorthCommons(a)groups.io> on behalf of Michael Bogdanow <MichaelBogdanow(a)gmail.com> Date: Monday, November 16, 2020 at 6:50 PM To: Jessica Daniels <jessicadaniels(a)comcast.net> Cc: <NorthCommons(a)groups.io> Subject: Re: [NorthCommons] Misdelivered package? We also had a missing package recently, that was “delivered.” It’s time to be very vigilant, someone may be taking delivered packages. On Nov 16, 2020, at 5:26 PM, Jessica Daniels <jessicadaniels(a)comcast.net> wrote: Hi Neighbors, I hope you're all well. I'm missing a package that USPS says was left today. Did it end up on any of your porches? Thanks, Jessica 18 Martin St _._,_._,_ Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#938) | Reply To Sender | Reply To Group | Mute This Topic | New Topic NorthCommons Neighborhood Group, Cambridge MA Reply to the group: NorthCommons(a)groups.io Your Subscription | Contact Group Owner | Unsubscribe [rryals(a)comcast.net] _._,_._,_

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FW: $650, 000 Public Art Opportunity: Cambridge MA School Complex
by Ruth Ryals 16 Nov '20

16 Nov '20

From: Cambridge Arts <cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov> Reply-To: <cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov> Date: Monday, November 16, 2020 at 12:40 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

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Fwd: [NorthCommons] Ikea couch - Free
by raryals 16 Nov '20

16 Nov '20

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Virginia Swain <vmswain5(a)gmail.com> Date: Mon, Nov 16, 2020 at 11:18 AM Subject: [NorthCommons] Ikea couch - Free To: <NorthCommons(a)groups.io> Dear Neighborhood, We are giving away an Ikea couch. It is in very good condition, already dis-assembled, and ready for someone to pick up and reassemble. Ours is a few years old, but is still in very good condition. Orange throw pillows too if you like. Below is a photo from Ikea and is a link to dimensions etc. Ours is the gray color. It is 98” long. Ginny Swain *vmswain5(a)gmail.com <vmswain5(a)gmail.com>* *617.669.5024* https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/ektorp-3-5-seat-sofa-nordvalla-dark-gray-s9925… _._,_._,_ ------------------------------ Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#936) <https://groups.io/g/NorthCommons/message/936> | Reply To Sender <vmswain5@gmail.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BNorthCommons%5D%20Ikea%20couch%20-%20Free> | Reply To Group <NorthCommons@groups.io?subject=Re:%20%5BNorthCommons%5D%20Ikea%20couch%20-%20Free> | Mute This Topic <https://groups.io/mt/78295389/4649746> | New Topic <https://groups.io/g/NorthCommons/post> ------------------------------ NorthCommons Neighborhood Group, Cambridge MA Reply to the group: NorthCommons(a)groups.io ------------------------------ Your Subscription <https://groups.io/g/NorthCommons/editsub/4649746> | Contact Group Owner <NorthCommons+owner(a)groups.io> | Unsubscribe <https://groups.io/g/NorthCommons/unsub> [raryals(a)gmail.com] _._,_._,_ -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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FW: New Date - 2072 Mass Ave Community Meeting #2 - November 24 at 7pm
by Ruth Ryals 16 Nov '20

16 Nov '20

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Fwd: PSNA November 19 meeting, 7-9 pm
by raryals 13 Nov '20

13 Nov '20

This will be a very busy meeting as we have a number of different things to cover. *First off*, we will talk with Stephen Meuse and Patrick Baxter of the Traffic Dept about the proposed Davenport St. Direction Change. The city has agreed to hold off changes until getting input from the neighborhood (and the neighborhood organization). I have asked them to provide graphics. *Secondly*, we will have a brief update on the proposed 100% Affordable Housing Project at 2072 Mass Ave. We will hear from Jason Korb, Sean Hope and Jennifer Tamarkin re the recent BZA application and the subsequent Planning Board timing. Prior to our meeting there is a public meeting on Nov 16 re this project. Check here for details: https://www.2072massaveapts.com/updates/community-meeting-2 PSNA November 19 Zoom Meeting When: Thursday, November 19, 2020 at 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Location: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87461714002?pwd=YVc3d3JVOGpsWmRvUEppWlIrL0tRdz09 And here for the recently submitted BZA application: https://capstonecommunitiesllc-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/jkorb_capst… * Finally*, it is November, and we have our annual election of officers. That vote will be held, unfortunately, at the end of the zoom call, but should only take 15- 20 minutes. Only members having attended our regular monthly meetings can vote. So, become a member (it only costs $10/year) and join us on these calls. Let me know if you are interested in running for office – President, Vice President, Treasurer. Ruth raryals(a)gmail.com ************************************************************************* Topic: PSNA November 19 Zoom Meeting Time: Nov 19, 2020 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87461714002?pwd=YVc3d3JVOGpsWmRvUEppWlIrL0tRdz09 Meeting ID: 874 6171 4002 Passcode: 247918 One tap mobile +16468769923,,87461714002#,,,,,,0#,,247918# US (New York) +13017158592,,87461714002#,,,,,,0#,,247918# US (Washington D.C) Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/ketEysKoPZ

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Fwd: “Stand Out Against Racism” at Porter Square, Nov 15, 10 -12 am!
by raryals 13 Nov '20

13 Nov '20

Neighbors, We invite you to join us at Porter Square - Sunday, Nov 15, at 10 am! We can talk about the failure to pass police reform yet in MA. We need to all write/call the Shead of Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate. Tell them we want the bill now! I am hoping we can make a few new signs, saying something like, "Where is Police Reform in MA??" and "We Vow to Make Racism History". For 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 (how many more names do we have to add to our signs?). It will take more than the election of a committed president (and black/asian woman vice president☺) and new senators and legislators to change this situation, although that is a good start. *We have to keep pushing to end racism.* Please take the time to clear your head (and turn off the TV); you will find friends to talk with about what should come next.

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FW: City of Cambridge Reopens Search for Public Art to Commemorate the 19th Amendment Centennial and the Voting Rights Movement
by Ruth Ryals 13 Nov '20

13 Nov '20

From: <lgianetti(a)cambridgema.gov> on behalf of Lee Gianetti <lgianetti(a)cambridgema.gov> Date: Friday, November 13, 2020 at 1:02 PM To: <info(a)portersquare.net> Subject: City of Cambridge Reopens Search for Public Art to Commemorate the 19th Amendment Centennial and the Voting Rights Movement City of Cambridge Contact: Lee Gianetti, Director of Communications lgianetti(a)cambridgema.gov For Immediate Release City of Cambridge Reopens Search for Public Art to Commemorate the 19th Amendment Centennial and the Voting Rights Movement Cambridge, MA, November 13, 2020 -- The City of Cambridge today announced it is reopening its search to create a permanent public artwork to commemorate the 100th anniversary of women in the United States winning the right to vote. The public artwork will celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920 and recognize Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latinx, and other women of color who were excluded from access to voting rights, even as many fought in the movement.Details of the new search process will be announced in early 2021. The City is reopening the selection process because it strongly believes that commissioning a public artwork that honors women’s suffrage and highlights the contributions of women of color who have often been overlooked in the history of the movement requires a selection process that successfully recruits artists of all races. The City also aims for the project to incorporate our country’s ongoing struggle for voting rights and to highlight the contradictions in the story of the 19th Amendment. In the months since the 23-member 19th Amendment Centennial Art Selection Committee recommended that Cambridge artist Azra Aksamija’s proposal be built at the Cambridge Common, the artist and the City have discussed the lack of diversity among the original applicant pool and the importance of commissioning proposals by artists of all races. The importance of this component of the process has been underscored by the current movements and conversations on how to address racial inequities and systemic racism.In collaboration with Azra Aksamija, the City of Cambridge arrived at the decision to revise and relaunch the selection process. Azra Aksamija’s artwork, “The Future to be Rewritten,” was selected out of four finalists’ proposals The four artist-finalists had been chosen by an art jury from 694 portfolios in the City’s public art registry in late 2019. The City provided funding to each finalist to develop a concept proposal. The proposals were reviewed during public meetings and an extensive public feedback period.“Regardless of the approach we try to take, we will not be able to get around the core of the problem: that BIPOC artists were not adequately represented in the competition,” said Azara Aksamija in deciding to withdraw her proposal. “I am honoured that my proposal was initially chosen, and I am really grateful to the City of Cambridge for this opportunity!”The City extends great appreciation and thanks to Azra Aksamija, all the participating artists, the art jurors, the Centennial Committee, the Art Selection Committee, and the members of the public who have been so dedicated to developing this public art project. -###- This email was sent to info(a)portersquare.net City of Cambridge, 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States Unsubscribe

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Have you ordered your Thanksgiving dinner yet?
by Ruth Ryals 12 Nov '20

12 Nov '20

Tom Meek at Cambridge Day: "What He's Having". Time-sensitive (as in Hurry): https://www.cambridgeday.com/2020/11/11/what-hes-having-full-thanksgiving-f…

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