February 2024 - Neighbors - lists.buenavistasocialclub.org

Lost Cat - Avon Hill
by raryals 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

https://nextdoor.com/p/Cj8wRPH_x6m5?utm_source=share&extras=MTE2NjI1OQ%3D%3… Text from NextDoor: Lost Cat. Thin brown tabby with long skinny tail. He ran out the door tonight while we were getting the mail. We searched for hours with headlamps before the storm rolled in. Please keep an eye out and check your sheds/basements. Call/text 617-921-6196 with any sightings. Unfortunately, I cannot send the picture. -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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Fwd: [trees] Boston Globe on film about our Danehy Park
by raryals 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

Check out the film at the main library : see Boston Globe article attached as PDF or on-line: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/28/metro/federico-muchnik-cambridge-par… FREE premiere 1pm March 16 at the main Cambridge Library https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-space-life-at-cambridges-danehy-park-tick… ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: raryals <raryals(a)gmail.com> Date: Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 3:53 PM Subject: Fwd: [trees] Boston Globe on film about our Danehy Park To: PSNA <portersquare(a)googlegroups.com> On Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 3:43 PM nonie valentine wrote: > Thanks for this tidbit, Bob. You all may know that the city website has a > Danehy project survey for upgrades / request to be on a Danehy committee. > The head of maintenance there is just starting to allow himself a little > optimism after years of trying to initiate many project upgrades himself. > > Nonie > > On Feb 29, 2024, at 11:03 AM, Ovadia R Simha wrote: > > An important addition to this story us that in 1965 the Planning Board > recommended that the dump be converted into a park and play area. The city > did nothing to implement that goal and only 20 years later when the MBTA > needed to find a local place to relocate the earth from the excavation > for the red line extension did the city agree to have the T use this earth > to create the park you see today. > Hooray for Fred for doing this film. > Bob Simha > Planning Board member 1965 > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Feb 29, 2024, at 10:31 AM, 'tahir ikram' via Cambridge Trees CORE wrote: > > Besides this there’s another reality that the irrigation system has > been ruined due to running heavy trucks on the grassy ground damaging the > irrigation line under ground because they’re near the surface. We need a > local caring management for the park. <IMG_1935.jpeg> > > > > On Thu, Feb 29, 2024 at 9:53 AM Charles Teague <charles.d.teague(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > > This is bittersweet. I have before & after photos of the two dozen trees > killed in the 2022 drought because the city failed to fix the irrigation. > Yes, even mature trees need watering! > Charlie > *PS please go & see all the positives of our largest Open Space!* > > excerpts: > *Put together, he [Muchnik] considers the clips as love letters to the > park, and, big picture, to the way open spaces like it provide people who > live nearby a peaceful escape from modern life. “The lesson I took away is > how important the park is to a population’s well-being. In a park, economic > differences disappear, racial differences disappear,” he said. “In all the > months I was filming, I never saw an argument.”* > > see Boston Globe article attached as PDF or on-line: > > https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/28/metro/federico-muchnik-cambridge-par… > > FREE premiere 1pm March 16 at the main Cambridge Library > > https://www.eventbrite.com/e/open-space-life-at-cambridges-danehy-park-tick… > > Charles Teague, "be informed, check Cambridge Day.com every day!" > > > >

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Planned conversion to lab/innovation space at 815 Somerville
by raryals 29 Feb '24

29 Feb '24

There was a Planning Board meeting, Feb 27, in which the existing office building at 815 Somerville Ave. (previously owned by Lesley) is proposed to be converted to lab/innovation space https://www.cambridgema.gov/-/media/Files/CDD/ZoningDevel/SpecialPermits/sp… Do any of you know what the PB decided? I had a conflict and could not attend/view it. Any thoughts about this conversion? Thanks, Ruth -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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Important meetings this week
by raryals 26 Feb '24

26 Feb '24

https://www.cambridgeday.com/2024/02/23/attend-meetings-feb-23-to-march-1-i… https://www.cambridgeday.com/2024/02/23/attend-meetings-feb-23-to-march-1-i… -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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Fwd: Cambridge's New Community Safety Department Begins Responding to Needle Pickup Calls
by raryals 23 Feb '24

23 Feb '24

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jeremy Warnick <jwarnick(a)cambridgema.gov> Date: Fri, Feb 23, 2024 at 9:54 AM Subject: Cambridge's New Community Safety Department Begins Responding to Needle Pickup Calls *City of Cambridge**Contact:* Jeremy Warnick Communications Office City of Cambridge PIO(a)cambridgema.gov <pio(a)cambridgema.gov> *For Immediate Release* *Community Safety Department Begins Responding to Needle Pickup Calls* *CAMBRIDGE, Mass., February 23, 2024 –* Starting this week, the Cambridge Community Safety Department’s CARE (Community Assistance Response and Engagement) Team began responding to needle pickup calls in public spaces across Cambridge. Needle pickup calls are the first call types that the CARE Team is being dispatched to. They will be responding to a more extensive range of incident types (e.g. check person, notify citizen, psych/mental health, request for service, sick person, unhoused person, and unwanted person) beginning in the spring of 2024. If a community member finds needles or syringes in public places (e.g., streets, sidewalks, parks, city buildings) in Cambridge, they can call the City’s Emergency Communications Center’s 24/7 non-emergency number at 617-349-3300. If the needles or syringes pose an immediate safety threat, call 911. If possible, wait for Community Safety, Fire or EMS personnel to arrive so that you can help them locate the items. Once a call, text, or email is received, the city’s Emergency Communications Department will dispatch the Community Safety, Fire Department or Pro EMS to retrieve and dispose of the items. If a resident wishes to remain anonymous, they can: - Text an anonymous tip to Tip411 (847411). Begin your message with Tip650. More information can be accessed on the Cambridge Police Department website <https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=iNz98fGjAij26T-2FVbfV…> . - Send an anonymous email tip, which can be accessed from the Cambridge Police Department’s website. <https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=iNz98fGjAij26T-2FVbfV…> “We are thrilled to have our CARE Team members responding to select call types,” said Liz Speakman, Director of the Community Safety Department. “After many months of training and community outreach, they are eager to make a difference in the community.” “Having the CARE Team involved in needle pickup calls will help free up our fire department and EMS personnel, so they can respond to critical emergencies,” said Acting Chief Thomas Cahill, Cambridge Fire Department. Over the course of 2023, the Cambridge Fire Department responded to nearly 350 needle pickup calls. Deputy Chief Matthew Wood of the Cambridge Fire Department guided the Community Safety Department through an informative needle pickup training session, emphasizing safety protocols and operational expectations. In addition, the Fire Department provided critical equipment for needle pickup, including sharps containers, surgical gloves, and protective masks. From September through November 2023, the Cambridge CARE Team completed 12 weeks and 360 hours of training. This training included de-escalation, conflict meditation, harm reduction, communication and structural dynamics, CPR and First Aid, sharps disposal, boundary setting, first responder training, and much more. In addition to classroom training, CARE responders received valuable field experience. Upon completing the 12-week training program, the CARE Team transitioned to engaging in community outreach opportunities across Cambridge at the Library branches, YWCA, First Step, Food for Free, Christ Church Cambridge, Cambridge Housing Authority sites, and other community sites. To learn more about the Community Safety Department, including their most recent February update <https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=iNz98fGjAij26T-2FVbfV…>, please visit www.cambridgesafety.org <https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=iNz98fGjAij26T-2FVbfV…> or email info(a)cambridgesafety.org. You can also subscribe to the Cambridge CARE Team monthly newsletter at https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/tzfuwFQ <https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=iNz98fGjAij26T-2FVbfV…> . Please find the following safety tips as it pertains to needles or syringes: - Avoid touching or handling needles or syringes found in public places. - Remind children not to touch needles in parks and playgrounds. - If you are accidentally stuck by another person’s used needle or other sharp: - Wash the exposed area right away with water and soap or use a skin disinfectant (antiseptic) such as rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. - Seek immediate medical attention by calling your provider right away or going to your local hospital emergency department. Providers will check your immunization status and may begin preventative treatment. Learn more about personal safety tips for disposal:  DO’s and DON’Ts: Safe Disposal of Needles and Other Sharps Used At Home, At Work, or While Traveling <https://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=iNz98fGjAij26T-2FVbfV…>  (FDA). #

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Folks Thoughts re Porter Square Commercial Decline
by rganis 19 Feb '24

19 Feb '24

Greetings BVSC! I’ve never written one of these posts but have always enjoyed and learned from them. (Not sure I’m still even on the list because last one I got was last September…) Anyway, I wanted to share concerns and see if I could learn anything about the state of Porter Square. Background When first I bought into the neighborhood in 2001, it was a thriving residential neighborhood (still is) but up and coming and teaming with small and other businesses that made it a convenient and compelling place for young (which I was) and old (getting there) alike helped create a sense of community. Business was vibrant up to Ridge and down to Shepard. Then one by one businesses died and new ones seemed priced out by landlords of replacing. The shopping center still bustles but the commercial vacancies across and north and south have been expanding and decaying for years. Then covid, the Christopher’s catastrophe, etc. (I loved Toad and have heard so many conflicting things about who bought and what will happen; please let me know if you know anything credible.) In the meantime, other parts of Cambridge are popping like never before (at least since I first arrived for school in the 80s). I fear someone’s freezing locals out for highest bidding national chains, which threaten the remaining charm. Invitation to Discuss Anyhoo, sorry for rant; I will get to the point. If anyone knows what is happening and if there are efforts underway to reverse this disturbing trend, it would be very much appreciated if you would contribute to this thread. Also, if you think there’s some way to get involved that might make a difference. In the meantime, my best to all old friends and new neighbors I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting. Steve Ganis Upland Road

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Fwd: PSNA Meeting - February 15, 2024 - 7 to 9 pm!- Let's envision Mass Ave!
by raryals 15 Feb '24

15 Feb '24

Reminder:TONIGHT! *What do you think Mass Ave from Harvard to Alewife should be like in 2040? * *Come, let's talk about it!* ************************************************************************ PSNA February 15th, 2024 Meeting, 7-9 pm Feb 15, 2024 - 7-9 PM Drew Kane, Senior City Planner, head of the *Mass Ave Planning Study MAPS*, will lay out the scope of the project, timeline of the planning process and how it is unique from other recent projects that were/are more mobility-based. The Mass Ave Planning Study (MAPS), spearheaded by the Cambridge Community Development Department, is creating a vision plan for what Massachusetts Avenue will look like in 2040* between Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridge Common*. This plan is part of the implementation of Envision Cambridge, the City's comprehensive plan, which calls for an increase of housing along major corridors and supporting a thriving local business community. Mass Ave is one of these corridors, as it serves as a hub for the city and connects many independently-owned businesses, neighborhoods, and institutions. This plan will study various aspects such as land use, zoning, urban design, housing, climate resiliency, small business support, mobility, and public space. The team will work with the community to develop a shared vision to shape future development types and scales. https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/communitydevelopment/massaveplannin… ************************************************************************** We meet in person at Lesley University Hall, Rm 2-078 and on zoom. Below is the zoom link, if you cannot join us in person that night. Join Zoom Meeting; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87626230739?pwd=a1dVQkpvbHhrN3FNUTRxdlZMYzBCQT09 Meeting ID: 876 2623 0739 Passcode: 266321 --- One tap mobile +13052241968,,87626230739#,,,,*266321# US +13092053325,,87626230739#,,,,*266321# US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdkN3o2SBW See you there! -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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Fwd: [NorthCommons] Kids' Makerspace this Sun 2/18 & Wed 2/21- come join!
by raryals 14 Feb '24

14 Feb '24

Would we had such a makerspace up here! Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Amy Chiu <amychiupersonal(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Feb 14, 2024 at 2:14 PM Subject: [NorthCommons] Kids' Makerspace this Sun 2/18 & Wed 2/21- come join! To: <NorthCommons(a)groups.io> Hey pretty people! Hope y'all stayed warm & dry yesterday :) I'm a creative workshop facilitator based in Cambridge 👋 hosting 2 popups at the Foundry! 1. This Sun 2/18 (4-6pm): Let's build Cambridge's coolest playground! RSVP here <https://cambridge-foundry.checkfront.com/reserve/?preview=1&item_id=109> - Theme: How can we build more play into the city? How can we better connect our people? Let's roll up our sleeves... and design our own play spaces!!! 2. Next Wed 2/21 (1-3pm): Choose your own adventure! RSVP here <https://cambridge-foundry.checkfront.com/reserve/?preview=1&item_id=110> - Theme: What's a design challenge you think we should tackle? I've got a bunch of wild cards to choose from... Get ready to be surprised! Zero prep needed. All you gotta do is sign up, and show up! We're gonna make awesome creations out of cardboard & recycled materials, jam out & get messy. Let's kick off Feb vacay with a BANG. Bring your kids, bring your friends, join our maker EXTRAVAGANZA! Be well & make fun, Amy P.S. Here's my insta - @amycreativeworkshops <https://www.instagram.com/amycreativeworkshops/> P.S. About me: UC Berkeley x Harvard ed school alum on a mission to create the biggest cardboard creater community EVER. (Wow, say that 3x fast). Over the past 3 years, I've facilitated 100+ workshops both in-person & online for over 60 kids ages 6-12! I've co-conceptualized an interactive sensory-based game, helped redesign a toy table for an MIT startup & developed paintable playspaces for preschoolers. I even spent a marketing stint at Suffolk - @ any Boston based construction nerds in here, hey! _._,_._,_ ------------------------------ Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#2380) <https://groups.io/g/NorthCommons/message/2380> | Reply To Sender <amychiupersonal@gmail.com?subject=Private:%20Re:%20%5BNorthCommons%5D%20Kids%27%20Makerspace%20this%20Sun%202%2F18%20%26%20Wed%202%2F21-%20come%20join%21> | Reply To Group <NorthCommons@groups.io?subject=Re:%20%5BNorthCommons%5D%20Kids%27%20Makerspace%20this%20Sun%202%2F18%20%26%20Wed%202%2F21-%20come%20join%21> | Mute This Topic <https://groups.io/mt/104359411/4649746> | New Topic <https://groups.io/g/NorthCommons/post> ------------------------------ NorthCommons Neighborhood Group, Cambridge MA Reply to the group: NorthCommons(a)groups.io Subscribe to the group: NorthCommons+subscribe(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] _._,_._,_

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Fwd: Covid Relief Grants Up To $15,000 For Creative Businesses
by raryals 13 Feb '24

13 Feb '24

Please circulate this to potentially interested parties. ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Cambridge Arts <cambridgearts(a)cambridgema.gov> Date: Tue, Feb 13, 2024 at 12:52 PM Subject: Covid Relief Grants Up To $15,000 For Creative Businesses Covid Relief Grants Up To $15,000 For Creative Businesses If you are a creative brick-and-mortar business, you can receive up to $15,000 in reimbursement for payroll, commercial rent/mortgage, equipment, or other costs. Artists and creatives with home-based businesses can receive up to $7,500 for payroll or operating/equipment costs. The City of Cambridge's Small Business Operations Grant provides relief to small businesses and home-based businesses that were heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Apply by Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 at noon EST at https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/cda87ca5247747fc907fe355c5794b7b <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SiR-OPl1YYpMsV2rh0Xp9h3WYurg1SDx7fEErkLovnr…> . Applicants must show they were affected by the pandemic. For more information about eligibility, exclusions, and how to prepare for the application for this grant, please visit: https://www.cambridgema.gov/covid19/Business/Assistance/operationsgrant <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SiR-OPl1YYpMsV2rh0Xp9h3WYurg1SDx7fEErkLovnr…> Those with questions or in need of assistance can call 617-349-7223 or email smallbizgrants(a)cambridgema.gov. Translation and interpretation services are available upon request. Coming Soon: Up To $30K Recovery Grants For Cultural Nonprofits In the coming month, Cambridge Arts and Cambridge's Community Development Department plan to launch Create Cambridge, which offers COVID-19 recovery grants ranging from $6,000 to $30,000 for cultural nonprofits active in Cambridge. Final amounts are subject to change. More details coming soon. About Cambridge Arts Cambridge Arts <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SiR-OPl1YYpMsV2rh0Xp9h3WYurg1SDx7fEErkLovnr…> 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 is located on the Indigenous homelands of the Massachusett, Nipmuc, Pawtucket, and Wampanoag peoples. We are guests on this land. We honor the people who were here before colonization, are here now, and will be here in the future. In our work as a cultural organization, we are committed to doing whatever we can to dismantle harmful structures built from violent colonialism. Our work seeks to expand the visibility of and celebrate the histories, cultures, and stories of indigenous peoples, who are of this place. 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. [image: Facebook] ‌ <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SiR-OPl1YYpMsV2rh0Xp9h3WYurg1SDx7fEErkLovnr…> [image: Twitter] ‌ <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SiR-OPl1YYpMsV2rh0Xp9h3WYurg1SDx7fEErkLovnr…> www.CambridgeMA.gov/Arts <https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001SiR-OPl1YYpMsV2rh0Xp9h3WYurg1SDx7fEErkLovnr…> Cambridge Arts | 344 Broadway, 2nd Floor, Cambridge, MA 02139 -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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Fwd: PSNA Meeting - February 15, 2024 - 7 to 9 pm!- Let's envision Mass Ave!
by raryals 12 Feb '24

12 Feb '24

---------- Forwarded message --------- Date: Mon, Feb 12, 2024 at 11:30 AM Subject: PSNA Meeting - February 15, 2024 - 7 to 9 pm!- Let's envision Mass Ave! To: PSNA <portersquare(a)googlegroups.com> *What do you think Mass Ave from Harvard to Alewife should be like in 2040? * *Come, let's talk about it!* ************************************************************************ PSNA February 15th, 2024 Meeting, 7-9 pm Feb 15, 2024 - 7-9 PM Drew Kane, Senior City Planner, head of the *Mass Ave Planning Study MAPS*, will lay out the scope of the project, timeline of the planning process and how it is unique from other recent projects that were/are more mobility-based. The Mass Ave Planning Study (MAPS), spearheaded by the Cambridge Community Development Department, is creating a vision plan for what Massachusetts Avenue will look like in 2040* between Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridge Common*. This plan is part of the implementation of Envision Cambridge, the City's comprehensive plan, which calls for an increase of housing along major corridors and supporting a thriving local business community. Mass Ave is one of these corridors, as it serves as a hub for the city and connects many independently-owned businesses, neighborhoods, and institutions. This plan will study various aspects such as land use, zoning, urban design, housing, climate resiliency, small business support, mobility, and public space. The team will work with the community to develop a shared vision to shape future development types and scales. https://www.cambridgema.gov/Departments/communitydevelopment/massaveplannin… ************************************************************************** We meet in person at Lesley University Hall, Rm 2-078 and on zoom. Below is the zoom link, if you cannot join us in person that night. Join Zoom Meeting; https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87626230739?pwd=a1dVQkpvbHhrN3FNUTRxdlZMYzBCQT09 Meeting ID: 876 2623 0739 Passcode: 266321 --- One tap mobile +13052241968,,87626230739#,,,,*266321# US +13092053325,,87626230739#,,,,*266321# US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdkN3o2SBW See you there! -- Ruth Ryals raryals(a)gmail.com

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