The Alewife

Been There by Neil W. McCabe

So long for now

I entered this Web site cum blog routine in 2004 through the good offices of a great journalist Nick Pinto, who was a contributing editor for me at The Somerville News. The question was how to post articles from the paper without getting caught in the weeds of a Web site. I was overwhelmed. He was not.

Nick figured it out and patiently explained to me the little tricks, such as changing the size of the pictures and changing the date and time an article could be posted. This way a number of stories could be loaded up in advance and launched at different times.

When the newspaper "The Alewife" began in 2005, there was no question it would have a companion Weblog to post the articles and hundreds of notices and other stories.

Since Nick, I have found my own tricks and stolen others along the way. I was never a programmer, but there were times, frankly, I was very pleased with the content programmed here.

I can share with you now that part of the grab of doing something like this is watching the traffic come in from search engines. There were stories I picked up on, not from a tip, but from people using the same keywords reaching the site accidentally because of a previous posting that was somehow close enough. By following up on what they were searching for and not finding, I could find the story myself. Insiders looking to see if a story broke, ended up breaking the story themselves through their search words.

Hmmm. Maybe this is only interesting to me. Sorry, I tend to digress.

As I have checked out other blogs, I have recognized that most reach some kind of terminus and the creator has to make his final entry. This is that entry for me.

Since 2003, I have been a regular contributor to The Pilot, the newspaper of Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. Over time that committment has expanded to becoming a photographer for Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley's own blog and then last year joining the staff as the full-time reporter.

For the last year, I have tried to keep the Web site fairly current with items and news, but looking back it was not really done so good. My only defense is that I have been pulled away in other directions. In the last year those directions included research on a book about Charles W. Whittlesey, and six weeks of active-duty training with the Army.

Now, I being pulled away from everything.

Since 2000, I have been a member of the Army Reserve, where I am a photojournalist with a combat historian designator.

In March, my unit the 311th Military History Detachment deploys to Iraq. We will collect first-person accounts, other primary sources and artifacts for future military historians researching our victory there. It is a mission I have been preparing for since June when I was put on stand-by as the alternative for the 54th MHD.

The editors of The Pilot have asked me to send them back "Soldier's Diary" pieces, which I will do from time-to-time, but given the operational tempo I expect, there is no way I can even pretend to maintain this site. It is better to finish it off here, and look at it again when I get back.

I thought this would be difficult, but the other day it just seemed obvious.

Good bye.

My chat with the Tylenol Man

Alewife Photo by Neil W. McCabe

[Send media inquires to: thealewife@yahoo.com]

Wednesday's police raid on the 170 Gore St. Cambridge apartment of James W. Lewis has sparked interest in my October 2007 interview with him.  Roger Nicholson, who was a columnist for the paper, arranged the interview and he has been all over the media talking his association with Lewis and his having Lewis on his Cambridge Community Television show "The Cambridge Rag." Moments ago, in fact, I just gave his cell number to "Inside Edition." Go figure.

Elements of Good Fiction: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

The Spiritual Life:

A Column by Jacques Fleury:

The Haitian Firefly

Elements of Good Fiction: “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

“Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they

come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. That is the life of men. Now, women forget all the things they don’t want to remember and remember everything they don’t want to forget. The dream is the truth. Then they act and do things accordingly.”

So begins Zora Neal Hurston’s epic story about an emotional and spiritual journey of self-discovery. Through my incessant study of literature and the craft of writing, I have learned that what grabs a reader right from the onset of a story is by having a fully formed voice and vision that prepares us to go along for the ride; that we will be transported elsewhere to another reality.

In honor of Black History Month, the historical inauguration of America’s first Black President and Valentine’s Day, I’ve decided to offer a dichotomous exploration of variant thematic ideologies of love and Black literary contributions to American culture and “Their Eyes Were Watching God” allows me to do just that.

“A graduate of Barnard…, Zora Neal Hurston published seven books—four novels, two books of folklore, and an autobiography—more than fifty shorter works between the middle of the Harlem Renaissance and the end of the Korean War, when she was the dominant Black woman writer in the United States. The dark obscurity in which her career than lapsed reflects her staunchly independent political stances rather than any deficiency of craft and vision,” writes Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in the afterward to Their Eyes.

Hurston, whose life spanned between the year 1891 and 1960, was a novelist, folklorist and anthropologist. Her fictional and factual writings of Black Heritage remain second to none. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is Hurston’s most highly praised novel and is considered a classic among the best of Black literature.

City police: Beware of neighborhood purse snatchers

This police alert was brought to our attention by City Councillor Craig A. Kelley:

Folks:

I just got this from CPD.  It's not exactly a crime wave, though I'm sure it
was to the people who were victimized, but I thought you might like to know
all the same.

If you'd like to get these email alerts directly from CPD, go to
http://www.citizenobserver.com/cov6/app/userReg.html?_flowExecutionKey=_c6B1
73718-8FD3-3AD8-FA20-A030E0BA7438_kDE2BE5D6-CA2A-6650-8D27-93C58D2B92E9 and
sign in. 

Take care.

Craig
________________________________

From: CitizenObserver [mailto:alerts@citizenobserver.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 11:38 AM
To: craig@craigkelley.org
Subject: New Citizen Alert

Cambridge PD: Neighborhood 11 - North Cambridgespacer
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Citizen Alert

North Cambridge Community Alert

Since January 7, 2009 there have been three handbag snatches in the area of
North Cambridge. These incidents occurred at the following locations:

.        January 7, 2009 Cedar Street and Dudley Street

.        January 10, 2009 Raymond Street and Upland Road

.        January 11, 2009 Walden Street and Wood Street

In each of these robberies the suspects were unarmed and were described as
being 3 black males approximately 14-18 years old who approached the victims
and demanded their property. All these incidents took place between 9:00 PM
and 12:30 AM.

Anyone with information concerning these incidents are requested to contact
the Cambridge Police Department at (617)349-3370  (detectives) or
(617)349-3301 (operations 24 hours).

See More Details
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Please do not reply to this email. Direct any questions or feedback to the
contact at your local law enforcement agency.

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Rice to enter Baseball HOF

From the Red Sox Web site:

BOSTON -- For Jim Rice, the sting from 14 years of rejection suddenly became as far gone as many of the 382 home runs he belted during his career with the Boston Red Sox. Down to his 15th and final at-bat on the Baseball Writers Association of America ballot, Rice received the enormous honor of being elected into the Hall of Fame on Monday.
He joined Rickey Henderson, baseball's all-time stolen base king, as the two members of   the 2009 Hall of Fame class.

Befitting the struggle it was for Rice to gain entry into Cooperstown, he didn't make it by much. Rice was named on 76.4 percent of the ballots. Seventy-five percent is the required amount to become a Hall of Famer. Rice received 412 votes, just seven more than the minimum amount he needed.

It was a sweet triumph for the 54-year-old Rice, who fell just 16 votes short on the 2008 ballot.

Former Marino's building may become African food restaurant

Developing...

City council debates jobs program

Our great friend City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent over this heads-up:

Folks:

Many of you followed the Neighborhood Safety Task Force's work of a few summers ago and may remember that one theme (in addition to building neighborhood solidarity) we focused on was the need to give people assistance in finding and keeping a job.  Councilor Reeves has been very energetic on this issue, and the report, below, will give you a pretty good update on what we're doing in this regard. It's not clear to me how future financial constraints might impact this new program.
 
If you would like to speak on this issue, or a sufficiently related one, at City Council, you may call 617-349-4280 on Monday between 9 and 3 to sign up, or you may show up at Council chambers between 5:30 and 6 PM.  Council public comment usually starts a little after 5:30 PM and lasts until everyone who wishes has spoken.  You have three minutes to speak and have to speak on some Council Order, Committee Report, Resolution or Manager's Agenda item.
 
You may email the entire Council on any item by using Council@Cambridgema.gov and the City Manager at Rhealy@Cambridgema.gov.  To get something in the Council's packet, it needs to be at the Clerk's office by 5 PM the Thursday before a meeting:  email MDrury@cambridgema.gov to get something in the packet.
 
You may also see archived and ongoing Council meetings over the internet by visiting http://www.cambridgema.gov/webcast-splash.cfm.
 
Have a great 2009!

Craig

Happy New Year!

Gordon College professor paints Marion tryptychs

[This article was originally published Nov. 21 in The Pilot.]

by Neil W. McCabe

On the campus of Wenham’s Gordon College Dec. 4, a faculty member will unveil two 12-foot wide triptychs of the Virgin Mary he painted that will ultimately hang in an Italian cloister.

But perhaps even more interesting than the journey the paintings will make is the spiritual journey the artist made while painting them.

Because he is not a Catholic, he was not raised to have a relationship with Mary. But, in the process of painting her and thinking about her life, he has developed a rapport with her, said Bruce Herman, an art professor and holder of the Lothlorien Distinguished Chair in Fine Arts at the non-denominational Christian college founded in 1889 to train Protestant missionaries.

The two pieces, “Miriam, Virgin Mother: ‘Via Activa,’” and “The Second Adam: ‘Via Comtemplatica,” depict Mary at two critical moments in her life, and thus in human history, Herman.

Mary’s effect on him is similar to the way his wife of 36 years changed him, he said. “She is the mother who confronts us with honesty, not too strong, not too weak.”

In May, the triptychs will travel to their final destination, the chapel of the San Paolo Monastery in Orvieto, Italy, near Assisi. The monastery is home to the sisters of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who have partnered with Gordon’s art department to create classroom and dormitories facilities on their compound for an ongoing year-long program for art majors in their junior year to study traditional art, including Catholic art traditions.

The first triptych “Via Activa,” or “The Path of Action and Obedience,” Herman said he depicts on the right panel, Mary at the Annunciation, confronted by the archangel Gabriel with the news that she is to carry the Christ-child.

“In all other instances in the Bible, when people are confronted by an archangel they fall prostrate and are terrified. They fall unconscious sometimes, they are so terrified, but she remains calm, but troubled,” he said.

For Gabriel to address her with: “Hail, Highly Favored One,” is astonishing, considering that she is a simple 14 or 15-year-old girl, he said. “But, her response is even more astonishing, because she says, ‘Yes, let it be done unto me. Behold the handmaiden of the Lord,’ she immediately agrees to embrace this role in cosmic history--let alone human history.”

In this way, Mary is really the world’s biggest risk-taker, he said. “She is never portrayed this way, but I see her as the ultimate artist. As artists, we blunder into things we hardly know. In the worst case scenarios: we jump off cliffs; we try what we are not supposed to try; we ask questions we are not supposed to ask. But she is obedient.”

What makes Mary different is her obedience, he said. Mary is a bold woman willing to take an enormous chance, which at the same time puts her in perfect synch with God’s will.

“I have always seen Mary as the exemplar, the model, of both action and contemplative prayer,” he said. “We are told that she ponders all of these things and treasured them in her heart. She thinks about things. She weighs things so, already at 14 or 15, she is exemplifying this amazing capacity for contemplation.”

The center panel, “The Overshadowing,” is the artist’s attempt to portray the moment Gabriel explained to Mary what will happen to her, after she asked how her pregnancy would come about since she did not know man, he said. The scene is bathed in 23k gold to represent the Holy Spirit.

Herman said from his research that he is sure that moment has not been depicted before, so he had no guides or models to follow, although afterwards he consulted other artists and a theologian, who agreed with his approach.

For the second triptych, Herman painted the wedding at Cana on the left panel, where he said Mary inaugurated her son’s ministry, even though it had been prophesized to her by Simeon that this road would end in his suffering and that the sword would piece her own heart

Originally, Herman created a scene where Mary was with Jesus and the steward who was distraught that there was no more wine, he said. In the background, there were hundreds of guests for a party that would last for days.

Merry Christmas from The Alewife!

Snow comes to the neighborhood

Navy son of city man battles Gulf of Aden pirates

[FHTNC Dec. 10]--Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Pierre D. Ericsson, son of Trina N. Ericsson-Brown of Upper Marlboro, Md. and David Graham of Cambridge, Mass., along with fellow sailors and Marines aboard USS Cape St. George (CG 71), Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group (PELSEG), homeported in San Diego, Calif., recently returned from a six-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

During the deployment, the PELSEG conducted maritime security operations (MSO), theater security cooperation, community relations projects, and participated with coalition nations in training exercises. The 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit participated in training exercises Eager Mace and Infinite Moonlight.

Additionally, the PELSEG rescued six mariners from a sinking vessel in the Strait of Balabac and thwarted a pirate attack on a civilian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden.

Cape St. George made port visits to Penang, Malaysia; Manama, Bahrain; and Brisbane, Australia.

MSO help develop security in the maritime environment, which promotes stability and global prosperity. These operations complement the counterterrorism and security efforts of regional nations and seek to disrupt violent extremists' use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons or other material.

The PELESG is led by Amphibious Squadron (COMPHIBRON) 3 and includes the flag ship, USS Peleliu; amphibious ships USS Dubuque (LPD 8) and USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52); the guided-missile cruiser USS Cape St. George (CG 71); and the guided-missile destroyers USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Benfold (DDG 65) and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

Ericsson is a 2001 graduate of Northbrook Senior High School of Houston, Texas and joined the Navy in September 2002.

For more information on USS Cape St. George, go to http://www.cape-st-george.navy.mil/default.aspx and the PELSEG, go to http://www.navy.mil/local/lha5/.

DPW: Walden Street Bridge to open Friday

By Anastasia Pasecinic

The city's DPW told The Alewife the Walden Street Bridge will temporarily re-open for traffic Friday after more than two years of construction work that severed one of the city's major through streets.

During the project's construction residents and commuters have endured an irksome detour scheme compounded by the neighborhood's one way streets, in addition at least three businesses along Walden Street have closed or changed hands.

“We intend to open the bridge on Friday December 19th. The west sidewalk and roadway will be opened on that day,” said Adam Hurtubise, a spokesman for the state's highway department, the lead agency supervising the Walden Street bridge construction project.

The bridge will have to be closed again for NSTAR electric to relocate electric lines from the old bridge, said Owen O’Riordan, the city engineer at public works.

O’Riordan said he expects NSTAR to complete the electrical work by the end of January when the old bridge will be removed.

The sidewalks on southeastern side of the bridge will be completed by spring while the bridge stays open for traffic, he said. “We are still waiting for NSTAR electric to relocate the lines from the old bridge, which is maybe a few weeks away.”

Rebecca Fuentes, the community relations manager at public works, said the Walden Street bridge construction project was budgeted for two years. There was hope that the project would be completed by spring 2008. However, the structural elements of the bridge were completed in the fall, within the two-year limit that was budgeted.

Hurtubise said the bridge was closed for $5 million of construction work in October 2006. The paving of the bridge is now complete, but minor work on the East sidewalk will be finished in the spring. “We anticipate the east sidewalk and ornamental bridge fence will be finished in the spring, completing this project.” In the meantime, a temporary pedestrian bridge will remain open."

The project extends from the Richdale Avenue intersection to approximately 15 feet beyond the King Street intersection. The work includes rehabilitation of the historic brick arch cattle path, he said.

Support those supporting the homeles at Johnny D's Dec. 18; Livington Taylor headlines packed bill at Davis Square landmark club

Our very good friend, and a DINFOS grad, Mark Alston-Follansbee at the Somerville Coalition for the Homeless sent over this notice:

 

Marine CR&L grad Patrick completes Iraq tour

[FHTNC Dec. 10]--Marine Corps Master Sgt. Chris M. Patrick, a
1984 graduate of Cambridge Ridge And Latin High School, Cambridge, Mass.,
and fellow Marines and sailors of Marine Wing Support Squadron 172
(MWSS-172), Marine Wing Support Group 17 (MWSG-17), 1st Marine Aircraft
Wing (1st MAW), Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Okinawa, Japan, recently
returned from a seven-month deployment to Iraq in support of Operation
Iraqi Freedom and the Global War on Terrorism.

MWSS-172 supplied support to the forward element of Marine Aircraft Group
16, 3rd MAW (Forward), to include tenant and visiting squadrons at Al Asad
Air Base, Anbar province, Iraq, as well as provided combat service support
throughout the province.

MWSS-172 constructed more than 25 helicopter landing zones throughout
Anbar province and built a refuel and replenishment point about 100 miles
north of the Euphrates River, increasing the operation area of the 3rd
MAW. Additionally, the squadron's motor transportation company carried
103, 062 tons of cargo more than 429, 733 miles between March 25 and Oct.
15, and the squadron's explosive ordnance disposal unit aided the
newly-trained Iraqi EOD soldiers with controlled detonations as well as
responded to local area requests for EOD support.

The sailors of MWSS-172 are primarily corpsmen, including augments from
Marine Aircraft Group 36, MWSG-17, Naval Hospital San Diego and Naval
Hospital Twentynine Palms, Calif. They maintained the squadron's medical
readiness and secured supplies for two cooperative medical engagements
with the Iraqi medical system as well as provided medical treatment to
Iraqi civilians in remote villages.

MWSS-172 was the first Marine wing support squadron from the III Marine
Expeditionary Force to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and
the first deployment of the squadron in support of the Global War on
Terrorism.

For more information on MWSS-172, go to http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil,
http://www.1maw.usmc.mil or http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil

Starlings sighted at Alewife Reservation

From the Web site Brewsters Linnet:

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

A homily by Father Bonaventure of the Franciscans of the Immaculate Marian Friary Our Lady of Guadalupe:

Our Lady of Guadalupe is the Patroness of the Pro-Life Movement. Our culture of death, as Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have referred to it, is far worse than the Aztec Indian culture which sacrificed living human beings to their serpent God to appease him. Today we are sacrificing our unborn children to the serpent on the altar of pleasure. Our Lady of Guadalupe…Pray for us and our poor nation!
Ave Maria!

+++

Couple say rosary, prayers helped them survive ordeal at Mumbai hotel

By Neil W. McCabe
Catholic News Service

BOSTON (CNS) -- The prayers of family and friends and the rosary helped a Brockton couple endure a 15-hour ordeal waiting to be rescued from their room in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, which came under siege from terrorists Nov. 26.

William and Geraldine Stadelmann were on the last day of a three-week tour of India, which included a visit to the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle in the city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras. The following day, the couple was to depart with a smaller tour going to Nepal to see Mount Everest.

The India leg of the trip concluded with an afternoon reception on the hotel's ground floor for the tourists, many of whom William Stadelmann said stayed downstairs for dinner, while he and his wife returned to their room to pack for their 4 a.m. departure for the airport.

"At the party we were all saying how safe we felt in India," he said in a Dec. 2 interview with The Pilot, Boston archdiocesan newspaper.

At or around 10 p.m. there was a loud explosion.

"I thought it was fireworks," he said.

Next, he said, came a call from the hotel security, who told him there were gunmen in the hotel and he should turn off the lights, lock the door and open it for no one. For the next 15 hours, the couple stayed under their bed.

From under the bed, the couple could hear terrorists move down the hallway, pound on each door and use an explosive that sounded like a grenade. "They would blow the door open and start shooting everyone inside," Stadelmann said.

There was at least one gunman perched high over the atrium firing into the rooms and down upon the people running across the bottom of the atrium to escape the hotel.

With the sniper outside, he said his wife did not want to risk getting up and going to the bag with her rosary beads, so she used her knuckles to keep track, he said. "Of the 15 hours, my wife was saying the rosary for, I'd say, 14 and a half hours."

Meanwhile, Stadelmann said he used his laptop equipped with an international wireless Internet card to maintain contact with his family back home.

Beyond the explosions and the gunmen going door-to-door, the greatest danger to the couple was the fire, he said. "There were 1,000 rooms in the hotel, so I figured our chances were pretty good. But, the fire was really something. A fire will find you."

A column by Charlie Lieu

Reign of Terror

Scores were killed today in Mumbai/ Bombay (see CNN headline)... I haven't heard from Chaavi, and it's worrying me. At the end of the mass of chaos, nearly 200 dead... it is senseless. The officials say the style is unlike any other terrorist attack before, but India is no stranger to violence of this magnitude.

Terrorism, it seems, has infiltrated our consciousness. Has it always been there? Have we just been blind to it until it reached our soil? And more importantly, how do you change the world to end it?

I hear (wo)men of peace speak of compassion and altruism being the hallmark of humanity... that each of us is ultimately good at the core. When I dared to open my heart, I see it... I believe goodness to be the truth... but I often question if this truth is a manifestation of reality in a society sheltered by civility. Would we all degrade to the lowest common denominator of hatred and fear if the world is to run amuck? I want to believe there is not only light in the world, but that it triumphs over darkness... in the face of terrorism, I feel naive to even entertain that belief. I know there is good in the world... but sometimes... sometimes it's just so hard to hold on to hope when people commit such senseless violence.

How do you fight terrorism? With education? With patience and compassion? At what point do you give up on love and peace to bear arms? And yet, the more I look at our common history, the more it seems war merely begets more war... more violence. How do we forget, forgive, find answers... how do we learn from ourselves, our past and end the reign of extremism?

In a recent address in Boston, Noam Chomsky noted that "changes and progress very rarely are gifts from above. They come out of struggles from below. And the answer to what’s next depends on people like you." Although Chomsky was speaking in context of people hinging their hopes on Obama bringing change (and Obama's cabinet members being the furthest thing from change), the central thesis is applicable to our society as a whole... back to the idea that each of us must be the change we wish to see in the world.

p.s. for those of you trying to understand (as I do) why terrorists targets Mumbai, this poetically written article in the New York Times titled, What They Hate About Mumbai, attempts to summarize and suggests how we might help.

The Abyss: A Garden of Eden in Cambridge

The Spiritual Life: A Column By Jacques Fleury: The Haitian Firefly

Once upon a sunny day, I was strolling along my merry way… With autumn colors lighting up my path, the gentle breeze breathing kisses into my ears as I strolled along smiling through my fears. And then I came upon this gate, adorned with words encouraging me to accept my fate, giving me something to celebrate. It said “Your secret is that this powerless overwhelmed feeling is just a dream…Today is the day you awake… When you cross into the Abyss, with no path in sight, fearing one small change in your life may exhaust you entirely. When you believe and dare to proceed, your feet will find ground, new strength, more change and calm shores on the other side.” And so I entered and then my journey began.

The following interview is with Johnny Monsarraton, the creator and founder of this awesome place he refers to as “a little shrine that’s looks a little like a Tibetan prayer wheel. It’s all at 123 Elm Street, Somerville MA, near the Porter Square subway stop.”

The Alewife: Tell me a bit more about who you are and what you do and how you do it. Elaborate on your life journey of self-discovery.

Johnny: I grew up in Massachusetts and was raised to believe in Big Projects. So in school I was always running student clubs – even playing the college mascot, the MIT Beaver -- and followed that up by starting a videogames company, Turbine, that’s now the largest in New England. Along the way I learned a lot about life through my own problems. Most people follow their heart in love and their gut instinct for everything else. But I know my heart has led me astray and the head is much better at complex problems. So I recommend using your head, make a list, make a plan, work it out and don’t give in to wishful thinking like “Maybe if I do nothing, it will get better”.

TA: Why, when and how did you create and construct the concept for The Abyss? And where did you get the quote by the entrance?

Johnny: When I decided to turn my garden into a Big Project, I thought why not make it interactive? Why not include some of my life philosophy? I wrote the opening quote to inspire people to take action. The biggest obstacle to happiness is our fear of the future and this causes us to procrastinate on making the changes in our life we so desperately want. Basically, it’s a garden. People enter and leave a card with a question in a submission box. I write an answer on the back of the card, and all the cards get posted in the garden in a little shrine that’s looks a little like a Tibetan prayer wheel. It’s all at 123 Elm Street, Somerville MA, near the Porter Square subway stop.

Walsh unveils "Goody" project in North End; Artist reception Nov. 25

Our good friend John Walsh will exhibit his artwork from his graphic "Goody's Lament," at the North End's Goody's Glover's restaurant Nov. 15 through Dec.1. Walsh was the genius behind the "Somerville Stories: Amazing Tales of a City on the Edge." He is also researching the Irish Potato Famine.

Here is an excerpt about his "Goody" project from his blog :

In the 1680's, during an era of anti-witch hysteria, the Puritans of Boston condemned an innocent woman to hang on the Commons for practicing witchcraft. Unfairly accused and sentenced, Goody Glover's plight was not helped by the fact that she was a proud Irish Catholic — a small group that was hated and despised in Boston at the time.

A poor women ripped from her home in Ireland, sold into slavery and eventually settled as a servant in the New World, Goody Glover would find that the old miseries of hatred and intolerance had followed her across the Atlantic.

I hope as many people as possible can make it out to Goody Glovers in the North End and see the show on the second floor. The show just went up, and is hanging until the end of November. Also, there will be a reception on Nov. 25th from 7-9 PM. Stop by and buy a pint (or two)!

When Glovebox and I decided to do this show, I tried to find out as much info about Goody Glover that I could and found that there isn't much out there. In fact, her first name might be Mary or Ann as there is no clear answer.

Here is some of Walsh's description of the creative process:

EMT's struggle to save driver

At or around 8:40 a.m., city police and EMT's arrived to the aid of a middle-aged white man whose pickup truck crashed over a fire hydrant and stopped just short of the pane glass windows of the Rockler Woodworking and Hardware store at the intersection of Massachusetts and Rindge avenues. Developing...

Two Tingle shows coming to Arlington

Our great friend Jimmy Tingle checked in with us:

Hello Happy Americans in this post election season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a Great Time for our nation and the sense of gratitude and possibility for a better future is everywhere in the air. I want you to know that even though I was not elected nor did I receive any votes in my quest for the White House, I will continue to do my part with "Humor for Humanity".

Check out this blog and upcoming fundraisers for extremely worthy causes this upcoming Thanksgiving Day weekend.

Friday, November 28th at the Regent Theatre will be a fundraiser for my friend and comedic colleague Jennifer Trainor who was stricken with Pancreatic cancer. The event itself will no doubt help lift her spirits and the proceeds will help offset the medical costs of her very serious illness.

Sunday, November 30th will be a fundraiser for the GREAT REGENT THEATRE itself. They are a remarkable and generous group who have helped myself and many, many performers and audiences alike. In the spirit of THANKSGIVING we want to say THANK YOU to them and help them STAY OPEN and pay their heating bills this winter.

They donated the space for the Ding Ho reunion last May to benefit comedian Bob Lazarus and they are again donating the space on Nov. 28th to help comedian and jazz singer Jennifer Trainor. Please spread the word about these shows and help them to continue to help others.
 
Thank you all you are THE BEST!!!!!!!!!
JT

A Tribute to Jennifer Trainor
Hosted by Comedian/Social Commentator Jimmy Tingle!
Friday, November 28 at 7:00 PM

Playing at The Regent Theatre
7 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474

Tickets are $25 for general admission. For tickets and info, call 781-646-4849 or visit www.regenttheatre.com.

Keeping The Heat On!
Hosted by Comedian/Social Commentator Jimmy Tingle!
Sunday, November 30 at 7:00 PM

Playing at The Regent Theatre
7 Medford Street
Arlington, MA 02474

Tickets are $35 for Preferred Seating and $25 for Reserved Seating. For tickets and info, call 781-646-4849 or visit www.regenttheatre.com.

Silver Maple Forest advocates press on despite Freed's ruling

The Coalition to Save the Silver Maple Forest filed a

Wednesday to inform the court that they have hired a hydrologist, Bruce L. Jacobs, PhD, to review the DEP's Oct. 31 finding and that they are ready to process with their lawsuit at trial, having failed to reach an agreement with the developer.

Download 2008-11-courtroom-status-report-1781325_3.doc

The state's Department of Environmental Protection ruled Oct. 31 against the Belmont Conservation Commission's rejection of plans to develop the 15 acres of the Silver Maple Forest bordering the Alewife Reservation, some of which is inside Cambridge.

In her ruling, formally called a Superseding Order of Conditions, Rachel Freed, the wetland section chief for the department, wrote that BCC concerns with the environmental impact did not prove that the developer, AP Cambridge Partners LLC, based in King of Prussia, Pa., violated the laws and regulations for such projects in its plans for the project to be known as "Residences at Acorn Park."

This is a PDF of the ruling.

Veterans Day: Military chaplains reflect

[This article was written for The Pilot and appears in the Nov. 7 edition of that paper--ed.]

by Neil W. McCabe

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, many priests in and from the archdiocese can look back on their tours of duty in the military chaplain corps, a unique ministry serving those who serve in uniform.

“The major bond between the men and women serving in uniform is their Church or synagogue, and the military chaplain must be the strength of that bond,” said Msgr. John P. McDonough, the interim Secretary for Faith Formation and Evangelization. Msgr. McDonough served as an Air Force chaplain from 1963-1991, and retired a major general and the chief of that service’s chaplain corps.

“Being a military chaplain is different because he is part of the military, he wears a uniform and he has a rank, which gives him a place in the structure,” he said. “But, the source and strength of that place is the word ‘chaplain.’”

The Monsignor said Boston traditionally sent more priests to the chaplain corps than any other diocese, “In my class, 1952, 13 of us became military chaplains.”

Another example of the Archdiocese of Boston’s prominence in this ministry is that there have been four other priests from the archdiocese who have risen to become the chief chaplains of their service, he said.

The most remarkable time of the Monsignor’s career as chaplain was during the ceremonies for the 40th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, he said. As the Air Force chief of chaplains in Europe, Msgr. McDonough said he traveled with the military’s senior leaders to offer prayers during the programs.

“In each village, the children were all dressed up and carried an American flag and a flower,” he said. The children would place a flower at the monument in the center of the village and then place flags at the American cemetery.

Msgr. McDonough explained that a military chaplain may be called on to celebrate holy days from other religions and minister to people of other faiths.

“It is a responsibility which you accepted most graciously and which you proudly provided. You are a priest to your community, but a chaplain to everybody,” he said.

It is a life that one has to be called to, he said. A priest cannot apply to join the chaplaincy until three years after his ordination.

Some priests find it to be a difficult life because of the unpredictable nature of events and the isolation from mainstream society, he said.

Being a military chaplain is a different kind of ministry, said Father Richard M. Erikson, the vicar general of the archdiocese, who served as an Air Force chaplain in Iraq, because, like other military personnel, the chaplain is willing to lay down his life in his ministry.

Father Erikson said when he deployed to Balad air base in the summer of 2004, the situation was dangerous, given the daily mortar and rocket attacks, but he simply accepted it. “The soldier or airman can never let his guard down but, at the same time, he still has to do his job.”

The vicar general’s own work schedule was the 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. shift, he said. “But most days I worked until one or two o’clock in the morning.”

Despite the danger and the hectic operational tempo, Father Erikson said it was an environment in which his own faith and vocation were renewed, as well as the faith of the military personnel who were his flock.

“When you are in a life and death situation, faith, God and the questions of life are that much more present to you,” he said.

“At that time, 50 percent of the convoys were being hit with either roadside bombs or small arms fire. Hearing confessions from guys about to go out on convoy was very intense, as was anointing the injured sailors, airmen, soldiers and Marines coming off the helicopters,” he said.

City woman to receive Healy Award

 

Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present the Bishop James Augustine Healy award Nov. 22 to Mercedes S. Evans, Esq., a parishioner at St. Paul Church in Cambridge, for her dedication to serving the Black Catholic community, her parish, and the community at large.

She has actively supported Black Catholic ministry in the Archdiocese of Boston through her involvement as a member of various committees as well as assisting in the planning of various projects of the ministry. In addition to her service at the archdiocesan level, Mercedes has worked tirelessly within her parish and community to ensure that the voices of those in need among us are heard.

The speaker at this year's dinner will be Bishop Guy Sansaricq, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn who is also the director of the National Center of the Haitian Apostolate.

Each year the award is presented in honor of Bishop James A. Healy to recognize a person who has demonstrated strong personal faith and provided strong and effective leadership to the Black Catholic community. Bishop James Augustine Healy was the first African American Roman Catholic Bishop in the United States, the second Bishop of Portland, Maine, and a priest of the then "Boston Diocese."

Each year the award is pre sented in his honor to recognize a person who has demonstrated strong personal faith and provided strong and effective leadership to the Black Catholic community.

WHEN: Saturday, November 22, 2008
TIME: Reception, 6:00pm; Dinner, 7:00pm
WHERE: The Lantana, 43 Scanlon Drive, Randolph, MA 02368
CONTACTLorna DesRoses Coordinator of Black Catholic Ministries, Office of Cultural Diversity (617) 746-5810 or 5794 lorna_desroses@rcab.org

Dare to Dream: From Factory worker to Best Selling Author

The Spiritual Life:

A Column by Jacques Fleury: The Haitian Firefly

An Interview with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Poet, Author, Playwright:

Afaa Michael Weaver

The Alewife: Tell me about your background,,where you grew up, where you schooled and how your environment helped shape your present identity?

Afaa: I was born in Baltimore, Maryland, grew up there, and lived there until I was thirty-three years old.  When I was in the first grade, my parents bought a row house in East Baltimore, and I lived on that side of town until I left.  Historically, the West Side was the home of the older and more middle class black families.  There is a kind of rivalry.  East Baltimore was the home of newer southerners from Virginia and the Carolinas.  I am used to a mixture of urban and rural, and when you ask about environment, I tend to think of physical setting, as in urban design.  So I would say that I live in Somerville because it is closer to an urban/rural feel in life.  Now as to my identity, I would not identify myself as a Somerville resident.  Identity is shaped by many things, as I see it, most principally the experience of the “I” or ego as we travel in life.  So I would have to move into the realm of my environment as the fuller range of experience in my life.  I worked in factories in Baltimore as a semi-skilled laborer for fifteen years.  I am male. I write poetry.  I am the descendant of Africans, Europeans, and Native Americans.  I am heterosexual.  I do Taijiquan.  I speak, read, and write Chinese on an intermediate level and am always studying.  I have traveled behind the Iron Curtain.  I am a Bagel Bard.  Making the connections between those things and a little black boy in East Baltimore is something I leave you to ponder.

TA:  How were you affected by issues of Race and Class growing up and how did that hinder or alter your future, positive or negative?

Afaa: The Baltimore of my childhood was the segregated South.  I had no intimate contact with white people until I was shipped out to a white junior high school in 1963 as part of Civil Rights and integration.  It was a trauma I am only now beginning to name and have yet to fully gauge.  Children like me were little soldiers in the Civil Rights movement.  Some of us have done well but at significant cost to our health.  We were marched out into a space that was new to everyone.  My parents never finished high school, and my dad’s family were sharecroppers, which was the culture that replaced slavery.  They wanted the best for us, and I was the oldest child.  I had to get out there and kill this lion that was living in the midst of America’s social reality.  Instead of killing it, I have had to convince it that it is really a big kitty kat. 

A Light In the Woods: My Spiritual Journey

The Spiritual Life:

A Column by Jacques Fleury: The Haitian Firefly

[Jacques Fleury is a writer and author living in Cambridge, MA. For comments or story ideas, contact him at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.]

“There is pleasure in the pathless woods/There is rapture on the lonely shore/There is society where none intrudes/By the deep sea and music in its roar/I love not man the less/ But Nature more…” muses the philosopher Lord Byron about the importance of connecting with our natural world and I couldn’t agree more. Bonjour everyone! I’m baaack…

I left on a quest for self-discovery, to find meaning in what I previously thought was meaningless. I did this because I felt that I had reached a spiritual impasse and was therefore unable to continue to offer you my humble wisdom. Well, after taking profound internal stock of myself and my life thus far while vacationing both emotionally and physically, I have returned to you with new insights that I think you will most likely find both engaging and thought provoking. I took two vacations, one on the cape in Hyannis and the other in Meredith New Hampshire while participating in a spiritual retreat at the Geneva Point Center.

See Obama in the Granite State

Our great friend City Councillor Sam Seidel sent over this chance to see the Democratic nominee:

Dear Democrats,
This Thursday, October 16th, please join Barack Obama in Londonderry, where he will talk about his vision for creating the kind of change we need. Gates open at 10:00 AM at Mack's Apples at 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, NH. 
RSVP at: http://nh.barackoba ma.com/Londonderry 
This event is free and open to the public. Free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. __._,_.___

MassVote needs a program director

Our great friend City Councillor Sam Seidel passed this job opening along:

From: David Ortiz org>
Date: October 11, 2008 10:55:45 AM EDT
To: samseidel@aol. com
Subject: MassVOTE is Hiring
Reply-To: dortiz@massvote. org

Hi  Sam,

MassVOTE's Young Civic Leaders Program is looking for a program assistant. Can you please share this with anyone who might be a good candidate.

Thank you,

David Ortiz
Deputy Director

Program Assistant
Position Summary:
The Program Assistant is responsible for assisting the Deputy Director in developing, implementing and evaluating the Young Civic leaders (YCL) program at MassVOTE.   In addition, this person will also assist the Deputy Director with other programmatic and organizational activities.
The Program Assistant reports to the Deputy Director and is responsible for assisting with administering and implementing activities for the Young Civic Leaders program.
Activities:
Organize youth trainings

* Set up educational fieldtrips
* Organize Get-Out-The-Vote events
* Evaluate youth school performance
* Create evaluation tools
* Develop and implement a year round calendar
* Build collaborations with other organizations serving youth
* Evaluate the effectiveness of the program
* Be present with youth on every Friday afternoon
* Work along with the Deputy Director on other YCL, CEI and other MassVOTE activities.
* Assist the Deputy Director with other programmatic matters

Qualifications:

* High School Diploma and some College.
* Ability to work with youth.
* Experience working with youth.
* Ability to work on multiple projects.
* Good written and verbal communication skills.
* Commitment to social justice.
* Ability to develop relationships with diverse people and communities.
* Enjoy meeting new people.
* Familiarity with urban communities preferred.
* Strong work ethic, sense of humor, and integrity.

Position offers: Some benefits.
Pay: $13.00 an hour
Hours: 20-25 hours a week
About MassVOTE
In 1999, a small group of community leaders came together to close the participation gap between white, suburban areas and urban communities of color. Seven years later, MassVOTE's mission is simple: we work on a nonpartisan basis to increase voter registration, education, and participation in communities that have been historically left out, especially African American, Latino, and Asian American communities in Greater Boston.  MassVOTE works to educate, organize, and empower neighbors to become powerful voices for justice.
About the Young Civic Leaders program
A second year program at MassVOTE, the Young Civic Leaders program looks to train, stipend, and supervise six at-risk high school youth ages 15-18 in a 10-month, transformational program to make them into promising civic leaders in communities of color.  Young Civic Leaders develop professional and leadership skills.  They learn how to conduct trainings and skits on voter education, registration, and mobilization, and present those trainings at Boston community nonprofits. They also recruit and help train other high school youth to become more civically active, register and vote in the up coming Elections, and poll workers in the city of Boston.
Please send cover letter, résumé, and references to:
David Ortiz, Deputy Director
MassVOTE
18 Tremont St., Suite 608
Boston, MA 02108
Email: dortiz27@massvote. org
Email: jobs@massvote. org
Telephone: (617)542-8683 ext.204

Police reach out to neighborhood because of crime concerns

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent this over:

Folks:

There was a spat of violence around the Alewife end of Rindge Avenue towards the end of Spring, so Councilor Decker put in a Council Order asking for an explanation of what sort of outreach the Police were doing in response to that violence.

Because the Council did not ask for a "report back," the answer came back in a letter to the Council (as opposed to a formal response by the City Manager, which would have been part of his Agenda at a Council meeting).

I thought you might be interested in the response, so I'm forwarding it as an attachment.

Thanks a lot.

Craig

Click here to view/download the city manager's letter:

Download no_camb_jp.pdf

Been There by Neil W. McCabe

[I am researching a book on Charles W. Whittlesey, the commander of the Lost Battalion and this book is a great example of that episode's permanent place in the American psyche. --Neil.]

The book is called, "Fly, Cher Ami, Fly: The Pigeon Who Saved The Lost Battalion."
Publisher: Abrams Books for Children
Written by: Robert Burleigh
Illustrated by Robert MacKenzie
32 pp
$16.95
The book is a 11.25" by 8.75" hardcover with full color glossy paper.

From Valley Forge to the little train that could, American children have been taught to persist and never quit. So powerful is this ideal that even after Columbus, who stood down the flat-earthers and an unbelieving crew, was escorted out of the building, his place has been filled by Martin Luther King, Lance Armstrong and the stories in the paper every day of ordinary folk who conquered the "seemingly insurmountable odds."

So powerful is this trait in us that in the midst of an ill-advised, mismanaged and heavily unpopular war, the trapped and surrounded supporters of the invasion of Iraq could cower any opponent with the question: "Did you say 'Cut and Run?'"

Ninety years ago, a unit of 600 American soldiers rushed through German lines into the Argonne Forest with orders to advance "regardless of losses or flanks." Led by a 34-year-old Wall Street lawyer, Maj. Charles W. Whittlesey, the men reached their objective alone and woke up to the next morning to learn the runners spaced in a chain back to the American headquarters had been either killed or captured and their camp was circled with German barbed wire and machine gun nests.

For the next six days, Whittlesey exhorted his men to hold the land they had won until the rest of the American line caught up. On the fifth day, when the Germans, whose line was in full retreat except for this piece of the Argonne, sent a note to the one-time pacifist, born in Wisconsin and raised in Pittsfield, begging him to surrender for the benefit of his many wounded soldiers whose groans the Germans could hear in the night, his reply to them was: Go to Hell. That night, the Germans swarmed in from all sides, this time with flamethrowers. Yet, his men held on to the wooden ravine they called, “The Pocket,” and the next afternoon, the American line reached the 190 surviving doughboys, many wearing bandages pilfered from the dead.

News of these brave soldiers was sent back to the newspapers as it was unfolding. Back home and the American people followed the story to see if the soldiers could hold out. Add then to this mix, the carrier pigeon named Cher Ami, the star of a delightful children’s book, “Fly, Cher Ami, Fly: The Pigeon Who Saved The Lost Battalion.”

Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre by the French government for his bravery and he is today stuffed and cased in the Smithsonian. Visitors can see him complete with the wooden stick Army medics attached him with to replace the left leg shot off by the Germans as the last of his six pigeons flew out of The Pocket with Whittlesey’s desperate plea that his own artillery stop shelling him—a mistake caused by an officer’s misreading of the correct position the major reported with his fifth pigeon. Later, veterans of The Pocket would argue they were neither lost or a battalion, but that is another discussion.

The real challenge of the book is how to take an enduring episode in American military history, the subject of a number of recent books and a 2001 A&E movie starring Rick Schroder, one that fully embodies the ideal of persistence in the face of adversity, in a context appropriate for children to process—without lying to them.

To navigate these waters, author Robert Burleigh and illustrator Robert MacKenzie, present the doughboys as literally lost, rather than having lost touch. Thus, Cher Ami message is not a plea against friendly fire, rather a helpful note of “Here we are.”

Although he is never named, the central soldier in the story with the gold oak leafs and circle eye glass frames is Whittlesey, the strong, caring leader of men, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in front of thousands on the Boston Common upon his return from France. He is how his men remembered him lovingly for decades after the war. He is not the man, who disappeared at sea while traveling on a United Fruit liner to Cuba, three years after The Pocket and two weeks after serving as a pallbearer for the first Unknown Soldier internment.

Wounded and exhausted, Cher Ami did not live long past the war either. But, when Cher Ami lands at the pigeon loft at the headquarters of the 77th Infantry Division, his landing gear are intact and unharmed as he gracefully pulls up for a soft landing in Mackenzie’s consistently delightful illustration.

It is not all that easy for Cher Ami. To symbolize the peril he faced, MacKenzie chose to depict a dark German in a heavy gray coat, black helmut. We only see the German from behind and resting on his long black glove on his outstretch arm is the pigeon-hunting hawk. The hawk’s chase of Cher Ami is the dramatic peak of the book. Like winged death, the hawk catches up to the pigeon, who escapes by turning quickly into the sun, where the hawk loses him in the glare. The turn itself is a clever homage to the biplanes aces with whom Cher Ami shares the sky. It is speaks to the playfulness of the bird and the generally happy faces of the soldiers on almost page. MacKenzie pays further homage to the futurist British illustrators of that war with bird’s eye perspectives that quote their spirit and bright cleverness with lines not so severe.

Burleigh’s libretto is tight and simple with at times a fun sing-song bounce that makes reading out loud fun for the adult or the child. There is a balance in the text between the simplicity of the language and the seriousness of the subject matter. Yes, it is good for teaching one to read and to listen, but more important are the opportunities for discussion. The book is very enjoyable and once accommodations are made for the historic license.

Taking Care of Yourself: Mind, Body, Spirit, Part III

The Spiritual Life:

A Column by Jacques Fleury: The Haitian Firefly

     In my previous articles, I addressed the issues of taking care of our bodies and our minds. For the body, my suggestions were learning to respect and love our bodies as it is right now before we can expect it to corporate with any significant changes we’d like to make to it, particularly when it comes to loosing weight. For the mind, I expressed my acute awareness about how technology is obliterating other pre-technological methods of ways to entertain and educate our selves, like reading, writing, attending live events and, dare I say it, talking to one another face to face and technology free. Now, I want to talk about taking care of our spirits.

     Spirituality can mean many things to many people. However, one must not confuse spirituality with religion. Religion usually means belonging to a church and practicing certain religious rituals usually on a regular basis. It also means belonging to a certain religious denomination like Catholic, Muslim or Jewish. Spirituality on the other hand tends to lean more on the liberal side. An atheist or agnostic can both be “spiritual.”

     Spirituality to me equates with doing what makes you come alive! What makes you get up in the morning. The reasons you do the things you do. Connecting to some greater energy both in and outside of your self. For example, I love, love to dance. And I love, love, love to write. When I do either of these things, every fiber of my being comes alive. I often feel possessed by a gigantic force, energy fields beyond my imagination and understanding. An energy that inspires me to do what makes me come alive and hopefully motivate others to do the same by living my life as an example. But spirituality to me means more than my love of dancing and writing.

     Spirituality to me means spreading the light, either by being the candle or the mirror that reflects it, as said by philosopher Edith Wharton. Spirituality to me means learning who you are through personal reflection, paying meticulous attention to your internal voice telling you what it needs to be healthy, spirituality is learning to love and respect yourself for who you are and not for whom you wish you were, it’s learning to make friends with your imperfections and eccentricities, spirituality is not allowing someone else to define you as a human being but being confident enough to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. You may have heard of this omnipotent saying “If you don’t stand for something you’ll fall for anything." Spirituality is thinking outside of yourself to reach out to others in need even when you are experiencing life’s atrocities yourself, it is about being observant and aware of your surroundings, being in and enjoying the moment, its about taking risks and overcoming the fear and anxiety that keep you from enjoying life to the fullest, it’s about graduating from merely thinking about doing something you’ve always wanted to do, to actually doing it, spirituality is about living your life with no worries or regret, it’s about believing that you are not alone in this world, believing in a higher power, believing in anything other than just yourself.

     For example, I once thought that I was alone in this world; that everything and anything fell on my shoulders and only I had the ability to make something happen. I tell you those were not the most affable years of my life, they were the most difficult. It was only when I turned my life over to God that I began to live life with less and less fear, anxiety and worry about my present and future.

     My life as it is right now, is the most spiritual its ever been. I am just beginning to learn to be comfortable in my own skin, loving and respecting my self just as I am while still knowing that until the time of my death, there will always be room for improvement. I am finally doing what I’ve always wanted to do with my life which was to be a professional writer. I am about to incorporate another aspect of my life that has been neglected which is to travel and read more. My heightened spirituality had taught me that the only way I can attract someone in my life that would give me love and respect is after I’ve learned to give it to myself. I’ve learned that in every relationship, never to give more than you are getting. I have learned that once you aspire to be as healthy as possible, mind, body and spirit; only then will you attract someone with similar traits into your life.

     I once quoted Oprah Winfrey on the subject of self care, she said “Take care of yourself, and there is more of you to give.” My new found spirituality has also taught me to go with the flow, as cliché as it may sound. I have always quoted the Pulitzer prize winning author Toni Morrison (Beloved, The Bluest Eye) as saying “If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it.” So ride the winds of life as far and as high as you can go, your spirit with thank you for it.

Jacques Fleury is an author and freelance writer living in Cambridge. His book "Sparks in the Dark" is availlable through The Minuteman Library Network in Massachusetts and at WarblerBooks.com. Contact him at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com!

Shots heard, cruisers circle neighborhood

At or around 11:30 p.m. tonight at least six shots rang out in near Rindge Avenue, but the Vineyard Church.

An officer with the city's police said at least 20 calls came into the station reporting the sound of gunfire.

Cith police cruisers, including the department's custody vehicle, cursed up and down the streets around the Peabody School, around the Vineyard Church and back and forth on Rindge Avenue.

At or around 11:45 p.m., an officer parked in front of 18 Middlesex Street. There he spoke to a joy woman in good spirits, who joked with him and the other young women in the house as he attempted to draw a narrative from them.

By 11:50, the cruisers were gone.

Hannah causes sewage surge

RE: Notice Alert: CSO Activation in Alewife Brook
DATE: September 7, 2008
In accordance with the conditions of the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Alewife Brook/Upper Mystic River Variance we are hereby notifying you that a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) occurred at CAM401B on September 6, 2008 and discharged into the Alewife Brook. The Variance approved workplan requires the Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW) to notify local health agents, DEP, EPA and MRWA within 24 hours of when a CSO event occurs.  It was determined that 401B was the most active outfall and would be the most suitable indicator of CSO activity along the Alewife Brook.  This notification does not reflect the absence of any activation at other sites.  Rather, the notice is intended to be confirmation to users of the resource that untreated sewage discharges to the Brook/River have occurred.

Cormier: Is Palin the GOP b*$#c?

Our friend, poet and comic, Janet Cormier sent over this reflection:

Hey folks,

About the Republican Convention...Now I didn't watch the fullconvention...but for those of you who saw and heard the VP candidate, Sarah Palin,

Is it just me or does Sarah Palin look a lot like Tina Fey (from Saturday Night Live)?

The Republicans lovingly refer to her as their PIT BULL...but I imagine behind closed doors they refer to her as their b*$#c? It seemed that most of her speech (written by a guy) was spent attacking Obama with lots of one liners or singing the praises of McCain...Which Mrs McCain loved...Sarah should learn from former 'acting' Massachusetts Governor, Jane Swift to see her future.Jane was the working mom, with a MR Mom husband and in true republican tradition in the end the Republicans/Rove cut Jane  off at the knees in favor of Mitt....It will be interesting because if she is as feisty as they say, she may be the loose cannon....the Queen Bee of the White House...She makes Hillary look calm. And I feel sorry for her soon to be son in law...This may be his only child....peace

Let me know what you think.

peace,

JC

MIT Catholics honor Our Lady of Sorrows Sept. 15

Sept 15, 2008

Our Lady of Sorrows Chaplet - Prayer

Time: 5:00p?6:00p

Location: MIT Chapel (w-15)

A 13th century prayer that recalls the Sorrows the Virgin Mother of God endured in compassion for the suffering and death of her Son. Meditations on the seven sorrows: Phophesy of Simeon, Flight into Egypt, Loss in Jerusalem, Meeting as Christ carries the cross, Death of Jesus, reception of the body of her Son, Burial. Bring Chaplet beads or a rosary.

Open to: the general public

Sponsor(s): Tech Catholic Community

For more information, contact: Pat Engel/engelp@mit.edu

https://events.mit.edu/edit/event_ed.do

Decker calls for input

City Councillor Marjorie C. Decker sent us this:

August 2008
 
Greetings friends!
 
I have been quite busy since the November election! As promised during the campaign, I continue to be a strong leader working to improve the social health of our community by making it more livable, affordable and healthy. I will also continue to be a voice in your neighborhood, our community and social justice. I would like to involve you more and update you on what I have been doing since the election. I look forward to catching up with you, as well as getting your input on my Council agenda for the new term. Please feel free to contact me at 617-349-4276 or mdecker@cambridgema.gov

if you would like to discuss any City issues with me.
 
Sincerely,
 
Marjorie

Son of Inman Square man serves in Republic of Georgia

Editor's note:  This interview was conducted at the end of July at Vaziani military base, a Georgian base located at the edge of Tbilisi, Georgia. Most American service members involved in exercise "Immediate Response 08" departed the country a few days prior to the warring outbreak between Georgia and Russia that began Aug. 7.

by Michael Tolzmann

[TBILISI, Georgia] - The son of a Cambridge man was recently welcomed to this historic land, nestled between the Black and Caspian seas at the furthest eastern edge of Europe. This small mountainous country borders Turkey and Russia, and is home to an ancient people and culture. Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, is more than 1,500 years old and has Orthodox Christian cathedrals that have stood in the city well over 1,000 years.

Army National Guard Pfc. Thomas D. Kruklis, son of Reginaldo Kruklis, Inman Street, Cambridge, was here serving as an American military ambassador of good will during a cooperative exchange of ideas with the Georgian Armed Forces. More than 900 American service members, mainly Marines and soldiers, converged at this former Soviet base to improve understanding between the militaries and to share their knowledge.

Army National Guard Pfc. Thomas D. Kruklis is an automated logistical specialist assigned to Echo Company, 148th Forward Support Battalion at Winder, Ga., who traveled to the Republic of Georgia to participate in "Immediate Response 08," an exercise designed to improve understanding and strengthen regional cooperation. (Photo by Larry Simmons)

Kruklis is an automated logistical specialist assigned to Echo Company, 148th Forward Support Battalion at Winder, Ga.  He traveled to Vaziani military base, located on the edge of the nation's capital city Tbilisi, to participate in "Immediate Response 08," an exercise designed to improve understanding and strengthen regional cooperation.  The nearby countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine were also a part of the event with small staffs of observers.

Kruklis recognized the importance of his duties and responsibilities here.

"First and foremost, we are doing various types of combat training in order to prepare for our possible deployment to Afghanistan," said Kruklis.  "Some of the training we are doing includes understanding what to do in combat situations, familiarizing ourselves with various weapons, as well as knowing how to take care of combat-related injuries," he explained.

"My job duties include dispatching vehicles to the right people and performing inspections on equipment," said Kruklis.

American military personnel from stations in the U.S. and Europe, spent from a couple of weeks to a month at this Georgian base, living, eating, sharing military tactics, playing sports and holding ceremonies with the Georgian military.  Military situational training was conducted with an Iraq scenario. Nearly 500 combat lifesavers were certified. They learned methods of reacting to roadside bombs. And sponsorship of two local orphanages was also accomplished during the military exercise.

The U.S. and Georgia have some history of working together, but convened here to strengthen their bond. The Georgian military contributes the third largest amount of coalition troops in Iraq by any country.

Georgia also has vocalized a desire to become a member of NATO.  They were a host to President George W. Bush in 2004 and the main highway leading from Tbilisi to the international airport was renamed "George W. Bush Street" following his first-ever American presidential visit to Georgia.

For the Americans who came here, interacting with the Georgians was an interesting learning experience.

"The Georgians have a lot of respect for the United States Army and have a great deal of willingness to learn from us," said Kruklis.  "It was fun trying to communicate with them using signs and gestures in order to get a point across," he said.  "I learned that our job requires a great deal of adaptability for us to work successfully with people of different cultures and backgrounds," said Kruklis.

Georgia is known for its diverse, but mostly pleasant climate.  Slightly larger than West Virginia, Georgia has more than 500 varieties of wine, beaches on the Black Sea, and ski resorts in the Caucasus Mountains. Georgia is also the birthplace of Joseph Stalin, a man who rose to become the Soviet leader and U.S. ally during World War II. Kruklis found his own observations here.

"Georgia has a beautiful landscape and rich culture," said Kruklis.  "Having a chance to visit this country will be something I will remember for many years to come," he said.
Kruklis' military background illustrates why he was a good choice in representing the U.S. military in this endeavor.

"I have been in the Army for over two years and am attending North Georgia Military College and State University," said Kruklis.  "In the near future, I plan on serving in the Army as an officer," he said.

Shared military knowledge in an ancient land is what Kruklis is likely to remember from his days in Georgia, but from a larger political perspective, he is an ambassador of good will to a people who desire an even closer future relationship.

Young Catholics meet as 'Governed by Faith'

Our friend Tanya Spypeck sent this over to us:

"Governed by Faith," a group of young adult Catholics wishing to deepen their formation and that of their peers in the Church's teachings on civic-political matters, meets Wednesday evenings at 7pm in the front parlor of Saint Clement's Eucharistic Shrine at 1105 Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay.

On Tuesday, August 19, Victor Pap, Executive Director of Catholic Citizenship, will speak on Catholics in Political Life: Our Responsibility to be Civically Involved.

On Tuesday, August 26, Governed by Faith will feature a talk by Daniel Avila, Associate Director for Policy and Research of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference, on The Common Good.

Meetings of Governed by Faith include recitation of the Holy Rosary and workshops on public speaking and debate.

For more information: Tanya at (617) 519-8409 or mailto:tanya.skypeck@gmail.com

Marine CR&L grad Patrick sent to Iraq

[Fleet Hometown News Aug. 12] Marine Corps Master Sgt. Chris M. Patrick, a 1984 graduate of Cambridge Ridge and Latin High School, Cambridge, Mass., currently deployed with Marine Wing Support Squadron 172 (MWSS-172), Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan.

MWSS-172, which joined forces with 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward) in Al Asad, Iraq, is the first wing support squadron from III Marine Expeditionary Force to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. All previous MWSS's deployed from aircraft wings based in the United States.

The Marines of MWSS-172 will perform aviation ground support aboard Al Asad Air Base and throughout the Anbar province and modify existing helicopter-landing zones (HLZ) while constructing new ones. Using heavy equipment, the Marines level the area and compact the soil, then lay down a coat of soil-stabilizing substance to prevent excessive sand clouds. The process will enhance the pilots' visibility, allowing them to land aircraft safely.
Additionally, MWSS-172 and Alpha Company, 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion (CEB) teamed up with the Engineer Company, 7th Iraqi Infantry Division, to construct a new headquarters site for Iraqi Army soldiers to conduct operations from. For more than two years, 3rd Battalion, 10th Brigade, 7th Iraqi Infantry Division, has occupied the school in the town of Bagdadi while maintaining security in the local area.

The 3rd CEB fortified the new site, placing barriers, guard houses and concertina wire while MWSS-172 and the Iraqi Army engineers erected prefabricated buildings.

The school is scheduled to be de-militarized before the start of the next school term, allowing students to return and reducing overcrowding in the neighboring schools.Patrick joined the Marine Corps in September 1984.For more information on MWSS-172, go to http://www.mnfwest.usmc.mil or http://www.1maw.usmc.mil

Hard rains send sewage into Alewife Brook

RE: Notice Alert: CSO Activation in Alewife Brook
DATE: August 8, 2008
In accordance with the conditions of the Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP) Alewife Brook/Upper Mystic River Variance we are hereby notifying you that a Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) occurred at CAM401B on August 8, 2008 and discharged into the Alewife Brook. The Variance approved workplan requires the Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW) to notify local health agents, DEP, EPA and MRWA within 24 hours of when a CSO event occurs.  It was determined that 401B was the most active outfall and would be the most suitable indicator of CSO activity along the Alewife Brook.  This notification does not reflect the absence of any activation at other sites.  Rather, the notice is intended to be confirmation to users of the resource that untreated sewage discharges to the Brook/River have occurred.

North Cambridge Night Out Against Crime Tuesday

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent over this notice:

Folks:

National Night Out, celebrated Tuesday evening behind the Peabody School and
organized by the North Cambridge Crime Task Force, can be a lot of fun,
especially for families with young kids who would enjoy the rides and games
and so forth. There are other activities throughout the day, so check out
the attached agenda if you're interested.

If you have specific questions, you may email the NCCTF coordinator, Shirley
Santos, who is on the 'to' line here.

Thanks a lot.

Craig

Morning Out
9:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m.
School and summer camp children primarily attend this event. A fun filled afternoon with an exotic reptile and amphibian presentation, amusement and pony rides and field games.

Seniors Out
12:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
The Cambridge Police department and the North Cambridge Crime Task Force treat seniors to a cookout and live entertainment.

NNO welcomes Nike - 2nd Annual Basketball Competition
3v3 Tournament and Foul Shooting Contest
4pm - 11-12 years old
5pm - 13-14 years old
6pm - 15-16 years old
Participation is limited and granted in order of pre-registration - Walk-in welcome (space permitting)

National Night Out
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
National Night Out is our annual going away party to crime and drugs. National Night Out brings together Cambridge citizens from diverse ages and ethnic backgrounds. Participants enjoy a community cookout, amusement rides, crime and drug prevention information tables, raffles, and a youth basketball competition. The Cambridge Police, Fire and Middlesex County Sheriff’s departments host demonstrations and displays.

Chinese Catholics host Sunday concert

Our friend Peter Chan sent over this notice:

On Saturday, August 2, an Evangelization Concert (EV Concert) will be held from 7-9 p.m. at the St. James the Greater Church, 125 Harrison Ave, Chinatown, Boston. All are welcome. The theme of the EV Concert is Moments of Light; it is a sharing of joy, hope and faith through songs, testimony, talk and prayers.

The concert is sponsored by the Boston Chinese Catholic Community at St. James, and the Friends of Jesus's Passover (FOJP). FOJP is an international group of Catholic Chinese youth from vairous faith communities. They have been doing missionary tours in many major cities around the world in the past 10 years.

For more info, please contact Peter Chan at 781-572-1719.

Kaya hotel plan moves forward

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent us an update on the new hotel slated for Porter Square:

Folks:

Here is the Committee Report on the proposed rezoning of much of Porter Square that would allow the Kaya Hotel project to go forward.  The Council won't vote on this until the first meeting in September, but it would be a fairly large change for Porter Square so I thought I would pass on this report.
 
Note the changed meeting location if you plan to come speak.
 
Enjoy the weekend.

Craig
 
If you would like to speak on this issue at City Council, you may call 617-349-4280 on Monday between 9 and 3 to sign up, or you may show up at Council chambers between 5:30 and 6 PM.  Council public comment usually starts a little after 5:30 PM and lasts until everyone who wishes has spoken.  You have three minutes to speak and have to speak on some Council Order, Committee Report, Resolution or Manager's Agenda item.

 
You may email the entire Council on any item by using Council@Cambridgema.gov and the City Manager at Rhealy@Cambridgema.gov .  To get something in the Council's packet, it needs to be at the Clerk's office by 5 PM the Thursday before a meeting:  email MDrury@cambridgema.gov to get something in the packet.
 
You may also see archived and ongoing Council meetings over the internet by visiting http://www.cambridgema.gov/webcast-splash.cfmg .
 

Giampa grads AF boot camp

Army & Air Force Hometown News News Release

Air Force Airman Kevin F. Giampa has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, the airman studied the Air Force mission, organization, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human
relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force. He is the son of Marco Giampa of Leonard Ave., Cambridge, Mass., and nephew of Robert Robbio of Harris St., Malden, Mass.
Giampa is a 2007 graduate of Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Cambridge.

Capuano asks Pelosi to support heating oil assistance

by Neil W. McCabe

This week, the congressman for the neighborhood with other regional lawmakers signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D, San Francisco, seeking her help securing more government help for low-income home heating oil consumers.

"I joined other members of the New England Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking that she consider measures to increase access to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program either through separate legislation or as part of a second economic stimulus package.," said Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D, North Cambridge.

Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D, North Cambridge

"We are asking for both an increase in LIHEAP funds and an expansion of eligibility requirements so that more families will qualify for assistance. We are also requesting additional funding for Weatherization Assistance programs," he said.

"Although we are in the midst of the summer season, it won’t be long before cold weather returns. The cost of heating one’s home has already increased and is expected to continue rising. It is important that we act now to further fund this vital program so that the assistance will be available when it is most needed," he said.

Capuano champions congestion solution bill

North Cambridge's congressman, Michael E. Capuano, sent over this update on one of his priorities:

Last week I joined my colleague Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) in filing the National Highway Congestion Chokepoint Relief Act. We all know what it’s like to be caught in traffic, wasting time and fuel while we slowly make our way through chronically busy roadways. For some of us, this is a regular frustration as we are forced to navigate congested routes to and from our jobs, schools and homes.

This legislation seeks to alleviate some of that frustration by requiring the Secretary of Transportation to create a “chokepoint congestion relief program”. It requires the designation of national chokepoint regions and establishes a grant program aimed at reducing traffic congestion in some of our nation’s busiest corridors.

By easing the flow of traffic on some of the busiest roads in the country, we can reduce the amount of commuter hours and gallons of gas wasted each year sitting in traffic jams. I will work with Rep. Castle to build bipartisan support for this program.

More crime in the neighborhood: Victim speaks out

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent over this scary story about a real crime:

Folks:

I got this email a few days ago from a North Cambridge resident who asked me to forward it. While many of you don't live in North or West Cambridge (I'm never quite sure where Danehy Park fits into Cambridge's neighborhood system), you all have an interest in addressing criminal behavior. As I haven't seen anything in the police alerts system, I figured I'd pass on this note for your information. It's important that incidents like this,
while horrific to the victims, not be construed to paint too broad a picture of crime in our City, but it is also important for all of us to have as complete a picture as possible about what sort of crime is happening where so that we can make our own judgments on how to keep ourselves, and others, safe.

Feel free to pass it on, if you wish.

Thanks a lot.

Craig

-----Original Message-----

Sent: Friday, July 04, 2008 5:38 AM
To: craig@craigkelley.org
Subject: assault and robbery in Daheny Park, Cambridge

My name is XX and I live in the Rindge St. area with my mom.Last night-July 3- about 8:30 pm, as I was returning home through Daheny Park after shopping at Whole Foods, two dark-skinned black males, somewhere between 15 and 23, jumped up from the bench where they were sitting and accosted me. One of them came from behind and hooked his arm around my throat trying to choke me while his acccomplice demanded, "Gimme your cell phone". I was unable to answer because of the arm squeezing my neck and anyway, I don't even own a cell phone. While I was being held, the accomplice went through my pockets
and took my keys and my wallet which contained $40, my debit card, my Sears credit card, my Selective Service card, My Mass Health card, my library card and two student id's- one from Mass Art and one from UMass Boston. I called Sears and cancelled the card to protect myself.

After the man went through my pockets, I was able to grab my assailant's arm and fling it off my neck, falling down on the ground after doing so. I didn't move and they walked away with my wallet in one of their hands. I came home very shaken and in shock; it took me a few hours to be calm enough to be able to describe the crime which I did to Officer Gallagher, a Cambridge police officer who came to my house to take a report.

Please send out a message to your email list and let them know about this so people can be on the lookout for these creeps and also to see if anyone has any information. People who do this nasty things tend to brag about it to their friends and acquaintances, so someone in the neighborhood has, no doubt, already heard about it. If I can be of any help in apprehending or identifying these thugs, please let me know. My phone number is XXX.


Sincerely,

XX

PDC supports Sciortino tonight

Our friend Lesley Phillips, leader of Progressive Democrats of Cambridge, sent over this note:

Dear PDCers,

Our colleague Eric Weltman's house party for Somerville/Medford State Representative Carl Sciortino is this evening.  Details below.  As you know, Carl is a great friend of Cambridge progressives and has quickly become a valued member of the legislature since his initial election in 2004.  Carl is facing a serious challenge in the state primary this September, and is hoping for support from his Cambridge neighbors!

For additional information on Carl's campaign, go to www.electcarl.org.

Democratically yours,
Lesley