From December 2004 until December 2007, The Alewife newspaper covered the neighborhood of North Cambridge, Mass. It was a wonderful community of businesses, writers and photographers. The paper is no longer printed, but this Web site continues both as an archive and as an ongoing blog dedicated, mostly, to this humble little corner of the universe.
The McGovern Campaign sent over this press release detailing the nod from NASW:
[Boston, MA – Sept. 21] – The National Association of Social Workers Massachusetts Chapter PACE (NASW MA PACE), the largest social work organization in the state with 8,300 social workers across the Commonwealth, pledged its supports for the candidacy of Marc McGovern for the Cambridge School Committee.
Part of NASW’s core mission is to ensure all people have access to healthcare, basic education and the opportunity to earn a fair wage. In order to implement these priorities NASW’s political action arm endorses candidates with a solid foundation in both human behavior and understanding how “the system” works. Social workers actively advocate changes in policy and legislation to strengthen the social safety nets that make a critical difference to so many. Marc McGovern has demonstrated a strong commitment to these values and as such has earned the support of NASW MA PACE.
Genvieve Coyle, Chair of NASW MA PACE said, "Marc’s work in the community reflects a real commitment to creating a safe and healthy environment for children, which is the basis for a stronger future for Massachusetts. He will bring to the Cambridge School Committee a valuable perspective on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities".
Marc has worked for well over a decade on behalf of children and families as a social worker specializing in child and family issues. He has worked with special education students and in schools, side by side with teachers and administrators, making sure that the educational needs of children were being met. He has helped families navigate systems as large as the Department of Education to as small as a neighborhood health center. On a daily basis he sees the hard work and collaboration on the part of teachers, students and parents. As a social worker he understands the importance of process, communication, support, and advocacy, all skills that are important for any public official.
Progressive Democrats of Cambridge-Democracy in America released their City Council endorsements today.
The PDC-DFA endorsed incumbents: Brian Murphy, Henrietta Davis, Craig A. Kelley, Marjorie A. Decker, and Denise Simmons.
The challengers receiving the nod are: Sam Seidel, Lary Ward and Jonathan Janik.
In 2005, the pre-merger PDC endorsed Mayor Kenneth E. Reeves and did not endorse Kelley, such are the shifting sands of left-wing politics in Cambridge.
A mother of seven spoke about crime in her neighborhood during the Sept. 21 contributors meeting of The Alewife held at the back table of Porter Square Books.
“Recently, there have been some very serious incidents,” said Nancy H. Erdmann, who moved with her husband, Anthony, and their seven children to Pemberton Street a little over a year ago. “The residents are upset and looking to police for leadership.”
Erdmann said there have been robberies, assaults and shootings in her neighborhood. She has attended several safety meetings to voice her concerns. On Sept. 14, she joined about 50 parents and residents at a meeting held at the Peabody School where Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas and a number of officers discussed crime that occurred in the past few months.
During the meeting, people told the police about a number of incidents including a shooting on Middlesex Street. A woman was washing her dishes and, when she heard the sound of a gun, hit her kitchen floor and remained there – terrified – for a few minutes. Residents also reported two shootings and a stabbing at the intersection of Rindge Avenue and Clifton Street, a number of businesses on Mass Avenue having windows smashed, a man on a bicycle being knocked down by a group of teenagers, a woman in Jefferson Park whose car was badly jostled and kicked by a group of kids while she and her daughter were in it, a person holding people up at gunpoint on the way to and from the Alewife station and a number of stolen bicycles, she said.
Erdmann said residents appreciated the fact that the police department held the meeting and answered questions. Police, she said, told people that making arrests is a difficult process because it’s hard to gather evidence, track down the suspect and find witnesses to testify.
“The police said they want to hear from residents more often and the residents said they want to hear from the police more often,” Erdmann said. “I think it was clear that the residents who attended the Sept. 14 meeting really want close and good relations with the Cambridge Police Department. Leadership and a coherent plan, which would not require waiting months or longer, were what my neighbors at the meeting were looking and asking for.”
Pho Republique is located in the up and coming South Washington Area.
In this trendy, off-beat decorated restaurant, you’ll find some uber-delicious drinks, yummy appetizers, and one very expensive bowl of Pho!
While Pho is a Vietnamese specialty, Pho Requlique offers a selection of other Asian cuisine, such as Tuna Tartar (Japanese) and Candied Garlic Spare Rib (Chinese).
The latter is a delectable must try. You may also be tempted to venture the sake-infused martinis, they are a refreshing surprise.
With the look, the food and the price, this is a place to go if you want to impress somebody, swing by on the weekend if you are in the mood to just meet and greet.
[Daniel R. Moss is a real estate consultant with a master’s degree in city planning from M.I.T. He can be reached at: danmoss99@verizon.net.]
Developing the Last Piece of Nature
Conservation, housing, and flooding collide at Belmont Uplands
At The Alewife’s July 27 contributors meeting held at the back table of the Porter Square Books store, State Rep. William N. Brownsberger, D, North Cambridge, came to discuss the controversy surrounding the Belmont Uplands property.
This unique property, one of the last large undeveloped sites in the area, is contiguous to the Alewife Reservation and contains a mature silver maple forest and rich wetlands. Despite its natural beauty, the site was recently approved by Belmont for a dense residential development under the state affordable housing law known as 40B.
State Rep. William N. Brownsberger, D, North Cambridge, spoke at the July 27 contributors meeting of The Alewife. Brownsberger filed a bill to appropriate $6 million towards the purchase of the Belmont Uplands.
Alewife Photo by Neil W. McCabe
Some local citizens and conservation groups immediately appealed the decision to state superior court. In the meantime, Brownsberger has introduced a bill which would have the state provide up to $6 million to help purchase the property and preserve it in its natural state.
Brownsberger said he was also working to implement recommendations from the 2003 Master Plan for the Alewife Reservation. Both the Uplands and the Reservation are located in Brownsberger’s legislative district, which includes the entire Town of Belmont, as well as parts of North Cambridge and East Arlington.
Ever since the 15.6-acre Uplands property was acquired by O’Neill Properties in 1999, community residents and conservation groups have protested that developing the land would result in the loss of valuable habitat and more area-wide flooding from big storms.
The Uplands was the last piece of a larger assemblage that O’Neill bought and sold to create the Cambridge Discovery Office Park.
The original zoning of the property was for two-family residential dwellings.
In 2002, the developer convinced the Town of Belmont to create a special zoning district that would allow more intensive office and R&D land uses. O’Neill agreed to keep at least 65 percent of the property as open space and made several financial concessions to the Town.
The rezoning resulted in a large increase in value.
But instead of flipping the land, O’Neill started to think about residential uses for the property, reportedly because the market for commercial space appeared weaker than he had expected.
In 2003, the developer submitted a new application to the Belmont Planning Board for an upscale condominium development.
The application was determined to be incomplete and was dismissed by the board in the spring of 2004.
Finally, O’Neill used the much-maligned 40B process to force Belmont to accept a 299-unit rental apartment complex with 464 parking spaces.
Our friend Andriana Sena from the Brazilian Times tipped us off to this event:
ALEX NUNES & BAND ROCK NIGHT
SEPT. 27/THURSDAY SAMBA BAR & GRILL 608 SOMERVILLE AVE SOMERVILLE GENERAL ADMISSION: $15.00 ($10.00 IN ADVANCE) DOORS OPEN: 9 PM INFO: 781-420-3365
Na próxima quinta-feira, 27 de setembro, você tem um encontro marcado com o melhor do rock nacional. O cantor e compositor Alex Nunes estará se apresentando no Samba Bar em Somerville, juntamente com a sua banda. A "Noite do Rock" trará além de sucessos do Jota Quest, Legião Urbana e Os Paralamas do Sucesso, músicas novas do CD que Alex está preparando para ser lançado brevemente.
Mineiro, Alex ganhou seu seu primeiro violão aos 12 anos. Um Giannini dado por sua mãe, que desde cedo percebera o talento do filho. A partir de então, Alex, mergulhou na sua paixão pela música. Com os amigos de infância: Paulinho, Deide, Naninho, George e Marcinho, formou seu primeiro grupo musical. Eles animavam festas infantis e comemorações escolares.
At or around midnight today, five gunshots were heard coming from the area behind the Peabody School and the Walden Street Apartments.
"They came from right there," said a resident of the Walden Street Apartments, who leaned out of her first floor window to point to the grass patch on her side of the underpass leading to Peabody School.
"They were loud shots. It sounded like a gun-gun," she said.
The woman said the shots were so close that when she looked out the window, a young man in baggy pants nearby was checking to make sure he had not been shot.
A security guard at the apartments said there were four young men outside at the gun went off. There were two on bikes and two others who ran across the the apartment grounds and climbed over a fence.
After the two boys on bikes returned to the area, they turned down the underpass where they were stopped for questioning, said City Police Officer John Lang.
At the time of the shots, officers were converging on vehicle on Raymond Street with a cache of interesting goods, he said.
The police received at least 20 calls reporting the shots with at least five cruisers responding within minutes, he said.
As of this posting, no injuries or property damage from gun shots had been reported, he said.
On the birthday of Rome, April 21, an Italian fresh pasta and specialty foods store opened in North Cambridge, at 2285 Massachusetts Ave.
Jennifer Capone Hegarty Capone, the manager of Capone Foods Cambridge with imported bottles of imported lemonade.
Alewife Photo by Neil W. McCabe
“We’ve had a great response from the neighborhood, it seems like everyone’s happy to see us here,” said Jennifer Capone Hegarty, the manager of the family-owned and operated Capone Foods Cambridge.
Her parents Albert and Mary Capone have operated Capone Foods Somerville in Union Square since the early 1980s and have been on the lookout for a high-traffic second location for the last few years, she said. “We’ve been looking for a space to buy. We like the Mass. Ave. address.”
Capone Foods specializes in both home-made and imported goods. The imported goods include a large selection of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, dried pasta coffee, chocolates and cheeses, she said. The store has arranged for fresh bread every day delivered from Brookline’s Clear Flour Bakery.
The front counter is set up so customers can sample the fresh bread and olive oils, her mother said.
Jennifer said the Union Square store is still the base of operations. The home-made items, such as the lasagna, sausage, empandadas and sauces are prepared at that kitchen be six cooks who have been with the family for many years. Then, they are shuttled to the North Cambridge store. “The recipes are all developed by my father, he trains everyone on how to do everything.”
Some of the items are more popular than others, she said. The most popular items are the ones that people can throw in the microwave for and easy high quality meal, she said. “People stock up on those or they stop in on their way home from work.”
Another dimension is the company’s wholesale business, she said. “We sell to restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and local places like the Fresh Pond Market--we definitely keep ourselves busy.”
Business has been slow through the summer months, but Capone said she believes will pick up in the coming months.
Recently North Cambridge residents have noticed an increase in air traffic over their homes, disturbing a quiet afternoon or waking them up at night.
“The flights over Cambridge come from departures off of runway 33L. The complaints started in the Spring of ’07. The noise comes at all times of the night,” said Peter Coff, the Cambridge representative to the Logan Airport Community Advisory Committee.
Upset residents should understand that Massport does not determine its own flight patterns for landings and takeoffs, said Richard P. Walsh, manager of media relations for Massport.
The Federal Aviation Administration decides the route a plane takes in relation to wind direction and what is most likely to result in a safe landing or take off, he said.
“It is inevitable that temporary circumstances will arise requiring some communities to sometimes handle more than their fair share of overflights. However, I expect Massport and the FAA to be as sensitive as possible to the needs of their neighbors and work to spread the burden of air traffic that those of us living near Logan experience”, said Rep. Michael E. Capuano, D, North Cambridge.
Massport is concerned with the inconvenience it puts surrounding neighborhoods through, so they use resident complaints to inform FAA decision makers about especially burdened neighborhoods, said Walsh.
Residents who would like to see a reduction in air traffic can either file a complaint on the airport’s Web site, flylogan.com, or call the noise abatement hotline: (617) 561-3333.
Chocolate lovers delight in this chocolate triple threat! An abundant treasure of rich chocolate mousse awaits inside these airy dark chocolate cupcakes. They’re swirled with a thick white chocolate ganache and topped with curls of milk chocolate.
Even someone without a sweet tooth couldn’t say ‘no’ to these decadent beauties.
Quynh does custom cupcake orders and can be reached at QisforQuynh[at]gmail[dot]com.
[Sam Seidel is a founding member of Progressive Democrats of Cambridge, now merged with the local Democracy in America, to form PDC-DFA. Seidel is a candidate for city council and professional urban planner.]
One veteran City Councillor, Michael Sullivan, has already stepped down from the body.
Another, Anthony Galluccio, having won the primary is making an uncontested bid for the state senate seat left vacant by Jarrett Barrios, who resigned to head up the Blue Cross Foundation.
Assuming Galluccio leaves the city council after 13 years, the departure of these two men from the Council will be felt for some time.
Their combined years of experience, their understanding of the city’s government and their dedication to the issues that impact this community have been real.
They each represented not only broad sections of this city, but also a type of governance that is good for a local council.
A councillor should be the people’s connection to the government and be their representative in City Hall. Paying attention to what’s happening, answering questions and helping to sort things out when the bureaucracy gets confusing or seems arbitrary.
It’s a point my friend Jack Cobb made to me, and it’s a very good one.
Sam Seidel
This focus on the daily issues of the city is important, because these daily concerns help to shape the “quality of life” in a community.
At the same time, a community needs to take time out to look at the bigger picture too. Cambridge is in just such a time.
With the tremendous rise in housing prices, the rise in median incomes, the shrinking of the school population and a growing elderly population, the city is facing a new and different future than what it was looking at 20 years ago.
Since the special PDC-DFA membership meeting called for last Sunday failed to achieve a quorum, thre will be one further attempt to complete the Cambridge city council endorsement process begun at the September 5 candidates forum. A second special meeting will be held on Monday, September 24 at 6 pm (location to be announced -- hopefully in Central Square). Please make every effort to attend.
The former school committee member elected in 2003 and defeated in 2005 spoke at the Aug. 17 contributors meeting of The Alewife held at the back table of Porter Square Books.
“I think I suffered from the sophomore curse,” said Marc McGovern, who was a student representative to the city’s school board as a student at Cambridge Rindge and Latin.
McGovern said as he approached the 2005 election, he was convinced he would do well and that former state senator Jarrett T. Barrios told him he would top the ticket. In the end, many of his supporters assumed that he would win re-election, so they gave their votes to other candidates.
Marc McGovern
He was also hurt by his decision to not to support funding to return a teaching position at a school where many of his supporters sent their children, he said. “In the old days, budgets were made by well-organized school communities with strong advocates,” he said.
He made his decision because he wants the children of less-vocal parents to have the same education as the children of the vocal parents, which can only be done with a system-wide view, he said.
McGovern said he is campaigning to the school committee to build on his experience from his first term and to work and create a more positive cultural inside the school system.
The current superintendent, Thomas Fowler-Finn, has fostered a negative atmosphere, which has led to low morale amongst the principals and teachers, he said. “It is the way he works.”
In his conversations with educators, McGovern said at least three principals and 20 to 30 experienced teachers have expressed to him a lack of confidence in Fowler-Finn’s leadership and a fear of retaliation if they express themselves honestly, he said. “I want a superintendent who, when he walks into the schools, people flock to him and are inspired by his vision and who then empowers them.”
Two massage therapy graduates of the Cortiva Institute celebrated the opening of their new massage practice with an Open House Sept. 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at its 2285 Massachusetts Ave. location.
"It was a smashing success," said Rosemary Centola, who owns the Sollivieo Massage and Body work spa with Laura C. Barricelli. "We're guessing close to 400 people came through. The energy was high and happy, the food was delicious, and there was plenty of wine and sangria."
The Open House is an opportunity for neighbors to meet the therapists, tour the treatment rooms and learn about the different methods they use, she said.
“Sometimes people will come in and just sit in our lobby just to sit in the chairs, listen to the music and relax,” said Centola.
Although the Cortiva school is now in Watertown, both women took their classes at the Muscular Therapy Institute when it was at 122 Rindge Ave., she said.
Sollievo co-owner Rosemary Centola hangs out with the spa’s skeleton Mike. Centola said she is shopping for an appropriate boa to match his outfit. Alewife Photo by Neil W. McCabe
In the Boston area it is very common for massage professionals to work out of their homes, but they decided to create a complete relaxing state for their clients that is not always possible in a private home, Barricelli said. "It is entirely possible to create a complete state of relaxation in a private home -- we just wanted to open a space out of the home that is beautiful and accessible."
Working with a designer, they began the process with an eye for rural Tuscany, Centola said. The two own the space outright as a condo. Before the pre-construction demolition, the space was occupied by a tattoo parlor on one side and an eye doctor on the other. Along with the advantages of ownership, the space has plenty of parking in the back, which made the decision easier.
[The PDC-DFA members will soon release their endorsements. This article was held in anticipation of that announcement, which appears to be taking longer than we expected.--Editor]
by Christopher J. Gendron
In advance of the Nov. 6 elections, Progressive Democrats of Cambridge-Democracy in America joined and The Alewife to sponsor a Sept. 5 forum to inform the PDC-DFA's endorsement process at the Central Square's senior center.
“On behalf of the PDC and Democracy for America, I’d like to welcome everyone to the 3rd Bi-Annual City Council Candidates Forum… thank you all for coming out,” said Leslie Phillips, chair of the PDC-DFA, as she opened the debate and detailed the evening’s procedures.
Assembled before a backdrop of PDC, DFA and PDA flyers, 15 out of 16 candidates running for City Council participated in the event.
After the obligatory introductions and opening statements were delivered by all 15 candidates, the candidates were then given a chance to address several major issues affecting the city - with additional questions from the audience to follow.
Clearly, the most pressing issue had to do with the city’s lack of affordable housing for middle and lower income families. When asked how the prospective candidates might help solve the affordable housing crunch in the city, a myriad of responses followed.
“I believe that affordable housing should be my number one priority once I’m elected into office.” said incumbent Marjorie Decker. “There’s been lots of talk about improving the situation – I think one way is to provide higher paying jobs for our citizens while simultaneously minimizing the inherent tradeoffs that added urban development brings.”
David Maher, who is now filling the vacancy left by Michael A. Sullivan's resignation, said he agreed. “Affordable housing continues to be a big issue. We should implement the adoption of inclusionary zoning bonuses for developers, giving future builders a 15 percent bonus in lieu of a 15 percent allocation of total units slated as affordable housing. This could have a major impact in the city, as several hundred units are being built over the next few years.”
There was a general consensus among the group about the severity of the issue, with all agreeing that something had to be done – and soon. And in the spirit of team and good sportsmanship, all the candidates were very amicable and courteous toward one another throughout the debate. Taking great care, one by one they conscientiously stepped over Kathleen Podger’s assistance dog after waiting patiently for their turn at the mic.
“Yes, it’s a difficult problem for sure, and we may never fully close the gap with regard to affordable housing and low income families,” said Sam Seidel, who finished 10th for the nine spots on the council in 2005.
Luckily, the rental market in the city is somewhat flexible, as providing even a couple hundred units to lower income citizens would not be adequate for a city of Cambridge’s size - the real problem lies with the elderly and wait listing," he said.
Challenger Larry Ward said, “I think Cambridge has done a good job in many areas, but we as leaders still need to think innovatively when confronting these issues. Even as Harvard continues to build all around us – why can’t people who’ve grown up in the city and have supported the city own properties in the city? This is the issue that must be resolved.”
The candidates were then asked what they thought the Election committee should do to boost voter turnout, a question prompted by the fact that the municipal election turnout in 2005 was at an all-time low of just over 16 thousand voters – barely half the municipal voter turnout from a decade earlier.
“I think it’s up to us as politicians to make sure the people’s voices are being heard, that we need to make you feel confident you’re being listened to,” said Craig Kelley, now serving in his first term.
City Councillor Denise Simmons said, “I believe voter education should be an ongoing process, and we should continue to actively engage and invite churches and schools into the process which will get youngsters more involved.”
“We need to boost programs in the high school and youth centers to get the kids involved, we also need to ask registered voters why they’re not going to polls. We need to get feedback from them. I also ask: why do we always vote on Tuesdays - why not vote on Saturdays? Most people are very busy, and they can’t always make it into the polls during the week,” said Edward J. Sullivan, who is hoping to continue his family’s 72-year tradition of serving the city of Cambridge. He joined the race upon his cousin's August resignation.
City Councillor Timothy J. Toomey Jr., said, “I support same day voter registrations. I also want to change the dynamic of how our election commission is selected and open it up to the other parties, like the Green and Independent parties. This may help to infuse some new energy into the process.”
Ward said, “We need to bring something to the table to make our voters vote. We need to increase our youth’s awareness of the issues and their involvement in them. We need to figure out how to get these messages online to spread the word.”
We have to give people a reason to vote, get them excited about voting. It comes down to our outreach programs and being more aggressive with registering new voters. We have to get in people’s faces and ask them - hey, got a minute for democracy? We’ve got to engage people,” said Brian Murphy.
Shin Yu Pai "sightings," selected works, (200 - 2005) $16.00 1913 Press www.1913press.org 1913 pressbox 9654hollins universityroanoke, virginia 24020
The rhythm of Shin Yu Pai’s book, ‘sightings’ reaches from present form to past particles. her form often sings. broken into four parts, each section holds it’s own beat. ‘the love hotel poems,’ blast us with reality…”jesus the name of just another john.” consumerism and the philosophy of consumerism are attacked in a sublime soak, and we readers blot up the excesses.
the second set of poems kick off, “unnecessary roughness,” the locker room, band practice lists, the ever present dilemma poets face in presenting their own time. Shin Yu Pai plucks us out of the ordinary and dips us in the opposites. the poet ties us up and makes us listen. she sits us in front of a video screen, “concave is the opposite of convex,” her explanation an assumption in explanation. the line surface reveals the motionless scenes taken from books.
Shin Yu Pai
“nutritional feed.” i don’t think the poet understands; (or perhaps she does) she doesn’t have to hide messages, need not hussied up with old typewritten, bold face text, tests. she ventures off, ventures in space without….. she presents an array of images that might work better through integration, words crossed out don’t make it visual. If the reader scrapes off some of the presentation within the last section, we come upon universal thoughts…experimentation, the need to differ and relate.
Shin Yu attempts to orchestrate a new approach to say what each generation needs to say, (life is not what we thought it could be). This book is the beginning of an aging form, the beginning of what appears to be new and challenging. it is worth the read. check this book out of your library and if they don’t have a copy, then make a suggestion for them to purchase this book.
We were psyched to see the lasted edition of Steve Surette's magazine about the neighborhood's history is at Porter Square Books and other stores.
The quarterly devotes much of the issue to the closed parish of Our Lady of Pity Church, which was the center of North Cambridge's French Canadian community. The church's campus is now revived as the Vineyard Church.
There is also a reprint of the profile we ran on Charles L. Poulos last year on the anniversary of V-E Day. Poulos, 96, walked from his house on Day Street to the Army recruiting office in Harvard Square in February 1941.
Reaching the rank of staff sergeant, he served through the end of the Second World War, including combat action in the invasion of Normandy and the occupation of Japan.
Under threatening skies, over 150 enthusiastic supporters streamed into Dana Park in Cambridgeport on Sunday, September 9, to cheer as Nancy Tauber, a new school committee candidate, launched her campaign.
In addition to a crowd-pleasing intro by local entertainer and CPS supporter, Jimmy Tingle, Tauber was also lauded by educational activists Lisa Thurau and Laurie Sheffield. Mingling amongst the music, kids, and animated crowd were other local Cambridge politicians: City council candidates Henrietta Davis, Brian Murphy and Jonathan Janik came out to show their support as well as the other two new school committee candidates, Gail Lemily-Wiggins and Stefan Malner.
“It was great to see so many friends and CPS supporters here today. Like me, they are ready for a school committee that is committed to working together on issues that help the principals, teachers, and students be the best they can be. As a middle school teacher, I know what kids and teachers need to stay involved and be successful. My focus is to build an atmosphere of positive and constructive change,” Tauber said.
A veteran middle school teacher, educational advocate, and CPS parent, Tauber’s catchy and clever green apple logo and color-scheme was much on display from green balloons and green campaign bracelets to apple pie.
To help promote the spirit of the candidacy, children helped encircle the park green with flags they decorated with their wishes for the Cambridge Public Schools.
Overall, the event exemplified Tauber’s commitment to unity in Cambridge. She expressed her dedication to knowing citizens’ concerns, understanding what is working in Cambridge, and what needs to be improved to make Cambridge a great place to raise children.
For more information or to help out with the campaign please call Nancy at 617-576-7977 or email her at nancytauber@comcast.net and visit www.nancytauber.org.
[Dave Schmelzer is the senior pastor of North Cambridge's Vineyard Church located at 170 Rindge Ave.]
Summer movies & ultimate reality
I’ve had a series of existential moments at the movies this summer.
So many movies have given me a rush that I’ve started kicking around if that rush actually tells me something about how we’re wired. But, of course, maybe it’s just me.
When you saw Ratatouille, were you like me? Were you swept up from the first moment of the short animated feature they started with, kept at least interested by the engaging and quirky story that unfolded (a rat who’s a master chef—who on earth came up with that idea?), and then blown away by where they took it?
Suddenly we’re watching a parable about the filmmakers themselves, about the creation of an artist. Why was this such a rush?
This summer that rush has come from an eclectic brew. Irish street musicians in Once. Cross-dressing singing and dancing obese people (among others) in Hairspray. Our favorite tormented assassin in The Bourne Ultimatum.
Your tastes, of course, might be a long way from mine. But I wonder if we share a few things in common whenever we feel that rush of a good movie.
I wonder if that rush most commonly comes from seeing a movie made with passion and artistry about a central character that suddenly finds out who they are in the big scheme of things. The rat’s a master chef! The pudgy girl is a singing and dancing superstar! The assassin will bring down the evil government agency!
Some folks have a theory about this. They argue that there’s been a central myth that we can find in all cultures throughout history, so central that they contend it speaks to your deepest desires for where your life might head.
They call it “the hero’s journey.” It’s a little quirkier than you might think. Here’s one take at what it might look like in, say, The Lord of the Rings.
The classic hero myth involves a “reluctant hero” who lives in what, to him or her, is the ordinary world, the world that’s everything he or she knows. Little does he (I’ll go with “he” because the character we’ll track with is male) know that that world is actually in dire jeopardy, and that he’ll be called upon to take tremendous risks to battle that threat and return with the special gift that will heal this ordinary world of his.
Neil McCabe over at The Alewife stated: "With Maher filling the Sullivan seat, the next in line is Alewife columnist Sam Seidel."
This is not quite true. I just ran the numbers out of curiosity, excluding newly elected Councillor Maher and Robert Hall (who passed away). Here are the current replacements for the 8 councillors (not including the newly elected David Maher):
Davis: Sam Seidel (beats Jesse Gordon and Larry Adkins 437-340-82)
Decker: Sam Seidel (beats Jesse Gordon 358 to 308)
Galluccio: Sam Seidel (beats Jesse Gordon 175 to 154)
Kelley: Sam Seidel (beats Jesse Gordon, Bill Hees, and Larry Adkins 565-297-132-102)
Murphy: Sam Seidel (beats Jesse Gordon 457 to 342)
Reeves: Sam Seidel (beats Larry Adkins 308 to 285)
Simmons: Jesse Gordon (beats Larry Adkins 335 to 271)
Toomey: Andre Green (beats Sam Seidel 127 to 120)
East Cambridge is a wonderful place..... and a bit quirky. - RW
First, we have to congratulate Jeffrey Keefe for his two perfect innings on the mound at the Abbott Financial Old Time Baseball Game. Keefe was named the game’s MVP. Bravo Zulu.
Have you heard of the Cambridge School Volunteers? It is a non-profit agency that recruits, trains, places and supports about 900 volunteers in the Cambridge Public Schools each academic year. About a third of the volunteers work in various Cambridge corporations and participate as Reading Buddies who read to young students or NetPals who through weekly emails tutor students in science or writing. We will be featuring CSV in a future issue, but wait to volunteer? Call Martha Olsen at (617) 349-6794.
The deadline nominations for the city’s Poet Populist position is Sept. 14. the tournament is being ran by the Cambridge Arts Council and send in your paperwork and supporting materials to:
The Cambridge Arts Council
Cambridge Poet Populist
344 Broadway, 2nd Floor
Cambridge, MA 02139.
As we noted on the Web site, David P. Maher was re-elected to the city council. Maher was the designated recipient of Michael A. Sullivan’s votes in the 2005 election. With Sullivan’s Aug. 17 resignation, Maher is in. Maher would have replaced Anthony D. Galluccio, if Galluccio left the city council. With Maher filling the Sullivan seat, the next in line is Alewife columnist Sam Seidel.
In my first poetry chapbook “Hot Rain” the opening poem is called “Being Visited.”
In it, I wrote from the black vinyl couch of a NY Chelsea studio, “We film too much.”
At that point, I had no TV set or VCR and little extra money to afford movies, but there was something else at stake I thought, in writing that declaration. Life.
I have always had a love/hate relationship with Hollywood films.
Sometimes they are too manipulative for me, too gratuitously violent, and I honestly think that people sell out their own emotional lives to the stars on the silver screen who’re getting paid millions of dollars to emote.
Lo Galluccio
That bothers me. All our dramas should be big and deep and matter, in my ideal world anyway. On the other hand, I’ve always had a hard time distancing myself from films enough to just use them as distraction or pure entertainment, the way most Americans do.
My boundaries get broken down and I identify too much or get too caught up in the story, forgetting that it is, in fact, an artifice.
The wicked witch from the Wizard of Oz, with her hideously pea green face gave me nightmares for years, until I realized that poor Margaret Hamilton the actress had nearly died under the trapdoor she had to emerge out of in a cloud of orange sulfur smoke.
Another good example is when I took my Brooklyn Night High school students to see the film “Glory,” about the first black Union regiment to fight in the Civil War.
They were essentially slaughtered but they died with the conviction that slavery had to be abolished and they wanted to do their part.
There I was; the Social Studies teacher in charge of the field trip weeping helplessly next to the Latino street kid who says to me, “But Miss G., it’s only a movie.” Well, it is, and then again, it isn’t.
Because movies that try to depict actual historical events are meant to teach us lessons, and can be powerfully graphic tools, much more so than history books.
I think of the film “Gandhi” with the Hindu non-violent revolutionary played brilliantly and soulfully by Ben Kingsley.
That is a film that every Social Studies teacher should show in school – it may not be perfectly accurate – but it captures the life-story of the man who defied the British Empire by fasting, protesting and marching to the sea instead of resorting to violence, and who, in turn, influenced, our civil rights leader, Martin Luther King, Jr. to end desegregation.
The point here is that poets can change their minds, like everybody else. Now that I have realized the value of great films and have a little spending money even a DVD player, I decided to try and write poems about films as a new writing project.
So far I have written two: both films about women artists but very different in style and substance.
I have not come near refining this craft because it is not so much a critique of the film I am interested in but a visceral account of language that gives some sense of how the movie impacted me. Still, I hope it has some meaning for you as well and that it tells the story in a poetic way.
The first poem is about the biopic just released on the life of French singer, Edith Piaf, called, La Vie en Rose.” Piaf rose to fame in the 1950’s as a recording artist and concert hall singer after a nightmarish childhood and apprenticeship in rough Paris cabarets. Like many famous musicians, she became addicted to drugs and alcohol. One reason I chose this film is because I am also a singer myself. Many know her as “the sparrow” and though a petite woman, her voice could be thunderously and tremendously moving.
Edith Piaf: La Vie en Rose
“Hold me close and hold me fast The magic spell you cast This is la vie en rose
When you kiss me heaven sighs And tho I close my eyes I see la vie en rose” Louis Armstrong
Oh the dream her boxer man comes to her and sits at her bed. She brings him coffee. She floats on love. Her voice is low and cream. The sparrow has wings. But the boxer has crashed over the Atlantic and the dream crumbles. The soul of the singer is shaking her apart. Breaking her heart. The boxer man from Morocco was her one joy. Both fighters and lovers.
She shoots dope. She dreams death. She is pale and withered-- the sparrow, named by the booking agent in the cabarets whose father pimped her for La Marseillaise. She is France. She is the soul of her country. Om Khartoum in Egypt. Billie Holliday in the US. Raised by whores. Anesthetized by alcohol.
St. Teresa sees all this. St. Teresa knows Edith Piaf, the sparrow. St. Teresa of the roses.
No matter how hard you hit me, I will sing back. I will sing until I collapse on stage. My audience, knows Piaf, will hear my voice until the end. Like Judy Garland -- with those arms gesturing, that body swaying, conducting waves well beyond the lithe frame. My voice is my teacher and she will save me in the end. I will not drown.
Then we see another sparrow. She is sitting on the beach and it is pale and dry like sober champagne. Sand surrounds her and she heals as the rhythms of the waves come in. She is at peace even though it is only silence she commands. But her face is ravaged; At 40, she looks 80. Yet her eyes are the eyes of an astonished child.
She knows she too will be gone into an infinity sign, that treble Clef of God. Oh Teresa, where are you? In the end will the sparrow have your roses?
Gone, gone, real gone, gone beyond even the most gone. And still her voice remains:: the rose. La vie en Rose.
The second film for which I penned a poem is about “The Hours” based on the acclaimed book by Michael Cunningham, who also wrote the novel “Specimen Days” which I highly recommend.
The story follows three women living in three different eras whose lives are connected through time by Woolf’s novel, “Mrs. Dalloway.” The story of “Mrs. Dalloway,” by Virginia Woolf, first appeared as a short story, “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street,” published in 1923. The novel was published in 1925.
As some of you may know Nicole Kidman won an Oscar for her amazing transformation with the help of a prosthetic nose from her bewitching blonde self to a dour suicidal and brilliant writer in the English country-side.
But it is a trio of female actresses who spin the story: Julianne Moore (Laura,) living in LA in the 1950’with a doting but less than stimulating husband and a boy child who later becomes an award winning poet dying of AIDS and Meryl Streep who is for all intents and purposes, a reincarnation of Mrs. Dalloway, herself, living in modern-day NYC.
She is the one who is trying to hold everything together with social grace by throwing a party for the poet and who must come to terms with the fact that her flowers arrangements are not enough.
In fact, something is terribly wrong and a party won’t solve it. He will, in fact, throw himself off the window ledge and free himself from his pain.
The party does not go on despite her nurturing ministrations and intense love for him.
I wrote a long version of this poem that still needs revision and a shorter one that I will give you here, inspired partly by Irene Koronas’ work who I interviewed last month for this column:
THE HOURS, based on the book by Michael Cunningham
To live or die because of reading Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway. Shy Laura takes her friend’s chin and passionately kisses her on the mouth. Two housewives. String of pearls. The boy looks on. He will become the tormented poet.
The meat is bloody in Richmond England. And what is this kiss? What does Virginia say to her sister?
I AM REAL I LOVE YOU. I AM CRAZY. I WILL TAKE YOU ON THE MOUTH LIKE A MAN WITH MY MOUTH. SEE WHO WE REALLY ARE? THE BREATH OF SOULS.
She walks into the river with a stone tied to her leg. The water swirls around her dress as she sinks deeper. She is leaving behind the kisses, and cigarettes, and words, and the breath.
Mrs. Dalloway must be reconciled. We give each other flowers flowers flowers.
Postscript: Virgina Woolf’s beloved husband Leonard made many sacrifices in order for his wife to write and be herself. Eventually, though, she committed suicide so as not to be a burden on him anymore.
For me the kisses between the women are significant because it is they who are trying to find themselves and who understand that passion is, in fact, necessary for life.
[Howard Sorett is a licensed agent with New York Life in Waltham. He can be reached at (781) 398-9198.]
Should you buy insurance on the Internet?
Since the onset of the Internet, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of people who opt to buy products online.
This can be convenient when you know exactly what you want, but may not always be the best route when more information—or even advice—is needed.
While many consumers frequently buy commodities like CDs, books and clothing on the Internet, some shoppers harbor concerns about purchasing financial products, such as life insurance, online.
While the Internet can be a valuable resource for information and comparison shopping, it does not replace a face-to-face meeting with a trusted insurance professional.
The Value of a Relationship
In general, many people have mixed emotions when it comes to inputting personal information into the Web, especially information pertaining to insurance and financial products.
Some people worry that their privacy will be violated once their information is entered into a Web site. An additional issue for people is accountability: In the event that a claim is made and not satisfactorily met, whom can one talk to?
With an Internet purchase, there is not always an identifiable person to back up the sale—nor a salesperson to stand behind that purchase.
Insurance and financial professionals are trained to build strong bonds with their clients.
They offer guidance and make specific recommendations, as well as provide up-to-the-minute information about new insurance and financial products. The Internet as a Research Tool
This is not to say that the Internet can’t be a valuable resource for research and comparison shopping. In fact, the Internet is emerging as a major educational tool for consumers, presenting the opportunity to learn about insurance and financial products and prices online—and at your own leisure.
Galluccio campaign worker Michael DeGuglielmo records a vote count called in from one of the campaign's
poll watchers after the polls closed for Tuesday's special Democratic primary for the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex seat in the State Senate.
Today's Democratic primary victory leaves Galluccio unopposed for October special election
by Neil W. McCabe
The 13-year veteran of the City Council in his third attempt for the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex seat in the State Senate beat three other contenders with 42% of the vote across the district and 50% of the vote from the Cambridge wards.
"This has taken so many years," said Anthony D. Galluccio, who has pledge to suspend his re-election campaign for his city council seat if he was elected to fill the seat vacated by the July resignation of Jarett T. Barrios. "I gotta tell ya'--oh man--There are so many things going through my head right now."
The candidate entered the hall from the opposite end of the stage and his passage through the crowd was marked by handshakes, hugs and the burst of camera flashes. When it was time for his remarks, he called everyone closer, "Come up front! Everyone into the kitchen."
Galluccio said before he spoke to his supporters, he called the losing candidates, Human Rights attorney Jeff Ross, former Norfolk County District Attorney Timothy Flaherty and Chelsea City Councilor Paul Nowicki.
"I am a very, very proud Democrat," he said as he called on his supporters to be gracious in victory. "We are champions and we have to act like champions."
Now that the campaign was over, it was a new day without hard feelings, he said. ""Our communities have to come first."
Daniel Rizzo, a Revere City Councilor-at-Large, said he admired Galluccio's courage coming back to run again after the disappointment from last year's withdrawal the race for the same seat.
"I know it isn't easy in a special election to cover so much ground in a short period of time," he said. Rizzo was an unsuccessful candidate in a special election this year to replace State Senate President Robert E. Traviglini, who March 21 resigned in the spring. Along with Rizzo, Councilor-at-Large John R. Correggio led a large contingent of Revere supporters.
The polls closed at 8 p.m. and it was not until 8:30 p.m. that the campaign's brain trust was confident that they were victorious based on the phoned in reports from volunteers all over the district. With their own tally showing an overwhelming plurality, the candidate ordered everyone out of the headquarters at 2322 Massachusetts Ave. and swore them to secrecy.
In his remarks, Galluccio said he was aware that some dismiss his political success as the product of a strong organization. "Let me tell you something, you cannot get the votes if they aren't there."
"I felt from the beginning, Anthony had the momentum in this race," said Sal DiDomenico, the president of the Everett City Council and one of the campaign's coordinators. "He never left Everett. We are a very loyal city and he became family." Everett Mayor John F. Hanlon, an early supporter and endorser of Galluccio, was also attending.
At 9:35 p.m. DiDomenico was given the honor of reading the results to the crowd, results which by that time were the worst kept secret since Elvis Presley's disappearance 30 years ago.
Behind him the candidate cycled through the emotional parabola of blushing and beaming. Just before the tally was finished, Galluccio turned away for one last refuge of privacy before he allowed it to hit him that he would soon be climbing the State House steps and entering the Senate Chamber with a membership card in his wallet.
When DiComenico got to his own city's results, he said it was now renamed "Gallucciotown," with the man from Cambridge taking 51% of the vote from that city across the water.
Referring to his support in Everett, Galluccio said to the audience that as he was campaigning in Cambridge when a woman asked him where his victory party would be. "When I told her she would have to the Silver Fox in Everett, she didn't ask me where the Silver Fox was--she asked me: Where's Everett?"
Warming to the task, he told the crowd, "Everett is the city where Anthony is the state senator!"
[Jeff Ross is a Cambridge resident and human rights attorney. He is running for the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex seat in the State Senate, which includes parts of North Cambridge. The primary is Sept. 11.]
Massachusetts faces one great challenge and one great opportunity. The challenge: To protect our environment, reduce the threat of global warming while sustaining economic growth. The opportunity is the same as the challenge.
Though some conservatives insist we cannot meet the challenge without destroying the opportunity,
Massachusetts is proving them wrong. We can, however, do better.
Massachusetts is already starting to grow our economy with great paying jobs, and increasing our tax base by encouraging new business in fields such as renewable energy, green building and recycling.
Cambridge is booming with businesses that recognize, value and capitalize on the urgent need for environmentally sound products, services and development.
From Metabolix, Inc., which develops biodegradable plastics, to Tiax LLC, which creates batteries used in hybrid vehicles to the Cambridge Cohousing development, which was featured by the EPA in its study of energy efficient housing.
There are dozens more, all successfully meeting both the challenge and the opportunity.
If elected state senator for the Essex, Middlesex and Suffolk seat recently vacated by Jarrett Barrios, I will continue to promote development in renewable energy and energy conservation, and strongly support business initiatives that take a responsible approach toward our environment.
Such support from the state has already helped create great jobs and position Massachusetts as a leader in these areas.
The challenge and the opportunity, however, still remain. We can and must do more to plan for the future of our state and region.
Our natural wealth of talent should be fostered and supported by the state.
As Senator, I will work hard to foster partnerships with the area’s colleges and universities to develop and grow alternative and efficient energy projects and developments throughout the district.
Cultivating such development will serve the twin goals of protecting our environment while encouraging graduates to remain in the state and significantly growing our tax base.
We in Massachusetts need leaders with a strong vision and a good sense of balance to plan for a truly sustainable future.
We can meet the challenge head-on, we must take advantage of the opportunity, and with your vote on Sept. 11, I would like to do exactly that.
It is not lost on us that the home of Eldridge Gerry, for whom the gerrymander was named is included in the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex State Senate District by a short jutting, which covers the house’s street and none of the rest of the neighborhood.
It is also not lost on us that no man in recent memory has been the more cause of redrawn district lines than City Councillor Anthony D. Galluccio. Galluccio is too popular. Thus, his supporters had to be red-lined into disenfranchisement.
Anthony D. Galluccio
Because of the Barrios resignation, Galluccio has the chance to mount up for his third campaign for the seat and we happy to endorse Galluccio in the Sept. 11 Democratic Primary.
As a 13-year veteran of our city council and a former mayor, Galluccio has the resume to represent us in the state senate. Beyond that he has a good heart and a respect for his fellow citizens that cannot help but improve the character of that august chamber.
Interestingly, were he to leave the city council for Beacon Hill, we could finally reform our city government and get a popularly elected mayor. Galluccio is the largest impediment to that overdue reform because too many of his rivals were afraid he would win.
Cambridge, MA - A poet of the people, nominated by the people, for the people. The City of Cambridge is now accepting nominations through Friday, September 14, 2007, for Cambridge's first Poet Populist. Sponsored by City Councillor Brian Murphy, Cambridge Arts Council, and Cambridge Public Library, the Cambridge Poet Populist program was introduced by Councillor Brian Murphy to celebrate poetry as well as Cambridge's many poets. Nomination guidelines and forms are available at www.cambridgeartscouncil.org. For information, contact Cambridge Arts Council at 617-349-4380.
The Cambridge Poet Populist is an informal office for a local poet, chosen by the people to represent poetry for the City of Cambridge, modeled, in part, from Seattle's Poet Populist Project. The Poet Populist program was developed to facilitate the creation and appreciation of poetry throughout the city for all Cambridge residents. The selected Poet Populist will be honored in an official capacity, receive a stipend, and maintain a schedule of public appearances throughout his or her one-year term in the position.
[Dave Schmelzer is the senior pastor of North Cambridge's Vineyard Church located at 170 Rindge Ave.]
Does God actually do anything?
There’s the man who had a faith in God for decades, but who only recently began to wonder if that God actually did things.
He’s newly in a church that talks about answered prayers and even some not-infrequent noteworthy physical healings. He’s skeptical.
Then—inevitably?—it becomes relevant to him. He badly injures his left arm and elbow on a Saturday. Beyond being painful, he can’t use the arm.
That Sunday, he hears a sermon about faith, which succeeds in stirring some fresh faith in him. Then a stranger says it’s his impression that God would especially like to heal someone’s injured arm.
Specifically his left arm. The man’s wife jabs him in that same painful left arm, and he asks the stranger to pray for him.
Dave Schmelzer
Next, he’s exclaiming “Look at this! Look at this!” to anyone who will listen, raising and lowering his left arm, flapping his elbow.
In the West, we have two fundamental divides about faith. There’s the one between faith and atheism—still heavily one-sided (ninety percent or more, in all surveys, choose faith) but with atheism gaining fast, at the very least on the New York Times bestseller list.
Within the pro-faith camp, there’s the divide between a God who does stuff and a God who, by and large, doesn’t.
The Progressive Democrats of Cambridge - Democracy for America Candidates Forum for the 2007 Cambridge City Council Election is tonight, Wednesday Sept 5 at the Cambridge Senior Center, 806 Massachusetts Ave (in Central Square), at 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:30). This will be the first opportunity to see all of the city council candidates together on one platform (14 of the 15 announced candidates are expected to attend), including several members and friends of PDC-DFA! With at least one, and possibly another, long-time incumbent councillor leaving the council, this shapes up to be a potentially very important election, with several seats very well changing hands. Come tonight to get an early look at the candidates, ask your questions (most of the questions asked will come from audience members like you!), and find our which campaigns you want to support and get involved in. As our friends over at PDS say, "Democracy demands participation," and this is your opportunity to get involved in participatory democracy at its most basic level!
Following the conclusion of the Forum, there will be a membership meeting of PDC-DFA to consider possible endorsements in this race; all are welcome to attend, although of course only eligible PDC-DFA members will be able to vote.
If you have any questions, please email or call 617-547-6465.
We hope to see you at the Senior Center this evening!
A North Cambridge resident who is the current Canon for Evangelism at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Boston used an experimental art form to memorialize a former classmate.
“What I wrote was something called a speech choir and it was offered in the context of a memorial service,” said the Rev. Canon Steven C. Bonsey. This piece intertwines biblical text with dramatic text.
Bonsey wrote the speech choir “The Darkness is Not Dark” for Sam Todd, his classmate at the Yale Divinity School who disappeared in 1984, shortly before graduation, he said. It was performed at a memorial service for Todd that was part of the October 2005 class reunion for YDS.
“We gathered a number of people who had been classmates and who had gone through the experience of looking for Sam,” said Bonsey. The speech choir incorporated memories and experiences of both Sam and of the people who went looking for him.
Bonsey said he started by choosing a passage that came to mind and then asking the people involved to send him memories they had. He worked on the project over the course of a summer. The final product contained texts from Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalm 139:1-12, Luke 15:3-9, and Romans 8:31-39.
To complete the piece, he combined some poetry and a hymn that he had written into the speech choir anthem that was a meditation on what was lost and what was found in the search for Sam. “One thing I like about the speech choir is that it’s a collaborative effort. The group gives ideas about how it’s best presented,” Bonsey said.
North Cambridge resident Rev. Steven C. Bonsey stands in front of Boston's Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Before his assignment to the cathedral, Bonsey was a chaplain at Tufts University.
Alewife Photo by Melissa K. Lee
The choir of eight performed unseen from a balcony in the back of Marquand Chapel on the YDS campus. Part of their chant included, “On a New Year’s Eve he stepped out for air. / Two by two we looked for him. / We looked for him out on the streets. / We followed him into the dark. / We looked for him among the lost. / We found so many lost.”
“The service also included hymns and prayers, with one of the family members speaking,” Bonsey said. The organizers of the memorial service remembered that Bonsey had written speech choirs in school and asked if he would write one for the service.
Sam had disappeared from a New Year’s Eve party in New York after going outside for a break, he said.
“We wondered if he disappeared on purpose, to go join the poorest of the poor,” said Bonsey. Among his many qualities was his passion for justice for the poor, he said.
by Army Sgt. Brandon Aird
[Special to American Forces Press Service]
WASHINGTON, Sept. 1, 2007 - The tense paratroopers and Afghan National Army soldiers sat in silence surrounded by darkness.
The previous hours were spent huddled together rehearsing the mission, "Destined Strike," which was to be an air-assault into the Taliban's backyard.
The whoop, whoop, whoop sound of the CH-47 "Chinook" helicopter's rotary wings reverberated in the soldiers' ears drowning out all chance of another sound. Some of the soldiers said last minute prayers while others day dreamed of loved ones back home. Squad leaders made last minute checks in the dark.
When the Chinook landed all thoughts came to the task at hand. The soldiers jumped off the noisy helicopter onto a quiet, moon-lit mountain above the Chowkay Valley in Kunar province. The mountain is over 7,000 feet above sea level.
The Taliban's biggest advantage in past fire fights has been their ability to dominate the high ground, but not this time.
Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team's 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment and elements of the Afghan National Army's 2nd Kandak, 201st Corps, conducted Operation Destined Strike August 21-25. The U.S. soldiers were members of the 2nd platoons of the 2nd Battalion's A, C and D companies.
"We came here to show the local populace that coalition forces aren't afraid to come into the Chowkay Valley," said Army 1st Lt. Kareem F. Hernandez, Company A 2nd Platoon leader.
After the initial insertion, the soldiers pulled security and waited for daybreak. During the night, they searched with night vision devices for 15 individuals spotted earlier near their position by an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Once dawn broke, the U.S. and Afghan soldiers put their gear-laden rucksacks on, and broke trail down the mountain to the first farming village. The village and fields were hand cut out of the mountain side.
City Councillor Craig A. Kelley goes over plans for his reelection bid at his just opened campaign office at 2326 Massachusetts Ave. For the 10 years before his 2005 election, Kelley was the leader of the North Cambridge Stabilization Committee.
The state representative for the 25th Middlesex District, which includes much of North Cambridge, including Porter Square, spoke at the June 29 contributors meeting of The Alewife held at Porter Square Books.
Now serving her fifth term in the House, Alice K. Wolf said one of the most important issues she has worked on is comprehensive health education in the public school, of which she was a lead sponsor beside State Sen. Edward M. Augustus, D. Auburn.
State Rep. Alice K. Wolf, D, North Cambridge
Two specific issues she has pushed to include in the law mandating that health education be taught in public schools are that parents may opt out of having their children taught health in school and that health education is not included as an MCAS requirement, said Wolf.
The developments in comprehensive health education legislation were among her most important victories, she said.
However, health care education is not so simple, she said. “The controversy applies to a range of issues.”
One of these issues holding up consensus is whether or not homosexuality should be taught in the health education curriculum, as well as abstinence education, which she said will be included but not solely included.
The Cambridge human rights attorney running for the Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex seat in the state senate declared Aug. 28 that area schools are in need of more targeted funding.
“This week, in advance of the start of the new school year, I visited Chelsea High School’s health center. What I found there was symptomatic of our educational system across the district and across the state: we're making great strides with dedicated teachers and parents - but they need more help,” said Jeff Ross, who is campaigning to replace Jarrett T. Barrios. Barrios resigned in July from the state senate. The special election for this seat will be held on Sept. 11.
Ross said he will continue to make the Commonwealth's citizens aware that being healthy and being successful go hand in hand. “Studies show that students' ability to learn is directly impacted by their health.”
Ross said, “One of the most important steps we can take is to fully fund our health care system to ensure that families stay strong and kids have the support they need to stay in school.”
“Funding health care reform and increasing access to AIDS education, mental health, substance abuse, immunization and GLBT programs would make our schools far more effective – along with freeing up valuable school staff,” he said.
“Strong and healthy children build a strong and healthy economy,” he said.
“To achieve this, we need to invest in healthy, modern and technologically updated facilities. This is the leadership the district needs. This is the leadership I want to provide as your state senator.”
Our Poetry Editor Lo Galluccio gave us the heads up on this great Harvard Square event and she is on the bill!
An Evening of Jazz & Gospel
Presenting-
Geoffrey Hicks at the Piano
FEATURING VOCALISTS: JIMMY SMITH, LO GALLUCCIO AND OTHERS
Saturday, September 8, 2007 ~ 7:30PM
Old Cambridge Baptist Church
1151 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
This concert is designed for your listening pleasure and in support of The Legal Defense Fund of Victor Rosario. Victor Rosario, an innocent man, has been incarcerated for 25 years by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He is seeking a new trial so that he may receive the justice he never got.
Admission fee is $20 to go toward his legal defense fund.
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