Scout Cambridge Jan/Feb 2020 Issue by Scout Magazines

Listings

144 Palmer Street Unit 1, Arlington $549,000

Beautiful 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom condo with in-unit laundry, 2 parking spaces, private yard, central air, and large basement storage area. Walk to the shops, cinema, and eateries on Mass. Ave. as well as the bike path and the Red Line station at Alewife.

If you’re going to pay a mortgage, shouldn’t it be your own? You have to pay to live somewhere, but with rents high and mortgage rates so low, this may be the right time to own instead of rent. Find out how much mortgage your rent payment is worth. Look at online mortgage calculators, talk to a mortgage officer, or call us—we’ll help you do the math. As you plan for 2020 and reflect on the past year, please remember to donate to those causes that need our help to survive. Whether you focus on the environment, hunger, homelessness, education, animal welfare, the arts, healthcare, or other causes, your donations are the most valuable gifts you’ll make over the holiday season.

We wish you a healthy and peaceful new year.

Best Real Estate Agency

Best Real Estate Agent

156 Ivy Street, Brookline $5,125,000

Walk to downtown Boston, the hospitals, Fenway Park, and Cambridge from this stunning Early Gothic Revival (c. 1851) single family on 8/10 acre abutting conservation land in the Cottage Farm neighborhood. The house offers 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, 3 studies, library, dining room, living room, 5 fireplaces, finished basement with media room, high ceilings, central air, beautiful architectural details, and 3-car garage with electric car outlet. Historic home originally owned by the co-founder of Mass Audubon. Walk to Green Line B, C, and D trains, major hospitals, Coolidge Corner, and BU campus.

D UN

REE

348 Norfolk Street, Cambridge $1,750,000

Beautifully renovated, condo-quality, owner occupied 3-family between Inman Square and East Cambridge. First floor unit has open concept living, 1 bedroom, and 1 bath on the first level and finished lower level with study, media room, and laundry room. Second floor has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, private w/d hook-ups in basement, rented for $2,700/mo through 8/31/20. Top floor has 3 beds, 1 bath, private w/d in back hall and is rented for $3,000/mo through 5/31/20. Rear patio and small front yard. Unit 1 delivered vacant. Residents with cars registered at this address are entitled to free parking in cityowned lot across the street.

Coming Soon East Cambridge condo Attached two-family in East Somerville Davis Square two-family Porter Square two-family

Jennifer Rose

Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

Lynn C. Graham

Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

Seth Kangley

First Time Home Buyers:

Wednesday, January 22nd or Tuesday, February 11th

President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

Brendon Edwards

Free Classes an overview of the buying process

Thalia Tringo

6:30 – 7:45 pm

Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 315.382.2507 cell/text Seth@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

If you’re considering buying your first home and want to understand what’s in store, this is a quick and helpful overview. Led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.

Sarasvati Lynn

How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time: for homeowners contemplating a move Tuesday, January 14th or Thursday, February 20th

6:30 – 7:45 pm

If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one makes your head spin, this workshop will help make the process & your choices understandable. This workshop, led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.

How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group Wednesday, February 5th

6:30 – 8:30 pm

When two or more people, whether or not they are related, buy property together, what are their options for taking title? How do you determine each one’s financial contributions, percentage legal interest in the property, and expense allocation? What kind of arrangements can be made in the event one or more parties want to move on but others want to keep the property? What type of financing is available? We will address these and other questions, followed by a Q&A session. Lead by our team and a local real estate attorney. If you are a first-time homebuyer, please attend the First Time Home Buyers class (January 22nd) or make an appointment with one of our agents so you’ll have your prerequisites for this class.

Basic Home Maintenance:

Protecting Your Most Important Investment Tuesday, January 28th or Monday, February 10th

6:30 – 7:45 pm

Do you worry about pipes bursting? Ice dams? Clogged gutters? Broken downspouts? Heat loss? Damage from broken tree limbs? Heating system failure? Routine maintenance is the best way to prevent damage to your most important investment: your home. Come to this class to get a checklist and explanation of the things you need to do to maintain your home—and sanity.

To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.702.4751 cell/text Sarasvati@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

Adaria Brooks

Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.

JANUARY 13 - MARCH 9, 2020 ::: VOLUME 42 ::: SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM

contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 7 // WINNERS & LOSERS Harvard University Dining Services wins a nonprofit’s Visionary award, Cambridge Health Alliance receives some hefty funds, and the city pilots an off-leash dog program. Unfortunately, everyone is still looking for a solution for recent “rodent activity” and more.

26 THEN & NOW 20 // SHOUTS FROM SCOUT Scout has been serving Somerville for 11 years and Cambridge for 7. Current editor Lilly sits down with some key players from the magazine’s early days for this oral history. 22 // THE HISTORY OF THE HARVARD SQUARE KIOSK We said goodbye to Out of Town News, the 64-year tenant of the kiosk, in October. Learn more about the iconic kiosk through time and find out what the future holds.

24 // A SNAPSHOT OF A CHANGING CITY Karl Baden has taken a photo of himself every day since 1987. His newest endeavor? Documenting how Cambridge has changed over the past two years using photos taken exclusively on Mass. Ave.

10 // WHAT’S NEW? Upperwest, Ginger Exchange, and Border Cafe have shut their doors; meanwhile, Brothers Marketplace, Lily P’s, Bluestone Lane, and others have opened for business. 14 // NEWS: THE CREATION OF A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD Cambridge Crossing, formerly

known as North Point, is East Cambridge’s newest neighbor. Find out what this means for the existing community. 28 // SCOUT OUT: WHAT’S COOKING IN CAMBRIDGE? The city bands together with local food truck owners to give them the tools they need to succeed in this burgeoning industry. 37 // CALENDAR 39 // DO-GOODERS, KEY PLAYERS, AND GAME CHANGERS: YWCA Cambridge’s chapter of the YWCA has provided housing and support to homeless and struggling women, and fought racism in the community, for a century.

26 // CAMBRIDGE DANCE IN ‘CRISIS MODE’ High rent has kicked Green Street Studio out of its space, and left other studios shaken up. What’s in store for the future of the once-vibrant Cambridge dance community?

Photo, top: The Island Moving Company’s performance at the GSS Ballet Showcase in 2017. Photo by Golden Lion Photography. Photo, bottom: The active construction going on in Cambridge Crossing. Photo by Sasha Pedro. On the cover: Harvard Square: ‘Then’ photo courtesy of the City of Cambridge, ‘Now’ photo by Caroline Culler. Cambridge Naturals: Photos courtesy of Cambridge Naturals. Bukowski Tavern: Photos courtesy of Bukowski Tavern. Cambridge School of Culinary Arts: ‘Then’ photo courtesy of CSCA, ‘Now’ photo by Ellen Callaway Photography.

... Those large buildings are going to be occupied by people working in the tech industry and earning fairly large incomes as a consequence.”

THEN

1927

AND

NOW

2020

1927

2020

The dental office at 180 Highland Avenue has been serving Somerville patients since 1926. It was originally built by Dr. Lewis O. Card who had the visionary idea of a multi-chair dental practice. In 1973, the office building was purchased by Dr. Paul P. Talmo who relocated his Harvard Square practice to the English Tutor dental office. The practice has since been taken over by Dr. Paul Talmo’s daughter, Dr. Katie Talmo, who completed an extensive interior and exterior renovation of this charming building. It is a little known piece of Somerville trivia that the building has always served as a dental office since its original construction.

2019 WINNER

2018 WINNER

2017 WINNER

2016 WINNER

2015 NOMINEE

2014 WINNER

• • • • • •

FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY TEETH WHITENING CROWN AND BRIDGE WORK RESTORATION OF DENTAL IMPLANTS VENEERS CLEAR ORTHODONTIC ALIGNERS

DR. KATIE TALMO, D.M.D. • 617.864.6111 • 180 HIGHLAND AVENUE

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now

EDITOR’S NOTE

n a Sunday in December, I sat down with Scout’s first ever editorin-chief Ilan Mochari at Forge to ask him some questions about his time at the magazine. Back then, it was just Scout Somerville. At the time, print was going digital, paywalls were going up, and “hyperlocal” was a hardly used term. And yet, Scout Somerville was still created. A few years later, against all odds, it expanded into a second free print magazine— Scout Cambridge. My favorite thing about Scout is that it is an anomaly. If you were to walk into any journalism class or newsroom and begin speaking about a free, independent, Photo by Sasha Pedro. hyperlocal news magazine created and run by a woman, with a mostly women writing team, you could easily be laughed out of the room. But Scout persists. At a certain point during my conversation with Ilan, I became very emotional listening to him explain why he loved his time at Scout. Specifically, when he said that at Scout, he did not speak to companies through public relations professionals—he spoke to people. This continues to be one of our priorities, despite all of the time that has passed. Amplifying the voices of the community by focusing our reporting on local issues is still Scout’s mission. So much has changed in the past decade. This issue, we decided to talk about some of those changes. Out of Town News closed, resulting in CultureHouse taking over the Harvard Square kiosk (p. 22); Green Street Studios also shut down, leaving the Central Square dance community shaken (p. 26); Scout’s operation became something entirely new (p. 20). One of the most rewarding parts of my job is telling people where I work, and being met with the response, “I love Scout! I read every issue.” It’s not the recognition that excites me. It’s the confirmation that we are making good on our promise to be a part of the conversation. I would like to extend my personal thank you to all of our supporters. In an uncertain media landscape where publications are closing their doors every day, you are what makes this possible. We still have a lot to figure out if we’re going to stick around, but as long as you are here, so are we. Here’s to another ten years.

Lilly Milman Lilly Milman, Managing Editor lmilman@scoutmagazines.com

6 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

PUBLISHER Holli Banks hbanks@scoutmagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR Lilly Milman lmilman@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com SCOUT FELLOW Abbie Gruskin agruskin@scoutmagazines.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sasha Pedro EDITORIAL INTERN Elie Levine CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Maximiliano Reyes, Eric Francis COPY EDITOR Nina Fisher BANKS PUBLICATIONS 519 Somerville Ave, #314 Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutcambridge.com scoutcambridge

scoutcambridge @scoutmags

Office Phone: 617-996-2283 Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. GET A COPY Scout Cambridge is available for free at more than 250 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). Additionally, thousands of Cambridge homes receive a copy in their mailbox each edition, hitting every neighborhood in the city throughout the year...sometimes twice! You can sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutcambridge.com/shop.

Sell your home faster and for more money with Compass Concierge. From painting to flooring and everything in between, Compass Concierge helps you easily prepare your home for market by advancing the funds for home improvement services. No upfront costs, no interest — ever. Get in touch with me today to learn how Compass Concierge could help you sell for more. Erik Hook erik.hook@compass.com 617.461.4691 erikhook.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by equal housing opportunity laws.

he flavors of Greece can be found in Davis Square at Opa Greek Yeeros. Traditional dishes are served up daily by George and his crew with ingredients imported straight from Greece to ensure the authenticity and quality of every item on the menu.

Yes! We can cater your event!

From roasted chicken and lamb to stuffed grape leaves and cheese platters, our comprehensive catering menu will wow your guests at any event.

It’s not only the menu that is steeped in tradition; Opa is a family affair. George’s mother has owned and run Sophia’s Greek Pantry for over 15 years and now she keeps Opa stocked with homemade fresh Greek yogurt, delicious desserts and pastries. Check out our

378 Highland Ave Somerville, MA 617-718-2900 www.opayeeros.com hours 11-9 daily

Delivery available through Grub Hub and UBER Eats

Best Greek Food

NEW MENU

now with gluten-free items and

ORDER ONLINE at opayeeros.com

FREE DELIVERY with minimum $15 order

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now

W&L

WINNERS

LOSERS

HARVARD UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) has been setting a good example as of late. City nonprofit Food for Free awarded two of HUDS’s key players—Managing Director David Davidson and Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications Crista Martin—with the group’s first ever Visionary award this November, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The HUDS pair, in partnership with Food for Free, has helped to kick off the Harvard Food Donation program and the Harvard Family Meals program, both of which “address chronic hunger in the greater Boston area” by distributing “untouched surplus food” to local families in need. Harvard donates up to 1,200 pounds per week during the academic year!

CITY MONEY City money is going down the drain. City Manager Louis DePasquale requested $200,000 to be transferred from the “free cash fund” to the General Fund Law Department Travel and Training and Judgement and Damages account this December. This followed the announcement that the city paid a total of $175,000 in interest to the former Vail Court owner after the city seized the property at 139 Bishop Allen Dr. in 2016, according to the Cambridge Chronicle. The city also paid $3.7 million in damages when it first seized the vacant property by eminent domain. The case is still pending, though, as the former owner has continued to challenge the city’s claim of the property and the amount paid in damages.

OFF-LEASH PUPS Cambridge let the dogs out! A new pilot program allowing off-leash dogs to roam the field freely from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. daily started this November and will continue through August 2020. The pilot program comes after a petition with over 100 signatures demonstrated the immense community interest in having an agreedupon off-leash time and place, The Cambridge Chronicle reports. Some residents explained during a city council meeting that the pilot could have environmental benefits, too. “Because there’s no off-leash space in our part of Cambridge...that causes many of us to get in our cars and drive to Fresh Pond on a regular basis,” Eden Steinberg said. “So giving us an off-leash space close to home that’s walking distance could cut down on some carbon emissions in our city.” CAMBRIDGE HEALTH ALLIANCE The Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) received funding this December from some big friends—the American Cancer Society (ACS), National Football League, and the New England Patriots granted the academic community health system with a total of $125,000, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The money will be received over two years and will be put toward combating lung cancer mortality rates through “increasing screenings and supporting smoking cessation efforts.” The grant is only one of eight as a part of the NFL’s nationwide Crucial Catch campaign, which the ACS is now partnered with to expand the program’s reach to lung cancer for the first time.

RATS Lions, tigers, and...rats? Oh my! The city Manager’s Office, Inspectional Services, Public Works, and the Cambridge Public Health Department teamed up to host two community meetings this December to address residents’ growing concerns of increasing rodent activity and educate locals on rat-deterrence methods, according to Cambridge Patch. After the information sessions, city staff invited attendees to “walk around the neighborhood” to inspect trash and compost bins for signs of “rodent activity.” “By working together with local businesses and property owners, we can make Cambridge as free from rodents as possible,” the city’s spokesperson said in a statement. DANGEROUS DRIVERS The city’s working to put an end to impaired driving this winter. The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security’s Office of Grants and Research awarded the Cambridge Police with a grant at the end of December to up the number of officers that are patrolling for impaired drivers during the “holiday season,” according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The city police’s efforts are part of the state- and nation-wide “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement mobilization.” Local officers are instructed to stop drivers that exhibit any “type or level” of dangerous driving.

NEWS FROM THE NORTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the Then & Now Issue of our sibling publication, Scout Somerville.

DEFENDING DAVIS SQUARE When British developer Scape purchased property in the heart of Davis Square and announced plans to build a six-story residential building, locals were far from pleased. A recent zoning overhaul may have saved the day, but there’s still a lot of work left to be done in the square.

EVERYTHING’S THE SAME, EVERYTHING’S DIFFERENT Mayor Emeritus Gene Brune and incumbent Mayor Joe Curtatone each sit down and offer their take on how the position has changed since they entered office, talking about everything from campaigning and social media to Donald Trump.

DRINKS BEFORE DINNER Somerville is one of the food capitals of Boston, and everyone knows it. But how did it happen? Go back in time to an era before the city had easy access to liquor licenses.

Someone rustle your jimmies or tickle your fancy?

Let us know at scoutcambridge.com/contact-us, and we just might crown them a winner or loser.

8 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

—BY ABBIE GRUSKIN

Christian Jones Managing Director cjones@compass.com 617.240.0799

A simple solution to bridge the gap between the home you have and the home you want. Get in touch to learn more. Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage.

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now

WHAT’S NEW

BY ABBIE GRUSKIN

FOOD & DRINK HARVARD SQUARE

BLUESTONE LANE

rema Cafe’s COMING MOVED SOON space former in Harvard Square at 27 Brattle St. has finally been filled, according to Eater Boston. Bluestone Lane, a cafe chain with “an essence of Australia and New York swank,” opened in the beginning of November with menu items including “avocado smash,” lemon ricotta pancakes, sandwiches, salads, and an array of coffees and teas. The chain was founded in New York in 2013 but now has expanded to 45 locations in a total of 7 cities. Bluestone is also considering adding a grab-n-go style cafe in Boston.

KENDALL SQUARE

BROTHERS MARKETPLACE

Brothers Marketplace, a small chain owned by Roche Bros., COMING MOVED opened in Kendall Square this SOON November. The grocery store boasts 12,000 square feet filled with “essentials” and “local and specialty foods.” The company predicts it will contribute over 200 jobs to the square, the Cambridge Chronicle reports.

BIBIM BOX TAKES OVER COMMONWEALTH KITCHEN KIOSK

The popular Korean food truck Bibim Box settled down this December in Commonwealth Kitchen’s Kendall Square retail kiosk, according to Eater Boston. Bibim Box is the third six-month tenant of the “food business incubator” and is continuing to serve its namesake, bibimbap. 10 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

FULL MOON CLOSING, MELTING POT MOVING IN

Full Moon, a kid-friendly “New American” style restaurant in Huron Village, closed in December. But fear not—Melting Pot is moving in and intends to keep the restaurant largely the same, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. Bhola Pandey, the owner of Melting Pot, also owns a Nepalese restaurant in Winchester. EAST CAMBRIDGE

LUMINATI SPIRITS

COMING SOON

taproom in one, and will join a new eatery from the chef and owner of Puritan & Co. in Cambridge Crossing. KENDALL SQUARE

LILY P’S

Lily P’s became the latest restaurant to join the “fried chicken scene” in Kendall COMING SOON

Square when it opened shop this December, according to Eater Boston. Alongside The Automatic, State Park, the Smoke Shop, and Shy Bird—all notable fried chicken joints—Lily P’s stands out for its pressure-fried chicken “brined” in buttermilk and its dollar oysters weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m.

MOVED

The team behind Lamplighter Brewing Co. isn’t done yet. In addition to expanding their existing space with a larger taproom and an “in-brewery coffee shop,” Lamplighter is planning to open Luminati Spirits in East Cambridge this summer. Luminati will be a distillery, cocktail bar, and Photo, top left, by Ben Hider. Photo, bottom left, courtesy of Lily P’s. Photo, top right, courtesy of Katytarika Bartel.

ART BEAT

ART CONNECTION KICKSTARTS ARTFUL SEEDS ARTIST FELLOWSHIP

he Art Connection launched its Artful Seeds Artist Fellowship this November to “deepen connections between local artists and artists of color with underserved, under-resourced nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve,” according to The Cambridge Chronicle. Each fellowship lasts three months and artists are paid $6,000 for their work which is ensured permanent installation in a nonprofit space.

HEALTH & SAFETY BEAT NEW PUBLICALLY ACCESSIBLE FIRST AID KITS IN BUILDINGS AROUND THE CITY INCLUDE NARCAN

New first aid kits complete with two doses of Narcan went up in 28 city buildings this November, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The city is looking into adding more locations in 2020, and has already offered courses for city employees on “CPR, defibrillator use, and how to reverse an overdose.” “We know

New decade,

new you. HIT THE RESET BUTTON AT FLOAT

that naloxone saves lives,” Mayor Marc McGovern said during an announcement of the new first aid kits. “By having this simple-toadminister medication available in city buildings, we have the opportunity to prevent someone from dying from an overdose.”

515 MEDFORD ST (MAGOUN SQUARE) • 844-44-FLOAT

BOOK ONLINE AT FLOATBOSTON.COM

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now

WHAT’S NEW

CITY BEAT anytime soon. Curbed Boston reports that construction could take as long as 10 years.

CITY SHARES RESULTS OF STUDY LOOKING INTO “UNIVERSAL” PRE-K

CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL ALLOCATES $30 MILLION FOR FOUNDRY BUILDING

ity councilors voted at the end of October to devote $30 million to redevelop the Foundry Building in East Cambridge, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The new community center is planned to act as a destination for “science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) activities” while also providing a working space for nonprofits and more. “We need a lot more spaces like this if we’re going to keep the arts alive in our city because the market is failing us,” Councilor Quinton Zondervan told the Chronicle. “So as a city and as a community, we may have to invest in more projects like this one.”

ELEVATOR COMPLETED IN HARVARD SQUARE MBTA STATION

The 35-year-old Harvard Square MBTA elevator was finally replaced this November with a new, $3.8 million replacement, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The new elevator is 60 percent larger at 30 square feet and with a door width of 3 feet and 6 inches.

BUSES REPLACE RED LINE TRAINS FOR WINTER MONTHS In the most recent phase of a project to repair MBTA tracks, signs, and signals, the Red Line train was replaced with shuttle buses from November through December, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The shuttle buses covered the Red Line path from the Broadway to Kendall/ MIT stops while MBTA workers 12 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

“made upgrades” to Downtown Crossing and Park Street tracks. The MBTA is also planning on adding 252 new cars to Red Line trains by this spring.

emissions while saving money and enhancing their operations,” Tilak Subrahmanian, the vice president of energy efficiency for Eversource, told the chronicle.

CITY IMPLEMENTS NEW ENERGY EFFICIENCY INITIATIVE

CAMBRIDGESIDE GALLERIA MALL MOVING FORWARD PENDING CITY APPROVAL

The city partnered with Eversource this November on a new “energy efficiency initiative” as part of Cambridge’s Net Zero Action Plan, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The initiative, titled the Cambridge Building Energy Retrofit Program, is aimed at providing buildings over 25,000 square feet with “energy-saving improvements” by connecting building owners with facility managers. “Through the program, we are making it easier for large building owners, operators and tenants to reduce their energy use and carbon

The City Council voted this December in favor of zoning regulations that will allow the redevelopment of CambridgeSide Galleria to move forward, according to Curbed Boston. New England Development, the developers of the project, intend to create 575,000 square feet of floor space across multiple buildings that will include a mix of retail space and housing—housing will clock in at 30 percent of the total new floorspace. But it’s unlikely that the project will be finished

The city has been looking into offering publicly-funded education to a younger cohort of kids and announced the results of a study on “universal prekindergarten” this December, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The Cambridge Early Childhood Task Force began investigating extending free education to even younger children began in 2015, and this most recent report found that the project of incorporating kids as young as four years old into publicly-funded education would cost over $20 million annually.

ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH RECEIVES $50,000 GRANT FROM CAMBRIDGE HISTORICAL COMMISSION

St. Augustine’s African Orthodox Church is getting to work restoring the “siding and original entry” of the building with a second $50,000 grant from the Cambridge Historical Commission, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. OJ Construction began renovations afforded by the first grant in late November. “It takes my breath away to see all the work that the community has done and is doing to support this project,” Ned Eccles, clerk and treasurer of St. Augustine’s, told the chronicle.

CITY MIGHT ADD TRAFFIC SIGNS FOR CYCLISTS

The city council voted in favor of “developing traffic control changes, signage and messaging” to enhance cycler and pedestrian safety this November, according to The Cambridge Chronicle. As a result, city officials are looking into adding new signs to 20 intersections in the city and many officials are calling to increase awareness that cyclists must heed red lights. Foundry rendering courtesy of Cambridge Seven.

CLOSING TIME

FIRE FORCES BORDER CAFE TO SHUT ITS DOORS

Harvard Square’s Border Cafe suffered a two-alarm fire at the end of November that forced the Mexican restaurant to close up shop, according to The Harvard Crimson. The fire started in Border Cafe’s “kitchen exhaust system” and more than 40 firefighters reported to the scene. Border Cafe has yet to announce a reopening date, according to Cambridge Patch.

MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY CLOSED PENDING CITY PERMIT

Sira Naturals, a local medical marijuana dispensary, has been closed since mid-September, when the city ordered that it cease and desist until receiving a “new special permit,” according to The Cambridge Chronicle. The commotion began when Sira Naturals “took on a new corporate shareholder.” Until

it can reopen, the company is redirecting patients to its location in Davis Square through a message on its website. NORTH CAMBRIDGE

UPPERWEST

Wine bar Upperwest is closed for the time being as its building is being sold, according COMING to Eater Boston. Upperwest SOON had resided in the basement of a veterans club since it opened in 2016 and the owners are currently in search of another funky location, preferably nearby, to re-open shop.

MOVED

Best Liquor Store

WE SELL SHOTS FOR YOUR VD

INMAN SQUARE

GINGER EXCHANGE

Ginger Exchange, an Asian-fusion eatery that opened in Inman Square in 2009, closed COMING SOON this November, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. Now, Mexican restaurant Corazon de Frida Mexican Cantina is aiming to open in its place at 1287 Cambridge St.

MOVED 15 MCGRATH HIGHWAY, SOMERVILLE 233 ALEWIFE BROOK PARKWAY, CAMBRIDGE 2153 MYSTIC VALLEY PARKWAY, MEDFORD 48 BROADWAY, MALDEN

We deliver through the Drizly and Minibar Apps! NO PANTS REQUIRED!

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 13

NEWS

THE CREATION OF A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD BY ABBIE GRUSKIN AND LILLY MILMAN | PHOTOS BY SASHA PEDRO

he community of East Cambridge is getting a new neighbor. Cambridge Crossing, a new “transit-oriented” development, is currently in the works at the intersection of Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston in the area formerly known as North Point. Developing company 14 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

DivcoWest, based in San Francisco and known for creating tech and life science campuses, bought the 43-acre property in 2015 and plans to host a grand opening within the next year, though no completion date has been set. Once finished, Cambridge Crossing will boast first-floor retail, residential units,

offices, and outdoor space for events, according to DivcoWest Managing Director Mark Roopenian. This is one of the largest development projects in recent Boston history. Development at this site is not exactly new. Over the past 30 years, different developers have all taken a stab at transforming

the area, which was previously used for industrial purposes but remained largely “blank,” according to Roopenian. He says that this current project is different from past attempts because DivcoWest has more space to fully incorporate Cambridge Crossing, CX for short, with the surrounding

Crossing area. “There’s going to be a positive outcome on this. Creating more spaces for businesses is going to be great. You’re going to see there be a lot more opportunity. Our push is to make sure that that opportunity can come down to your small operator and your small business.” However, while this development may present an opportunity for business, it also adds to a growing trend of high-end development in the area. North Point itself may have been mostly uninhabited, but what about neighboring East Cambridge?

A PROFILE OF EAST CAMBRIDGE

community. The property has been described as underutilized by Executive Director of the East Cambridge Business Association (ECBA) Jason Alves. Alves also explained that the ECBA is comprised of roughly 150 small, local, and larger business owners and that DivcoWest is also a member of the group and has a representative on the group’s board. “They’re reinvigorating an area that has been an empty wasteland for decades,” Alves explains of DivcoWest’s development of the Cambridge

n 2019, the city released a Neighborhood Statistical Profile based on data collected over about 10 years by the Cambridge Community Development Department. The per capita income as of 2017 is $63,343, while the median household income is $89,818. A household in this report is defined as “related family members and all unrelated residents who share the housing unit, a person living alone in a housing unit, or a group of unrelated residents sharing a housing unit (such as domestic partners or roommates).” The median family income—and families, with or without children, make up 35 percent of the area—is $121,056. While these numbers are either slightly higher or on par with the rest of Cambridge according to the profile, a sizeable portion of East Cambridge continues to struggle. “It’s quite feasible for a locality to have both characteristics—a higher per capita income and a higher poverty rate,” says Clifford Cook, senior planning information manager for the Cambridge Community Development Department. This is what happens when a high-income population lives next to a large low-income population, he explains. “The median household and family incomes are really close to the city. It does suggest that there is a small and very wealthy population that’s tilting that number,” he adds.

CENTURY 21 AVON

GOLDEN TICKET FOR A NO OBLIGATION PROPERTY EVALUATION!

BRETT SILLARI REALTOR® 978-505-7634 Brett@Century21Avon.com Century 21 Avon serving Cambridge, Somerville and the surrounding area since 1992. CENTURY 21 AVON 1675 MASS AVE CAMBRIDGE, MA 02138

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 15

NEWS

According to a 2017 Community Needs Assessment conducted by the city, increasing affordable housing and targeting homelessness was prioritized as the Cambridge’s number one need. Financial security was the second issue affecting the most people. The report also concluded that while Cambridge’s median household income is higher than that of the state, the population also has a higher poverty percentage—meaning “there is a sizeable number of people living in poverty within an overall environment of affluence. These data imply that there is a higher rate of income inequality in Cambridge than the state.” The report uses U.S. Census Bureau data collected between 2010 and 2014. The non-student individual poverty rate of East Cambridge, at 14 percent, was 4 percent higher than that of the city. It ranked number four in individual poverty percentage of the 13 cities in Cambridge. (The Port, Riverside, and Strawberry Hill were tied for second at 21 percent. Kendall/ MIT ranked number one at 37 percent, but a note on the report states that this is likely an error.) East Cambridge was marked in the report for its higher-thanaverage poverty rate and number of individuals in poverty. Out of the five zip codes in Cambridge, East Cambridge has the third-highest number of SNAP households—households with a member who is enrolled in the government food-assistance program—according to the report. The neighborhood was also marked for having fewer stores that accept SNAP benefits per 100 enrollees than the city or state on average. As of 2016, there were 1,354 individual enrollees and 935 SNAP households. “It’s a reflection of this contrast you have in East Cambridge,” says Cook. “It is suggestive of a fairly higher level of income inequality. That is not surprising to me. There is this older low-rise, townhouse style neighborhood and then there are very large, very shiny new buildings in the along the river in the North Point—all of which have a not insignificant amount affordable housing. But by and 16 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

“The median household and family incomes are really close to the city. It does suggest that there is a small and very wealthy population that’s tilting that number.” – Clifford Cook large, those large buildings are going to be occupied by people working in the tech industry and earning fairly large incomes as a consequence.”

‘OFF ON AN ISLAND’

urrounding the future site of CX are several luxury condominium and apartment buildings that went up in the late aughts. The Avalon North Point advertises having “the best luxury

apartments in Cambridge” on its website and boasts amenities such as an indoor heated resortstyle pool, a private theater, a sports club, and an internet lounge. The rent for studio apartments starts at $2,480, while one- and two-bedroom apartments can rent for upwards of $4,000 per month. According to the website for Elevated Residential, a real estate agency, condos at the Tango at North Point have been sold for a range of prices between $751,000

and $2.2 million. An active listing for a 919 square foot, two-bedroom condo priced at $839,000 mentions proximity to Kendall Square and MIT and “the highly anticipated Cambridge Crossing development” as one of the main perks. There is still no leasing information on the Cambridge Crossing website, although the residential section features similarly focuses on luxury amenities: “The future residences at Cambridge Crossing will offer

annual income of about $63,000 spent 40 percent of this figure on rent ($2,100 per month,) they would still not be able to afford the cheapest apartment at Avalon. Cambridge has the fastest growing rent out of any city in the greater Boston area as of this year, surpassing even downtown Boston, according to Boston magazine. According to Cook, North Point is “more physically isolated” from the rest of the city and the rest of Cambridge. He says he is “not sure to what extent it’s going to have an effect on the overall metrics that neighborhood.” Roopenian insists that CX will connect with existing East Cambridge. “How do you take 43 acres and knit it into the existing East Cambridge neighborhood?” He asks. “Because if it becomes just its own separate thing, off on an island, it’s a failure.”

‘THE MOST INNOVATIVE SQUARE MILE ON THE PLANET’

N a superior level of concierge amenities, open floor plans, refined finishes, sun-splashed spaces and outdoor terraces that overlook skylines and green spaces.” According to an emailed statement from DivcoWest, Cambridge Crossing will add roughly 2,500 units, with price points that are “a mix of affordable and market-rate.” The company did not comment on specific questions about the estimated amount of affordable units and their respective prices. However, the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance requires that at least 20 percent of the residential floor area of new developments is allotted for affordable housing. Increasingly few are able to spend only 30 percent of monthly income on rent, a metric oftused to describe an affordable housing situation, in a city with an increasingly high cost of living. However, even if a person with an

ext-door neighbor Kendall Square also began as an area of underused land. The Kendall Square Initiative, spearheaded by nearby university MIT since 2010, worked to transform the property into what the MIT website calls “the most innovative square mile on the planet.” However, this development is a vast contrast from the nearby neighborhood Area Four, which remains a low-income area where residents feel ignored and fear being priced out of their homes, according to Katie Johnson’s 2014 Boston Globe article “‘Area Four’ residents live in the shadow of the future.” Johnson writes that while the development of biotech companies, influx of start-ups, and expansion of Google and Twitter have “flooded the city” with tax dollars, this has hardly helped the surrounding lowincome people. Cook attributes the steady rise in median household income in East Cambridge—from $80,181 in 2010 to the statistical report’s most recent figure of $89,818—to the proximity to Kendall, as well.

For all the holidays 2257 MASS AVE, NORTH CAMBRIDGE • SPINDLERCONFECTIONS.COM

Monthly account fees don’t matter. (If you’re not charged any.)

East Cambridge Checking. The premium-level account that’s free and makes every ATM in the country yours through unlimited rebates.

Upgrade to Local. ecsb.com/upgrade

Member FDIC | Member DIF

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now

NEWS

While Cook says the survey he worked on is primarily meant to collect data rather speculate on the reasons behind certain points, he notes that the development of larger buildings around Kendall and North Point “certainly is an influence on the trajectory the neighborhood” and is emblematic of the rise of Cambridge prices “across the board.” ECBA Executive Director Alves says he sees Cambridge Crossing as an opportunity to develop the city in a way that differs from the past development of nearby Kendall Square. Alves says that development in Kendall Square has taken place slowly, and by different companies, over a longer period of time. Kendall and Assembly have served as guides for CX, according to Alves. Roopenian says that DivcoWest intends for Cambridge Crossing, once completed, to work in tandem with the “innovation for which Kendall Square is known.” The new Cambridge Crossing development will ultimately aim to emulate the community feel of Davis Square, according to Roopenian. 18 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

LAYING DOWN THE FOUNDATION OF CX

even buildings are currently under construction at the site, and DivcoWest plans for the space to be used equally for commercial and residential needs. Once finished, Cambridge Crossing will also feature a total of seven or eight outdoor parks— Roopenian says that nearly 12 acres of the land will remain “open” for this purpose. Roopenian notes that the current development plans require three different approval processes—one with the city of Cambridge, one with the city of Somerville, and one with the city of Boston, since the land technically lies within all three. The Cambridge Crossing development also involves a reconfiguration of local transit. Lechmere station will be moved across the street from its current location as part of the Green Line Extension Project (GLX) allowing First Street to connect with the new Cambridge Crossing center, which Alves says

will also provide new access to McGrath Highway and alleviate traffic in the surrounding area. DivcoWest and the ECBA are also interested in enhancing pedestrian accessibility to the area, according to Roopenian and Alves. The Cambridge Crossing website also mentions that in addition to the MBTA stops on-site and nearby, there will also be four Hubway stations, designated bike lanes, and a private CX shuttle. According to Roopenian, DivcoWest’s chief goal is to merge the forthcoming Cambridge Crossing development with all of these cities and their existing communities. “Part in parcel of doing something this big and complicated is to involve the neighborhood and to involve the community,” he says. For their part, DivcoWest has sponsored free-toattend community events. In collaboration with the ECBA, DivcoWest ran the Cambridge Crossing Summer Nights Series, featuring local vendors including Puritan & Co., Lamplighter,

and New Deal Fish Market. The event series, which ran from June through September this past summer, also benefited local non-profits, according to Alves. Similar efforts can be seen in Kendall, where tech companies like Draper Laboratory provide resources for several nonprofits aimed at helping the stillstruggling Area Four residents, reports Johnson. Will Gilson, chef and owner of Puritan & Co.—which offers entrees at a range of prices from $29 to $50, according to its online menu—announced that he will be among Cambridge Crossing’s first local business tenants. His new Cambridge Crossing eatery will offer a slightly lower price point, with the most expensive dishes costing $30, he says. DivcoWest is also partnering with Lamplighter Brewing Co., which plans to open a microbrewery and microdistillery in the Cambridge Crossing development, this December. They have yet to announce the remaining tenants that might fill additional retail spaces.

Then NOW

THEN & NOW

1. Harvard Square is one of the most iconic spots in Cambridge. And while the square itself has stayed the same, none of the surrounding buildings have. Learn more about the history of the square and its iconic kiosk on page 22. (Photo courtesy of City of Cambridge and by Caroline Culler.) 2. The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts has been teaching the community how to chop, dice, saute, and julienne for over 45 years. The highly acclaimed school is considered a New England landmark. (Photo courtesy of CSCA and by Ellen Callaway Photography.) 3. “A lot has changed since I started my little candy business out of my Somerville home in 2012,” says Spindler Confections owner Jeremy Spindler. “Spindler’s moved into our Brick and Mortar store in December of 2015 due to the fact that our home kitchen simply couldn’t handle our production needs.” (Photos courtesy of Spindler Confections.) scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 19

THEN & NOW

: Shouts from Scout A BRIEF ORAL HISTORY OF SCOUT MAGAZINES COMPILED BY LILLY MILMAN | PHOTO BY SASHA PEDRO

ILAN MOCHARI: I was waiting tables at a restaurant in Cambridge called Full Moon. I worked with a waitress named Jen Bates, who’s an actress. She has since moved to the Bay Area. Jen knew Holli. I don’t remember how they knew each other, but they were friends. When Holli moved up here and wanted to start a publication, she was just asking around if anyone knew any writers at all. I think Jen mentioned my name to Holli. At the time it wasn’t, “Scout needs an editor.” Holli just needed someone to write the main article, which was going to be—you’ll never believe this— but it was going to be about the extension of the Green Line. HOLLI BANKS: I had worked for a small newspaper in Selma, Alabama right out of high school, so from ‘94 until almost 2000. Then I went off to theater school. I had done an annual Chamber of Commerce guide that was more magazine style with a group of women in Texas to supplement my less-than-lucrative acting career. … I moved to Somerville because my best friend moved to Cambridge. I moved the week after the ‘08 election. When I got here, I had no job and no place to live. I started sending out my resume. … I couldn’t get a job, I came to the most educated city in the United States with a musical theater conservatory degree. 20 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

I saw all of these really cool, independently owned businesses. I was going to do a coupon book because I didn’t know how to put together editorial, and at the time I ran into Ilan and he was a writer and editor. ILAN: I don’t think I have the editor’s note until the third one. And that’s when it began. LILLY MILMAN: I was actually also waiting tables full-time when I interned at Scout, and then I spent a few months freelancing with our previous editor, Reena. I think it’s really interesting that you (Ilan and Holli) created something that I later inherited. Could talk about your initial vision for Scout? ILAN: It’s important to credit Holli with with the initial vision and the launching. Holli is the entrepreneur behind it. Holli had the fortitude to stake her life on this at a time when—that was nine years after Inc. magazine was beginning to go online. To think that there would be a market for a print edition of a hyperlocal publication before everyone was using the compound adjective “hyperlocal...” But Holli had a sense had a sense that this would work. HOLLI: When I first started, I was staying with a friend and using her dining room as an office. For

the second issue, I got an office space and I actually lived in the back. I used a hot plate for the first three years. Luckily, there was a shower in there. It wasn’t supposed to be an apartment, but I think they were trying to rezone it so that it could be. Every night I was scared the police were going to come in and kick me out. … Those were the good old days. ILAN: Once I became the editor, I think the way that we collaboratively shaped it was that with me at the helm, it became more devoted to serious journalism. Adam (Vaccarro) and Tom (Nash) were serious reporters. We wrote stories that I think people really liked. They might have even, in retrospect, been too serious. But I think that what was important about what we did was that it showed people that this wasn’t going to be a pennysaver. There were going to be real stories about their communities. ADAM VACCARRO: We did a story on Assembly Square that was really thorough and fair and told a really definitive history of all the fits and starts to get it to what it became. Assembly is obviously thriving at this point, but it took a lot of work to get it there. It was useful for us as reporters to understand the history to how it got there and it added a lot of context of how it turned it into

Ilan Mochari

the success that it’s become. ILAN: There’s still an expectation that because you’re not paying for it, because it seems to be focused on your town, that you’re not going to find articles that are well written, that are about topics that aren’t mindlessly flattering to local kinds of businesses. Every time I open Scout, I’m really excited to see how that continues. HOLLI: It’s not even just that there’s a new restaurant opening, but who started it and why and what are these recipes from? ADAM: Ilan definitely encouraged Tom and I to go hard at City Hall and have fun causing trouble and being skeptical about the direction of the city. Somerville was on the path to what it is today. It was, you could say, halfway through its generational makeover. ILAN: My favorite story was called “Look Homeward, Soldier.” I basically got to walk in Memorial Day Parade with a Vietnam veteran. He gave me incredible access. It captured a side of Somerville that is like real, dyed-in-the-wool, patriotic New England town and not the sort of glitz-glamour, “put bacon on your donut” bullshit that I think a lot of people now associate Somerville with. And of course the photos from the parade are incredible. LILLY: That’s another full circle moment, because one of the goals of this “Then and Now” issue is to shine some light on Old Somerville and Cambridge. We have a story in this issue featuring Lawrence Willwerth, a veteran who helps plan the first flag raising reenactment.

Lilly Milman

HOLLI: In 2012, people really started asking me to do a Cambridge publication. I had always envisioned multiple publications. That’s why the company is called Banks Publications and not Scout Magazines. I thought that Cambridge was too big and too diverse economically, but I had some advertisers. And Cambridge has been a bigger challenge. It’s remained a challenge to cover that

much ground and that many neighborhoods with that limited small team that we must maintain to be able to do this. ILAN: I still get every issue and read it. I think the magazine now basically resembles what the magazine looked like when I left it to Adam and Tom in 2012. I would say, though, right now the layout is much better, smoother. That’s been a wonderful improvement. And the other thing is that Scout still digs deeper to get a story that has not been told. My favorite thing about reporting for Scout was that I never ever had to deal with a public relations professional. You’re talking to the sources every time. And that’s not something to take for granted. ADAM: Local journalism has been devastated in the last 10 years. … So, to have had the opportunity to spend two months researching something, and writing a really thorough story that highlighted the issues in the city... There aren’t a lot of opportunities like that in journalism right now, especially at the local level. That was highly valuable to me. I’d done some freelancing before, but this was my first regular journalism job and Somerville was such an interesting training ground for that. ILAN: So many times in life, you deal with a publisher who just cares about money and Holli cares about the magazine. When you have a publisherowner, it’s really important. Many publishers throughout the world of journalism—they’re employees, and they’re judged by a singular single number: revenue. So when the owner, who’s also the publisher, is someone who’s also thinking, “I want a magazine that I can be proud of,” that’s rare. You don’t want the magazine that people just flip through for coupons. HOLLI: I think it’s really important to share these stories and keep these cities still neighborhoods and still communities—you know, people knowing their neighbors. That’s what Scout’s always been about and I feel really good about that mission. scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 21

THEN & NOW

The History of The Harvard Square Kiosk BY ERIC J. FRANCIS

t’s been the head house for the Red Line, and Cambridge’s source of publications from around the world. It’s had its roof taken off and stashed away, and the whole structure picked up and turned to face Massachusetts Avenue. The Harvard Square kiosk is a national historic landmark and (with apologies to its namesake university) the most iconic structure in Harvard Square. While it may look a little forlorn since Out of Town News, which occupied it since the 1980s, closed last October, the kiosk is actually poised for the next act in its 93-year history, says Denise Jillson, executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association. “We at the association always had this sort of connection to the little kiosk,” says Jillson. “We started lobbying the city in January of 2012 to restore it.” Truth be told, the HSBA’s lobbying started long before that: In 1919, when the association’s members approached the state legislature about replacing the then seven-year-old Red Line head house on Harvard Square. Photos at the Cambridge Historical Commission show the original head house to be a substantial oval building of brick and stone with high, narrow windows. Those windows didn’t let in much light, says Jillson, and were too far off the floor for people to see out of as they exited onto the street. “As streetcars would race 22 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

by the building, association members were afraid people would get hurt,” she says. “Our board meeting notes back to 1919 talk about the association members lobbying the state legislature to take that building down. It took them until 1927, when the little kiosk went up.” The new head house, more in proportion to the square, served as the Red Line access for more than half a century, until the current entrance was built in the 1980s. During that project, Jillson says, the distinctive roof was taken off the kiosk and stored up in Alewife, and the building itself was picked up and turned 90 degrees. All the plaza bricks around it were taken up, numbered, and stored until the work was complete, then put back in their places. That’s when Sheldon Cohen moved Out of Town News from its neighboring stand on the square into the kiosk. According to Mo Logman’s book, “Harvard Square: An Illustrated History since 1950,” that’s the point at which the kiosk became a focal point of the square—especially neighboring Harvard University’s international student body, as it was the only place to pick up newspapers and magazines from far-flung places. The kiosk has also served as a public arts venue. Back in 1977, Peter Payack—the first poet populist of Cambridge— struck up an arrangement with Cohen to have poetry displayed on the kiosk’s electronic message board, a project that continued

for about five years. “We had 10 different poems by 10 different writers, and they could be contemporary poets, school kids, ancient Greek fragments,” recalls Payack. In June of that year he held an event at the kiosk with the Cambridge Rindge & Latin School jazz band playing on the roof while poetry scrolled by on the message board. It drew a big crowd, he says. “What I tried was to get poetry off the page and put it in public arenas where people could see it,” says Payack. When Cohen decided to retire in 1994, he sold the Out of Town News operation to Hudson News, which continued to operate the newsstand until it decided to throw in the towel a couple of decades later. “It was around 2008 when Hudson News handed the keys over the city and said, ‘We’re not going to do this anymore,’” said Jillson. “That’s when all hell sort of broke loose. It wasn’t the city so much as the denizens of Harvard Square who were concerned there would be no more Out of Town News. The city very wisely said it would continue as a newsstand until it could figure out the next steps.” Those steps will include an $8.3 million restoration of the kiosk and bringing the brick plaza into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Jillson. Until that gets underway in April, CultureHouse will be operating a pop-up exhibition

honoring “the history of kiosk as a space for gathering, building community, and connecting across boundaries.” It is open to the public from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesdays through Sundays. The restoration project comes after a two-year study by the city’s Harvard Square Kiosk and Plaza Working Group to determine what was actually feasible for the location. “The top of the tunnel is just barely under those bricks, so the amount of real care and thought required to take care of everything, when you think about what’s going on under that ground—you just need to be very careful,” she says. When the work is completed in 2021, there will also be a new tenant in the kiosk … but not a newsstand. After two years of meetings and public input, the working group came up with a vision of the kiosk as “a flexible space accommodating permanent and temporary community uses” including a permanent visitor information center with historical displays, and temporary uses of the interior “including informal public seating for gatherings.” Theodora Skeadas, executive director of Cambridge Local First, says the kiosk signifies a lot for Cantabridgians emerging from the Harvard Square T station: “warmth, invitation, and recognition of the city’s and the square’s international population and footprint.” For her part, she’d like to see continued use of the kiosk to Photos courtesy of the City of Cambridge.

1890, looking east

About 1912

highlight important community issues such as housing and sustainability, as a place to engage visitors to the square and shine spotlights on hyperlocal assets and issues. “Ideally, the kiosk could be made into a permanent community space, one that elevates local issues and resources, and continues to empower Harvard Square, and Cambridge, residents,” Skeadas says. For Jillson, who is not only an advocate for the square but grew up in the neighborhood, the impending renovation of the kiosk is personally gratifying. “I think it’s the only structure in the square that has the name Harvard Square on it,” she notes. “For those of us who grew up in the area like I did, we all have some sort of connection to it. For me as somebody who was here in the ‘80s and the ‘90s and we were battling this issue that Cambridge had, which was rent control, I and many members of my cohort would run to Out of Town News at midnight on Wednesday because the Cambridge Chronicle was available, because we didn’t want to wait until the morning to find out what it was reporting. “As a resident of the city, that’s my memory of the kiosk,” says Jillson. “No matter what goes there, the structure cannot be changed because it is on the National Register. It will be there, hopefully in perpetuity like many of the Harvard buildings, because it is the iconic symbol of the square.”

Circa 1955

West elevation, 2016 as remodeled in 1983

Schematic redesign proposal, Galante Architecture Studio 2016

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 23

THEN & NOW

A SNAPSHOT OF A

CHANGING

CITY

BY LILLY MILMAN

oston College photography professor and longtime Cambridge resident Karl Baden is often better known as “the guy who has taken a photo of himself everyday since 1987.” This project, entitled “Every Day,” has earned Baden a sort-of notoriety in the local 24 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

photography community; every few years, the media coverage of the work returns in waves. Baden’s most recent project, however, turns the camera around to face his environment. The series, called “Mass Ave, Cambridge,” documents how Cambridge is changing through

photos of the iconic street taken over a two-year period. He began the series after a conversation with Lillian Hsu, the director of public art at Cambridge Arts. Prior to “Mass Ave, Cambridge” Baden was showing an exhibit of Harvard Square photos at the Howard Yezerski gallery in

Boston, which helped to inspire the current exhibition. “Mass. Ave. is this defining route that goes through Cambridge,” Hsu says. “It’s very different depending on where you are. The four miles that it goes through Cambridge are all very different. … From the people Photo by Karl Baden.

coming into our gallery, it’d be hard to find someone who doesn’t really know some aspect of Mass. Ave. if they live or work here.” “Obsession” is a word that he associates with his self-portrait project, but his tendency to be obsessive about his photos links “Every Day” with “Mass Ave, Cambridge.” Both leave little room for rest—Baden has only forgotten to take his self-portrait once in 32 years—and he carries a camera with him everywhere he goes, just in case. If there’s a dangerous storm, a large crowd, or any other event that would have most Cantabrigians avoiding major roads, that only makes him more likely to step outside to snap a few shots. But in a field where selfmotivation is integral to success, he doesn’t consider this trait to be a bad thing. “I think that an obsessive quality is not necessarily harmful,” he says. “The way I see it is if your psyche is like a raging river, you can drown in it or you could put a paddle wheel in it and generate electricity.”

populations, ethnic populations.” What differentiates this exhibition from a document, though, lies in the fact that Baden’s perception of the city is so present in the photos, Hsu says. “It’s a particular artist’s view,” she says, “which is different than if we wanted to hire a commercial photographer to document a street or document a neighborhood. It’s very much Karl’s view that we’re looking through.” He used a few recurring images as guideposts while shooting, which was helpful in crafting a unified identity for a city that has a lot of ground to cover—Central Square, Harvard Square, Kendall/MIT. Across all of these locations, he “collected” images of empty storefronts, out of business signs, moving signs, and construction projects, to name a few. There are also photos in the show that he wouldn’t normally include “because, you know, they’re not so great,” he says. However, what they succeed in

Then& NOW 4

“The way I see it is if your psyche is like a raging river, you can drown in it or you could put a paddle wheel in it and generate electricity.” - Karl Baden

The challenge of taking these photos for Baden was balancing the aesthetics of the photos with the need to put forth an accurate representation of the city. While street photography is one of his specialities, documentary photography presents a new set of rules. “I’m just trying to make pictures that are interesting to me,” he says. “But I felt the responsibility to see if I could get a sense of what Mass Ave. was in Cambridge. So, that involved paying attention to things like neighborhoods, storefronts, things that are shifting, socio-economic

is conveying his perception of the city. The show opens with two photos of the storefront at One Central Square. The first, taken two years ago, features a paper mache effigy of the late Cambridge icon Hugh Morgan Hill, known by the stagename Brother Blue. The second, taken in 2019, reveals the storefront’s current tenant: Amazon. “Mass Ave, Cambridge” will be on display at 344 Broadway in Gallery 344 through Feb. 14. Admission is free. To learn more, visit www.cambridgema.gov/arts.

5 4. “Bukowski Tavern has changed just as much it’s stayed the same. It may be a little shinier but we’ve been serving many of the same faces for over 14 years and we’re proud of that,” say the owners of Bukowski Tavern. (Photos courtesy of Bukowski Tavern.) 5. In the first photo, Peter Payack is pictured reading at Grolier Poetry Book Shop in 1978. In the second, he is at the Cosmos and Damien festival in East Cambridge in 2017. (Photos courtesy of Peter Payack.) scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 25

THEN & NOW

IN BY ELIE LEVINE

his fall, Green Street Studios—a flourishing dance space that served as a hub of creativity in Central Square—closed due to a change in building ownership that caused a massive spike in rent. The closure reflects a growing trend of prohibitive costs affecting the city’s arts spaces. Cambridge rents have doubled since the early 2000s; Green Street Studios opened in the early 1990s. Formerly located at 185 Green St. in Central Square, the studio was a home base for some of Cambridge’s most prolific dance teachers and students for 28 years. Now that the ownership of 185 Green St. has changed hands, the studio space sits vacant and will not be redeveloped as a dance studio. A paradox of the studio’s closure, highlighted in the studio’s online press release, is that the studio was “thriving both financially and artistically.” 26 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

Leah Thiffault, managing director of Green Street Studios, says the studio was founded by a collective of artists who were looking for a quiet, accessible place to practice. Wide open studios with natural light made the building ideal, until the rent became too high to keep up with. Green Street isn’t the only studio that’s struggling to keep up with the tough climate, either. “Central Square is the hub of dance in Boston,” says Callie Chapman, artistic director of Studio at 550, another Cambridge-based dance space. Organizations like the Massachusetts Cultural Council choose to provide long-term financial support to a space when they have a concept of its longevity, Chapman explains. Her studio is on a month-to-month lease. “Organizations that have space need to be permanent in order for them to [receive] support. If you are semipermanent ... they can’t support

you because they can’t justify it long-term. It’s red tape, but it’s wrapped around a lot of us in the arts community. … City and state agencies may end up with not enough visible ‘need’ (which is required for continuation of their budgeting) because of this. The organizations most in need are not qualified for funding due to their impermanence. But they’re the ones who need it the most,” she says. In a statement online about the Green Street Studios close, Debra Cash, executive director of Boston Dance Alliance, emphasizes that dancers need space to do their work. She says that Greater Boston’s dance community needs to remain flexible in the face of current threats to existing spaces. “Dance artists have to have space. You have to have flooring, mirrors, space for making work and rehearsing, and space for performance. Green Street was both. But it may be that space

for rehearsing and space for performance need to be different in the next iteration. It’s great when they’re both, but not every place can do that,” Cash says. In a comment on the Boston Dancers and Choreographers Facebook page, Cambridge Mayor Marc McGovern explained that the city’s lack of commercial rent control keeps municipal government from setting upper limits. “This is the first I’ve heard that the studio was in this situation,” McGovern wrote. “I wish I knew sooner. I’m not sure that I could have helped, but I would have tried.” Still, Green Street’s statement says the city is “neither actively preserving nor offering support” for dance. Cash says that city planners need to take holistic steps to address this need by committing actively to creating, brokering, and helping to protect work and performance spaces. When Green Street closed,

Photo, left, by Karem Orrego. Photo, right, by Victoria Awkward.

“We’re in such crisis mode that any additional space that’s safe and affordable is valuable.” - Jim Grace the nearby Dance Complex had an influx of new tenants. “Immediately, within 15 minutes, we had 20 phone calls, literally, and I don’t know how many emails, from artists seeking space,” Peter DiMuro, executive director of the Dance Complex, says. Historically, Cambridge is a “maker community,” DiMuro explains. “This has been traditionally true since at least the 1960s and ‘70s in Central Square, that people have been coming to dance here,” he says. “Cambridge [should] realize that [dance is] … a thriving business, but has never been supported in the way that we should ... in the same way that visual arts are supported in Cambridge.” Thiffault says the closure has “left a void, and in some instances, a creativity drain.” Cambridge-based dancers now travel throughout the Boston area to practice. Even with the help of The Dance Complex and other studios that have stepped in, finding studio space remains a challenge. Ruth Birnberg—a founding member of Green Street Studios, first executive director of Boston Dance Alliance (BDA), and current director of Next Steps for Boston Dance—responded

to community outrage over the closure on the Boston Dancers and Choreographers Facebook page. The post explains that Green Street Studios itself was founded when all five founding members had lost access to the spaces where they worked—that the phenomenon is common in Cambridge and should encourage greater unity within the dance community. “Were we devastated? Of course. Did we get together and rail at the various powers that controlled our access ... to space? Yes. But then after a short period of devastation we decided that the only response was to find new space where we had control and could create a place where our energy could go to making and teaching dance and offer a place for others to do the same,” Birnberg writes. Thiffault says Green Street Studios’ steady growth—on an upward trend since 2016—was ultimately not strong enough to contend with the cost of operating a studio in Central Square. “Thankfully, a group of people, including the building owner, are working hard to find a future for the organization in the short and long term, and are optimistic about the outcome,” she says. Boston’s dance community

has banded together to form short- and long-term solutions. Cash is a member of BDA, which creates opportunities for dance by seeking out and sharing information and resources across the dance community. Cash says BDA knows of at least two organizations that are considering making their office spaces available to artists during evenings and weekends, when they would otherwise be closed. “We are also interested in the idea that some underused spaces may be available for limited amounts of time as pop-ups,” Cash adds. Embracing a broader approach to art space in Cambridge, Chapman supports maintaining spaces that various types of artists can utilize, while upholding standards of each discipline accordingly. This loss, she suggests, should bring together the maker community at large. When she happened upon her own studio, which was previously owned by Boston Dance Company, she jumped at the opportunity to make it a multidisciplinary art space. “I saw the lack of opportunity for crossing of discipline borders in a physical space,” she says. “A good chunk of disciplines can co-inhabit the same space without stepping on each other’s toes as

long as appropriate accommodations are made for each one.” Jim Grace is the executive director of Boston’s Arts and Business Council, which has purchased a building in Worcester that it plans to convert into multi-use arts space, with the intent to start a program— The Creative Campus—that he hopes can help with the dance space issues in Greater Boston. He is working to add dance and rehearsal space in Worcester as part of that response. Grace remains wary of the challenges of specializing spaces for dance. “The more [a space] can be designed to house a particular group, the better. I’m a big fan of single-use if it’s designed well, and I’m a fan of multi-use based on a community need. Sometimes if it’s multi-use it doesn’t do anything super well, and that is the challenge,” he says. He hopes the Worcester purchase will help provide a valuable opportunity for co-development of arts spaces within communities. “We’re in such crisis mode that any additional space that’s safe and affordable is valuable,” he says.

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 27

SCOUT OUT!

WHAT’S COOKING IN CAMBRIDGE? BY MAXIMILIANO REYES PHOTO BY SASHA PEDRO

f you asked Mohammad AboSharkh what sets his food truck apart from the rest, he’d say it’s the koshari. The Egyptian dish, also known as “kushari,” usually consists of rice, lentils, chickpeas, crispy onions, and macaroni served with a tangy tomato sauce. Zaaki Food Truck offers a unique spin on it, removing the macaroni to cut back on carbs and offering customers two vegetarian sides to accompany it. Customers also have the choice of adding meat to the dish. Abo-Sharkh runs the food truck with his sister-in-law, Samar Abdalelah. By trade, he’s a software engineer, while she’s an 28 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

experienced cook who graduated valedictorian from culinary school. Abo-Shakh says neither of them knew much about starting a business. But thanks in large part to a program that the city plans to expand in the coming months, Abo-Sharkh and Abdalelah were able to find their bearings and establish what he described as a successful business with close ties to Cambridge. “Our best locations are in Cambridge,” Abo-Sharkh says. “Our best customers in are Cambridge.” The city’s Food Business Incubator Program was announced in late August. It combines elements of an existing program focused on removing barriers to starting a food truck business with a new series of

workshops meant to provide lessons focused on different aspects of running a food business. “We have a really nice suite of services that we now offer these really great businesses,” says Christina DiLisio. DiLisio is the associate economic development specialist at the Cambridge Community Development Department and has spearheaded the food truck program and its predecessor, the food truck pilot. DiLisio explained that the program’s predecessor was met with widespread success and well-received by the community, and that the city was looking to build on that success by expanding the program. One of the main goals of the pilot that blossomed first into the food truck program and later

into the food incubator program was to support business owners without prior experience in the food industry, or those who did not own a food business in Cambridge. The program was also meant to assist minority and women business owners specifically, who might otherwise face roadblocks in starting a business because of how they identify. She says that the program is hitting those goals, with 70 percent of the 26 applicants to the food truck program for the 2019-2020 year identifying as women or minorities. Muhammad Faheem Anjum was one of those applicants. He was a gold and silver smith in Pakistan before he came to the United States as an asylum seeker to escape sectarian violence in

his home country. He started his food truck business, Kebabish Food Truck, in 2017. “[The food truck program] is very good for us,” Anjum says. Anjum says he also plans to participate in at least one of the upcoming workshops. The incubator program is part of larger efforts by the city to buoy the retail scene which is informed by the findings of a 2017 report it commissioned. The report recommended the city take steps to support small businesses and keep business districts within the city vibrant and engaging for residents as a means of combating a number of storefront vacancies. The findings of the report led to the expansion of a grant program for small businesses, as well as the creation of programs for businesses in Harvard Square and Inman Square to combat the effects of construction in those areas, among other efforts. CDD Economic Development Director Lisa Hemmerle says that the overall

prompting some to describe the situation as a “retail apocalypse.” Meanwhile, closures and vacancies among stores in Harvard Square have spawned concerns within the community about how the area is performing. At the same time, restaurateurs in the area have complained about the tight labor market. As of August, the unemployment rate sat at 2.9 percent. In many ways, the workshops within the incubator program are meant to address some of those issues. One of the upcoming workshops scheduled for April looks at examining ways to hire and retain staff. Another scheduled for March looks at options for businesses that go beyond traditional brick and mortar offerings, as food delivery services like GrubHub become more prominent and the concept of a “virtual kitchen”—a food vendor without a physical presence—becomes more mainstream. Theodora Skeadas, the

Then& NOW 6

goal of the programming being rolled out by the city was to make it easier for businesses to get off the ground in Cambridge, and that in her eyes, that’s exactly what those programs have accomplished. “I think that’s where we’ve been very successful,” she says. The program arrives at a moment when retail in general is facing uncertainty, both in Cambridge and nationwide. Store closures have been widespread across the country,

head of local business group Cambridge Local First, says that she and her organization both support the attempt to bolster food businesses in the city, though she noted it might be difficult to ensure attendance due to the demanding nature of running a business full-time. “I think it’s great,” she says. “We want to offer educational workshops and resources to food businesses in the city... so thumbs up from me and Cambridge Local First.”

6. The Kanter Family has been promoting their mission of natural wellness since they founded Cambridge Naturals in the ‘70s. Founder Michael Kanter is pictured on the left, and his family is pictured in front of their storefront on the right. (Photos courtesy of Cambridge Naturals.) 7. I n the postcard on the left, from around 1918, the Harvard Bridge is shown in front of an MIT campus with a much lower skyline than the one we’re used to on the right. (Then photo courtesy of New York Public Library’s Digital Library, now photo by Joseph Barillari.) scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 29

Introducing our new local menu section!

Cut

fold

order

review

enjoy

Share a pic of your menu and your order on Instagram. Tag @scoutmags and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be entered to WIN $25 toward any of this editionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participating restaurants. 30 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

........... $0.99

SIDE OF FRIES

.......................................... $3.99

cooked spinach w/ olive oil, lemon juice & arabic spices

SIDE OF TAHINI ...................................... $0.50 SIDE OF HOT SAUCE ......................... $0.50 SIDE OF PITA BREAD ........................ $0.50

cooked spinach w/ olive oil, lemon juice & arabic spices

SPINACH PIE .................................................... $4.50

MEAT PIE ............................................................. $4.50 Ground beef with arabic spices

............ $4.99 12 oz of olive hummus w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF OLIVE HUMMUS

............... $4.99 12 oz of beet hummus w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF BEET HUMMUS

SIDE OF SPICY HUMMUS ............. $4.99 12 oz of spicy hummus w/ a side of pita bread

4 OZ OF GARLIC MAYO ........................ $3.99

4 oz of garlic mayo

SIDE OF GARLIC SPREAD

................................ $4.99 12 oz of parsely salad w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF TABOULI

... $4.99 12 oz of fava beans w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF FOUL MUDDAMMAS

............. $4.99 4 pieces of grape leaves over 12 oz of cucumber salad w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF GRAPE LEAVES

................................ $4.99 2 pieces of falafels over a 12 oz of cucumber salad w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF FALAFEL

.......... $4.99 12 oz of baba w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF BABA-GANOUSH

............................... $4.99 12 oz of hummus w/ a side of pita bread

SIDE OF HUMMUS

Side Orders

FALAFEL TRAY (25 PIECE MIN.) ........... $1.00/PC GRAPE LEAVES TRAY (25 PIECE MIN.) $1.00/PC KEBAB SKEWERS (10 SKEWER MIN.) .................. .......................................................................... $7/SKEWER DESERT TRAY (ONE SIZE) ............................... $80

L $115 $115 $85 $85 $85 $85 $85 $65

L = Serves 25 or More

M CHICKEN SHAWARMA TRAY ......... $85 LAMB SHAWARMA TRAY .................. $85 HUMMUS TRAY ......................................... $65 BABA-GANOUSH TRAY ....................... $65 CUCUMBER SALAD TRAY .................. $65 TABOULE TRAY .......................................... $65 FOUL MUDAMMAS TRAY .................... $65 RICE TRAY ...................................................... $45

M = Serves 15 – 25

Catering

BAKLAVA ............................................................... $1.75 CASHEW FINGER .......................................... $1.75 BASBOUSA .......................................................... $1.75 RICE PUDDING ............................................... $3.50 FRUIT CUP .......................................................... $3.50

Desserts

(617) 764-2336

1 Main Street, Somerville

Falafel Place uses only the finest, freshest ingredients and Certified Halal Meats. Nothing Frozen!

Order online at myfalafelplace.com

Monday – Sunday: 11am – 11pm

DINE IN, TAKE OUT & DELIVERY

Healthy and Delicious!

FALAFEL PLACE

Salads & Soups

All Soups & Salads come with pita bread, side of tahini sauce and hot sauce.

CUCUMBER SALAD ................................... $7.99 Cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, red onions, feta cheese & mint, dressed w/house dressing over romaine lettuce. GREEK SALAD ....................................... $8.50 Romaine lettuce, green pepper, cucumber, black olives, tomatoes, onions & feta cheese, served w/Greek dressing. FATTOUSH SALAD ............................ $7.99 Cucumber salad w/pita chips. MEZZE SALAD ................................. $7.99 Tabouli salad w/pita chips, black olives and spicy sauce. YOGURT CUCUMBER SALAD $4.99 Home made Fat free yogurt w/ diced cucumbers, garlic & mint , served w/ pita bread. LENTIL SOUP 12OZ ............................. $3.50 Red lentils mashed up w/ garlic, Arabic spices & lemon juice.

Veggie Plates

All plates come with pita bread, side of tahini sauce and a side of hot sauce.

FALAFEL PLATE .................................... $8.99 Four balls of falafel, served over cucumber salad.

............... $8.99

HUMMUS PLATE .................................. $8.99 Hummus with cucumber salad. BABA GANOUSH PLATE Baba with cucumber salad.

GRAPE LEAVES PLATE .................. $8.99 Eight stuffed vine leaves over cucumber salad. FOUL MUDAMMAS PLATE .......... $8.99 Fava bean served with cucumber salad. TABOULI PLATE ..................................... $8.99 Parsley salad served with cucumber salad. VEGGIE COMBO PLATE ................. $8.99 Tabouli, hummus, baba, two balls of falafel, cucumber salad.

Veggie Rollup

All rollups served on a pita bread w/ lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions & tahini sauce.

TABOULI ROLLUP ....................................... $7.50 Parsley salad w/onions, tomato, crack wheat, lemon juice, olive oil & Arabic spices. FALAFEL ROLLUPS ............................ $7.50 Ground chic peas with vegetables & Arabic spices, deep fried. HUMMUS ROLLUP ...................................... $7.50 Cooked chic peas, mashed with tahini & Arabic spices. BABA GANOUSH ROLLUP ........... $7.50 Smoky eggplant mashed with tahini sauce & Arabic spices. GRAPE LEAVES ROLLUP ............... $7.50 Vegetarian vine leaves, stuffed with rice & Arabic spices. FOUL MUDAMMAS ROLLUP ..... $7.50 Fava beans w/parsley, onions, lemon juice, olive oil & Arabic spices.

Shawarma & Kabob Rollups

All rollups come wrapped on pita bread with garlic paste, tomatoes, pickles, onions & tahini sauce.

LAMB SHAWARMA ROLLUP $10.50 Authentic rotisserie (mixed lamb & beef), thinly sliced. CHICKEN SHAWARMA ROLLUP $9.50 Mix of chicken breast & thighs rotisserie, thinly sliced. SHAWRAMA ROLLUP MIX ....... $11.50 Mix of chicken shawarma & lamb shawarma. Skewer of grilled lamb.

LAMB KABOB ROLLUP ................ $11.50 CHICKEN KABOB ROLLUP ....... $9.99 Skewer of grilled chicken breast. KAFTA KABOB ROLLUP .............. $11.50 Skewer of grilled ground beef & vegetables. Skewer of grilled salmon.

FISH KABOB ROLLUP ................... $12.50 KABDA ROLL-UP ................................. $9.99 Beef liver thinly sliced marinated with vinegar & spices.

Shawarma & Kabob Plates

All plates served over rice and cucumber salad.

LAMB SHAWARMA PLATE ........... $13.50 Thinly sliced rotisserie lamb and beef mix over rice and cucumber salad.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA PLATE . $12.50 Thinly sliced rotisserie chicken over rice and cucumber salad.

SHAWRAMA MIX PLATE ................ $14.50 Mix of lamb shawarma & chicken shawarma over rice & cucumber salad.

LAMB KABOB PLATE ......................... $14.99 Two lamb skewers & a veggie skewer over rice, cucumber salad.

CHICKEN KABOB PLATE ................ $13.50 Two chicken skewers and a veggie skewer over rice & cucumber salad.

KAFTA KABOB PLATE ....................... $13.50 Two skewers of grilled ground beef over rice and cucumber salad.

FISH KABOB PLATE ............................ $14.99 Two skewers of grilled salmon over rice, and cucumber salad.

KABOB PARTY PLATTER MIX .. $44.99 Two skewer of chicken kabob, two skewer of kafta kabob, one skewer of fish kabob & one skewer of lamb kabob, served w/ side of hummus, side of tahini, side of garlic paste & extra pita bread.

KABDA PLATE ............................................. $11.99 Beef liver thinly sliced over rice pilaf & cucumber salad, it comes w/ pita bread, side of tahini sauce & side of hot sauce.

*Steak add $5 per person

Fiesta Tonatico for 10 $150 Fiesta Tonatico for 15 $220

*Steak add $5 per person

Fiesta Ixtapan for 10 $150 Fiesta Ixtapan for 15 $220

*Shrimp add $9 per person *Tofu add $5 per person

*Steak add $5 per person

Mexican Rice, Beans (vegetarian), José’s chips and salsa, Guacamole, Sour cream Garden salad Choose one Torta form each group. All wrapped individually! Mix and Match • Torteria for 10 $120 • Torteria for 15 $140 • Torteria for 20 $220 • Torteria for 50 $575

Tortas Grupo 2: Tortas Grupo 1: • Chavo (Pork Ham) • Norteña (steak ) • Michoacana • Pollo Campesina • Vegetariana California (Pork Carnitas)

Fiesta Jose’s Torteria

PLEASE NOTE: Utensils additional $1.50 per person

DELIVERY FROM OUR RESTAURANT MENU THROUGH

• •

Mexican Rice, Beans (vegetarian), José’s chips and salsa, Guacamole, Sour cream, Garden salad

Tacos: Soft flour tortilla with ground beef, chicken, or beans, served with cheese, lettuce, tomato and salsas verde, pico de gallo, and bandera. Quesadillas: Crisp flour tortilla stuffed with cheese, beef and cheese, or chicken and cheese, folded and grilled.

FIESTA IXTAPAN DE LA SAL

• •

Mexican Rice, Beans (vegetarian) José’s chips and salsa, Guacamole, Sour cream, Garden salad

Mexican Rice, Beans (vegetarian) José’s chips and salsa, Guacamole, Sour cream, Garden salad • Fiesta Las Lomas for 10 $225 • Fiesta Las Lomas for 15 $310 • Fiesta Las Lomas for 20 $420 • Fiesta Las Lomas for 50 $900

Choice of one: Tacos, Enchiladas, or Quesadillas. Chicken fajitas: Marinated strips of chicken grilled with fresh bell peppers and onions, served with quacamole, sour cream, salsa, beans, and hot flour or corn tortillas .

FIESTA LAS LOMAS

Facebook/Josesmex

Corporate Catering ● Weddings ● Birthday Parties Lunch ‐ Dinner Email US: JOSES@JOSESMEX.COM

Visit our website www.josesmex.com

Phone: 617‐354‐0335 Fax: 617‐354‐3000 Catering: 617‐922‐4704

131 Sherman St., North of Cambridge

North of The Charles, South of The Border

CATERING MENU

With one of José’s Fiesta Combos you can easily order a great mix of entrees complete with sides, sure to please everyone!

Tacos: Soft flour tortilla with ground beef, chicken, or beans, served with cheese, lettuce, tomato and salsas verde, pico de gallo, and bandera. Enchiladas: Soft corn tortilla wrapped around chicken or beef and cheese, or cheese alone, with your choice of salsa verde, mole, salsa adobado, mole verde or cheese.

FIESTA TONATICO

JOSE’S FIESTA COMBOS

JOSÉ’S FAMOUS FAJITAS Marinated strips of steak, chicken, shrimp, or a combination of all, grilled with fresh bell peppers and onions. Served with guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and hot corn and flour tortillas for your guests to assemble.

• • Fajitas for 6 (18 tortillas) $90 Fajitas for 12 (36 tortillas) $70 *Steak add $5 per person

QUESADILLAS Crisp flour tortilla sutffed with your choice of filling and cheese, then folded and grilled. Choose from spinach and cheese, chicken, pork chorizo, or shredded beef filling. Quesadillas for 6 (6 pieces) $60 Quesadillas for 12 (12 pieces) $115

• • FLAUTAS Crispy corn tortillas stuffed with your choices of filling and then folded and grilled. Filling options include: papas (potatoes), chicken, pork chorizo, and shredded beef. Topped with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and queso fresco (Mexican cheese.) Flautas for 6 (20 Flautas) $65 Flautas for 12 (36 Flautas) $120

• •

ENCHILADAS

Enchiladas for 6 (20 enchiladas) $75 Enchiladas for 12 (30 enchiladas) $130 Steak add $3 per person Shrimp add $5 per person Fish add $7 per person

Choose Sauce: Tomatillo, Red Sauce, Mole, Mexican Flag.

Soft corn tortillas are wrapped around the fillings of your choice: spinach and cheese, pork chorizo, shredded chicken, shredded or ground beef, steak, shrimp or fish.

• • • • •

BURRITOS Choose from a variety of fillings for a platter of our delicious burritos, each wrapped in a 12‐ inch flour tortilla: fajita veggie (with zucchini and mushrooms), pork chorizo, chicken, shredded or ground beef, steak, shrimp, or fish:

• Burritos for 6 (6 burritos) $66 • Burritos for 12 (12 burritos) $120 ** Steak add $3 per person, shrimp or fish add $5 per person GUACAMOLE Guacamole for 5 $15 Guacamole for 10 $25 Guacamole for 15 $40

Fresh avocado, tomato, onion, cilantro, lemon.

• • • JOSÉ’S SALSA BAR

Salsa bar for 6 $30 Salsa bar for 12 $55

The salsa bar includes chips accompanied by Salsa Verde (hot), Salsa Bandera (mild to medium), and Pico de Gallo (medium to hot)

• •

DOÑA REYNA'S CHILES RELLENOS

Chiles Rellenos for 6 (10 Chiles) $75 Chiles Rellenos for 12 (20) $140 * Steak add $5 per person

Poblano peppers are stuffed, batter dipped and pan fried, served with salsa verde or a traditional sauce of tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings. Filling choices: cheese, chicken, shredded or ground beef, and steak.

• •

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATRONAGE! DELIVERY FROM OUR RESTAURANT MENU THROUGH

DOÑA REYNA’S TAMALES

Tamales for 6 (15 Tamales) $60 Tamales for 12 (30 Tamales) $110

Tender tamales steamed in corn husks, served with your choice of tomatillo sauce, mole sauce, adobe sauce or chipotle sauce. Choose from veggie poblano pepper and cheese (medium), chicken, pork or shredded beef fillings.

• •

DRINKS $2.50 Coke, Diet Coke, Ginger Ale, Sprite, Root Beer (in cans), Bottle Spring Water. Jarritos $4 Jumex $4 Horchata $5 (Jarritos, Jumex and Horchatas are bottled; you will need an opener)

SIDES

Side orders serve six people: Mexican Rice $25 Black Beans $30 Refried Beans $30 Chipotle Refried Beans $40 Chorizo Refried Beans $45 Salad with house dressing $25 Salsa bandera $15 Mole sauce $15 Adobo sauce $15 Chipotle sauce $15 Sour cream $5.95 Jalapeños $4.95 Pico de Gallo $15

• • • • • • • • • • • •

DESSERTS (Per Person) Caramel Custard Flan $5 Sopapilla $2.50 each Mini Churros $1 2‐inches long

• • •

Burritos

$7.50 $7.50 $7.50 $7.50 $7.50 $8.50

$8.00 $8.50 $3.50 $4.00 $3.50 $5.50 $1.00 $6.50 $6.50 $3.50

$6.00 $4.00 $3.50 $5.00

$1.00 $2.80 $2.50 $2.00

LATIN AMERICAN FOOD ALSO AVAILABLE

Fried Dough (mini) Homemade Cake Gelato / Ice Cream Tiramisu

Desserts

Canned Soda 2 Lt. Soda Energy Drinks Juices

Beverages

Add Sauce $0.50 (Buffalo, BBQ, Caribbean BBQ)

Chicken Tenders (5) Chicken Wings (7) French Fries Spicy French Fries Garlic Bread Garlic Knots (8) Add filling Mozzarella Sticks Nachos Onion Rings

Side Orders

*Chicken Parmigiana Italian Homemade sausage Steak & Cheese Beacon BLT Steak & Cheese Bomb

Subs

$4.50

Soup of the Day

$7.00

Quesadilla

*Chicken, Pork, or Beef $7.50

*Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish, or eggs may increase risk of foodborne illness. Before placing your order, please inform your server if any person in your party has a food allergy.

SUNDAY – THURSDAY 10 A.M. – 11 P.M. FRIDAY – SATURDAY 10 A.M. – 12 A.M.

HOURS:

WE DELIVER

147 BEACON STREET, SOMERVILLE 617-868-6100 BEACONSTPIZZA.COM

Vegan options available!

$7.00 $7.50 $7.50 $8.00 $7.00 $5.00 $2.00 $2.00 $8.00 $12.00 $10.00 $12.00 $11.00 $14.00 $4.00 $5.00

$6.00 $5.50 $7.50 $8.50

NEW MENU ITEMS! Breakfast Pizza Peppers, mushrooms, ham or bacon & egg w/home fries Western omelette Green & red peppers, bacon & cheese w/ garlic bread & home fries Huevos rancheros Eggs, beans, cheese, pico & corn tortillas Paisa breakfast Scrambled eggs, chorizo, arepa Chuzos Columbian skewers w/ arepa & potato Tamales Pork or Chicken Empanadas Beef, chicken or veggies Arepas w/ cheese Sandwich Cubano Pabellón criollo Rice, beans, sweet plantains Milanesa Chicken, beef or pork w/ fries Carne asada Beef, chicken or pork w/ fries, rice & beans Arroz con pollo w/egg & sweet plantains Plato montañero Beef, pork (chicharron), chorizo, arepa, egg, rice beans & sweet plantains Homemade cake Tiramisu

Salads Caesar Garden Greek *Grilled Chicken

Dressings

Balsamic, Blue Cheese, Caesar, Greek, Italian

$7.00 $8.00 $9.00 $9.00 $9.00 $12.00

Pasta Dinners w/Marinara Eggplant Parm Meatballs *Chicken Parm Primavera Seafood

Pizza & Calzones

Vegan Cheese

Toppings

SMALL: $1.50 EACH LARGE: $2.00 EACH XL: $2.50 EACH

Cheese

SMALL (12”): $12.00 LARGE (16”): $16.00 XL (18”): $21.00

Meats

SMALL (12”): $8.00 LARGE (16”): $11.00 XL (18”): $14.00

Veggies

Ham Bacon BBQ Pork *BBQ Chicken *Buffalo Chicken Homemade Chorizo Meatballs Homemade Sausage Pepperoni Salami Prosciutto Seafood Anchovies Calamari Shrimp

Seafood

Cheeses

Blue Bufala Mozzarella Feta Goat Gorgonzola Ricotta Vegan

Artichokes Banana Peppers Fresh Basil Green or Red Peppers Jalapeno Peppers Broccoli Breaded Eggplant Potatoes Fresh, Roasted Garlic Scallions Caramelized Onions Button Mushrooms Portobello Mushrooms Sweet Corn Tomatoes Pesto Vegan Sausage

Beacon St. “Gourmet Pizzas”

Indicates a vegan item.

Garlic butter, cheddar, feta, mozzarella, parmesan, and ricotta

White Roman

Broccoli, mushrooms, onions, red peppers, green peppers, tomato, and black olives

Vegetarian

Pork or *chicken, chorizo, banana peppers, green peppers, red peppers, jalapeño peppers, and onion

Mexican

Pesto, feta cheese, tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, olives, and onions

Mediterranean

SMALL: $11.50 • LARGE: $17.50 • EXTRA LARGE: $20.00 ADD $1.00 FOR HALF AND HALF PIZZA

Brazilian

Tomatoes corn, *chicken, bacon, green olives, and onions

Buffalo Chicken Blue cheese sauce and buffalo *chicken

Carnivora

Pepperoni, meatballs, homemade sausage, salami, and chorizo (Small $12.00, Large $18.00, XL $21.00)

Hawaiian

Ham, Pineapple, cheese, and homemade sausage

Margarita

Garlic, plum tomatoes, fresh basil, and mozzarella di bufala

*We use Halal Chicken.

CALENDAR

JANUARY 17-19 | ENTERTAINMENT

Photo by Dylan Ladds.

BOSTON CELTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL Varying times; $10 to $45 47 Palmer St., Cambridge The historic Club Passim is once again presenting the annual Boston Celtic Music Festival, taking place across Club Passim, The Sinclair, and The Atrium. Ticket prices vary based on which events are attended, and whether or not buyers are Club Passim members. For more information, visit passim.org.

FEBRUARY 2 | ART

Photo courtesy of Amy Stein.

JANUARY 18 | EDUCATION

ROBIN DIANGELO ON WHITE FRIGALITY 1 to 3 p.m.; Free 449 Broadway, Cambridge Join celebrated academic and author Robin DiAngelo in the lecture hall at Cambridge Public Library as she talks about her critically acclaimed book “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism.” According to the event listing at CPL, “This talk will … provide the perspectives and skills needed for white people to build their racial stamina and develop more equitable and just racial norms and practices.”

FEBRUARY 2 | ART

Photo courtesy of Somerville Public Library.

Photo courtesy of Lisa Cohen.

Photo courtesy of Art Battle Boston.

Photo by Nicolle Renick.

JANUARY 29 | ENTERTAINMENT

Photo courtesy of Board Game Speed Dating.

BOARD GAME SPEED DATING 7 to 9 p.m.; $25 1 Kendall Sq., Cambridge Kill two birds with one stone at The Friendly Toast: Play some of your favorite classic board games, while finding your perfect match just in time for Valentine’s Day. Every date a dud? At least you will be known as the best Monopoly player in Cambridge, and you’ve gotten to taste some great food.

HOME COFFEE BREWING SCIENCE 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; $25 100 Kirkland St., Cambridge Coffee fanatics, rejoice! Taste three masterfully brewed cups of joe at Broadsheet Coffee Roasters, and then choose your favorite to practice brewing techniques with. Learn about common mistakes people make when brewing coffee at home, and how to avoid them.

FEBRUARY 8 | EDUCATION

JANUARY 26 | ART

ART BATTLE BOSTON 13 to 6 p.m.; $15 to $20 14 Tyler St., Somerville Watch colors fly at this fast-paced, threeround event in which artists battle it out to see who can paint with some serious speed. Help determine the winner, and maybe even walk home with a work of art after the auction happening at the end of the day. Get $5 off general admission price when you buy an early bird ticket online.

GETTING COZY @ THE LIBRARY 2 to 4 p.m.; Free 79 Highland Ave., Somerville Come craft at the Somerville Public Library’s hygge-inspired program that’s all about getting comfortable and relaxing during the colder months. Craft materials are provided, sipping cocoa is encouraged. This program is for adults only.

FEBRUARY 3 | FOOD & DRINK

JANUARY 19 | ART

HEADSHOTS AT BOW MARKET 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; $80 1 Bow Market Way, Somerville Whether you need a new LinkedIn shot, an album cover, or something to tie your Etsy page together, The Canopy Room at Bow Market is the one-stop shop for all of your headshot needs. Props are encouraged. Sign up for a 30-minute time slot online, and you’ll leave with 6 of your favorite photos, which you can pick from a gallery of 30 to 60.

BACKYARD BUNDLES WORKSHOP 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; $150 259 Highland Ave., Somerville The Craftwork event listing reads: “We are surrounded with dyestuff! Flowers, sticks, seeds, leaves, rusty bits and avocado pits.” Harness the beauty of the things that usually go to waste with this day-long workshop, which includes all materials and a midday lunch break. Students are encouraged to bring a textile or article of clothing to dye.

WINTER BIRD WALK 8 to 9:30 a.m.; $12 580 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge While winter may not seem like the ideal time to go on a bird walk, it’s actually great for getting to know the year-round birds of the city. It’s also easier to catch glimpses of our feathered friends without the foliage on the trees. This guided program is free to members of Friends of Mount Auburn; otherwise, tickets are required. Preregistration required for all.

FEBRUARY 10 | ENTERTAINMENT

Flyer courtesy of SPL.

SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY BOOK CLUB 7 to 8 p.m.; Free 79 Highland Ave., Somerville New members are always welcome at the Somerville Public Library’s monthly book club for fans of speculative fiction. Participate in lively debates, get a recommendation for a new read, and maybe even make some friends who share your love of Lovecraft. Each month is devoted to a different book.

scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 37

Please consider shopping with these and other Scout sponsors.

SHOPPING DIRECTORY

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

PORTER SQUARE BOOKS

TEAM JEN & LYNN

LEONE’S SUB AND PIZZA

25 White St., Cambridge 617-491-2220, portersquarebooks.com Porter Square Books is your fiercely independent source for great books, magazines, fun gifts and more.

HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY

REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Lynn 617-216-5244, Jen 617-943-9581

292 Broadway, Somerville 617-776-2511, leonessubandpizza.com Pizza and subs fit for a king since 1954. Now being delivered by Dash!

TeamJenandLynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com

Bringing our expertise and good humor to help you find a perfect home or say good-bye to your old one.

MIKE’S FOOD & SPIRITS

DR. KATIE TALMO, D.M.D.

180 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-864-6111 Dr. Talmo provides a personalize approach to dental care. Come enjoy a comfortable dental experience in her newly renovated office space.

BLISS BRAIN

617-905-5232, irenebremis.com irenebremis@gmail.com Real Estate Consulting, Listing, Marketing, Sales & Rental Specialist. iBremis Realty, Inc. powered by LAER.

~ $1,495,000 This is a very rare opportunity to own a single family home with garage on one of the largest lots in Davis Square . The Victorian-era house has 4 bedrooms and one and a half baths on two levels. The detached garage

OPA GREEK YEEROS

the Morrison Ave. and Grove St., is the very large, open, level yard. Owned by the same family since 1955, this unspoiled home is ready for a new family to make their own updates and memories.

378 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-718-2900, opayeeros.com Lovely Agassiz 2 bedroom/2 bath condo with private porch on a pleasant side street between Harvard and Porter Squares. Near great shops, restaurants, and Harvard campus. Authentic Greek cuisine and a lively ~ $349,000 Expanding soon! Roomy Ten Hills 2 bedroom/1 bath atmosphere. condo with charming details, reonvated kitchen, parking, ~ $519,000

and storage.

64 Union Square, Somerville 617-821-5560, bliss-brain.com Learn how to utilize your brain’s natural neuroplastic abilities to create the life you strive for through NeuroSculpting and meditation.

IRENE BREMIS THE IBREMIS TEAM

9Prices Davis Square, Somerville are already up quite a bit over 2013, which was the strongest market in years. More inventory has 617-628-2379, mikesondavis.com started to appear, but it is still not enough to satisfy demand. Consequently, prices should continue to Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Burgers and rise in 2014. more! Dine in our casual Please call us for more information on thedining market, room or to get a sense of the current value of your home. open to~Thalia, DavisTodd,Square or watch Niké, Jennifer, and Lynn a Our New Listings game at the bar!

Jennifer Rose

Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com

Lynn C. Gr aham

Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com

~ $229,000

CambridgeRealEstate.com 617-733-8937, cc@compass.com Helping You Buy the Right Home and Sell for the Best Price in Cambridge and Somerville, MA.

Near Medford Sq., this 1 bedroom/ 1 1/2 bath condo is in an elevator building with parking.

Coming Soon

LA POSADA RESTAURANT

In the heart of Davis Sq., this 2 bedroom/1 bath condo in a brick building has a parking space.

505 Medford St., Somerville 617-776-2049, laposadasomerville.com Renovated 1 bedroom/1 bath near Prospect Hill with central air, in-unit laundry, private porch, Somerville’s spot for delicious, and shared yard. hand-crafted Latin American cuisine. Equidistant from Davis and Porter Squares, this 3 bedroom/1.5 bath condo on two levels has in-unit laundry, 2 porches, private yard, and exclusive driveway for 3 cars.

MASSACHUSETTS FOOT & ANKLE SPECIALISTS

Dr. Pasquale Cancelliere 53 Main Street, Somerville 617-629-2806, candriafas.com Board Certified, Fellowship Trained Podiatrist

CHARLES CHERNEY REALTOR AT COMPASS

MASS AVE DINER

906 Mass. Ave., Cambridge 617-864-5301, massavediner.com Since 2010 Serving Killer Brunch and Diner Fare. Now Open Late and Serving Craft Beer and Wine!

THALIA TRINGO & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE

617-616-5091, thaliatringorealestate.com

Our agents strive to make your experience of buying and selling as smooth as possible. From start to finish, we are here to help you. Free classes.

ERIK HOOK, REALTOR®

617-461-4691, erik.hook@compass.com Servicing Greater Somerville, Boston, and Cambridge, Erik is committed to trustworthy, personalized, and responsive service for his clients.

SU PPORT LOCAL MEDIA. J OIN T HESE A DVE RTIS ING PARTNE R S ! Contact Holli at hbanks@scoutmagazines.com

38 Then & Now | scoutcambridge.com

DO-GOODERS, KEY PLAYERS & GAME CHANGERS

DO-GOODERS, KEY PLAYERS, AND GAME CHANGERS

CAMBRIDGE YWCA

ody, mind and spirit are the three pillars of the United States YWCA— the institution’s original logo is composed of a triangle with its sides representing these facets of its services. In Cambridge in particular, the YWCA has strived to support underprivileged women and families since its founding 128 years ago. For most of the YWCA’s history, it has provided housing, as well as educational and emotional support services, for local women. The organization also provides an exercise space; these spaces are occupied primarily through commercial tenants, who in turn offer various exercise and fitness programs. Housing options are concentrated within two properties: in-house accommodations at Tanner Residence and Renae’s Place for Homeless Families. Tanner Photo by Sasha Pedro.

BY ELIE LEVINE

Residence—a long-term living solution—has 103 units of singleroom occupancy housing for women who have experienced trauma. Some women live there for upwards of 10 years. Tanner has staff on call at all hours. The YWCA also has private rooms at a market rate of $750. “That’s definitely more for women who have come here from out of town and are starting over and need a stepping-stone place,” Whitney Mooney, the fund development manager, explains. Renae’s Place, located at a separate site in Central Square that the YWCA began leasing from the city in 2018, provides living space for 10 homeless families at a time. Clients arrive there on a referral basis. Families are required to work in job-training programs or volunteer. They also work regularly with a case manager to improve their situations. “The whole idea is to help

them to create an environment in which they can build life skills that will keep them from being homeless in the future,” MartinBlythe explains. “It’s long-term planning, long-term education.” A need for housing in Cambridge has stayed consistent throughout the past 100 years. “What’s beautiful about the YWCA is that we’re very much a bottom-up organization,” Martin-Blythe says. “We respond to the needs of the community. We’ve provided housing from day one because the community has needed us to provide housing from day one.” A number of factors impact the rise of homelessness and poverty in Cambridge, including exorbitant housing costs, layoffs in the workplace, and an economy in which staying afloat remains difficult. “There are middle-class families who are one step away

from homelessness,” MartinBlythe says. Fulfilling a need for housing helps the YWCA work towards its stated mission of eliminating racism and empowering women. “Stable housing and supportive housing is a means of empowerment. The reality is ... if you’re homeless, everything else becomes secondary,” MartinBlythe says. The organization also recognizes that empowered girls become empowered women. Girlx Only Leadership Development (GOLD) is the YWCA’s training program for girlx—a spelling changed this year from “girls” to signify the program’s embrace of nonbinary individuals. Initially conceptualized by former Cambridge Mayor Denise Simmons, the YWCA took over the program five years ago. GOLD, which focuses on seventh- and eighth-grade girlx transitioning to high school, provides them support through adult mentors, as well as peer mentors who have graduated from the program. Programming emphasizes experiential learning. This year, the GOLD cohort has been to the Cancer Research Center at MIT, completed a scavenger hunt at the Museum of Science, participated in programs to develop acting and writing skills, and learned about financial literacy. Trainings cover health, self esteem, sexuality, and healthy relationships. A Career Night each year encourages participants to think about their futures and introduces them to successful women. Social justice is also a priority for the YWCA. The annual, national “Stand Against Racism” event is a two- or three-day symposium rife with trainings and workshops. Last year’s focused on immigration issues with a special focus on services available to undocumented immigrants in the Cambridge area. Women’s issues are important to the YWCA as well, and “anytime there’s a women’s issue, it affects black women and women of color even more,” Whitney explains. The YWCA advocates for abortion access and provides free menstrual products for all women who participate in its programs. scoutcambridge.com | Then & Now 39