New Listings
Best Real Estate Agency
156 Ivy Street, Brookline $6,350,000
This stunning historic Early Gothic Revival (c. 1851) single family sits on 8/10 acre and abuts conservation land in the Cottage Farm neighborhood, yet it is within walking distance of Fenway Park and Cambridge. 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. Walk to Green Line B, C, and D trains as well as major hospitals and BU campus.
12 Spencer Avenue Unit 2, Somerville $949,000
A quick walk to both Davis and Porter Squares, this spacious 2-level condo has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, private front porch and back deck, in-unit laundry, large private basement storage area, and shared yard.
45 Tennyson Street, Somerville $1,495,000
Beautifully renovated but retaining its notable historical detail, this Winter Hill Italianate has 4 bedrooms, 3 full and 2 half baths, fireplace, high ceilings, cupola with sweeping views, rear deck off kitchen, fenced yard, and double-width driveway for 4 cars.
Best Real Estate Agent
24 Marshall Street, Unit 1 Somerville $799,000
Lovely contemporary TH with 3 beds, 2.5 baths, central air, and garage parking in the heart of Winter Hill. Three living levels with oak floors. Open layout on the first floor. Two bedrooms, full bath, and laundry on second level. Entire top floor is a stunning master suite with vaulted ceilings, fire place, skylit master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower. Pet friendly association.
9 Auburn Avenue Unit 1, Somerville $349,000
Charming 1-bedroom, 1-bath condo with an off-street parking space on a cul-de-sac in East Somerville. Exclusive garden area, patio, and laundry/storage in basement; shared front porch.
Upcoming Events Somerville PorchFest saturday, may 11th
Enjoy free music outdoors on porches throughout Somerville between 12-6pm. Go to somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/2019 to view bands and locations across the city. Our office will be hosting The Sorry Honeys from 12-2pm in our driveway at 128 Willow Ave., next to the bike path. Stop by!
Coming Soon
Thalia Tringo
125 Montgomery Street Unit 2, Cambridge Lovely 2nd floor condo in a classic 3-decker with 3-beds, 2-bathes, 2 private porches, and 1 unobstructed parking space.
30 Bromfield Road Unit 2, Somerville Bright, beautiful Powderhouse neighborhood condo on upper 2 floors, with 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, and entire private driveway. Walk to Davis Square subway and shops, Tufts U., and 2 future GLX stations.
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
34 Camp Street Unit 1, Cambridge On the Cambridge/Somerville border, this sweet, inviting first floor 2-bedroom, 1-bath condo is steps to the bike path, Mass. Ave.,and Davis and Teele Squares. Private back porch and lovely shared yard. Private storage and laundry in basement.
131 Morrison Avenue Unit 1, Somerville Large, light-filled, renovated 1-bedroom on corner lot with exclusive garage and driveway space, private side porch, shared yard, and private basement laundry and storage.
Free Classes
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
First Time Home Buyers:
an overview of the buying process Thursday, May 30TH
Lynn C. Graham
6:30 – 7:45 pm
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.
How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time: for homeowners contemplating a move
Seth Kangley
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 315.382.2507 cell/text Seth@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Wednesday, June 5TH 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.
Reading the Clues:
Sarasvati Lynn
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.702.4751 cell/text Sarasvati@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
recognizing the history of your old house Hosted by Architectural Historian, Sally Zimmerman Monday, June 10TH
6:30 – 7:45 pm
If you are a new owner of an old house, you may be wondering about how it’s changed over time and how you might go about bringing back some of its better attributes. Learn to read the clues about how old houses are frequently modified and how to uncover the history of your old house to reveal its best features in an illustrated 45-minute lecture on understanding how old houses evolve and why preserving them matters with architectural historian Sally Zimmerman, followed by Q&A on your old house projects.
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.
Our Current Art Show:
Viktor Butko, Recent Paintings
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.
MAY 13 - JULY 7, 2019 ::: VOLUME 38 ::: SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 8 // WINNERS & LOSERS You now have to get a permit to remove a tree from private property and the city’s far behind on its car reduction goals. 9 // NEWS: COMMUNITY JUKEBOX CHOSEN AS PUBLIC ARTWORK FOR THE FOUNDRY The building will be “a public community space for art, entrepreneurship, technology and workforce education.”
22 VOICES OF THE CITY 14 // JETPAC PROMOTES MUSLIM REPRESENTATION IN POLITICS The nonprofit trains Muslim candidates using the strategies of former City Councilor Nadeem Mazen’s 2015 campaign and everevolving grassroot approaches. 16 // MY CITY, MY VOICE FOSTERS TEEN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION The program provides a space for teens affected by local violence to express themselves. 18 // COLLECTING OLD STORIES AT MIT PROVIDES MAP FOR THE FUTURE The university has a large collection of oral histories.
20 // SURVIVORS AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES THROUGH BARCC The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center helps survivors tell their stories. 22 // VOICES RISING CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF SINGING AND INCLUSIVITY Founded upon feminist principles, Voices Rising is designed to honor local lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and women’s communities. 24 // MEET THE MAYOR’S LEAD SPEECHWRITER Chief of Staff Wilford Durbin tells us what goes into the speechwriting process.
Photo, top: Voices Rising chorus. Photo by Sasha Pedro. Photo, bottom: Margery Resnick of MIT. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. On the cover: Nadeem Mazen. Photo courtesy of Jetpac.
18
10 // WHAT’S NEW? Porter Square Books is opening a second shop in an upcoming Seaport District literary center, plus the city has new strategies for addressing the opioid crisis. 30 // CALENDAR
Weekend Workshops coming in June Silkscreen Printing 101 With Boriana Kantcheva, Saturday, June 8th, 3-6pm Paint it Large – Keep it Fresh! With Emily Passman, Saturday, June 15th, 10am-3pm
Your donations support our neighbors in need and keep clothing, shoes, and accessories out of local landfills. Find a clothing drive or donation location at
www.secondchances.org
Send us a postcard! An expansive artists postcard show is coming to the Fay Chandler Gallery this summer. Postcards to Fay will open during Arts N’ Craft BREWS on 8/1. See our website for submission info. 20 Sacramento Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 www.MaudMorganArts.org | 617.349.6287 MMA is a program of Agassiz Baldwin Community
Clothing connecting community scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City
5
EDITOR’S NOTE
T
his issue is all about letting your voices shine. Your voices are what make this city what it is, from the leaders you elect to the art you create to the conversations you spark. Highlighting local voices is always one of our main goals at Scout, but it’s been rewarding to really zero in on that objective in this edition. Many of the stories in this issue are about people using their voices to create a sense of belonging and connection, like a project at MIT that gathers oral histories to honor the women who have attended the university and to inspire the women who study there now (p.18). Photo by Bernie Birnbaum. We learned about Jetpac, a nonprofit that helps Muslim candidates get elected and turn the dial on Muslim underrepresentation in our politics (p.14), and Voices Rising, a chorus for local LGBTQ and women’s communities (p.22). We turned to city leadership and asked Chief of Staff Wilford Durbin about what goes into writing the mayor’s speeches (p.24). We also profile projects that use the voice to help people overcome trauma: The Boston Area Rape Crisis Center’s Survivor Speakers Bureau empowers survivors to tell their stories and support other survivors (p.20), while My City, My Voice provides a safe, artistic space for teens affected by local violence (p.16). We loved putting this issue together, and hope you love reading it.
Reena Karasin Reena Karasin, Editor-in-Chief rkarasin@scoutmagazines.com
PUBLISHER Holli Banks hbanks@scoutmagazines.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reena Karasin rkarasin@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com SCOUT FELLOW Alyssa Vaughn avaughn@scoutmagazines.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sasha Pedro EDITORIAL INTERN Abbie Gruskin CONTRIBUTING WRITERS JM Lindsay, Joe Walsh, Sarah Robbins CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Adrianne Mathiowetz, Bryan Steele COPY EDITOR Joe Palandrani 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.
CORRECTION: In the What’s New section of the Environmental Issue, we mistakenly stated that Michael Schlow is the chef behind The Longfellow Bar. In fact, it is Michael Scelfo. Scout apologizes for this error. 6 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.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.
SAT / JUNE 1 / 11–6 CENTRAL SQUARE
(Along Mass Ave. between Prospect and Sidney and down Sidney to Pacific)
MORE INFO
cambridgeartscouncil.org
scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City
7
W&L
WINNERS
LOSERS
TREES We shouldn’t be losing much shade this summer. An amendment to the Tree Protection Ordinance, which restricts tree removal on private property, went into effect earlier this spring. A permit is now required to remove a “significant tree” (one that is at least eight inches in diameter) on private property, according to the city’s website. Permits will only be issued in highly limited circumstances, like if the tree is dead and dangerous, if it poses significant risk to a nearby structure, or if its removal could enhance the overall health of the tree canopy.
ANTI-CAR GOALS The city will almost certainly fall short of its 2020 goal of “reducing the ratio of cars owned by Cambridge residents by 15 percent from 1990 levels,” according to the Boston Globe. To meet this goal, citywide car ownership would need to drop to 0.8 cars per household—but the city is currently less than halfway there. Efforts so far have been focused on improving alternative modes of transit, with projects like creating bike infrastructure and bus-only lanes on city streets. What’s plan B? Vice Mayor Jan Devereux, who leads the City Council’s transportation initiatives, suggests eliminating the off-street parking requirements for new residences.
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIVENESS Nothing beats that warm, fuzzy, civically engaged feeling you get when a pothole you reported is filled or an overflowing trash can you complained about is emptied. Apparently, it’s a common feeling in these parts—SeeClickFix, the company that runs the Cambridge Connect app through which users can report nonemergency issues, named the Cambridge local government one of the top 10 most responsive in the country. Government responsiveness was measured by how many requests were closed per capita, and Cambridge managed to close over 10,000 during 2018. SOFRA BAKERY AND CAFE Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick’s wildly popular, off-the-beaten-path cafe has received some national accolades. Kilpatrick was nominated for the “Outstanding Baker” James Beard award, an award bestowed upon “a pastry chef or baker who demonstrates exceptional skill, integrity, and character in the preparation of desserts, pastries, or breads served in a retail bakery,” according to the James Beard Foundation’s website. While Sofra boasts an extensive menu, featuring meze, shawarma, and stuffed flatbreads, online reviewers rave about Kilpatrick’s baked goods— from dukkah macaroons to chocolate-hazelnut baklava to tahini shortbread.
NOT-SO-ETHICAL HARVARD GRADS Harvard has a notorious scammer to add to its alumni list. When news broke earlier this spring that wealthy parents had used an elaborate scheme to bribe their children’s way into college, Mark Riddell’s name was immediately tied to the scandal. A 36-year-old test prep coach, Riddell was allegedly touted to parents as the “best test-taker” who could “nail a score,” the Los Angeles Times reports. Riddell allegedly “helped” students with their exams in several different ways: sitting next to them and telling them the answers, correcting their answers once they finished their tests, and once, even going in to take the test in place of a student. There’s no doubt that Riddell has Harvard-level smarts—he didn’t have access to standardized test answers, but was simply skilled enough to get any score on demand. However, it’s probably safe to say that he’s not too dedicated to his alma mater’s motto of “veritas,” or truth. INNOCENT PEDESTRIANS Earlier this spring, local resident Kenda Carlson lived out a Cantabrigian nightmare: she was encircled and pecked by a rafter (that is: a group) of wild turkeys. Carlson’s story, outlined in the Boston Globe, is truly the stuff of horror movies, or at least the crazy animal video section of YouTube. She was eventually rescued by a neighbor wielding a broom. Experts say the attack was probably brought on because it’s turkey mating season, which means that turkeys may attempt to dominate or attack people who they view as subordinates. Their advice to avoid falling victim to a turkey attack? Speak loudly and carry a big stick. Or a big golf umbrella, as Carlson does now.
NEWS FROM THE NORTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the Voices of the City Issue of our sibling publication, Scout Somerville.
OPEN KITCHENS, OPEN CONVERSATIONS The Open Kitchens Project is a “community marketplace” akin to Sofar Sounds or Airbnb.
RADIO DRAMA SEES A REVIVAL IN DAVIS SQUARE Just as silent film stars used over-thetop physical movements and facial expressions, radio players use exaggerated intonations to establish tone and mood.
‘KEEP IT KIND. KEEP IT CREATIVE’ Somerville-raised rapper Forté tells us about his art and his home city.
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 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
—BY ALYSSA VAUGHN
NEWS
JOIN US FOR
BRUNCH, MIMOSAS & CRAFT BEERS Served 7 Days a Week
COMMUNITY JUKEBOX CHOSEN AS PUBLIC ARTWORK FOR THE FOUNDRY BY REENA KARASIN | PHOTO COURTESY OF ELISA HAMILTON
A
jukebox filled with community recordings will be the public art centerpiece for the Foundry building, a 37,500-square-foot space that the city is redeveloping into what Cambridge Arts describes as “a public community space for art, entrepreneurship, technology and workforce education.” The building, located at 101 Rogers St., is expected to open in 2021. Elisa H. Hamilton, who calls herself as a “socially engaged multimedia artist,” came up with the jukebox proposal after a brainstorming meeting with the Loop Lab—a music and podcast recording studio that helps underserved young people in the Port neighborhood learn about sound engineering, music production, and workforce development. Hamilton has worked in a variety of media, and says she reaches for whichever one best fits the issue she’s approaching with her art. She’s created several other interactive art installations before, including pop-up dance floors and a collaborative glass drawing. “My work has really become about bringing people together, about social issues, about
community,” she says. “I love creating interactive work.” Hamilton will team up with the Loop Lab to develop community recordings. She wants residents to drive the recordings’ content, and she’ll be doing significant community outreach to learn what people want in the jukebox. “It starts with community issues,” she says. “This summer, it’s about building infrastructure and it’s also about me getting out into the community and meeting people and saying, ‘This is happening,’ and asking people what stories they want to tell and what stories they want to hear. I have ideas, but this project isn’t about me, it’s about the Cambridge community. I want to hear from To open, please us at any of our 10 folks about whatvisit are the themes local banking centers. that people want to talkDetails about.”and hours canWhile be found at ecsb.com/locations. Hamilton is based on Boston, she grew up in East Arlington and has spent a lot of time in Cambridge. She credits the Porter Square T stop’s “Glove Cycle” as her first introduction to public art. Got ideas for Hamilton? She says anyone interested in contributing to the project can sign up for the Cambridge Arts email list to stay up-to-date on the project.
MVEASS
A
Best Diner
Diner
906 Massachusetts Ave • Central Square www.massavediner.com • (617) 864-5301
UPGRADE TO LOCAL Upgrade to East Cambridge Checking Our premium personal checking account features no monthly fees, pays interest, and reimburses every ATM fee in the country. To open, please visit us at any of our 10 local banking centers. Details and hours can be found at ecsb.com/locations.
Member FDIC | Member DIF
scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City
9
WHAT’S NEW
BY ALYSSA VAUGHN
BRAND NEW BITES collaboration with Sam Treadway of Somerville’s Backbar. EAST CAMBRIDGE
NEW SPOTS OPEN IN THE CAMBRIDGESIDE FOOD COURT
A true CambridgeSide shopping COMING MOVED spree can span hours, SOONand there will always come a point when you need to refuel. Fortunately, the mall takes its food court very seriously—this spring, two new options were added to the already-stacked list of fast food eateries, according to a press release. First, there’s Gong Cha, a bubble tea stand that offers a wide array of teas, fruits, and other mix-ins. Cosi, a salad and flatbread sandwich spot with other locations across Greater Boston, has also opened, offering mall-goers some healthier shopping sustenance. PORTER SQUARE
ITTOKU
HARVARD SQUARE
VEGGIE GRILL
COMING SOON
MOVED
O
ver a year after California chain Veggie Grill announced an expansion to the East Coast, the restaurant’s website has finally listed a summer opening date for its Harvard Square location, Eater Boston reports. Veggie Grill, which claims to be the largest vegan chain in the U.S., will bring salads, bowls, and sandwiches to the square. CEO Steve Heeley reportedly said this could be the first of many Veggie Grill locations across Greater Boston.
CENTRAL SQUARE
ALEPPO PALACE
Moody’s Falafel Palace has rebranded and reopened in its longtime Central Square spot, COMING MOVED Eater Boston reports. SOON Owner MK Seffo told Eater that the space has undergone a major renovation, and that the new name better reflects his story, as he is originally from Aleppo. However, while falafel has been cut from the restaurant’s name, 10 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
never fear: It certainly hasn’t been cut from the menu. Drop in any time between 7 a.m. and 3 a.m. (!) to sample Seffo’s classic Mediterranean fare. PORTER SQUARE
GUSTAZO CUBAN KITCHEN AND BAR
What better way to ring in warm weather than with ceviche COMING Cuban MOVED and cocktails? Gustazo SOON Kitchen and Bar is now offering
both—plus a wide menu of Cuban tapas—out of a polished, two-story space in Porter Square, Eater Boston reports. This is the restaurant’s second location, opening five years after its launch in Waltham. However, the former Elephant Walk space in Porter offers the team behind Gustazo an opportunity to build out their bar program. The Caribbeaninspired cocktail list, served at the restaurant’s upstairs and downstairs bars, was created in
COMING SOON
MOVED
COMING SOON
MOVED
An Allston-Brighton izakaya is making its way across the river, Eater Boston reports. Ittoku, a Japanese pub with crowd-drawing takoyaki, sushi, ramen, and yakitori, will uproot and move to Porter Square sometime in May or June, the restaurant’s manager told Eater. Ittoku’s concept will remain the same, but the team has teased that some menu changes are on the horizon. CENTRAL SQUARE
THE FARAWAY
Sisters Danielle Pattavina and Neela Ryan are combining their years of business and hospitality experience to open The Faraway, an upcoming bar bites and brunch spot, Eater Boston reports. Pattavina and Ryan raised over $20,000 on Kickstarter to offset some of their opening costs, like a new kitchen floor, tables and chairs, and a jukebox. The two aim to be open for business late this summer, and explain on their Kickstarter page that they hope to create a community spot.
Photo, top left, courtesy of Veggie Grill. Photo, top right, by Irina M. / IM Creative Photography.
CONSTRUCTION ZONES
PORTER SQUARE
PORTER SQUARE BOOKS EXPANDS
As Boston’s Seaport district makes plans to open a new literary center, it’s teaming up with one of Cambridge’s most beloved bookstores to anchor the project. Porter Square Books will expand outside of its eponymous home into this new development in the Seaport, along with literary nonprofits GrubStreet and Mass Poetry, Publishers Weekly reports. The complex will also house classrooms, offices, a cafe, and a performance space. While the bustling Seaport district is a far cry from the cozy Porter Square community, Porter Square Books co-owner David Sandberg says the team is up for the challenge of being the first local bookstore in the area. EAST CAMBRIDGE
MORE LUXURY APARTMENTS ON THE HORIZON
Developer Urban Spaces has begun construction on Kendall East, a new luxury apartment complex located across from CambridgeSide, the Cambridge Day reports. Kendall East, which developers hope will be available for renters in 2020, will contain 136 apartments across two buildings. A two-story underground parking garage and over 14,000 square feet of retail space are also included with the
project. Sixteen of the units will be designated as affordable, but developers have made it clear that the rest will cater to those willing to pay top dollar: “The demand for luxury apartments in East Cambridge has never been greater,” Paul Ognibene, chief executive of Urban Spaces, told the Day.
HERE FOR YOUR BUSINESS WHEN YOU NEED US MOST. Based in Quincy, Massachusetts since 1988, Arbella knows what it’s like to be a New England company.
www.clearyinsurance.com BOSTON • QUINCY • PEABODY
www.wccins.com SOMERVILLE
EAST CAMBRIDGE
SULLIVAN COURTHOUSE AND JAIL GETS A FACELIFT
The Sullivan Courthouse and jail, the 282-foot tall Brutalist structure that looms over East Cambridge, may soon be approved for a longawaited renovation, the Boston Globe reports. The tower, which has not been in use for over five years, has lately become a center of controversy: while developers are itching to makeover the imposing structure, local residents are calling for it to be torn down and replaced by a community space or affordable housing. Developer Leggat McCall wants to tone down the structure’s not-so-pretty concrete exterior and transform the building into office, retail, and open space. In a nod to community demands, the development would also include 24 apartments with affordable housing for low- to moderateincome tenants. The company has agreed to pay the city $33 million for the building, and if a deal to meet the parking requirement goes through, renovations could begin this fall.
Best Liquor Store
Best Liquor Store
DON’T DRINK AND LIGHT FIREWORKS YOUR NOSE HAIR THANKS YOU
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 | Voices of the City
11
WHAT’S NEW
CITY BEAT
COMMEMORATION OF WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE IS IN THE WORKS
A
committee will oversee the creation of a public monument honoring the local community’s role in the women’s suffrage movement, Curbed Boston reports. The effort to commemorate this historical moment was sparked last year by local teenager Sofia Bernstein and her mother, Kim. “It was shocking when I learned that in Cambridge we only have three statues that depict women, and none of them are real historical figures,” Sofia reportedly said at a city council meeting last year. “Symbols matter, especially to kids.” Both Sofia and her mother will be honorary members of the new committee. Officials hope that whatever commemoration is chosen will be in place by Aug. 26, 2020, the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
CYCLING SAFETY ORDINANCE IS ‘FIRST OF ITS KIND’ If you’ve been eyeing a new bike on Craigslist or delaying getting your tires pumped up, now is the time. The city demonstrated its commitment to safe biking with the passage of the Cycling Safety Ordinance earlier this spring, the Boston Globe reports. The ordinance gives sticking power to the Cambridge Bicycle Plan, a proposed network of protected bicycle lanes spanning 20 miles across the city. Under the ordinance, which has gained national attention as a “first of its kind” law, the city must add “permanent, separated bike lanes” when doing reconstruction on any of the roads identified in the plan. While this doesn’t mean every street that’s under construction in the city will get a bike lane, “It does move us forward to completing this network that we have been talking about for many, many years,” Mayor Marc McGovern told the Globe.
HARVARD HEALTH SERVICES MAY USE APP FOR MEDICAL ADVICE Sure, your phone can replace books, TV, and the radio—but 12 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
can it serve as a substitute for your doctor? Harvard’s Health Services announced this spring that it’s looking into testing an app that would allow students to diagnose their symptoms from their homes, saving them a trip to the campus health services center, the Harvard Crimson reports. Students who feel under the weather would be able to answer a series of questions on the app, which would then process their responses and offer a diagnosis. The university hopes this would cut down on traffic in the health center, allowing those who really need to see a doc faceto-face to get in faster.
PROPOSAL FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DISTRICT GOES TO HOUSING COMMITTEE Zoning and Development Director Jeff Roberts brought a proposal to the Housing Committee that called for a relaxation in zoning limitations for projects that create permanent affordable housing, the Cambridge Chronicle reports. Eighty percent of these units would be occupied by residents whose gross household income is no higher than 80 percent of the area median income. In the 2013-
17 American Community Survey, that was $67,962 for individual full-time workers and $118,376 for families. “This is a proposal that speaks to the lost middle, you know, people between 50 and 80 percent of median,” Susan Schlesinger, of the Affordable Housing Trust, told the Chronicle. “We’re losing people everyday.”
CITY CHARTS NEW PLANS TO ADDRESS OPIOID CRISIS
The city has seen more opioidrelated deaths than deaths related to traffic crashes and violent crimes in recent years, according to Police Commissioner Branville Bard, Jr. In response to the epidemic, the city released a report this spring recommending additional strategies for combating the opioid crisis, the Cambridge Chronicle reports. These strategies each fall within one of five categories: preventing death, coordination, public awareness, treatment, and reducing the supply of opioids. One long-term “preventing death” recommendation, for example, is the creation of safe injection sites, or places where users can consume drugs in a supervised environment and receive lifesaving care if they overdose. The
report also recommends shorterterm goals, like regular training programs on the administration of naloxone (Narcan) for everyone living and working in Cambridge, the establishment of an Engagement Service Center that would streamline the process of seeking treatment for substance abuse, and a public awareness campaign that emphasizes that addiction is an illness.
LEGAL DEFENSE FUND IN PLACE FOR IMMIGRANTS
Mayor Marc McGovern, together with the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) and Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, established the United Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants earlier this spring, according to a press release. The goal of the fund, the CCF’s website says, is to raise $500,000 for grants to support legal services for immigrants. “By unifying efforts to raise funds for the most vulnerable families in our community, we can help valued neighbors and stabilize families impacted by the stress and uncertainty of ongoing shifts in TPS and DACA status, and those seeking asylum,” CCF President Geeta Pradhan said in the release.
Photo, top left, by Derek Kouyoumjian. Photo, top right, by Adrianne Mathiowetz. Photo, bottom right, by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
CLOSING TIME
HARVARD/CENTRAL SQUARES
would go toward the truck and the installation of a commercial kitchen in their home.
Mass. Ave’s O2 Cambridge Wellness Center, comprised of O2 Yoga, VO2 Vegan Cafe,COMING and a SOON massage practice, closed its doors at the end of April. The husbandand-wife team behind the center, Steve Carpenter and Mimi Loureiro, underwent a traumatic year after losing one of their sons, Dylan, to a rare form of pediatric cancer last August. The weight of this tragedy, combined with a large rent increase scheduled for this May, led the family to choose to cease operations. However, the other O2 studio, located on Highland Avenue in Somerville, will live on.
HARVARD SQUARE
O2 YOGA
HARVARD/CENTRAL SQUARES
VO2 VEGAN CAFE
While VO2’s brick and mortar location closed COMING SOON along with the rest of the O2 center, founder Mimi Loureiro hopes it will be reborn as a food truck and catering business. “We want to continue to be a force for change in the world of plant-based eating,” Loureiro told Scout. “And I feel like I want to keep that going, and keep the people who have supported us involved.” Currently, the family is accepting donations via GoFundMe that
LF BOUTIQUE MOVED
Harvard fashionistas can’t catch a break: The Church Street location of LF Boutique is COMING the latest in a string of clothing SOON retailer closures in the square, the Harvard Crimson reports. “Free People, Urban Outfitters, American Apparel—they’re all gone,” Shannon Lebherz, the store’s former manager, told the Crimson. “Harvard Square is not a shopping destination anymore.” Decreased foot traffic to the Church Street area may also have been a factor in the store’s closure—the Harvard Square Business Association has noted that crowds in the area have ebbed since the 2012 closure of the Harvard Square Theater.
MOVED
MOVED
HAPPY
Father’s Day! B R I N G A PA R E N T ! 2 90-MIN FLOATS
$130
PORTER SQUARE
ROD DEE
A no-frills spot for Thai cuisine has shut COMING its doors, according SOON to Boston Restaurant Talk. Rod Dee was well known for its affordable prices and convenient location in the heart of Porter Square. To fulfill a craving for Rod Dee’s drunken noodles or panang curry, you can trek to the stilloperational outposts in Boston’s Fenway and Coolidge Corner.
MOVED
515 MEDFORD ST (MAGOUN SQUARE) • 844-44-FLOAT
FLOATBOSTON.COM/STORE
scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 13
VOICES OF THE CITY
Jetpac Gets Muslim Voices into Politics BY REENA KARASIN | PHOTOS COURTESY OF JETPAC
W
hen Nadeem Mazen ran for city council in 2013, he was elected by just six votes, becoming the state’s first Muslim city councilor. In 2015, he got more votes than any other candidate. His reelection strategy challenged general campaign wisdom. His team chose not to limit their focus to the fraction of the population that consistently votes. Instead, they ran a grassroots 14 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
campaign powered by personal interactions, reaching out to their Facebook networks individually and utilizing Instagram before it reached today’s massive popularity. The results were enormous: In addition to Mazen’s resounding reelection, the campaign also succeeded in tripling turnout from Muslim voters, according to the team. Usually campaign infrastructure is broken down
after an election, Shaun Kennedy, Mazen’s 2015 deputy campaign manager, explains. “2016, for instance, Hillary’s campaign built so much stuff from scratch—I’m talking analytics dashboards, all of the infrastructure that goes into a campaign,” he says. “And end of 2016, it gets broken down, and the next person that does it has to build it back up again. It’s this cycle of spinning resources and time, because there’s not a lot of
sharing around it.” The campaign staff decided to take a different approach: to try to replicate their success by supporting Muslim candidates running for any elected office all over the country. They became the team of Jetpac (Justice Education Technology Political Advocacy Center). The nonprofit trains Muslim candidates using the strategies of Mazen’s 2015 campaign and ever-evolving
networking, and making contact with people who don’t regularly vote. That process can also help to get minority voices involved in politics, Kennedy explains. “People are still really caught up with the idea that people who vote, vote and people who don’t vote won’t,” he says. “Even when I’m training someone who’s in the fellowship, they’ll go out and have a meeting with a consultant, who says, ‘No, you can only focus on this 10 percent of the population that has voted consistently in the last five elections that they were able to.’ They see it as a question of resources.” “It’s always an older crowd,” he adds of the group who
these silos—I think that social media increases that, I think that the polarization of our politics increases that—and the more we bridge those boundaries, the more likely we are to get people engaged and interested,” he says. Jetpac also trains candidates on how to deal with the Islamophobia they’ll inevitably face during their race. The Jetpac team experienced that challenge firsthand just after Mazen’s reelection, when Breitbart spread Islamophobic lies about him. One thing the campaign focused on was combating Breitbart’s successful search engine optimization by getting him coverage in other media,
“We figured, rather than make this about one man and break down everything that we’d built up, we would try and form an organization around it, scale it, and see who else we could teach to do the same thing.”
grassroot approaches. “We figured, rather than make this about one man and break down everything that we’d built up, we would try and form an organization around it, scale it, and see who else we could teach to do the same thing,” says Kennedy, who co-founded Jetpac with Mazen and serves as its executive director. Muslims are underrepresented in U.S. politics. Despite there being almost 3.5 million Muslims in the country, according to NPR, Jetpac reports that under 300 are elected officials. “American Muslims have been largely absent from politics,” the Jetpac website says. “We are now living with the consequences: lack of political representation, discriminatory policies, Islamophobic rhetoric, and a 600 percent increase in hate crimes against American Muslims since 2014.” The one-on-one training emphasizes the importance of digital engagement, peer-to-peer
consistently votes. “Almost invariably over 50, almost invariably white, almost invariably have lived in the city for a while. So what we’re doing speaks to a younger population, it speaks to newly registered voters, it’s talking to renters.” For the 33 candidates Jetpac has trained—13 of whom have won their races—making contact with non-voters has been enough to increase voter turnout, according to Kennedy, who says their margins of victory have corresponded with jumps in turnout. “So often we get caught in
pushing the Breitbart article back in Google results. “[Muslims are] the easy boogeyman of this generation,” Kennedy says. “Anyone who does want to rise to the challenge and run for office and challenge the status quo has to be ready. It’s about making sure that the narrative that they’re pushing doesn’t become your narrative as well. You can’t buy into it by getting defensive … you can’t be apologetic for perversions of Islam that have nothing to do with the real Islam.” “You’ve got to talk about what you’re really there to talk
about, which, for the most part, is the same issues that everyone else wants to talk about—it’s universal healthcare, it’s affordable housing,” he adds. “There’s this idea that there are American Muslim issues, and there’s not, there’s just American issues.” That’s something that Kennedy emphasizes: that American Muslims are a microcosm of the rest of the population in many ways, that they are more racially and economically diverse than they are perceived and that they face the same struggles as other Americans. Jetpac also brings civic education to teenagers. What started as an AP-accredited U.S. Government and Politics course has morphed into a weekend youth training program that helps promote “messaging against Islamophobia,” Kennedy explains. The program draws parallels between founding U.S. values, such as those written in the Constitution, and those of the Quran. “That, for me, is a counter narrative to the Islamophobia that they hear, because a lot of what is put out there by the alt-right is telling them that their faith is not congruent with being American,” Kennedy says. “We want to make sure that they are fully aware that what is being said about them is false, so that they’re able to have a good sense of identity.” Jetpac’s goal for the future is to open chapters in other states, while maintaining an emphasis on grassroots organizing. Kennedy envisions first chapters would be in places where they’ve already worked, such as Illinois, New Jersey, and Michigan, but they also aim to set up shop in more conservative parts of the country. “We want to break out of this fact where people maybe see, ‘Oh, you did it in Cambridge, but Cambridge is progressive,’ because we can do this anywhere,” Kennedy says. “It’s not just going to be elite, coastal, northern, progressive hubs.” For more information, call (626) 538-7221 or visit jet-pac.com.
scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 15
VOICES OF THE CITY
MY CITY, MY VOICE FOSTERS TEEN ARTISTIC EXPRESSION BY SARAH ROBBINS
“I
n the year 2222, Cambridge will be below sea level. Let’s reimagine what the Charles River area is going to be like.” That was one piece of inspiration behind last year’s artwork for My City, My Voice, a six-week teen summer arts program, according to Teen Program Director Kenny Mascary. We are sitting at a round table in a quiet-ish corner of the Gately Youth Center, but we can still hear the hum and chatter of teens and kids working on projects. Moments earlier, a young girl led me through the many rooms of the Youth Center (a two-story building on Rindge Avenue), including a computer lab, a “hang space” with a pool table, a weights room, an enormous gymnasium, and the arts and crafts room where most of the summer programming is held. It’s clear that I’ve crashlanded into a teenage dream turned reality. But back to the art. Director Robert Limbo began My City, My Voice (lovingly abbreviated “MCMV”) 12 years ago as an outlet for local teens. “It was a program that was designed to provide artistic options, and it was also tied in with a lot of community violence,” explains Mascary. MCMV provides a safe space for
teens affected by local violence to express themselves, and also helps steer teens who may engage in “toxic” behavior, as Mascary calls it, toward a positive pursuit. Every summer, they assemble 20 Cambridge teens to channel their energies through art. MCMV has done “a lot of healing work for the community, especially the young people,” says Mascary. And channel they do. Each summer, high schoolers create poetry, paintings, installations— you name it—all based around a single theme. “Last year, the theme was Afro-futurism and reimagining the City of Cambridge through the lens of Science Fiction, using the movie Black Panther,” explains Mascary. What does that mean? Based on the artwork displayed around the small arts and crafts room, it means self-portraits, collages, and poetry based on identity. “We’ve been pretty openended as far as the different things we’ve encouraged young people to produce,” Mascary says. It’s true—students are not told what to make or how to make it. In fact, they aren’t given much instruction at all. “All they really said for directions was present a piece of art that relates to the theme,” explains Tyler Melendez, a
Artwork, top, by Marsha Marcelin (photo by Sarah Robbins). Photo, bottom left, courtesy of MCMV. Artwork, bottom right, by Emilia Coker (photo by Sarah Robbins).
16 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
recent high school graduate who attended MCMV for the past five summers. That’s not to say MCMV doesn’t support their budding artists. Teens are paired with an adult mentor who specializes in the art form they’ve chosen, like Mascary, who is a DJ. Not only are teens exposed to multi-talented mentors, but they also get to engage with various types of art through their peers. “It was pretty cool to meet other artists like me,” says Melendez. “It was also great to see which forms of art they’re good at, because we’re all artists in different ways.” If there isn’t a mentor who specializes in a teen’s chosen medium, MCMV will find someone. “We say, ‘You’re telling your story, and whatever medium you’re most comfortable with sharing that story, we will provide you with that outlet,” Mascary promises. “If one of the people in this room is not capable of assisting you, I will find a partner or a colleague that has expertise.” For each project, the MCMV team uses their connections with local artists and educators to help
inspire and promote the teens’ works. And teens are a big part of that process. “We encourage young people and the staff to come up with partners or relationships that they have within the community that fits our theme,” Mascary says. “Last year, around Afrofuturism, we’re thinking about how can we work with MIT? How can we work with a fabric store that sells African print? How can we work with any Afrodiaspora restaurant?” You’d think by throwing students into the world with only the instruction ‘Make!’ disaster could ensue, but the works hanging in the arts and crafts room tell a different story. Mascary directs me to self-portrait collage a student created for the Afro-futurism theme, named the “Goddess of WaCambridge.” Her Afro is made from several magazine photo cutouts of different shades of hair, she has real jewelry attached to her face and ears, and wears actual fabric clothes. “It came from her trying to find her identity as a mixed child, who doesn’t have a relationship with her African
father,” Mascary says of the piece. “A lot of time she talks about the awkwardness when she enters a room with her mother, and no one ever believes that that’s her mom. The main indicator is her hair. She has beautiful curly hair and her mom’s hair is super straight. So she really had a weird relationship with loving her ’fro.” Mascary’s description of the artist’s process, as well as the meaning behind each shape and cutout, give a glimpse into the amount of work that goes into creating one of these pieces. “I’ve had people ask me for copies of this to be made so they can be printed,” he says with pride. As the themes change every year, so do the size and scope of the projects. In the past, students have created murals and community pieces, including a big map of the City of Cambridge in the youth center’s gym. At the end of each summer, the youth center hosts a showcase where teens present their work to parents, educators, partners, and peers from the community in an effort to help connect older people with young generations. “When we’re able to tap into sides of [teens] that people haven’t seen or they’re not aware of, it changes the way I’ve seen adults admire young people,” Mascary explains. After the showcase, Mascary says MCMV aims to “keep them alive in the center,” but also notes that pieces do end up in other spots, like youth centers around the city, or even as a centerpiece at the Youth Worker Conference. It seems fitting that these pieces would remain in the very communities and youth centers which inspired them. For MCMV, art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and is in fact a medium to serve a community and bridge divides. “Anybody can be an artist,” Mascary says. “And who we’re looking for, for My City, My Voice, are people who want to use themselves as a vessel to connect with other people.” For more information, call 617-349-6277. scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City
17
VOICES OF THE CITY
Collecting Old Stories at MIT Provides Map for the Future BY JM LINDSAY | PHOTO BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
W
hile MIT is mostly known for developments in mathematics and the hard sciences, the university’s libraries and special collections have an ever-expanding cache of oral histories, particularly about the institution itself. One collection documents the diverse experiences of women at MIT. Undergraduate students interview alumnae, and then transcripts of their conversations are submitted to the Margaret MacVicar Memorial AMITA Oral History Project, named for a physicist and MIT graduate who served as the Institute’s Dean of Undergraduate Studies. Margery Resnick, an associate professor of foreign languages and literature, has been the chair of the project since its inception in 1990. When she arrived at MIT in the late 1970s, she became housemaster of McCormick Hall, then the Institute’s only dorm for women. It was the namesake of that dormitory that 18 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
got her interested in women’s unique role at the school. “I was always interested in women’s and gender studies,” says the languages professor. “At that time, there were no co-ed dorms. So all the women at MIT were at McCormick Hall.” The hall was named for Katharine Dexter McCormick, an MIT graduate in biology. “It’s a very interesting story,” says Resnick. “They made her go to college for four years at Smith before she came here, so she already had a bachelor’s degree.” A wealthy suffragette, McCormick decided to fund research into the biological causes of mental illnesses when her husband became sick with schizophrenia. “This was the apogee of Freudian thought, so she had to fight to get him treated as if he had a medical disease,” Resnick explains. Later in life, McCormick dedicated her money to birth control development, figuring that unless women could control
when they could have children, they would never be able to control their own lives. “She didn’t trust men very much,” says Resnick, noting that it was McCormick who almost single-handedly funded the work of Gregory Pincus and Dr. John Rock, who invented the birth control pill in Worcester, Mass. in the middle of the 20th century. While McCormick passed away too early to have her own story included in the oral histories, the Institute does have a vast collection of her letters and interviews with people who knew her. “She wrote these incredible freshman essays about MIT men and how awful they were,” laughs Resnick. From that one story of an MIT graduate, Resnick wondered how many other stories of MIT women there must be. And that’s how the project was born. Funded entirely by the Association of MIT Alumnae, the Women’s Oral History Project serves three main functions, according to Resnick.
First, she wanted to know how women from the earlier days of MIT used their education, and whether they followed their undergraduate focus or not. “MIT women don’t always follow their fields,” Resnick says. “Some of them, because of conventions at the time, had to follow their husbands, but they still used their MIT educations to do really interesting things,” she adds, noting women who made breakthroughs in varied fields such as medicine and Central American potato farming. “Some of it is Cambridge history,” Resnick notes, pointing out an interview the project did with Marjorie Pierce, an architect
would participate in the project, and she said, ‘Why me?’” Through stories like those of Zarsky, who passed away in 1993, the interviewing students come to recognize behaviors of their own that are, in Resnick’s view, “silly ... like not acknowledging one’s expertise.” The third reason for the project was to get undergraduate women at MIT to meet older, accomplished women and encourage mentoring relationships. Resnick estimates that there will be between 85 and 90 oral histories in the collection by the end of the year, more than 50 of which are available online for free. To Resnick, the process of
“Some [women], because of conventions at the time, had to follow their husbands, but they still used their MIT educations to do really interesting things.” and 1922 MIT graduate. “She says in the oral interview that, had she stayed with the big architectural firms, she would’ve never gotten anywhere.” After opening her own office in Weston, Pierce went on to design more than 90 buildings all over Massachusetts, making her a good example of the impact many MIT graduates have had on the area. The second impetus for the project, Resnick says, was “to redress the lacuna in MIT’s history about women.” After clarifying that “lacuna” is a fancy word for “void” or “gap,” Resnick explains that, though there are many reasons for MIT’s history to sometimes have an exclusionary tilt, one of the problems she wants to combat is a tendency among some women not to take ownership of their own success. “A student named Rellen Hardke interviewed Leona Zarsky, who was one of the inventors of the pacemaker,” Resnick recalls. “I remember calling her and asking her if she
creating these oral histories is also an end in itself. “At a time when there were four women here,” she asks, “who told you to come to MIT?” These are the questions she wants current undergraduates to ask MIT alumnae, and see if they can’t see some of themselves in the answers. Before McCormick Hall was built, there were only about 15 women admitted to MIT each year. The oral history project digs into how these women got here, who their mentors were, how their professors treated them, what social life was like, and other questions that a current undergraduate might wonder about. The woman’s oral history project is one of many undertaken and housed in MIT’s special collections, most of which are freely available to the public onsite and online. For more information, call 617-253-5690 or visit the libraries. mit.edu/archives. scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 19
VOICES OF THE CITY
SURVIVORS
AMPLIFY THEIR VOICES THROUGH BARCC BY REENA KARASIN | PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARCC Content warning: This article discusses sexual violence.
A
bout a year ago, Lily decided to publicly share her experience as a survivor of sexual violence. She began training at the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC) to join its Survivor Speakers Bureau (SSB). “I thought it was a wonderful way to be able to give something positive out of such a negative experience in my life and hopefully be able to impact somebody else to get services, or to question their own behavior, to provide teaching to people about what consent is, and just really help other survivors,” says Lily, who requested a pseudonym be used in this article to protect her privacy.
20 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
The SSB was started in 2002 by survivors “who wanted to use their voices and their stories to bring awareness to sexual violence,” explains Sharon Imperato, clinical innovation projects and training director for BARCC. A major reason people elect to join the bureau is a desire to connect with and support other survivors, according to Imperato, who has worked with BARCC for 18 years. “One of the goals of the Survivor Speakers Bureau is that they really want to speak to other survivors, be seen by other survivors, and [show] that there’s hope, that there is resiliency, that healing is a thing and is ongoing,” Imperato says. The bureau is made up of volunteers of all genders who
have experienced sexual assault either as children or adults. They speak to a wide range of audiences, from high school and college students to medical professionals to lawmakers. BARCC trains the volunteers in public speaking and teaches them how they can highlight different aspects of their experience to match each audience. Imperato underlines that the survivors’ stories are not limited to the assaults, but rather include all parts of their experiences. “For someone who’s speaking to medical providers, it’s talking about the incident itself and whatever you want to share, but then talking about if you did receive medical care, what was helpful and not helpful, because
we want the medical providers to understand the impacts that they have on survivors,” Imperato explains. Part of the power of the SSB is to get away from generalities and statistics—which, Imperato is quick to point out, are underrepresentative because they only take into account people who report. “Survivor Speakers is really about putting a face, a voice, a person to represent sexual violence—this person in front of you is telling their story,” Imperato says. “Look at them, see them, and hear them.” The talks function through two-sided vulnerability: The survivor bravely takes the mic to share their experience, and then in a question-and-answer session audience members ask questions that may be uncomfortable, Imperato explains. This process is where education happens, which is one of the primary goals of the SSB. Lily says the Q&A portion was what she was most nervous about going in, but that it’s been rewarding. “People have asked some really surprising questions,” she says. “I spoke to a group where there were family members and significant others of survivors, and they had asked if the survivor blamed their partner or their
Architecture and Design
• New construction, additions, renovations • Restaurants, homes, and interiors • Sustainable materials and methods parent, which I didn’t expect. [I told them] no, nobody blames you for what somebody else did.” “People ask a lot how it’s affected my life, if it’s something that goes away after so long,” she adds. “Why didn’t you tell anyone sooner?” is the most common question that’s asked during these Q&As. Part of the answer is the context of a society that tends to victim blame surrounding sexual assault, Imperato explains. “Basically, it’s the reason why we’re here: It’s because there wasn’t a space to talk about it, people don’t know how to respond, the questions usually that they ask are questions that, for the survivor, feel very blaming, that the onus is on them,” she says. BARCC has compiled a set of resources for anyone who is considering publicly disclosing their experience of sexual assault. The document (“Sharing Your Story: How to Think Through Your Options”) walks people through possible courses of action and aims to illuminate that there is no right or wrong answer to whether they should disclose. That point is especially relevant given the #MeToo movement, which may make people feel pressured to disclose, Imperato explains. Another common question
during the Q&As is how someone can respond if another person chooses to disclose to them. BARCC offers an entire training on how to most supportively reply, but the main points are to listen to them, believe them, and validate them, according to Imperato. “I never would’ve sought help at BARCC or gone this far in my healing process if a person that I told didn’t believe me,” Lily says, echoing Imperato’s words. “Getting shut down by people you love, or dismissed, is such a roadblock. And it happens so frequently.” In addition to being educational for audiences, the SSB can be part of the survivors’ journeys. “It’s definitely been a nice addition to my healing process,” Lily says. “I went through three support groups at BARCC before I did the Survivor Speakers Bureau, and that was a huge process for me, to be able to get to the place where I could do it. But it really feels like the most positive part of my healing, because I can give back to people and hopefully create a little bit of change in the culture.” To reach BARCC’s 24/7 crisis hotline, call 800-841-8371. For more information and resources, visit barcc.org.
Creating form and functional art which is contextual and expresses your unique individuality and design goals.
amortondesign.com 617.475.0778 info@aMortonDesign.com scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 21
VOICES OF THE CITY
Voices Rising Celebrates 15 Years of Singing and Inclusivity
22 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
BY ALYSSA VAUGHN PHOTOS BY SASHA PEDRO
“O
ne more time,” says Artistic Director Leora Zimmer, motioning to accompanist Soohee Moon. Moon strikes one of the piano’s ivory keys, and the note echoes off the stone walls and high ceiling of First Church Boston. “And this time, don’t force it through your chest. You want to get on top of those notes,” Zimmer instructs the singers. “Again.” It’s 6:30 on a Tuesday evening, and the alto section of the Voices Rising chorus is scattered across the pews of the Back Bay church, hard at work rehearsing for their quickly approaching June 1 concert, titled “The B Sides.” The concert, which will take place at First Church Cambridge, will be a celebration of the chorus’s history, a 15-year span featuring performances throughout Cambridge and Greater Boston at local dyke marches, women’s marches, and once, a Demi Lovato concert. “We were on the Jumbotron,” Jennifer Wry, one of the founding members of the chorus, remembers proudly. In February 2004, Wry and a group of chorus mates discussed the management problems they saw in the chorus they sang in at the time. Then and there, they decided to strike out on their own and form a new group (“We’re kind of scrappy,” Wry notes). But this one had a twist: It was a women’s chorus, founded upon feminist principles, designed to honor the local lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and women’s communities. While Voices Rising was not the first chorus to cater specifically to the LGBTQ community (Coro Allegro—a gay and lesbian choir—and the Boston Gay Men’s Chorus both existed at the time), it was the
only one to be women-only. “At the time, there was a certain amount of courage that it required just to stand up and say, ‘I am in this chorus,’” Wry remembers. Only three weeks after that initial meeting, Voices Rising performed its first gig: singing at an interfaith service in support of marriage equality, which was not yet legal in the state or federally. “Singing is the way that I express my political activism,” Wry explains. Much has changed for the LGBTQ community and for Voices Rising in the past 15 years. As acceptance of queer identities and support for LGBTQ rights has grown, Voices Rising has expanded and gained traction. There are now about 70 chorus members, and each member was selected through an audition process. Voices Rising is also an official 501(c)3 organization, complete with a leadership board. The chorus performs about two 10-15 song concerts a year, and they make additional, smaller appearances at LGBTQ spaces and events. A simple look back at the chorus’s past concert themes— ”Welcome Out,” “In Her Own Words,” “Take Up the Song,” “The Spirit Moves Her”—shows that Voices Rising’s repertoire is directly reflective of their mission statement. And every event the chorus attends, from a hospice service to a benefit for homeless women, aligns with Voices Rising’s mission of social justice. One of the choir’s mostanticipated appearances of the year is at the Boston Dyke March, an annual event that serves as “a non-commercial, intersectional, and fundamentally grassroots alternative to Boston’s Pride celebration,” according to its website. That’s where chorus member Mia Concordia found the group two-and-a-half years ago. New to Boston, she was eager to find a group of people with whom she shared interests and experiences. “Boston has a lot of issues with diversity,” she says. “So having something here that’s even a small enclave of diversity definitely made it feel a bit warmer.” The singers of Voices Rising
range from 20 to 65 years old. They come from different hometowns, educational backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses. Yet, as they file into First Church for rehearsal—dressed in everything from sweatpants to corporate-esque pencil skirts—they all greet each other, and not with surface-level small talk. They check in on how their weeks went, talk about their jobs,
mention each others’ partners and kids by name, and make plans to attend queer dancing nights together. Concordia even recently returned from a New Orleans vacation with several other members of the chorus. “There’s something about coming here and being in this group together that sustains people and holds people,” says Julie Regner, who joined Voices
Rising 11 years ago. Over those years, Regner has relied on her friends in the chorus for support, especially when her father passed away a few years ago. “I didn’t talk about it a lot,” she remembers. “But I so looked forward to coming into rehearsal every Tuesday to just be with people.” The Voices Rising singers have lost family members, battled illnesses, and welcomed babies during their tenure with the chorus. Milestones like these, happy or sad, never go unnoticed. “If you’re talking about something in your life that’s changing, you might find the next week at rehearsal, a book pops up, or toys, or something that you had no idea that you probably need in your life,” says Maggie McIntosh, the president of Voices Rising’s leadership team. “People will really pay attention to what you’re talking about and react to it and remember it.” So, the power of Voices Rising is twofold: As a chorus, it allows its members to safely retreat into a community, to forget their individual lives for three hours and become a part of one unified voice. But as a community, it celebrates the uniqueness of each singer, valuing diversity and providing a space to be oneself. “We have gay people, straight people, nonbinary people, lesbians, trans, and asexual people,” Regner says. “I mean, you name it, we’ve probably got it.” As the group strives to sing as one collective voice, to follow Zimmer’s instructions and get “on top” of their notes, they try to eliminate any tones that might make their voices stand out. This is how a chorus operates. But at the same time, the song they’re learning today, “Now I Become Myself,” feels like the perfect fit for this room, where white-haired women whisper inside jokes with 20-somethings, hedge fund managers pass lozenges to social workers, and new mothers cradle their babies in one arm and hold their sheet music with the other. “Now there is time and time is young,” they sing together. “In this single hour I live all of myself.” scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 23
VOICES OF THE CITY
MEET THE MAYOR’S LEAD SPEECHWRITER CHIEF OF STAFF WILFORD DURBIN BY REENA KARASIN | PHOTOS BY SASHA PEDRO
What’s the speechwriting process like? Every speech is a collaborative process, and that begins first and foremost with sitting down with the mayor and asking what points he wants to make, what tone he wants to set, which constituencies he wants to address. I interview him much like we’re doing now, and then I internalize that and sit down and then write up a narrative outline. I pass it by him, and that forms the structure of a lot of the speech. Then I sit down to write and start to fill it out and flesh it out. And you know, our office, everyone has different responsibilities—we have a director of constituent services, an education liaison. When I come up to the subject matter that we have experts on, I ask them to draft talking points that they want me to incorporate in, and that comes together as a draft. I’m also, of course, reading and always listening to the prominent speechwriters or politicians in the region and nationally to try to figure out the tone, the character of their comments. Then that goes back to 24 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
the mayor, back to the staff for revisions. There are several revision processes for the longer speeches, and eventually I send my final draft, the mayor makes his own final comments, handwritten usually, that go into the speeches, and then it’s delivered. It’s a fun process. He’ll take my stuff and completely rewrite it sometimes, which is fine, it’s all part of the thought process. Even if the words aren’t exactly the same, I think the ideas carry. All of our staff, we work together to make sure that the ideas carry the intentions of the mayor. I want to say, though, the mayor does give a lot of his own speeches, either extemporaneously or he writes his own comments. But we can have as much as three events in a day, so of course he needs some help. I do want to make sure that I get to include one of my main thought partners through a lot of this, our Education Liaison Elizabeth Liss. She is always the first filter that I pass a lot of my thoughts and text through, because I think sometimes the way I write can be a little bookish. She is a very strong humanizing
Let us make you as colorful & beautiful on the outside as you are in the inside!
Is working from home too ruff ? Join our coworking community:
www.industrylab.com
BEST HAIR SALON: 2013–2018 BEST HAIR COLOR: 2016–2018 BEST HAIRCUT: 2016–2018
217 HIGHLAND AVENUE, SOMERVILLE • 617-776-6470 WWW.HAIRBYCHRISTINEANDCO.COM
Where tech meets art and fabrication meets innovation.
scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 25
VOICES OF THE CITY
force, and it is invaluable. How much time goes into writing one speech? The State of the City Address, that was maybe three or four weeks in the making. So longer ones can take weeks, on and off again, shorter ones can be an afternoon. And it has to be polished, and it has to go through that same process. What do you have to take into account given that you’re writing for someone else? It is very difficult, because the way that we write and speak, it’s very innate; you’re speaking with your own voice. In some ways, I think that does still show through with speeches that I write for the mayor, and if another staff member does. But as part of that interview process that I have first-off, I even write down colloquialisms that the mayor might use during our conversations, just to try to capture his natural voice. When I first started, I listened to some of his speeches before I came on, he has blog posts that I read, just to try to get a feel for the important themes that he usually hit and his character. He’s the expert on how he wants to present himself, and I try to either enhance or focus that. Are there any core qualities that you want every speech that you write to have? I want it to be educational, I think that’s a major responsibility that I take upon myself. I think that somebody, if they’re listening to one of the speeches that the mayor gives, they have to come away knowing something that they didn’t know before. It’s not just about how it makes you feel, it has to be educational. I think imagery is so important—I’m constantly trying to come up with new metaphors and scrapping them, because again, I think it should be memorable. If we’re taking someone’s time, then we have to be respectful of that. We are always very attuned to the diversity of our city, and the need to be inclusive. The mayor frequently likes to remind people that he is in a privileged 26 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
“IT’S A FUN PROCESS. HE’LL TAKE MY STUFF AND COMPLETELY REWRITE IT SOMETIMES, WHICH IS FINE, IT’S ALL PART OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS.” position that few other people get to realize, and that with that comes the responsibility to sometimes step back from the conversation—so that comes into our speeches sometimes—and let others fill that void. The last thing, and this has been the hardest for me, is the mayor is a very compassionate person, and I try to be more direct. So finding ways to put that compassion into his speech and the care that he has demonstrated as a social worker for most of his life and as a father, that always has to be there. What was it like the first time that you heard him give one of your speeches? The mayor was giving a remembrance of biotech pioneer Henri Termeer. We were in the middle of this giant, cavernous space in Kendall Square. Several floors were all
there to remember Mr. Termeer and his legacy in Cambridge. There’s multiple floors above me, everyone’s standing around the edges, looking down, and you can hear the words reverberate around the building. It was a very humbling and very exciting moment for me, to hear those words that the mayor wanted to share that I wrote actually reverberate around the room. So, you called it a “fun process.” What part of it do you like the most? Well there is, like I said, a little bit of teasing and going back and forth. But I love the research and pulling together these different metaphors and finding a new way to express something that people might already know. I think it’s so fun. So, for example, we’re having a zoning discussion, and we’re talking about the
need to update it to be more inclusive, to be representative of restorative justice and a need to find more equity in the way that people live in our city, in the physical houses. Our zoning code is [from] 1961. As part of my research process, I found that Martin Luther King actually came to Massachusetts and gave a speech before the joint sessions of the Massachusetts legislature and called for our zoning to be updated, the way that we do housing policies, he said it’s time that we reexamine this. Our zoning code, at that point, was already three years old. And so I expressed it that way: As opposed to saying 55 years old, [we said] when Martin Luther King said it didn’t serve the needs of everyone, our zoning code was already three years old. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and conciseness.
VOT E O N L I N E AT S C O U TC A M B R I D G E . C O M
VOTING IS YOUR CIVIC DUTY. (But it’s also a lot of fun!)
Got opinions? Good. Nobody knows Cambridge like the people that call it home—that’s why we’re once again asking you to shout out the best our city has to offer. Nominations are open through June 5. To submit your nominations, visit scoutcambridge.com/ vote or mail this paper ballot to Banks Publications, 519 Somerville Ave. #314, Somerville, MA 02143. Finalists will be announced in our next issue, out in early July. Make your voice heard!
Best of Wellness HOLISTIC HEALTH SERVICE MASSAGE OVERALL GYM YOGA STUDIO DENTIST DOCTOR ACUPUNCTURE
Best of Beauty BEAUTY CARE HAIR SALON HAIRCUT HAIR COLOR BARBERSHOP MANICURE FACIAL
ORTHODONTIST
TATTOO OR PIERCING STUDIO
EYE DOCTOR
EYEBROW SERVICES
DERMATOLOGIST PSYCHOTHERAPIST PHYSICAL THERAPY OR PHYSICAL THERAPIST
Best Arts & Entertainment EVENTS SPACE MUSIC VENUE COMEDY SHOW OR CLUB ART GALLERY MOVIE THEATER
Best Shopping BIKE SHOP RECORD SHOP BOOKSTORE GARDEN SUPPLIES EYEWEAR SHOP HARDWARE STORE KITCHEN SUPPLIES THRIFT OR VINTAGE SHOP MEN’S CLOTHING
PRINT SHOP OR DESIGN FIRM
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
LOCAL MEDIA
KIDS’ SHOP
LOCAL TOUR
GIFT SHOP
VISUAL ARTIST
HOME DECOR
PERFORMING ARTS GROUP
FRAMING
KID-FRIENDLY ENTERTAINMENT
Continued on next page
VOT E O N L I N E AT S C O U TC A M B R I D G E . C O M
Best Food
Best Drinks
RESTAURANT OVERALL
WINE SHOP
RESTAURANT IN CENTRAL SQUARE
LIQUOR STORE
RESTAURANT IN AREA FOUR/ CAMBRIDGEPORT
BARTENDER
RESTAURANT IN HARVARD SQUARE RESTAURANT IN EAST CAMBRIDGE RESTAURANT IN PORTER SQUARE RESTAURANT IN HURON VILLAGE RESTAURANT IN INMAN SQUARE RESTAURANT IN KENDALL SQUARE RESTAURANT IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE BAR EATS
BARISTA BREWERY OR DISTILLERY BEER PROGRAM COCKTAILS
Best Services TUTORING COMPANY COMMUNITY CLASSES
VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN
INSURANCE AGENCY
CHEF
REAL ESTATE AGENCY
SERVICE STAFF
ARCHITECT OR ARCHITECTURE FIRM
KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT COFFEE SHOP OR CAFE BUTCHER OUTDOOR DINING BREAKFAST BRUNCH SWEET TOOTH SATISFIER TAKEOUT
INTERIOR DESIGN BANK OR CREDIT UNION MOVING COMPANY PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO FLORIST DOG WALKING PET GROOMING MECHANIC
PLACE TO SPLURGE CHEAP EATS FOOD TRUCK GOURMET OR SPECIALTY SHOP PIZZA BURGER SUSHI TACOS ITALIAN FOOD AMERICAN FOOD ASIAN FOOD GREEK FOOD MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD LATIN AMERICAN FOOD
Please call us for more information on the market,
PRESCHOOL OR DAYCARE
BAKERY
CATERING
Prices are already up quite a bit over 2013, which was the strongest market in years. More inventory has started to appear, but it is still not enough to satisfy demand. Consequently, prices should continue to rise in 2014.
Wildcards NEIGHBORHOOD TO EAT IN NEIGHBORHOOD TO SHOP IN NEIGHBORHOOD TO WORK IN NEIGHBORHOOD TO LIVE IN DATE NIGHT SPOT PLACE TO PEOPLE WATCH NEW BUSINESS ECO-FRIENDLY BUSINESS LATE NIGHT HAUNT
Our New Listings
or to get a sense of the current value of your home. ~Thalia, Todd, Niké, Jennifer, and Lynn
~ $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 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.
~ $519,000 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.
~ $349,000 Roomy Ten Hills 2 bedroom/1 bath condo with charming details, reonvated kitchen, parking, and storage.
~ $229,000 Near Medford Sq., this 1 bedroom/ 1 1/2 bath condo is in an elevator building with parking.
Coming Soon In the heart of Davis Sq., this 2 bedroom/1 bath condo in a brick building has a parking space. 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. Renovated 1 bedroom/1 bath near Prospect Hill with central air, in-unit laundry, private porch, and shared yard.
Please consider shopping with these and other Scout sponsors.
REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY TEAM JEN & LYNN
Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Lynn 617-216-5244, Jen 617-943-9581 TeamJenandLynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Bringing our expertise and good humor to help you find a perfect home or say good-bye to your old one.
ries.
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com
n
e.
h,
Lynn C. Gr aham
Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com
LEONE’S SUB AND PIZZA
292 Broadway, Somerville 617-776-2511, leonessubandpizza.com Pizza and subs fit for a king since 1954. Now being delivered by Dash!
CHARLES CHERNEY REALTOR AT COMPASS
MIKE’S FOOD & SPIRITS
IRENE BREMIS THE IBREMIS TEAM
OPA GREEK YEEROS
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.
e
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY
617-905-5232, irenebremis.com irenebremis@gmail.com Real Estate Consulting, Listing, Marketing, Sales & Rental Specialist.
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.
9 Davis Square, Somerville 617-628-2379, mikesondavis.com Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Burgers and more! Dine in our casual dining room open to Davis Square or watch a game at the bar!
378 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-718-2900, opayeeros.com Authentic Greek cuisine and a lively atmosphere. Expanding soon!
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!
HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY 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
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.
SHOPPING DIRECTORY PORTER SQUARE BOOKS
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.
MAGPIE
416 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-623-3330, magpie-store.com
Unique jewelry, apothecary, art, edibles, housewares and more!
YOUR AD
HERE
LA POSADA RESTAURANT
505 Medford St., Somerville 617-776-2049, laposadasomerville.com Somerville’s spot for delicious, hand-crafted Latin American cuisine.
MAGPIE KIDS
95 Elm St., Somerville 617-764-4110, magpiekids.com Modern gifts for modern kids. Clothes, toys, books and more!
scoutcambridge.com | Voices of the City 29
CALENDAR
MAY 18 | FOOD & DRINKS
Photo by Irina M. / IM Creative Photography.
REMNANT BREWING ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY BEER FEST 5 to 9 p.m., $40 2 Bow Market Way, Somerville Somerville’s breweries like to support each other, and they’re coming together to celebrate Remnant Brewing’s first birthday. Sample brews from Remnant, Aeronaut, Winter Hill Brewing, Cambridge Brewing Co., and a handful of others from Massachusetts, Vermont, and Pennsylvania.
JUNE 1 | FESTIVAL
Photo courtesy of Cambridge Arts Council.
MERMAID PARADE 4 p.m., Free Central Square, Cambridge The Cambridge Arts River Festival is embracing the environment, merpeople, sea animals, and more in this new event. In addition to the parade, the festival will offer art-making, performances, art vendors, and food.
JUNE 2 | FESTIVAL MAY 18 | FOOD & DRINKS
Photo courtesy of Union Square Main Streets.
UNION SQUARE FARMERS MARKET OPENING DAY 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Free Union Square Plaza—66-70 Union Square, Somerville One of the area’s best farmers markets will be up and running for the season starting May 18. You can expect produce, seafood, cider, syrup, meat, music, and more every Saturday through Nov. 23.
Photo by Derek Kouyoumjian.
JUNE 14 | FOOD & DRINKS
MAY 19 | FESTIVAL
Photo courtesy of the East Cambridge Business Association.
INMAN EATS + CRAFTS 12 to 4 p.m., Craft fair is free; $15 for Inman Bucks for food Cambridge Street from Springfield Street to Prospect Street Celebrate all Inman Square has to offer with samples from local restaurants and breweries, browse crafts from over 30 makers, listen to music courtesy of the Lilypad, and more.
MAY 19 | FOOD & DRINKS
SECOND ANNUAL BAKED FESTIVAL 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Free 95 Prospect St., Cambridge Got a sweet tooth? You’re in luck. The BAKED Festival is back in Central this spring, and 40 dessertmakers will be slinging their sweets.
MAY 26-27 | FILM
TAIWAN FILM FESTIVAL Times vary, $30 for one day, $50 for both 60 Vassar St., Cambridge Take in Taiwanese film at this inaugural festival, where you can expect six documentaries and several post-screening discussions. Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Film Festival.
30 Voices of the City | scoutcambridge.com
CARNAVAL 2 to 6 p.m., Free 3 Glen St., Somerville The much anticipated SomerStreets will light up East Somerville with international food, music, kids’ activities, performances, and more.
Photo courtesy of MEM Tea Imports.
SPRING TEAS OF THE WORLD 6:30 p.m., $30 196 Elm St., Somerville MEM Tea Imports has been scoping out teas from across the globe and is ready to present them to you at this tea seminar. “Learn all about the differences in spring processing from the tea producing regions in China, India, and Japan while you sip,” the event promises.
JUNE 14-16 | GAMES
NARRASCOPE 2019 Times and prices vary 32 Vassar St., Cambridge Board game fans, rejoice: There’s a new gaming convention in town. This one’s focused on narrative games, and is intended for “writers, designers, and players” alike. Standard admission is $85, but honorsystem “limited budget” admission is on offer for $35 and a community supporter admission, which offsets the “limited budget” admission, is $135.
JULY 13 | FESTIVAL
ARTBEAT 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Free Davis Square, Somerville The Somerville Arts Council’s annual festival featuring craft vendors, music, performances, activities, and food is back this July. This year’s theme is “Consumed,” and organizers anticipate the event will explore many interpretations of the word.
CrimsonBikes
We love bikes and the people that ride them. We think you might like us too!
1001 MASS AVE HARVARD SQUARE crimsonbikes.com (617) 958-1727
$10 OFF ANY PURCHASE With This Ad Exp. 5/31/19