A!er another brisk year of local real estate sales in 2017, 2018 has started off cold and snowy. So far, the weather has not frozen demand for housing. Open houses around the holidays were well a"ended. Inventory of all sizes and types—single family, multi-family, and condominiums— continues to be low. Although interest rates are predicted to rise in 2018, they remained low at the beginning of the year. The recently passed Federal tax bill does not appear to have any features that will negatively impact the local real estate market in the next few months. Once again, the combination of high demand, limited inventory, strong local economy, low unemployment, and low interest rates, makes it likely that this year will also be good for sellers and challenging for buyers.
Coming Soon
Commercial
East Somerville 3-Family
62 Bow Street Unit #60-b, Somerville $299,000
Owned, occupied, and lovingly maintained by the same family for three generations, this cheerful three-family with driveway and yard is just steps to the culinary delights of East Broadway and within walking distance of two Orange Line stops, Assembly Row, Union Square, and Charlestown.
Davis Square Single Family Spacious, renovated single with 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 baths, yard, and driveway on a lovely street in an ideal residential location near the T, bike path, shops, and nightlife.
Stunning Union Square Condo Beautifully renovated 3 bedroom/2 bath unit on upper 2 levels. Master bedroom has large deck with roof top views. On a side street with parking and yard, steps to the heart of the square.
Spring Hill Condo Tastefully updated, spacious one bedroom condo with garage parking, close to Porter and Davis Squares.
Roslindale Single Family Dreamy Victorian single family with 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 bathrooms on a large double lot with great views. Beautiful mix of new and old including a gorgeous family room addition and commanding deck off the kitchen. Lovely foyer, staircase, and restored mouldings and doors.
This highly visible, centrally located, street-level commercial condo is in the heart of Union Square with residential condos above it. Open room with exposed brick, picture windows onto the street, half bathroom, and separate area. Currently used by the owners as a small music lesson/performance space, previously used as a drop-off (no plant onsite) dry cleaner, it could be used for other retail or office purposes. (Buyers should review Somerville zoning code and condominium documents for any restrictions on use) Near restaurants, grocery stores, businesses, offices, residential neighborhoods, universities. Quick access to Boston and Cambridge by public transit, car, bike, or foot. On several bus lines, including the CT2, 85, 86, 87, 88, and 91. Steps from long-awaited Union Square Green Line Extension subway stop (now slated to open 2021). Close to several highways, including Routes 93, 38, 28, 90, 16, and 2. Excellent opportunity at an exciting time.
61 Roseland Street Unit 2, Somerville $85,000 Small commercial office on Somerville/Cambridge line, just a block from the Porter Square T, commuter rail, and Mass. Ave. bus. Ground floor 10’ x 14’ office with wood floor plus exposed brick/stone walls in a gut-renovated Victorian of 10 office suites, most occupied by therapists. Could be suitable space for designer, writer, architect, photographer, wedding planner, psychotherapist, massage therapist, CPA, or other office uses. Shared 1/2 baths and waiting area. Condo fee includes heat, a/c, water, sewer, snow removal, and common area cleaning. New common heating system installed 2017. Plenty of street parking available nearby with Somerville or Cambridge resident permits; at meter spots on Beacon Street and Mass. Ave.; or in paid lot behind Porter Exchange Building on corner of Roseland and Mass. Ave. Perfect option for people who want to move their office out of the house and into an affordable, conveniently located space suitable for meeting clients. Numerous restaurants and shops just steps away. FOR LEASE: Class A Office Space in Union Square — coming soon
Free Classes
Thalia Tringo
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Basic Home Maintenance:
preparing your home for winter Tuesday, January 16th
6:30-7:45 pm
Do you worry about pipes bursting? Ice dams? Clogged gu"ers? 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.
First Time Home Buyers:
an overview of the buying process Wednesday, January 24th
Niké Damaskos
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
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:
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
for homeowners contemplating a move Monday, January 29th
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 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.
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group: a primer for non-traditional homebuyers Tuesday, February 6th
6:30-7:45 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 in this class with a follow-up Q&A session. Lead by our team and a local real estate a"orney.
Eco-Friendly/Green Homes Tuesday, January 23rd
6:30-8:00 pm
If you’re dreaming of a home that’s the ultimate in energy efficiency, join us for a presentation about green homes, also known as passive homes. We’ll discuss the lingo associated with this technology, show various examples of homes that use the passive home design/standards, and the various programs currently available to retrofit your home. Presented by a local Architect/Designer, Tagore Hernandez with Group Design Build. 1 hour presentation and 20 minutes Q&A. Handouts and refreshments provided.
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.
Best Real Estate Agency
Best Real Estate Agent
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@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 15 - MARCH 12, 2018 ::: VOLUME 49 ::: SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE
Local Veg-Friendly Spots
THE WELLNESS ISSUE 16 // MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS AMBASSADORS PUT SPOTLIGHT ON TEEN VOICES The Mental Health Ambassadors pioneer workshops, open mic nights, dances, and more for their fellow teens across the city. 22 // VEGAN & VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT ROUNDUP Whether you’re vegetarian or vegan or just want to fit healthier meals into your routine, these local veg-friendly spots will help you get the New Year started on the right foot. 28 // MORE TO LOVE CHALLENGES DEFINITION OF WELLNESS Rachel Estapa dreamed of an approach to yoga that was not just welcoming to larger bodies but designed for them. Her interest in business kicked in, and More to Love was born.
22
32 // CITY WELLBEING REPORT DIVES INTO WEB OF HEALTH FACTORS The City of Somerville and Cambridge Health Alliance took a look at how poverty, substance abuse, food insecurity, and other factors affect Somerville residents across their lifespans.
8 // WINNERS & LOSERS Unless you work from home, we have bad news for you about your commute. 10 // WHAT’S NEW? Somerville is snatching The Comedy Studio from Cambridge, plus there’s finally good news on the Green Line Extension. 14 // NEWS: TACKLING OPIOID ADDICTION EARLY Governor Baker’s new plan to tackle the opioid crisis involves enhancing substance abuse education and prevention in schools.
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44 // SCOUT OUT: AFTER THE MARCH To mark the anniversary of the Women’s March, we decided to speak with some of Somerville’s female entrepreneurs about their experience of the march, what they think a more woman-led society would be like, and what they’d like to say to women in America today. 50 // SCOUT OUT: FROM POURING PINTS TO SHIELDING DOWNPOURS Beer taps are getting a second life, thanks to local craftsman Ben Lewis. 52 // CALENDAR 54 // SCOUT YOU
36 // TUNING UP YOUR MIND AND BODY Massage Therapy Works offers biofield tuning, a type of body work that involves tuning forks and working through stressors. We decided to give it a try. 42 // LOCAL WELLNESS DIRECTORY These Scout sponsors can help you feel your best in the New Year.
Photo, top: Veggie Crust’s Tomato Creamy Pasta. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. Photo, bottom: Emily Reichart. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. On the cover: Rachel Estapa. Photo courtesy of More to Love Yoga.
Last year taught us women need to be involved, to raise their voices, to help make decisions we can be excited and happy about.”
L
ittle did we realize 14 years ago when we started the trial program with Tufts University that grew into Shape Up Somerville what it would lead to in terms of how we view community health. At first we simply were trying to get a better understanding of how to combat childhood obesity. Adding more activity to the daily routines of local children and feeding them better quality food at school made a lot of sense. That led to a change in our thinking. Shouldn’t we be fostering a community where it’s easier to be active and where healthy food choices are more readily available? Things took off like a rocket from there. In a fairly short amount of time cities and towns from all around the country were looking to mimic Shape Up. Then Michelle Obama became First Lady and based the Let’s Move program in large part on what we’d pioneered here in Somerville. The good news is it works. We’ve got a city filled with pedestrians and bicyclists. I know people who’ve made major lifestyle changes thanks to our efforts and they’re living testaments to how much better health can alter your quality of life. The children who attend our schools are in better shape. It’s not a coincidence that our effort to foster healthier students has been mirrored by steady improvement in how our schools perform on state tests. It’s become part of the mission in our schools to nurture the “whole child,” not just giving them
an education, but understanding the role their social, emotional and physical well-being in helping them to achieve educational success. Yet “health” is a big topic. If we want a truly healthy community, if we want to understand the role our city institutions and built environment play in the health of our residents, then we’re only scratching the surface. That’s why we put together the Wellbeing of Somerville Report with the Cambridge Health Alliance. We wanted to get a better understanding of the needs and service gaps for the people in our city. Most of all, we wanted to build ways to address those issues into our future planning. The report generated dozens of recommendations aimed at all age groups, giving us a road map to follow as we work toward a healthier future for our community. We’re now looking to create more programs aimed at isolated seniors, to lower the local incidence of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and to expand in-school health and dental services to better help children in need. Not that long ago we created a new cutting edge for healthy communities and now we seek to stretch our ambitions even farther. The wellbeing of the local population should be a primary concern for every city. It is in Somerville. If you’ve got an idea to make the people here healthier and happier, share it with us. Those are the truest measures of quality of life.
F I N D O U T M O R E A N D G E T I N VO LV E D AT J O E C U R TATO N E .CO M PA I D F O R BY T H E CO M M I T T E E TO E L E C T J O E C U R TATO N E
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
t’s 2018, believe it or not, and a common refrain around this part of the calendar is the hope for a “happy and healthy new year.” People wish this for others, and harbor it for themselves—making New Year’s resolutions to exercise more, take up a new hobby that they’ve always wanted to do, or to do something good for their community. This special time of the year, when our lives are up for reevaluation and reforming, inspired us to make a Wellness Issue. We dive into what wellness is and can be, challenging a limited definition of the concept and presenting some of the aweinspiring people in the city who are pushing for wellness, both for Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. themselves and for others. Our cover features Rachel Estapa, a Somerville resident who took matters into her own hands when she felt larger people didn’t have a place in yoga classes. She launched More to Love, which promotes body acceptance and advocates for wellness that is independent from weight loss. We also highlight a sweeping report of health in the city that examines the myriad influences that make up a person’s wellbeing. Nutrition and illness are no longer the standalone measures of health; the city is looking at how socioeconomic factors, like poverty and housing, contribute to a person’s wellness. In this issue we also look at efforts to improve teens’ mental health and an approach to dealing with tension and painful memories that involves tuning forks and dissonant vibrations. Plus we’ve put together a roundup of the city’s vegetarian and vegan restaurants, for those of you who are hoping to squeeze more meatless or animalproduct-free meals into your new year. We hope this issue can help you think about what wellness is for you and that it shows the many efforts that are being made to make Somerville a healthier city. From all of us here at Scout, we hope you have a happy and healthy new year.
Reena Karasin Reena Karasin, Editor-in-Chief rkarasin@scoutmagazines.com
6 The Wellness Issue
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PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien | hbanks@scoutmagazines.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Reena Karasin | rkarasin@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick | design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Adrianne Mathiowetz | photo@scoutmagazines.com adriannemathiowetz.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien | jallien@scoutmagazines.com STAFF WRITER AND SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR Tim Gagnon | tgagnon@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Hannah Walters, JT Thompson, Kat Rutkin, Nicholas Golden CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Angela Cook, Evan Sayles COPY EDITOR Amanda Kersey BANKS PUBLICATIONS 519 Somerville Ave., #314, Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutsomerville.com somervillescout
scoutsomerville scoutmags
Office Phone: 617-996-2283 Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. GET A COPY Scout Somerville is available for free at more than 220 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). Additionally, thousands of Somerville homes receive a copy in their mailbox each edition, hitting every neighborhood in the city throughout the year... sometimes twice! You can find sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutsomerville.com/shop.
YOUR FUN, NEIGHBORHOOD PUB A few of your neighbors have taken over the space formerly known as On the Hill Tavern. We’ve updated the menu, brushed up the look and welcome you to come by and hang with us.
4 9 9 B R O A D WAY, S O M E R V I L L E
20s AND 30s AT TEMPLE B’NAI BRITH
YOUR JEWISH HOME IN SOMERVILLE Welcoming • Inclusive • Egalitarian Want to meet other young Jews in Somerville? Curious about Jewish learning? This February, Temple B’nai Brith will offer a six-session class on Jewish ethics for Jews in their 20s and 30s who are interested in exploring what our tradition has to say about issues relevant to our lives today. Topics include: • Economic Justice • Civil Disobedience • Medical Ethics • Food Justice • And More
No prior experience with Jewish study needed – only an interest in what our heritage says about today’s most pressing issues! Register at templebnaibrith.org/ community-education Contact tbb20s30s@gmail.com with questions and for more information.
Ethically Jewish: From “Ethics of the Fathers” to Ethics for Today
Taught by Rabbi Eliana Jacobowitz Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM: Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27, March 6, March 13, March 20
201 Central Street 02145 | 617-625-0333 | www.templebnaibrith.org | tbb@templebnaibrith.org
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The Wellness Issue
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W&L WINNERS
LOSERS
SAFE CYCLING Somerville and Cambridge are two of 29 communities across the United States that won Gold Level distinction with the League of American Bicyclists, according to the Cambridge Patch, and the only two winning communities from Massachusetts. “Residents and visitors of varying ages and abilities are seeing cycling more and more as a safe way to get around the city,” Mayor Joseph Curtatone said in a statement, citing the recently constructed protected bicycle lanes in Union Square, the upcoming cycle track on Beacon Street, and the expansion of the Neighborways program.
CITY HALL VANDALS Somerville police are asking people to help ID a suspect who allegedly vandalized City Hall. Images posted on Twitter are from grainy security footage, but show that the suspect was wearing a white hoodie with a black coat over it, had dark facial hair, was smoking in three of the frames, and had what appeared to be a brick or blunt object in hand. While the perpetrator hasn’t been caught yet, we still think that anyone who throws bricks at City Hall counts as a loser. You can contact Somerville police if you have any information or recognize the suspect.
APPLE PIE A year-end award that Somerville doesn’t have to share with Cambridge is for pie-making … unless, y’know, our neighbors want a slice. The Daily Meal awarded Spring Hill’s own Petsi Pies the distinction of Best Apple Pie on its list of best food and drink in Massachusetts for 2018. “You won’t find any fillers or mixes in these pies,” the piece reads. “Their best-selling apple pie is hearty and sweet and sells out fast.” I mean, we’re still burning off the holiday pounds, but jogging to the pie shop counts as exercise, right? SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL’S CHEF PRODIGIES The student chefs at Somerville High School aren’t making anything like the lopsided cake you baked back in home ec. The student chefs even have their own bistro. After seeing the students’ ice sculpture carvings at Taste of Somerville, a marketing manager for Federal Realty, the real estate trust behind Assembly Row, decided to strike up a partnership. Now, SHS students will get hands-on co-op experience at Earls Kitchen + Bar, an upscale chain serving everything from oven-roasted Atlantic salmon to bibimbap. “The goal here is to make sure that we can get the high school involved with other restaurants in the future,” the marketing manager told Scout.
COMMUTERS It’s fairly safe to say that everyone thinks their commute is the most painfully long commute of all time, but Somerville residents might have a point. A Somerville Patch article says the average Somervillian had a 30.8 minute commute on average in 2016, surpassing their record of 29.7 minutes the previous year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau records, this puts Somerville a full two minutes past the average commute time in 2010 or, in total, close to 16 hours more per year. Apparently, it’s a Massachusetts thing at large; the state average in 2016 was 29 minutes, compared to the national average of 26.6 minutes. OP-ED HATERS Tufts graduate student Camilo Caballero’s op-ed in the Tufts Daily garnered national attention for its criticism of Tufts graduate and former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci. Caballero’s piece called for the Tufts administration to reconsider Scaramucci’s board membership at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, calling him “irresponsible, inconsistent, an unethical opportunist and [exuding] the highest degree of disreputability.” Scaramucci’s lawyer sent a demand for retraction and threats of legal action on Nov. 21, resulting in the cancellation of a campus event featuring Scaramucci. Scaramucci resigned from the board of advisors on Nov. 28.
Someone rustle your jimmies or tickle your fancy?
Let us know at scoutsomerville.com/contact-us, and we just might crown them a winner or loser. 8 The Wellness Issue
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SCOUT TO THE SOUTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in The Wellness Issue of our sibling publication, Scout Cambridge.
HARVARD LAW STUDENTS CARVE OUT SPACE FOR QUEER CRUSHES
Dyke bars are disappearing around the country, but two Harvard students are determined to make spaces for queer women and transgender and non-binary folks.
BLOOD AND BIOMARKERS: TRACKING THE BODY FROM THE INSIDE InsideTracker takes personalized health to the next level by taking a look at what your blood has to say about you.
EXERCISE LOVES COMPANY
When Sheree Watson faced numerous health problems, the November Project’s intense group exercises helped her pull through. Scout Cambridge is available at Brass Union, Aeronaut and hundreds of other places throughout Somerville and Cambridge. Head to scoutcambridge.com/ pick-up-spots for a full list of locations!
Come in as a customer
, leave as a friend.
Find the right car to get you to...
the ski trails
the rock climbing gym
the Crossfit box
the yoga studio Call John directly on his cell at
617-512-5511
181 Somerville Ave (across from Target)
johnsautosales.com
QUALITY USED CARS BOUGHT AND SOLD FOR 40 YEARS
T
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. 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.
We Cater
From roasted chicken and lamb to stuffed grape leaves and cheese platters, our comprehensive catering menu will wow your guests at any event. See our menu online at
opayeeros.com Check out our
NEW MENU
378 Highland Ave Somerville, MA 617-718-2900 www.opayeeros.com
Best Greek Food
We Deliver: Give us a call or find us on Foodler and Yelp Eat24
now with gluten-free items and
ORDER ONLINE at opayeeros.com
FREE DELIVERY with minimum $15 order
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WHAT’S NEW?
CARB-LOVER CITY UNION SQUARE
SOMERVILLE BREAD COMPANY COMING SOON
I
MOVED
t can be disheartening for carb lovers that walk-up bread windows aren’t an American fixture like drive-thrus, but Somerville Bread Company’s leading the charge as it opens up its production space on 201 Somerville Ave. to the masses. In addition to the bread window, on Thursdays through Sundays customers can catch glimpses of the dough’s “threeday cold fermentation process,” take a baking class, and grab a baguette on the way out, according to Eater Boston.
ASSEMBLY ROW
AMERICAN FRESH BREWHOUSE
Somerville Brewing Company (affectionately known as Slumbrew) decided COMINGto goMOVED SOON
with a patriotic name for its American Fresh Brewhouse on Foley Street. If the Facebook photos are any indication, the massive brewhouse boasts an extensive eating area, bar, and enough room to house a formidable trivia night. Creeping on their food photos, the baconwrapped scallops and tomato bisque stand out on a menu full of quirky yet comfy bar food. ASSEMBLY ROW
CARMEN
COMING SOON
Fans of Carmen Trattoria were devastated when the North End spot closed back in July 2016, but Assembly Row is giving the restaurant a 10 The Wellness Issue
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new life. The new Carmen will seat nearly 120 in its new dining space and bar, about quadruple the original restaurant’s size, according to Eater Boston. Despite the bump in space, Carmen’s will still faithfully serve the Italian cuisine that made it a staple in its original home, Executive Chef and Director of Operations Jeff Malloy told Eater Boston. ASSEMBLY ROW
MIDICI
One of MOVED
COMING SOON
joint plans on pulling out all the stops, according to Eater Boston—truffle pizzas, egg and cheese slices, and Nutella calzones already sound like early standouts.
MOVED
American Fresh Brewhouse’s new neighbors will include MidiCi, a Neapolitanstyle pizza chain from the West Coast. The pizza Photo, top, courtesy of Somerville Bread Company. Photo, bottom left, by Mike Johnson. Photo, bottom middle, courtesy of MidiCi. Rendering, top right, by Merritt Chase.
NEWS FOR THE NEW YEAR
UNION SQUARE
BRINGING THE LAUGHS TO BOW MARKET
It was a perfect match—Harvard Square’s The Comedy Studio was searching for a new home, and Bow Market was down a tenant for its comedy theater after booting Union Comedy out of plans for the complex. The Comedy Studio will set up shop in the space when Bow Market opens this spring, according to Curbed Boston. The studio has been situated in a thirdfloor bar above the Hong Kong Restaurant, but the increasing rent has put pressure on the studio in recent years.
EVERSOURCE BILLS ON THE RISE
The Department of Public Utilities approved an annual rate hike of $37 million for Eversource, according to the Cambridge Patch. The actual figure was reportedly half of what the Fortune 500 energy company initially wanted to charge customers. Eversource representatives say this lower increase is dissatisfying, while Attorney General Maura Healey is far from pleased with the uptick. The rate hike will cost Eversource users in Eastern Massachusetts a collective $12.2 million more each year, the Patch reports.
STATE OF THE UNION UNION SQUARE REDEVELOPMENT
With approval from Somerville’s Planning Board and the financial thumbs-up from the local board of aldermen, a $1 billion redevelopment of Union square is moving forward in 2018, the Somerville Patch reports. The plan offers “new commercial, housing, open, and green space.” The redevelopment will create about 9,000 new jobs between construction and new job vacancies.
CELESTE
COMING SOON
Ceviche is an appetizer of raw fish in a citrusy juice often with oil, veggies, and seasonings—and it’s going to be the centerpiece of new Peruvian spot Celeste
when it opens in February. Along with the ceviche, Celeste will also have an open kitchen so that guests can watch slow-cooked stews, octopus and mussel dishes, and a handful of vegetarian options being prepared.
CASPAR, INC.
Camberville-based substance abuse rehabilitation organization CASPAR won a 5-kilowatt solar array through SolarFlair and Solarize Somerville initiative, the Cambridge Patch reports. The organization, which is located on Highland Ave. near Union Square, will use the solar panels to “significantly reduce the electricity costs at New Day, our residential substance use treatment program,” a representative told the Patch.
NOW LEASING 315BROADWAY SOMERVILLE, MA 02145
STYLE • CONVENIENCE • HOME Unique 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments Starting at $2,200
46
Introducing 315 Broadway – a brand-new 46-unit luxury development in the heart of Winter Hill, Somerville. Units offer attra ti e o en on e t oor lans modern features and spectacular views of the Boston skyline. Situated at the corner of Broadway and Temple, this location offers a trendy neighborhood with its own s e ial i e and easy a ess into oston. e the first to choose from a unique selection of sizes, city views and pricing while they last.
ASK ABOUT OUR MOVE-IN SPECIALS!
315BROADWAY.COM 617 - 275 - 7716
LEASING@315BROADWAY.COM Exclusive Broker - ALL STAR REALTY, INC.
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WHAT’S NEW?
IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ’VILLE
RESIDENTIAL STREETS GET SAFETY MAKEOVER
F
our streets in the city—Hancock Street, Gilman Street, Oliver Street, and Skilton Avenue—have been revamped with painted curb extensions, bright-red crosswalks, and green contraflow bike lanes. The new designs, part of a pilot program run by the Transportation and Infrastructure Division in collaboration with the Somerville Bicycle Committee, are meant to create a safe network of paths for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike.
HEALTHIER EATING
In a huge win for those looking to eat a little healthier after the holidays, local nonprofit Groundwork Somerville was awarded a $5,000 Community First Grant by Whole Cities Foundation, an independent nonprofit foundation established by Whole Foods Market. The grant will fund healthy eating initiatives in the city, according to the Somerville Journal, and will increase access 12 The Wellness Issue
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to produce and to agricultural opportunities.
TAKE BACK DAY
PUBLIC ART
The painted switchboxes and murals around Somerville are, for many, as intrinsic to the city’s makeup as the Prospect Hill Tower, which is why the Somerville Arts Council’s pushing for more. The council’s asking people to get in touch with ideas for walls that could be beautified, business owners interested in works of art on their building, and artists looking to make those works happen. The council said on Facebook that a forum will take place in January, although a
specific date and location haven’t been announced.
GREEN LINE EXTENSION
Good news on the Green Line: There’s finally a contract for the GLX. The MBTA board unanimously voted for the GLX Constructors’ bid, agreeing on a $1.08 billion contract—far below the MBTA’s max cost for the project, according to the Boston Globe—with final cost expectations landing in the ballpark of $2.3 billion after accounting for additional needs like “new trolleys and real estate purchases.”
In an effort to curb the abuse of controlled prescription drugs across the nation, Somerville’s biannual Prescription Drug Take Back Days offer a safe, anonymous deposit area for unused medication to be disposed of properly. According to Mayor Joseph Curtatone, 272.8 pounds of medication was collected at the October event. Photo, top left, courtesy of Adam Polinski. Photo, bottom, by Chaval Brasil. Photo, top right, courtesy of Snappy Kitchen.
DAVIS IN DEVELOPMENT
DAVIS SQUARE
SNAPPY KITCHEN
DAVIS SQUARE COMING SOON
Despite being on its third rebranding(!), it’s always been Snappy for the owners of the Davis Square restaurant. Starting out as Snappy Sushi, then Snappy Ramen, the restaurant needed a fresh, less-limiting name for its move over to Elm Street. Its newly christened Instagram only hints at the full menu, but a particularly crispy plate of gyoza, perfectly balanced bowl of ramen, and photo-ready sushi mingle so beautifully, we’re going to go ahead and judge this book by its cover photo. DAVIS SQUARE
MORTADELLA HEAD
COMING SOON
Most Italian chefs would probably scoff at the notion of “quick-serve” Italian food, but the minds behind Mortadella Head (who also helmed Boston Burger Company) aren’t out to make a mockery of your Italian grandma’s famous meatball dish. “We have traveled to Italy several times developing this concept,” owner Chuck Sillari told Eater Boston. The restaurant doesn’t have an opening date yet, but will be located in the former Deli-icious space.
HULUN BEIR
COMING
SOON Davis Square is getting Hulun Beir, a new hot pot spot, according to Eater Boston. Along with three different broths ranging in spiciness and vast assortments of broth accompaniments, Eater reports that Hulun Beir’s Mongolian cuisine will also include meat pies, scallion pancakes, and dumplings. An opening date hasn’t been announced, but once the spot opens, both your stomach and sinuses will thank you for visiting.
SCHEDULE A TOUR: bit.ly/SeeCanopy
DAVIS SQUARE
JOHNNY D’S GETS DEMOLISHED
No, you’re not losing it; the classic venue/restaurant Johnny D’s has been closed since 2016, but the building itself was demolished late in November, Boston Restaurant Talk reports. After serving Somerville for over 47 years, Johnny D’s closed last March. Known as a country music venue before its tenure as a legendary place to casually catch a show and some grub, Restaurant Talk says that early reports indicated the site “could become home to a handful of residential units and possibly a new restaurant or bar.”
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The Wellness Issue 13
NEWS
TACKLING OPIOID ADDICTION EARLY GOVERNOR BAKER’S NEW PLAN TO ENHANCE SUBSTANCE ABUSE EDUCATION AND PREVENTION BY REENA KARASIN PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
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overnor Charlie Baker has released his second major package to tackle the opioid crisis that has swept the country and ravaged Massachusetts in recent years. The package includes a piece of proposed legislation called the CARE Act—Combating addiction, Accessing treatment, Reducing prescriptions, and Enhancing prevention—and several administrative actions. Baker’s plan came a few weeks after President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. Opioidrelated deaths in Massachusetts quadrupled between 2000 and 2015, according to state data. Somerville also saw a spike in fatal narcotic overdoses, from three in 2010 to 21 in 2016, the Wellbeing of Somerville report shows. The governor’s plan emphasizes the need to start substance abuse education early. The administrative actions include creating a working group to identify at-risk children in schools, to find school-based education programs that have 14 The Wellness Issue
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proved effective, and drawing up a grant that schools can use for implementation. The actions also call for the expansion of the SBIRT program—Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment—that is running in 283 of the state’s schools, and aim to integrate opioid education into all college orientations. “This package builds on the state’s existing framework by identifying populations at-risk of developing a substance use disorder, particularly children and young adults, and empowers schools with the tools they need to integrate education about these harmful drugs into their everyday curriculum,” Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito said in a statement. “We have to begin these critical conversations and prevention techniques with our kids before it’s too late.” Somerville’s Office of Prevention and public schools have taken this educationcentered approach over the past few years. When K-12 Supervisor of
Photo, left: Middle school students learn skills for substance abuse prevention in their health class.
Health and Wellness Steven Simolaris came to the school district three years ago, substance abuse and prevention education in the middle school was “minimal” and high schoolers were taught with standard health textbooks. Those approaches have been revamped with the advent of three programs: LifeSkills, HealthSmart, and Second Step. LifeSkills, running in grades six through 12, focuses on “building skills to resist temptation,” Simolaris says. There are some lessons on specific drugs, but the program also emphasizes good decision making and healthy relationships, according to Simolaris. HealthSmart is a similar program geared toward grades four and five. “A lot of the research says that students that don’t have the necessary social-emotional skills partake,” Simolaris says. Second Step, which is taught in all pre-K through eighthgrade classes, doesn’t address substance use directly but rather focuses on developing the necessary social and emotional skills that children need to make safe decisions later in life. “For us, all prevention will help everything,” Director of Prevention Services for the Office of Prevention Cory Mashburn says. “If we work on alcohol prevention, it works on marijuana prevention. We try to focus on kids making healthier decisions. The issue is, people that have addiction move onto other substances. It’s not really the substance; it’s the disease of addiction.” Guidance counselors used to drop into classes to teach the Second Step curriculum, but now classroom teachers work it into students’ usual routines. Second Step lessons for fourth graders include hands-on activities around being assertive, understanding different perspectives, showing compassion, and emotional management. Seventh and ninth graders are screened through SBIRT, Mashburn says. The screening consists of a short interview that assesses risks—with questions like “Have you ever gotten into a car with someone who’s been drinking?”—and then, if
STEVEN SIMOLARIS necessary, refers a student to the appropriate resources. Teenagers are not the primary age group in Somerville affected by opioid use, Mashburn and Simolaris explain. People between the ages of 25 and 34 are most at risk, according to Mashburn. But the 2017 Wellbeing of Somerville report emphasizes how health factors at various stages of life influence health later on, and so efforts to warn teens about the dangers of opioids can pay off later in their lives. In 2016, over 89 percent of high schoolers thought that illegal drugs other than marijuana were risky, according to the wellbeing report. “An important step in preventing opioid dependence later in life is to avoid any illicit drug use in adolescence,” the report says. Since these programs are new to the district—SBIRT and the classroom curricula in their current forms were adopted in 2016—the city isn’t able to measure their effects yet. The youth risk behavior survey that will be administered to high schoolers next year will shed some light, but Mashburn says the effects can’t truly be gauged for four to six years. But there is hopeful data both locally and statewide. Fatal opioid overdoses across Massachusetts in the first quarter of 2017 were
“We try to focus on kids making healthier decisions. The issue is, people that have addiction move onto other substances. It’s not really the substance, it’s the disease of addiction.” —Cory Mashburn nine percent lower than the same period in 2016, according to Somerville’s wellbeing report, and opioid-related fatalities decreased in the city. Baker’s emphasis on early prevention and education is in line with Somerville’s current approach, Mashburn explains. “We’re not going to treat our way out of the epidemic, but we can prevent it from happening again. If we give people the tools, such as kids, that they need to make effective decisions in life, then we’ll have a better outcome,” he says. “That doesn’t mean that treatment and intervention is not needed,” he adds. Better access to better treatment is one of the other goals of Baker’s package, which Mashburn says will largely be tackled at the state level due to the significant costs involved. It also aims to work with the
medical community to address addiction to prescription painkillers. Somerville has already made strides in this area as well; according to Mashburn, Cambridge Health Alliance’s emergency department only gives out certain drugs in two- or three-day doses, with patients needing to be reevaluated before receiving a refill. The Office of Prevention has also encouraged doctors to have information available in their offices on the potential hazards of prescription drugs, and has worked with doctors, police officers, and firefighters to make sure that Narcan is readily available. “We’re doing a bunch of it already, but it’s nice to get the governor to put it in writing and say these are the steps that people should take,” Mashburn says. “And it’s nice to confirm that we’re doing the right thing.” scoutsomerville.com
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THE WELLNESS ISSUE
MENTAL HEALTH WELLNESS AMBASSADORS PUT SPOTLIGHT ON TEEN VOICES BY NICHOLAS GOLDEN | PHOTOS BY ANGELA COOK
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he room of teens whoop and look on as a young man in a Harvard sweatshirt brings in a large, decorated box. On its sides are images and maps of the City of Somerville, from Clarendon Hill to Union Square. The Mental Health Wellness Ambassadors at the Center for Teen Empowerment have been gathering what could be described as intentions in the box: poems, quotes, letters, and messages from attendees at open mics and workshops expressing their fears, their hopes, or whatever else they had on their minds. One poem found after rummaging among the papers is titled “Toxic Masculinity.” Fifteen-year-old Elie Billon, who wrote the poem, sits down in the second-floor room of the brick community center and performs it to his captivated peers, who urge him on. “He was 15 when he saw his brother lose his life / Just wish one of them brought sense to a gunfight / All this stress and anxiety is pressing me so I’m unable to fly / But I’m worried about my image so I’m unable to cry.”
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THE ROOT OF THE CHALLENGE
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A youth mental health ambassador speaks to his peers.
he Center for Teen Empowerment, a nonprofit that gives Somerville teens jobs as facilitators and change-makers in their community through programs like the Mental Health Wellness Ambassadors, is frequently host to the kind of vulnerability and connectedness that leads to healing. Danny McLaughlin, the Director of Teen Empowerment Somerville—one of four branches throughout New England and New York—is keenly aware of the group’s place in the city given Somerville’s history. He and his whole staff grew up in Somerville, he says, and know the city inside and out. Mayor Joseph Curtatone brought Teen Empowerment to the city in 2004-2005 and tasked the group with taking on a rash of overdoses, violence, and suicide among teenagers. Working with people throughout the community, Teen Empowerment sought to mend ties between youth and police while serving as a coordinator of the city’s outreach.
McLaughlin, now in his mid30s, remembers his own teenage years as being different from what today’s Somerville teens are seeing. “When I first came on, we were losing a kid a month— overdose, suicide, or murder,” McLaughlin says. “We lost almost 30 kids in a five-year span. The year I graduated Somerville High School, we lost two classmates immediately.” McLaughlin calls the last several years “the peace times” compared to that earlier stretch, a period when the city, through groups like Teen Empowerment, has been able to get at underlying factors like anxiety and depression with far less violence and fewer overdoses than in years past. But despite the city’s progress, the violence is not gone altogether. Back in August, McLaughlin notes, a 16-year-old was murdered in a high-profile shooting in the city. The mental health challenges in Somerville stem from a whole host of sources, including school anxiety, racism, sexual
harassment, and threats to undocumented immigrants. “We’re hearing that anxiety and stress levels are higher,” McLaughlin says. “And one thing on affordability—these kids know what gentrification means. They know their friends are moving out. They know it’s hard to live here.” Ten teens are part of the Mental Health Ambassadors program, where they pioneer workshops, open mic nights, dances, and more for their peers across the city. The program includes projects like the box of intentions, and other events like a recent workshop titled “How to Have a Hard Conversation.” According to a study by the Department of Sociology at UMass Boston, Teen Empowerment has been broadly successful in hitting its goals. Serious youth violence shrank by 50 percent in Teen Empowerment’s first six years, according to the study. The program had the most impact once it started focusing its efforts
on East Somerville, where youth crime was most prevalent, the study says. “If you can get at those root things around voice and feeling heard and meeting the right people, it dramatically decreases your chances of negative behavior,” McLaughlin says of connecting with Somerville’s youth. “The role of the ambassadors is to remove the stigma, and give these people a voice … and a platform for people to share these issues too.”
EMPOWERING EACH OTHER
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aylor Copeland, a Teen Empowerment community facilitator who works closely with the Mental Health Wellness Ambassadors, hears the teens’ challenges every week. And sometimes, more often than that. “We definitely like to talk about larger issues that are impacting youth, and there
are big hitters: depression among youth, anxiety, time management, and stress, which I think is connected to a lot of things,” Copeland says. Copeland recommends techniques to teens to de-escalate stressful situations—taking someone away from a fight, talking someone through a loss, or even something as simple as getting a friend a glass of water. In intense moments, decisions like those can be deeply impactful, she says. Overall, these issues relate to being seen and heard. The Teen Empowerment website offers several videos made by the teens that get across feelings of anxiety, depression, and stress in a way that the community—and parents—can understand. “One big thing was students talking to their parents or adults at large—and feeling like [the adults] don’t know where they’re coming from or don’t necessarily support what they do or feel,” Copeland explains. Speaking at a debrief scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue
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THE WELLNESS ISSUE Mental Health Wellness Ambassadors Put Spotlight on Teen Voices
after the Hard Conversations workshop, the ambassadors share the sense that when they’re at Teen Empowerment they feel heard by staff facilitators and their peers. “Being here and knowing everyone here makes me feel so comfortable,” says Carlos Dasilva, 17. “The facilitators, John, Taylor, and Josh—even after work or before, they’ll do anything to see a smile on your face. They’ll do anything to help create a solution to your problems.” Another ambassador, Melissa Orasme, 15, says that after a long week at school, coming to the program is good closure, a space that can sometimes feel more meaningful than the classroom does. “It’s not just going to school and sitting there … coming here means talking about the issues in our community,” she says. “They make you feel happy because they know how it is. They know how hard it is to be a teenager.” The ambassadors often take their lessons—and the spirit imbued in Teen Empowerment’s internal culture—out into the larger community. 18 The Wellness Issue
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“SO MANY COMMUNITIES ACT LIKE THEY KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR THEM. IN SOMERVILLE, WE BRING YOUTH TO THE TABLE AND ASK THEM WHAT THEY FEEL ABOUT THINGS.”
That includes individualized projects like the boxes— described by 18-year-old Liam O’Keefe, one of the teens involved, as something meant “for people in the community to share what’s important to them.” It can also include working through anything impacting the community, like President Donald Trump’s immigration bans or the recent shooting in the city. Overall, McLaughlin says that one of the biggest aims of Teen Empowerment is bringing young people into the fold and helping make their voices heard in the city. “There are a lot of recent events that have been occurring that have been traumatizing for us, so as teen ambassadors, we create events to help people feel comfortable and safe,” Carlos says, referring to both local and national events. “So many communities act like they know what’s best for them. In Somerville, we bring youth to the table and ask them what they feel about things,” he says. “They have new ideas that we never think about.”
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The Wellness Issue 19
YOUR DENTAL HEALTH IS PART OF YOUR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT WITH A DENTAL VISIT. THE REST OF YOUR BODY WILL BENEFIT!
DR. KATIE TALMO received her DMD from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in 2010. Upon graduation, she joined her father, Paul Talmo, in his practice located in the historic English Tudor house at 180 Highland Avenue on the corner of Highland Avenue and Benton Road. Dr. Talmo graduated first in her class from Tufts and continues to be involved in her alma mater where she teaches parttime as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Comprehensive Care.
Her patient-centered treatment philosophy focuses on prevention and conservative treatment modalities. She is a member of the American Dental Association and the Massachusetts Dental Society and is a fellow of the International College of Dentists. She is engaged in the community, serving as the Advisory Committee Chair to Somerville High School’s Dental Assisting Program. Dr. Talmo also travels to the Dominican Republic to provide dental care as part of a global outreach mission project. Schedule an appointment to visit Dr. Talmo in her newly renovated office space.
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NEW PATIENTS WELCOME!
You are important to us at Somerville Family Practice. We are here to work with you and listen with a caring and compassionate ear. We care about your needs and want you to feel comfortable communicating with us. At Somerville Family Practice, a privately owned practice, we are committed to providing you with premium primary health care. Since its opening, Somerville Family Practice has continued to be an office focused on patients. During a time where there is so much change in health care, it is important to maintain a constant awareness of the new and proven medical techniques and developments. However, we feel that compassion and commitment to caring for you and your family should never get lost. Our hope is that we form a partnership to keep you and your family healthy.
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• Pediatric, family, and adolescent medicine including children, adolescents, and adults of all ages • Diagnosis & management of chronic health conditions • Family planning • Acute/urgent care • Obesity/weight management • Asthma treatment • Women’s health
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Owned and operated by Nancy Landry, RN
Somerville Family Practice
N E W PA T I E N T S W E LC O M E • 1 0 2 0 B r o a d w a y • S o m e r v i l l e , M A 617.628.2160 • somervillefamilypractice.net
THE WELLNESS ISSUE
& n a g Ve an i r a t e Veg nt a r u a t Res up Round rs ah Walte By Hann ne Mathiowetz n a ri y Ad Photos b
Veggie Crust
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hat if there were a magical place where no one ever had to sacrifice pizza for paneer masala or vice versa? Well, that place is now a reality, and it’s located right on Somerville Avenue. Veggie Crust, which opened its doors in 2016 and is run by the owners of Dosa N Curry, is the long-awaited answer for the indecisive vegetarian or, frankly, anyone who loves good food. The menu features fascinating speciality pies like coconut corn pizza with alfredo sauce (can be vegan), paneer tikka masala, garden veggie manchurian, and fresh jalapeno. You can even build your own pizza with a choice of sauce (ranging from marinara to pesto to masala) 22 The Wellness Issue
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445 Somerville Avenue • vegcrust.com • 617-764-4605
and toppings including mushrooms, sweet corn, and paneer. Of course, the traditional Italian varieties of pizza are well represented at Veggie Crust, as are paninis, salads, and pastas. The only animal product within the Veggie Crust building is cheese, and all dishes can easily be made vegan or even gluten-free. The creative menu at Veggie Crust was the product of four years’ planning and craftsmanship by the owner, Raj Verma. He has been in Somerville since the 1990s, and was inspired to open his own vegetarian restaurant when his parents joined him in the early 2000s. “My whole family, my ancestors, were all vegetarian,” Verma explains. Verma wanted a place where he, his
parents, and other devoutly vegetarian and vegan folks could find plantbased food without the usual stress. Verma does not eat eggs, for example, which he often found out was in other restaurants’ pizza dough. Verma requests his staff not bring any meals containing meat or eggs over the threshold of the restaurant to prevent any possibility of cross-contamination. For both awesome veg pizza and a heartwarming dose of Verma’s thoughtfulness, Veggie Crust is the place to be. And veggielovers can rejoice at the fact that Veggie Crust is looking to expand into Brookline.
Dosa N Curry 447 Somerville Avenue • dosa-n-curry.com • 617-764-3152
D
osa N Curry has long been a favorite allvegetarian Indian restaurant that specializes in cuisine from both the northern and southern portions of the subcontinent, as well as IndoChinese dishes. The restaurant’s multi-regional focus is a delight, but the fact that it’s all vegetarian, all the time, is certainly the cherry on top of this ethical and eco-friendly sundae. One of the things that sets Dosa N Curry apart is found right in its name: dosa. Lots of dosa. For those who don’t know, dosa is a South Indian specialty that doesn’t always grace your typical New England Indian restaurant menu. Some might compare dosa to a thin pancake or a crepe, but it’s really on a level of its own. Much larger than a pancake or crepe, Dosa is warm, stretchy, and doughy, with a hint of lentils inside. These huge circles of joy can be filled with any combination of sauces and stuffing. Options include potatoes, masala, cabbage, and other veggies. They also can be served classically—with nothing but ghee
(butter!). At Dosa N Curry there are over 15 varieties of just dosa to choose from, proving that the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle is anything but limited. If you manage to pry your eyes away from the dosa section of the menu and explore other options—which include more bread varieties such as poori and tandoori roti—you can also find Jain dishes. Those who practice Jainism, an ancient Indian religion that has some common ground with Buddhism and Hinduism, avoid eating onion, garlic, and other root vegetables. As if the food wasn’t enough of a draw, the restaurant is perfect for sitting down or carrying out. The interior is warm, with an abundance of green booths and gentle lighting that offer a calm and welcoming atmosphere. The Dosa N Curry kitchen is completely free of any eggs, meat, fish, or animal products. Cheese (usually in the form of paneer) and other dairy is the only animal product available.
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The Wellness Issue 23
THE WELLNESS ISSUE Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant Roundup
Taco Party 711 Broadway • tacopartytruck.com • 617-764-0683
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eith Schubert needed a change. He had been working as a drum technician traveling with bands for 13 years, and was growing tired of living out of a suitcase. “I was sitting on a plane, right when food trucks were taking off, and it just struck me … ’taco parties’ … I got home and immediately started working on it,” he says. The Taco Party idea, in fact, came from his weekly “taco Tuesday” parties at home with his wife and friends. Schubert took his Taco Party to the streets in a brightly painted food truck in 2013. But in 2015 he decided that after “all the headaches that come with a literally rolling kitchen,” it was time to find a brick and mortar party house to go along with the taco truck. To Somerville’s good fortune, that home ended up on Broadway. With tempting options like the tiki taco (soy ginger marinated tofu and grilled pineapple), the cornmeal crusted mushroom taco (mushrooms, arugula, and salsa roja), or the chorizo seitan taco (spicy ground seiten, green cabbage, and chipotle salsa), it’s impossible to go wrong at Taco Party. It even offers nachos, tortas, and sweets.
While Schubert has many inventive versions of these favorites, he likes to keep things from getting overly indulgent or unusual. “We have a fryer and we have seitan, but half of our menu is straight up ‘I know what that vegetable is,’” he says. Why go veg? It’s pretty simple in Schubert’s eyes: “It’s good for the planet, and a
True Bistro W 1153 Broadway • truebistroboston.com • 617-627-9000
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bunch of animals don’t die.” Schubert’s fun, welcoming attitude is not only immediately apparent when you chat with him, but it’s also reflected in the restaurant’s decor. With retro-style black-andwhite tile floors and its walls and storefront painted cactus green, Taco Party is a cute place to grab some seriously delicious veggie tacos. And it doesn’t even have to be a Tuesday.
ith white table cloths, delicate lighting, and vases of fresh flowers, True Bistro is not your typical vegan option. A gourmet restaurant with a seasonal menu, True Bistro is an excellent place to find masterfully creative flavors like a sweet potato ravioli with fresh turmeric pasta and lemongrass coconut cream or a Katafi Nest dessert with pistachio, rose water, white chocolate mousse, and fresh fruit. Yes, that’s right, this is all vegan. True Bistro also offers an extensive drink list that includes fine wine, beer, specialty cocktails, and non-alcoholic house drinks. Stuart Reiter, who hails from San Francisco, is head chef, coowner, sommelier, beer selector, and pastry chef of True Bistro, which opened its doors in 2010 in Teele Square. True Bistro expanded its bar area in October 2017, which allowed it to bump its seating from 30 to 53. Reiter notes there’s been an explosion of vegan/vegetarian options in the fast food and casual dining sector, and while many amazing sit-down restaurants in the area are happy to accommodate, he thinks there’s room for more vegan gourmet. In fact, his inspiration for opening True Bistro was a response to that lack of gourmet vegan/vegetarian options in the Boston area, he says. Reiter enjoys the adaptability that comes with the seasonal mission of True Bistro. “Mother nature forces my hand,” he says, “I try a new dish almost every week.” This winter he’ll be serving up roasted winter squash with salsa verde, cashew sour cream, and pepitas. To the boon of Somerville vegans and omnivores alike, there’s much flavor and art to be spooned, sipped, and savored at True Bistro.
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The Wellness Issue 25
Thinking About Medical Marijuana? WHAT IS MEDICAL MARIJUANA:
Medical Marijuana is the term used to describe the process of using the Cannabis plant as medicine; a way to alleviate the symptoms of numerous physical and mental ailments. In Massachusetts, The Medical Use of Marijuana Program consists of qualifying patients, caregivers, and dispensaries as well as the certification and registration process for each.
WHY BECOME A PATIENT:
Are you suffering from a debilitating condition? Medical Marijuana is known to relieve symptoms associated with many conditions, such as chronic pain, depression and anxiety. If you are looking to take hold of your own relief, Medical Marijuana may be for you! As a Registered Medical Marijuana Patient, you will have many options including growing your own medicine and obtaining From a Registered Marijuana Dispensary (RMD). You will also have access to laboratory tested Medical Marijuana for consumption which will give you the knowledge, and peace of mind, that you deserve.
DO YOU QUALIFY:
In Massachusetts, in order to become a Registered Patient, you must be at least 18 years of age and suffer from a condition which warrants Medical Marijuana. The State recognizes over 250 debilitating conditions in the program, and they include but are not limited to conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, and Chrohn’s.
THE FIRST STEPS:
The first step in obtaining your Medical Marijuana Card is to contact a MedWell Health & Wellness Center; located in Brockton, Brookline, and Somerville. Upon contact, we will discuss and answer any questions
that you may have. We can then book the most convenient appointment time for you. We understand that, initially, the process an be an adjustment, and here at MedWell we take pride in providing education and ensuring the comfort of our patients.
IN OUR OFFICE:
Once you have arrived at a MedWell Health & Wellness Center you will be greeted by our friendly, and knowledgeable, staff who will obtain your identification and begin assembling a medical file for you. Included in that file will be our New Patient paperwork that you will fill out explaining the ailments you suffer from, as well as the steps you’ve taken to treat them thus far. Once the appropriate check in process has been completed you will be given educational materials and pay for the visit, at which point one of our medical assistants will bring you to the exam room for vital signs to be taken and the appointment with the physician to commence. During this appointment with the physician you will discuss your ailments, past and present, and your desire to become a medical marijuana patient in order to experience relief. In the event you do not qualify for the program, a full refund will be issued to you before leaving the office.
PROCEDURE OF REGISTRATION:
Once you have been seen and certified from our Physician, you will receive step-by-step instructions on how to register with the state; a process our staff is happy to help you with. Once registered, the state will ensure that you have submitted all required documentation and then issue a temporary Medical Marijuana Program Card- a process that typically takes less than 7 days. Once received, you are free to begin your use of Medical Marijuana!
For additional information including frequently asked questions and educational articles, visit us at MedWellHealth.net or call (774) 517-5195
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Arthritic joints ADHD PTSD Bladder cancer Childhood seizure disorders HIV/AIDS Spinal cord injury Pain management Anxiety disorders Crohn’s disease and colitis Many, many other ailments
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SEE A DOCTOR. Visit Medwell Health and Wellness, or go marijuanadoctors.com to see a qualified doctor specializing in medical marijuana referrals.
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More to Love Challenges Definition of Wellness BY REENA KARASIN
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achel Estapa spent her teenage years at odds with her body. She was active and played sports, but her body resisted her dieting and attempts to lose weight. She felt society’s insistence that a healthy person was a slim one. Her life took a turn in 2008 when the Great Recession hit and she lost her first job out of college. She began to think about her passions and what she wanted to do next. She tried yoga, but struggled to find a class that felt welcoming. “Very quickly I learned that as a larger body, wow, this is intimidating, and I kind of had to learn my own way to make things comfortable, make poses work,” she says. She dreamed of a class that was not just welcoming to larger bodies but designed for them. Her interest in business kicked in—“I never want to be at the discretion of someone else’s ability to have an employee,” she explains—and she decided to become a certified yoga instructor. After a month-long intensive at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in the Berkshires, where she practiced yoga for about 12 hours a day, she was ready to bring her idea to life. More to Love was born in 2013, offering yoga classes that preach body acceptance. Estapa’s understanding of “wellness” has evolved since she began yoga, and she tries to share her view of it with the “More to Lovelies” who frequent her classes. “I define wellness as an ongoing conversation with all parts of yourself, knowing that that always will change. I don’t take a static view of wellness at all,” she says. “I really define wellness as not needing to be perfect, just adjusting to feeling like you can carry forward.”
Photo courtesy of More to Love.
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The Wellness Issue 29
THE WELLNESS ISSUE More to Love Challenges Definition of Wellness
She integrates this acceptance of imperfection and need for individualization into her classes. She encourages people to adjust the moves for what works best for them, and talks about how challenging balance can be. Rather than following a script, she improvises and addresses the realities that her students face in the movements. “I can infuse aspects of body positivity lessons in there,” she explains. “I talk about bellies, I talk about boobs, I talk about butts. I use myself as the template for a lot of these things.” Yoga is a good medium to work through body positivity because it involves feeling at ease in your body, Estapa says. The practice, which has deep roots, has been distorted in a push to make money, she argues—and
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since mainstream sexiness sells, the modern conception of yoga excludes people who don’t fit a mold. “It’s the same thing that diet industry is modeled off of: ‘You suck now; here’s how you can not suck’ ... When you look at yoga as it is today, you definitely don’t picture someone who looks like me. There’s this aesthetic, this sort of perfect body. That is not what yoga genuinely is about. Yoga can be as real as you need it to be for your body,” she says. Janelle Leroux, a 39-yearold Somerville resident who has been taking Estapa’s classes for years, couldn’t find a yoga class she liked until she tried More to Love. “I never feel out of place,” she says. “I never feel like my body’s doing the wrong thing or that my body can’t do what it should be
doing, because in Rachel’s class whatever your body’s doing is what it should be doing.” More to Love Yoga is open to all regardless of body type or gender. Community is an important aspect of the classes, which run at The Center for Arts at the Armory. People flock from out of state to be welcomed by Estapa. About 2,000 people have cycled through the small classes, which regularly fill up. “The class itself, it’s looking at being inclusive and not just for different body types but inclusive in the sense of we’re all close and want to get to know each other,” Leroux says. “That kind of community is nice in the city, finding a place where you can connect a little bit more instead of just walking in the door, doing your class, and racing out.”
TAKING WELLNESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL
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stapa’s visions for More To Love stretch beyond yoga classes. In late 2017 she launched WELL by MTL, an online course designed to help people develop wellness plans that work for them. Like everything related to More To Love, the four-week course separates weight from wellness—there are “no numbers at all,” Estapa says. Individualized wellness plans could involve moving some each day or taking time for yourself. Estapa’s wellness plan centers around energy management, trying to resist her impulse to throw herself fully into a project and then leave herself spent. WELL by MTL helps people
tackle what is important to them rather than unrealistically trying to change everything at once. “A lot of times when people say ‘wellness’ you think, ‘I guess I should go to the gym five days a week, I should clear out my cupboards and drink nothing but green smoothies,’” Estapa says. “There’s this perception that your whole lifestyle is wrong and has to change, and that causes super anxiety for people and it’s not sustainable. But the person gets blamed for it, not the system.” Several participants developed the plan in conjunction with a nutritionist or therapist, according to Estapa, using the course as another wellness tool.
More to Love recently won $25,000 from Mastercard and Bank of America’s Grow Your Biz Contest. Estapa plans to use the funding to making More to Love more accessible, from getting the word out into various communities to making it easier to register online. In addition to the prize money, Estapa won one-on-one consultations with the business experts behind the competition. She looks forward to bouncing ideas off of them as she tries to decide what direction to take More to Love in. The high interest in the first retreat has made her wonder whether she should focus on doing more trips, or whether she
"In Rachel's class, whatever your body's doing is what it should be doing." - Janelle Leroux The second iteration of the course will run in February. Estapa found that in the first round people were hesitant to share their thoughts and plans, and so she hopes to instill more of the community feel from her yoga classes into the online program. Estapa will be leading More to Love’s first retreat at the beginning of June, taking a group of 20 or so to Kripalu. The retreat will look different from the intensive training Estapa completed there—in addition to yoga there will be nature walks, lectures, and a strong social aspect. About 70 people have already expressed interest, according to Estapa. “It’s going to be the best of what More to Love offers—yoga, body positivity, feeling liberated and free in your body in an environment that completely supports what you are there to do, to feel like you can love yourself in the company of people who appreciate that,” she says. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
should grow the class component by opening her own studio. She likes the idea of a home base but also wants to get out into various communities, and is considering training other teachers to lead classes in her style so that More to Love can reach a wider audience. One day she even wants to write a book. “I’ve got big ideas,” she says, adding that she hopes the competition judges can help her sort through them and decide what’s best for More to Love. “I just always come back to thinking, you have to do what matters to you, and More to Love is so tied into my own identity as a person and a larger person, as a woman,” Estapa says. “I have definitely had many moments of vulnerability throughout this whole process, because it’s me, this is my life. To have that validated by anyone, and by Mastercard and Bank of America, it’s like ‘Wow, this is real.’”
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The Wellness Issue 31
THE WELLNESS ISSUE
CITY WELLBEING REPORT DIVES INTO WEB OF HEALTH FACTORS BY REENA KARASIN
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he concept of “health” is no longer constrained to a medical silo—it’s present in every facet of people’s lives, from the stability of their housing to the ways they use social media to the air they breathe. The Department of Health and Human Services and Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) spent over a year putting together a wellness report that reflects this complex web of health factors affecting Somerville residents. The report is chock full of data, trends, and recommendations for how to address the most prevalent health problems. The city will hold focus groups from January into early summer to get a sense of which issues the community wants to prioritize. “This is step one of the process,” Director of Health and Human Services Doug Kress says. “We want to use this to help us springboard into using a community process, which we’re calling the Community Health Improvement plan process. Let’s dig a little bit deeper into these priorities, so that we have a better understanding of not only what we think are priorities, but what the community members also think are priorities, which will then help us shape our work plan for the next three to five years.” 32 The Wellness Issue
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The last wellbeing report, issued in 2011, was the first to address social determinants of health. “Mostly what that report said was we’ve not really been looking at the full picture,” says Lisa Brukilacchio, director of the Somerville Community Health Agenda at CHA. “I’ve been in my job 10 years now, and I was not dealing with housing when I started. Now, healthcare in general is saying, ‘Oh, housing, food, transportation, utilities, education—these are things that are impacting the health of our population.’” The interconnectedness of health factors has pushed CHA and the Department of Health and Human Services to work more cooperatively with resources throughout the city. Kress’s department now has a social worker and has partnered with the housing department. These connections aim to provide residents with holistic responses to their health needs. “Can we train multiple people to talk about housing searches? I have talked to the library director, said what if we trained some of your reference staff. The libraries have partnered with CHA to put a part-time social worker in the libraries,” Kress says. “It’s changing a little bit of how we do our work Doug Kress and Lisa Brukilacchio. Photo by Evan Sayles.
SNAPSHOTS FROM THE REPORT Almost one-third of Somerville residents are between the ages of 25 and 34. This gives the city one of the biggest young adult populations in the United States.
>15%
Over 15 percent of Somerville’s Black middle school students said they were worried about experiencing racism and prejudice.
Fatal narcotics overdoses in Somerville rose from three to 21 between 2010 and 2016. Seventy-five percent of Somerville residents were born in the United States, versus a state-wide average of 93 percent. The city’s most common countries of origin for immigrants are Brazil, Portugal, China, India, and El Salvador. In the 2015-2016 school year, more than 10 percent of high school students said that having police officers present in their school made them feel less safe.
Over 95 percent of Somerville residents have health coverage, about one percent lower than the state-wide number.
<15%
Almost fifteen percent of Somerville’s population is living in poverty, according to numbers from 2011-2015. More than a third of the people in poverty are Black. Over nine percent of households in Somerville received SNAP benefits in 2015.
1.9%
Somerville halved its school dropout rate between the 2014-2015 school year and the 2015-2016 year. The rate in 2015-2016 was 1.9 percent.
Percent of Sub-population
100
Somerville is ranked as the second-most-walkable city in the state, behind Cambridge. Its walk score is 86/100.
CHART 8: Trend in Poverty Rate for Somerville Residents, by Subgroup (2010 and 2015) Somerville 2010
80
Somerville 2015 MA 2015
60
41 43
40 20 0
15 15 12 Total Individuals
22 23
15
Under 18 years
11 14 9
17 17 13
65 years +
Families with Children
Sources: Somerville and MA ACS (5-yr estimates), For each year, denominators differ by specific sub groups referenced above
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Female Headed Families with Children
Source: The Wellbeing of Somerville Report, 2017 scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue 33
THE WELLNESS ISSUE City Wellbeing Report Dives into Web of Health Factors
TRACKING HEALTH THROUGH THE LIFE STAGES This year’s report looks at how health factors impact a person throughout their life. This breakdown helps the health department and CHA figure out how to best address the city’s prevalent health problems. Take a look at how obesity, substance addiction, and social media are affecting Somervillians across their lifespans.
SUBSTANCE ADDICTION SCHOOL AGE AND ADOLESCENT: Substance use during this life stage can have lasting effects on how the brain develops. as well, we’re working together to eliminate those silos.” “A lot of our work is really about connecting different service providers or agencies that support community residents so that we’re better integrated, so that the individual experience, it doesn’t really matter which door they open—whichever door it is, that person can get connected,” Brukilacchio adds. The major innovation in this year’s report is breaking data and recommendations down into different life stages. Kress and Brukilacchio explain that this structure illuminates how factors in early parts of life—all the way back to prenatal—impact health in later stages. “It really talks about starting from equitable access early on in life,” Brukilacchio says. The life phases model also shows how health factors in the different stages affect each other. For example, a child might live with a grandparent because their parent is suffering from drug addiction. Health factors from three different life stages are interacting in this scenario. The report breaks the lifespan down into six age brackets: prenatal and early childhood (birth-4), school age and adolescent (5-18), early adult (18-24), young adult (2539), middle adult (40-64), and older adult (65+). The city crafts both immediate 34 The Wellness Issue
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and long-term solutions to the issues presented in the wellbeing reports. When the data showed that sexually transmitted infections were a problem in the public schools, the city took steps to make sure that students were getting the necessary information in middle school. The city also developed a homelessness task force in response to wellbeing report findings. “We were trying to focus in on what are the direct actions or policy recommendations that we can be doing to try to change the dial a bit,” Brukilacchio says. The Department of Health and Human Services and CHA will spend the coming months actively encouraging the community to engage with the report and to decide on next steps. Brukilacchio and Kress hope to reach people of all life stages—they once went into Artisan’s Asylum to get in touch with people in their 20s and 30s, an age group that they often have trouble engaging—and want to press people to think deeply about and digest the data. “I tend to describe these reports as being purposefully provocative,” Brukilacchio says. “We are trying to stimulate discussion and dialogue about these issues. We mention topics in each chapter—race is right there, social networks and safety are right there, as part of this whole package of someone’s community.” Photo from The 2017 Wellbeing of Somerville Report from Cambridge Health Alliance.
EARLY CHILDHOOD: Adverse childhood experiences like abuse, neglect, and racism can increase the likelihood of risky health behavior, including substance use, later in life. The negative experiences “can potentially affect lifelong mental and physical health,” the wellness report says.
EARLY ADULT: Early adulthood can be a major time of substance use and addiction. Binge drinking peaks in early adulthood, and people between 20 and 24 are twice as likely to suffer from substance use disorders than those over 26 years old. MIDDLE ADULT: This group had higher rates of ER visits due to alcohol and substance use than any other age bracket, according to 2012 data.
SOCIAL MEDIA social interactions. On the flip side, researchers have seen social media effecting positive changes like lower rates of teen sexual activity.
EARLY CHILDHOOD: Babies and toddlers are increasingly exposed to screens, despite the American Academy of Pediatrics’s recommendation that children under 18 months not use screens at all. Healthcare providers see that technology has affected how much parents and children interact. SCHOOL AGE AND ADOLESCENT: Children in this life stage can be particularly susceptible to cyberbullying, which introduces a new set of challenges into adolescents’
EARLY ADULT: Social media may make early adults more sedentary, which can threaten physical health. YOUNG ADULT: Social media can boost young adults’ civic engagement. “Engaging in community issues is closely linked with social media for this age group, who learn about opportunities primarily online,” the wellness report says. “Cities like Somerville are seeing this age group showing up at planning forums and festivals, and as volunteers for causes they support.”
OBESITY PRENATAL: Drinking sugarsweetened beverages during the second trimester of a pregnancy can lead to higher obesity levels for the child, according to a recent study. EARLY CHILDHOOD: Breastfeeding can help prevent childhood obesity and infectious diseases. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding a baby for at least six months. About 78 percent of teen mothers in Somerville said they planned on breastfeeding, versus over 94 percent of mothers who were at least 30 years old. Somerville aims to make breastfeeding convenient for local mothers, with lactation spaces in City Hall and its annexes. SCHOOL AGE AND ADOLESCENT: Twenty-four percent of Somerville students in grades 1, 4, 7, and 10 are obese, compared to 15.3 percent statewide. This high obesity rate makes Somerville’s children more susceptible to Type 2 diabetes, depression, and heart disease. There is a correlation between obesity and not getting enough sleep. Schools scattered throughout the country have looked into pushing their start times later so that children and teens can get enough rest. The Massachusetts Medical Society passed a resolution in December 2015 stating that middle and high
school classes should start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. The Boston Public School system’s school committee voted in December to push more school start times past 8 a.m., although backtracked after significant negative reactions. Somerville High School starts at 7:55 a.m. The city wellbeing report’s authors recommend looking into having the school district’s days start later. EARLY ADULT: Social media is one possible reason why early adults are becoming more sedentary. Onefifth of adults in Somerville do not exercise in their free time. YOUNG ADULT: Young adults with college degrees are 60 percent more likely to eat five or more servings of vegetables and fruits daily than their counterparts who did not attend college, a finding that points to the role of income inequality in physical health. MIDDLE ADULT: Obesity in Massachusetts has nearly doubled since the early 1990s. Diabetes is the top reason that Somerville’s middle adults are hospitalized. OLDER ADULT: Obesity can increase chances of developing arthritis, in addition to diabetes and heart disease.
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www.VisitGriffin.com Source: The Wellbeing of Somerville Report, 2017. Images from The 2017 Wellbeing of Somerville Report from Cambridge Health Alliance. scoutsomerville.com
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THE WELLNESS ISSUE
TUNING UP YOUR MIND AND BODY 36 The Wellness Issue
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BY KAT RUTKIN | PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
ichard Green opened Massage Therapy Works in Davis Square in 1997, and it has almost quadrupled in size over the years. As the practice has grown, he’s added techniques to his healing arsenal. Massage Therapy Works now offers over 20 types of bodywork, from the more traditional massage treatments to cupping to shamanic healing. By offering such a diverse range of services, Green is hopeful the right treatment can be found once a client is assessed. “The field of bodywork is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” he says. “Our aim is to empower our clients with information about themselves and their bodies so they can heal.” Green and his colleagues have made a habit of learning all they can in their field, sometimes expanding the notions of traditional bodywork. “We stay curious,” he says. “We are bound by the desire to help people heal.” He learned about work that a woman named Eileen McKusick was doing in Vermont, using specialized tuning forks to clear the biomagnetic field—or biofield—that surrounds the human body, and got trained in the practice. McKusick, a yoga instructor and massage therapist, has been studying the effects of sound on the human body since 1996. She started using tuning forks—which were originally used to tune instruments but have become popular in alternative medicine, like as part of an acupuncture treatment where vibrating forks are placed on acupressure points—in her massage practice.
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While exploring the use of vibration, McKusick found that if she held an activated, or vibrating, tuning fork over areas where her clients complained of pain, the vibration sound would change. McKusick eventually found the biofield quite by accident in the course of a treatment. Intending to use the tuning fork over her client’s body as usual, she instead struck it about two feet away and discovered a loud, dissonant tone. Repeated hits on the tuning fork produced the same sound in the same area. She started testing the vibrations in the area around her client’s bodies and seeing where the vibrations changed. This discovery and subsequent testing led to her research and development of the Biofield Anatomy, where different emotions and stresses correspond to specific areas of the body. The biofield is the body’s filing cabinet, Green explains, where we store our experiences and memories. Green describes it like the rings of a tree: The outermost area corresponds to your earliest experiences, and your newest experiences are closest to your body. Within the biofield, our experiences can be filed in designated areas that align with chakras, spaces believed to be a psychic-energy center in the traditions of Indian religions. The biofield extends roughly five to six feet from the body, depending on your age. Work is done both on and off the body in biofield tuning. The off-body work is carried out with smaller forks, which are activated by a hitting the fork against a hockey puck. The vibrations are used to identify memories that
are making us stuck, and the technician will ask if a memory is coming up. The client will then breathe deeply and focus on happier, calmer thoughts while the technician repeats the vibration sounds over and over until the tension clears. A different set of weighted forks is used to create vibrations on the body itself for particularly snarled muscles or memories. For an area that is really stuck, a crystal made from special Brazilian quartz is used with the forks to create a pulse directly on the body. Multiple studies show positive effects from types of biofield therapy. “Several therapies using audible sound have been developed that could be considered biofield devices,” a 2015 study published in Global Advances in Health and Medicine explains. “Music therapy, the clinical and evidence-based use of musical sounds to meet therapeutic goals, has been shown to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, enhance emotional expression and memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation.” A 2014 study published in the Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine journal looked at biofield therapy—not specifically sound-related—and found that the practice had positive results on some people with sickle cell disease. I’m initially skeptical, but this technique reminds me of EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a technique growing in popularity among psychotherapists (including my own) to treat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). During an EMDR treatment, a patient scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue 37
THE WELLNESS ISSUE Tuning Up Your Mind and Body
is asked to focus on a particular traumatic memory while a therapist uses sensory stimulation like a moving finger, a flashing light, or a beeping tone until the patient’s distress level goes down. While EMDR is new and is backed by only a handful of small scientific studies, it has been deemed effective in treating PTSD by the American Psychiatric Association and strongly recommended by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. Biofield tuning results vary from client to client. Green conducted biofield tuning for a friend who had mood swings. The man’s friends reported that his reactions and mood swings lessened after the first session. He didn’t notice a difference right away, but by the third session he was much more stable and the difference was obvious, according to Green. Greg, 37, a recent client of Green’s who declined to give his last name, says he tried biofield tuning based on a suggestion from his therapist, who had referred others to Green with success. Greg had been working through childhood trauma but became stuck. “I had read that body awareness work can be important in dealing with trauma, and so I thought I’d give this a try,” Greg says. Despite his initial skepticism, he was amazed at the results. “When Green hit the tuning forks, many feet away from my body, I could really feel it, and it stirred up thoughts and ideas and images in my head that I’d never had before,” he explains. “It was one of the most transformative things I’ve ever done, and even though it didn’t give me any information about the childhood trauma, in some ways it seems to have helped me to let it go.”
SCOUT TRIES IT OUT reen invites me to try a session, so I come back a few days later to experience what he’d explained to me. For my biofield tuning session I need to remove only my shoes. Because this work is non-invasive and is performed
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RICHARD GREEN while a client is fully clothed and lying face up on a table, it is ideal for those who don’t enjoy a traditional massage. It is gentle enough that it can be used on children or pets, and even can be done remotely via Skype. The session begins off the body in the biometric field. To assess the size of my field, Green asks my age and then divides it into sections, putting markers on the floor so he can associate any dissonant noise with an approximate age. At about five
feet wide, my biofield fills the room. Green takes one of the smaller forks and seeks a tone that marks my birth. With a dissonant ping, Green informs me he’s found my birth! “Do you know your birth story?” he asks me, and it occurs to me I really don’t. I know my mom had Chinese food for dinner and that her labor was fast, over by the time “The Tonight Show” was on. My mother suspects the doctor was drunk, but she found labor
to be almost enjoyable. This is apparently enough information, as there’s not much resistance to the tuning fork in that area. As Green moves through my biofield, he stops when a fork hits resistance, or a place where the vibration goes out of tune. This marks an area that needs to be cleared. My first resistance area corresponds to the age of three, and he asks if something significant had happened around then. He tells me to take deep breaths and clear the memory.
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The Wellness Issue 39
THE WELLNESS ISSUE Tuning Up Your Mind and Body
“It was one of the most transformative things I’ve ever done, and even though it didn’t give me any information about the childhood trauma, in some ways it seems to have helped me to let it go.” 40 The Wellness Issue
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As he moves closer to my body he encounters newer, more stressful memories. They correspond with the ages marked on the floor. Green switches to a higher-pitched tuning fork, which he likens to a comb—“A wide-tooth comb can smooth your hair, but a finer-toothed comb may be needed for particularly snarled hair.” Common causes of resistance points include memories of fear, anger, sadness, confusion, or worry. I’ve got a few snarls that require the finer-tuned fork, the heavy fork, and the quartz. “I’m feeling sadness here, and it isn’t mine,” Green says, somewhere around where my memories of ages 15-18, corresponding with my parent’s extended divorce. Green asks what I remember from that time, and invites me to share or not share, whatever I feel is right. Tuning doesn’t involve heavy talk therapy. Talking isn’t discouraged, but it isn’t necessary. “We specifically
call ourselves technicians, not psychologists,” Green says, in order to differentiate the service his clients receive from him. The goal is for energy disruptions to be reabsorbed into the body, not to forget what has happened. “Those old memories or experiences, the ones that push your buttons? After a clearing the memory remains but the buttons aren’t pushed anymore,” he says. I’ve got buttons galore, which my kids love to push. I’m hoping this session means they’re out of luck when I get home. Near the end of our session, Green finds a lot of energy coming from the chakra near my solar plexus. My physical therapist mentioned this energy just last week. “This area is the mother area. Is there anything going on with your mother?” Green asks. As he combs this area to calm the vibrations, he mentions that many folks who have the mother area cleared find that their mother will also benefit from the
tuning, because of how emotions between parent and child can be connected. At press time my mother remains unavailable for comment. After the session I’m exhausted, but I do feel less tense. Whether the disruptions in my biofield are cleared or I have just had a rare 75 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time, I feel better leaving the office. Even those 75 relaxing minutes could be a positive turn in my health. Because I didn’t come in seeking treatment for a specific injury or stuck emotion, I don’t have an immediate measurable result. My physical therapist had found certain tense, high-energy spots that correlated with the spots Green found in my biofield, which seemed to corroborate the practice. The next day I found that my chest cold was suddenly clearing in a way it hadn’t before, which could be a coincidence, a boost in my immune system from the relaxation, or a detox that Green predicted could happen.
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The Wellness Issue 41
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23 White St., Cambridge 617-492-4452, cambridgenaturals.com A curated selection of natural wellness goods including supplements, body care, bulk herbs & organic groceries.
OLYMPIA FENCING CENTER 127 Smith Pl., Cambridge olympiafencingcenter.com info@olympiafencingcenter.com Fencing programs for kids 6 and up. First class is always FREE.
OAT SHOP
22A College Ave., Somerville 617-996-6581, oatshopboston.com Wholesome, sweet and savory oatmeal bowls. Coffee, tea, espresso drinks and healthy snacks.
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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.
YOUR WHOLE HEALING
MEDWELL HEALTH AND WELLNESS
55 Broadway, Somerville 774-517-5195, medwellhealth.net Descriptive text line here. Descriptive text line here.
REVOLUTIONARY CLINICS
1158 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge 617-702-4640, yourwholehealing.com Integration of mindfulness, yoga, nutrition and positive psychology to help you manage stress and gain resilience.
67 Broadway, Somerville 617-213-6006, revolutionaryclinics.org Professional, well-respected medical marijuana clinic offering natural solutions to a wide variety of illnesses and chronic conditions.
TACO PARTY
SOMERVILLE FAMILY PRACTICE
711 Broadway, Somerville 617-764-0683, tacopartytruck.com Building tacos from the ground up since 2013.
MASSAGE THERAPY WORKS 255 Elm St #302, Somerville 617-684-4000 Leader in clinical bodywork and therapeutic massage since 1997.
SOUL.TRAIN.FITNESS.
1180 Broadway, Somerville 617-764-3345, soultrainfitness.com Private Training. Small Group Training. Team Training.
1020 Broadway, Somerville 617-628-2160 somervillefamilypractice.net Now accepting new patients.
OPEN SPACE COMMUNITY ACUPUNCTURE 70 Union Square #102, Somerville 617-627-9700 openspaceacupuncture.com Affordable acupuncture in a peaceful community setting. $20-$40 sliding scale. Book Online!
THE JUICE UNION
23 Bow St., Union Sq., Somerville thejuiceunion.com Fresh juices, healthy smoothies, nitro lattes and hearty salads.
GET OUT OF THE KITCHEN AND ENJOY YOUR PARTY. Healthy, delicious and ALL LOCAL, ALL THE TIME. WEDDINGS ANNIVERSARIES BRIDAL & BABY SHOWERS BIRTHDAY PARTIES GRADUATIONS SPECIAL EVENTS PERSONAL CHEFFING
catering@enlocale.com | 617-285-0167 | www.cuisineenlocale.com
SCOUT OUT!
AFTER THE MARCH BY JT THOMPSON PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
A
t the Women’s March, a year ago this Jan. 21, the number of protesters who filled public spaces across the country roughly matched the three million votes by which President Trump had lost the popular vote in November 2016. The Women’s March was a watershed moment for those who opposed Trump and his policies, a statement of solidarity to those of all marginalized identities. To mark the anniversary of the March we decided to ask some of Somerville’s female entrepreneurs, who are creating their own positions of power in the community, about their experience of the Women’s March, what they think a more woman-led society would be like, and what they’d like to say to women in America today.
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ERIN HEATH is the co-owner of Floret Design. “My partner
Rose and I started our floral and event design company six years ago. We saw a need in the Boston market and we wanted to walk into work every day loving what we do. And we’ve opened a second business connected, literally, to our studio—a shop called Queen of Swords focused on ethicallyconscious beautiful goods. Many of our makers are female.” What was your experience of the March? I went to the Common with my business partner Rose, our boyfriends, and a group of other girlfriends. There were about eight of us. I had a sign, but I felt like being there was the most important thing, to be a body there, to stand up. The March was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced— an inspiring, invigorating sense of time, place, history, as well as community and unity. It’s hard to put into words, but the word “powerful” comes to mind. It was so large, something beyond me that I can’t express, that this means something important not just now, but down the line. Something larger than myself. I was glad it was happening in our city. That it was happening not just in D.C., but all over, at the same time, around the world, was pretty inspiring. What would a more woman-led society be like? Less chaos, more listening, more compassion, more working through ideas and less egodriven stances. I’m not saying that men aren’t capable of many of these qualities—they are—but that’s not how our society as whole throughout history has trained our men. The typical qualities associated with women, to me, are generally frowned upon and thought of as weak, and looked down on—the emotional, nurturing, and caretaker qualities. Our society could benefit greatly from an acceptance and appreciation of the traditionally classified “feminine” qualities. What would you like to say to women in America today? Be brave. Be you, don’t be what society expects you to be.
JJ GONSON has been serving locally sourced food through her catering
service Cuisine en Locale for 13 years, and also operates the music venue ONCE Somerville. Gonson is passionate about supporting local farmers and about being part of Somerville’s small business community. What was your experience of the March? It was such a rush of emotions. The first thing—I was there with my son, who was wearing a T-shirt saying, “The future is female.” It was great to be there with this amazing, feminist child I’ve raised. The T was so crowded, people pouring in, and it felt so safe. People were happy, laughing. It felt inclusive. And nothing could have prepared me for that moment when I got to the top of Beacon Hill and saw all those people, a sea of people. I burst into tears. And it felt so safe—in hundreds of thousands of people. It was wonderful, amazing, magical, electric. In this time that is so full of anger, it was amazing to feel so safe. And I support the mayor of Boston, the attorney general. I feel we are represented by like-minded people in this area. That’s why I live here. What would a more womanled society be like? Safer! Safer, frankly. And I’d like to think there would be more listening to women. Recently, an outsourced company I was working with failed. I had paid them. My instinct was to pick up what they’d left behind—then I got in touch with them, told them they had to finish the work. A friend said, “You actually put your foot down. Other women might not have.” I would love to see women feel more empowered. What would you like to say to women in America today? Stop apologizing. You rock.
scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue 45
SCOUT OUT After the March
SALARY NEGOTIATION TIPS By Reena Karasin
I
t’s 2018, and women still make a fraction of what their male counterparts do. Salary negotiations can help fuel that wage gap, as women tend to be more hesitant to advocate for themselves in those discussions. “One of the biggest challenges women face is the double bind, the stereotypical expectations that women have placed upon them as to how to behave in the workplace,” American Association of University Women (AAUW) Program Manager Dorrie Sieburg says. “Unfortunately, we are expected to be likable, but then when we’re likable we’re not as respected, and then when we are more assertive then we are labeled with derogatory terms. Oftentimes I think that can make us feel nervous about negotiating, because we don’t want to be labeled as being pushy or not feeling gratitude for what’s being offered to us.” Sieburg also notes that due to the leadership gap women often don’t have the same opportunities to approach their bosses in a casual setting, like on a golf course, that men sometimes have. The Somerville Commission for Women worked with the AAUW, a nonprofit that fights for gender equality, to host a salary negotiation workshop for women last fall. Sieburg shared some tips that women can follow when they’re heading into negotiations for higher pay.
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1. KNOW YOUR VALUE
Make a list of what you could or do bring to the organization, Sieburg says. Include your skills, your qualities, your track record. You can use this list in your pitch to ground yourself and show the person you’re negotiating with what you offer. Making this list should also be empowering, giving you confidence going into the discussion.
2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
What are other people who hold similar positions in your area being paid? Here’s where the hard facts come into play. If your organization isn’t paying you the status quo, that gives you a hard-to-dispute leg to stand on.
3. PRACTICE YOUR PITCH
A persuasive pitch combines a presentation of steps one and two. Lay it all out in a cohesive argument, and then make sure to practice before you go into the actual negotiation.
4. PREDICT OBJECTIONS
What are some of the objections that the person you’re negotiating might raise? A common response is that there aren’t funds available in that year’s budget, Sieburg says. She suggests responding to this by asking if the funds can be added into the next year’s budget.
KATRINA JAZAYERI is the co-
founder, with her partner Joshua Lewin, of Juliet in Union Square. “Josh and I wanted to create an all-day space that helps foster a welcoming, diverse community in Union Square, where you can meet your neighbors. I love being the host to my community.” What was your experience of the March? I experienced the March as a very eager bystander. I was at work—we were open that day—and I’m not typically a social media person, checking my phone all the time, but I was happily, and proudly, living vicariously through my sister and her friends, and my mom and her friends in Texas. It was really cool seeing the mobilization, especially across generations. Since college, I’ve been very much an activist. It was part of my coming of age, and it was beautiful to watch my
sister, who hadn’t been very vocal before, getting so involved. Now she’s hosting fundraising home parties, getting involved in canvassing and the political process here in Somerville. The Women’s March was a catalyst for a lot of those feelings and actions. Something like the March is very invigorating, inspiring, but it can just be morale building. It’s been great to see it be a call to action for women in Somerville and around the country.
What would a more woman-led society be like? As a female business owner, I get asked a lot, what’s the difference between men and women. Which can become an easy, predictable explanation that leads into biological stereotypes. I’m hesitant to go there. I recently had a conversation with a male member of my staff, and he helped solidify for me that it’s a legacy thing. For millennia, women have been an oppressed class of citizens. That’s the big difference. That history of struggle, of breaking away entitlements, and with every accomplishment and setback, you see that things change slowly. Which doesn’t mean it’s not important to work every day at breaking away oppression. It’s a long game— not everything will be better tomorrow. But it’s important to keep thinking about tomorrow, to not tolerate failure, to keep going. So the difference would be, not just because it’s women, but that it would be an oppressed class coming into a position of power. I think with that comes a certain resilience, tolerance, compassion and empathy. For me, it’s a central tenet of activism that it’s advocacy. That’s another challenge, addressing someone else’s oppression, to advocate for someone whose position is different than yours. The question is, do we have collective interests? Can I take up the interests of another? That would be my ideal political system. More advocates, not just self-interest. An oppressed class has an understanding of struggle—like women fighting for voting rights—and you can extend that, extrapolate that, to any number of other issues that people are struggling for. And bring to that a sense of persistence, resilience, empathy, and advocacy. What would you like to say to women in America today? Well, it’s a little clichéd, but I love this quote—every time I see the bumper sticker, it inspires me: Well-behaved women don’t make history. So, I would say, continue to stand up and make history. Stand together and make history.
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The Wellness Issue 47
SCOUT OUT After the March
EMILY REICHART is the CEO of Greentown Labs, the largest clean technology incubator in the country. She chose Somerville as the location for her business because of Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s willingness to work with her on financing and finding a location.
What was your experience of the March? My experience started at Alewife Station. It was amazing to see the hordes of people descending from outlying areas, mobs of people, women and children, all the pink hats, they were so creative and clever. It felt big and important, like stepping into a movement. There was an incredible intensity, people laughing, talking, smiling. The sense of solidarity was amazing—we all agree, this is not ok. This is a democracy. We can and should raise our voices. When we got to the Common, we couldn’t move, there were so many bodies. There was such a sense of solidarity, and warmth, the sense that it’s not just me. We can stand up and say something. I’d been on a news blackout, and the March brought me out of a funk. Also, it was amazing to see so many men too. So many people coming out on a cold January morning to make a stand. It was powerful, memorable, empowering. What would a more woman-led society be like? There’s lots of ways we are currently underutilizing 50 percent of the talent of our population. Not having a diversity of viewpoints around the table is detrimental to us all. Studies show that when you have diverse points of view, businesses do better. Women and men have different things to offer, not all the time, not everyone’s the same, but different points of view make for better decision making. In my industry, women are passionate about many different causes, nonprofits focused on the environment, or education. They show it’s possible to live that passion in work and life. That could be brought more to the business world, not just the nonprofit world. What would you like to say to women in America today? Stay active. Use your voice. Your voice is important. It really matters that you stay engaged in politics. Last year taught us women need to be involved, to raise their voices, to help make decisions we can be excited and happy about. As we’ve seen, voting matters. I tell my generation, and the generation behind me, to get out there, show up on the polls, run for office yourself. Don’t just be active on Facebook or Twitter, but out in the world where it really matters.
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JESSIE BANHAZL is the founder of Green City Growers, which transforms unused space into urban farms. “I’m from the Greater Boston area, and I was living with my parents in Wayland when I went to a local food meetup in Cambridge, and met Wednesday Jane of Metro Pedal Power. I ended up renting in their office, I had a desk in the corner, and as I got established, I loved the community of businesses and people in Somerville. I’ve been here ever since.” What was your experience of the March? I didn’t go. I was out of town. We did have a bunch of our staff go. What I felt was excitement, and also fear, of what’s to come. I had a feeling of wanting to be as supportive as possible to our employees—who are, in the majority, women. I wanted them to feel taken care of and supported as people out fighting for what they thought was right.” What would a more woman-led society be like? More like Green City Growers! We’re evening out, but historically our employees have been 60 to 65 percent women. Green City Growers is what a more equal society would be like, because everyone’s perspective is taken into account. I think fairness and equal representation is going to benefit everybody. What would you like to say to women in America today? There are support systems out there. If you think you’re going through something specific to being a woman, there are others out there for support. We’re all in it together. I went to Smith. I’ve been in the community of women throughout my life. There’s a lot of benefit in banding together and supporting each other, through our shared experience of being a woman. The support is there.
(we do other things, too.) (thank you!)
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scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue 49
SCOUT OUT
FROM
Pouring
Pints TO
Shielding Downpours Beer taps get a second life, thanks to local craftsman Ben Lewis BY TIM GAGNON | PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
U
pon first glance, Ben Lewis’s apartment doesn’t seem like a mad craftsman’s lair. His cat, Leona, lopes around the brightly lit Somerville space to a looping playlist of Bowie and Modern Lovers songs. A selection of Lewis’s pet projects threaten to overflow the corner of his living room—a wooden spaceship, a keyboard, scattered beer taps. The crown jewel is a rack of “Raintaps,” which put a subtle but unique spin on standard umbrellas by subbing out pedestrian handles for customers’ favorite beer taps. Lewis has always had an intuitive sense for crafting homemade gifts. He took a jewelry class for fun in high school, chasing a desire to learn how to work with metals. Lewis moved on to wire creations, website design, and, in an early preview of his entrepreneurial efforts, a run of homemade “Zombie Survival Kits” after gifting one to his “The Walking Dead”-obsessed sister on her wedding day. His focus turned to beer taps when he first saw a Pretty Things tap handle—an elegantly subtle, powder blue tap with a glowing tree at its center in the style of a family crest—about 10 years ago. “It was like a work of art,” Lewis recalls. “I started paying a little more attention to tap handles after that, as more of these craft breweries started doing really cool things with taps.” The interest in beer taps remained in the back of Lewis’s mind until he began searching for any remaining taps from the now-defunct Pretty Things brewery earlier this year. “I looked it up on eBay and they were $80. I get it, but I also 50 The Wellness Issue
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couldn’t justify spending $80 on something that would just stay in my basement,” he says. A couple weeks later, Lewis was gripping one of his “normal” umbrellas, reflecting on how cumbersome it is to carry around a useless, aesthetically unpleasing umbrella once the rain stops. “Just like that,” Lewis says, gesturing excitedly, “my previous thoughts about Pretty Things collided with the umbrellas.” “It took me about a month,” Lewis says in his tightly packed basement workshop, hunched over the table where the final model for Raintaps took shape. “It’s one of those things where it seems incredibly fast, but I was also in between gigs at the time and I just got laser-frickin’focused on this thing.” Lewis splits his time as a freelance web designer and photographer, but Raintaps has quickly become a part-time effort in its own right. The project officially began in earnest at Artisan’s Asylum this past summer, when he was making his own taps from a woodturning class and conducting brutal tests in pursuit of the perfect handle modification. “I bought a ton of different umbrellas off of Amazon and just proceeded to demolish a bunch of them,” Lewis says. “I’d be using one of the tooling pieces and the umbrella would just split down the center.” After casting out the more “floppy” umbrellas and moving past some of his earlier, more unwieldy designs, Lewis eventually landed on his “secret sauce”—a slick, patent-pending copper connector he designed that keeps the umbrella locked to the tap while looking seamless. At first, Lewis took his umbrellas on test drives for the sake of quality testing, intentionally roughing them up along his path, but the sheer personality of the tap handles quickly took over Raintaps’ first public outings. Passerby questions have become such a normal part of Lewis’s walks that he now has a personal favorite umbrella to take out on the town: the payphoneshaped 312 Urban Wheat Ale tap from Goose Island. “People would be like, ‘why
“A big reason why I wanted to do this was so that people could promote their favorite breweries and be an advocate for them.” does that person have a phone [on a walking stick]?,’” Lewis says. “And then they’d be like, ‘Wait, is that a beer tap … on an umbrella?’” Even with the excessive number of times Lewis admits to opening his umbrellas inside (“I do it all the time! How can you not?”), Raintaps’ luck has only continued to grow. Other than a few harder-to-find taps, Lewis finds most of his taps fairly easily through eBay, sellers’ websites, or the distributors themselves, shipping out the final products for about $100 each. Local businesses like Davis Squared and Arlington Centered have quickly added Raintaps to their inventories. Custom orders are already coming from far outside of Lewis’s Somerville circle, with requests from Chicago and Seattle. Amid the positive reception, Lewis does worry about a brewery
taking poorly to his modifications or, at worst, slapping him with a cease-and-desist order. “I was doing Central Flea when I had a rep from Harpoon come up,” Lewis recalls of his hesitant first meeting with the major brewery. “They said they had seen my stuff before and I was like, ‘…Oh yeah?’ They’re like, ‘Yeah, it’s all over Instagram! It’s super cool!’ I was just, like … phew. You never know if they’re actually aware of what’s going on, even if you tag them in a photo.” The night before our meeting, Lewis had a business-related outing of sorts at Downeast Cider House, where he tried a limited edition Lime Gose with the brewers themselves. Lewis has built budding friendships with Berkshire Brewing Company in South Deerfield, Cisco in Nantucket, and even NOLA in New Orleans. Lewis sees these
relationships as the natural evolution of his basement project. “I’ve gotten tap handles from people where it’s their own brewery,” Lewis says. “A big reason why I wanted to do this was so that people could promote their favorite breweries and be an advocate for them. You just have so much going on in the craft beer and brewing scene that you kind of want more ways to be involved in it and keep up with what’s going on.” Lewis plans to keep Raintaps’ home base in Somerville, but hopes the business will branch out across the country with “outposts” of similarly minded, pre-approved craftsmen following Lewis’s assembly model and shipping out umbrellas in their respective regions. “Because of the fact that I’m dealing with so many people that put their heart and soul into their crafts, I would much rather have it remain a craft item,” Lewis says. “In Somerville, not only can you learn how to make things on your own, but you also have other people around that want to promote your ideas.” Lewis’s fondest memories with Raintaps often boil down to personal stories and the reasons behind customers’ orders. “The first custom umbrella I did for a friend was this vintage ceramic tap handle from [former brewing company] Olympia,” Lewis recalls. “A few years ago, my friend and her boyfriend at the time were moving, and he had this gigantic Olympia [bar] mirror. She was like, ‘Look, you never have that up, and it doesn’t work with other stuff. We should just get rid of it.’ A few years later, he was looking up the same mirror online, and they were going for $125.” Feeling a little guilty, the friend found an opportunity for redemption when she heard about Lewis’s umbrellas. Lewis helped find the tap handle, his friend gifted the Olympia umbrella, and the wrong was clearly righted—the couple has since gotten married. “That’s one of the things I love when creating a product,” Lewis concludes. “You’re not expecting to [be gifting] an entire story between two people.” scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue 51
CALENDAR EVERY SATURDAY
Photo courtesy of Cambridge Farmers Market
DEC. 18-FEB. 28
Photo by JJ Gonson
Photo courtesy of Hear Word!
| PHOTOGRAPHY
JANUARY 21
| TECHNOLOGY
VIRTUAL REALITY IN THE TEEN ROOM 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m., Free Cambridge Public Library Main Branch The Cambridge Public Library has a new virtual reality headset, and it’s willing to share. This event, which is open to ages 13-18, will let teens “travel to the bottom of the ocean, soar above the earth, or hang out in space!”
FEBRUARY 1 Photo by Eric Politzer
| MUSIC
LÚNASA 7:30 p.m., $35 Somerville Theatre This quintet is traveling all the way from Ireland to play for a Somerville audience. Get ready for the fiddle, flute, uilleann pipes, and more.
FEBRUARY 10 | MUSIC
CAMBRIDGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FAMILY CONCERT 2 p.m., 4 p.m., $15 for adults/$5 for children Center for Arts at the Armory This concert will feature “The Journey of Phillis Wheatley,” by Nkeiru Okoye, which tells the story of an African-American poet who lived in Boston in the 1700s, and is geared toward children. After the show there will be an “instrument petting zoo” where kids can check out the symphony’s instruments.
JANUARY 26-28
| FOOD
CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL Harvard Square Restaurants and retailers will have chocolate on the brain for Harvard Square’s 10th annual chocolate festival. Think chocolate appetizers, chocolate cocktails, and chocolate entrees, plus a free chocolate tasting on Brattle Plaza.
scoutsomerville.com
HEAR WORD! NAIJA WOMAN TALK TRUE Times vary, Tickets start at $25 64 Brattle Street This show explores the challenges that Nigerian women face. A mix of music and dance and with an all-Nigerian cast, the show “grapples with the issues affecting the lives of women across Nigeria, and the factors that limit their potential for independence, leadership, and meaningful contribution in society.”
JANUARY 30
| MUSIC
BOSTON CELTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL Times vary, $15-$65 Harvard Square Celtic music and dance will permeate Harvard Square at this annual festival, stretching from Club Passim (the Cambridge nonprofit sponsoring the weekend) to The Sinclair.
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THEATER
FIRST EDIT Diesel Cafe ONCE Somerville’s JJ Gonson photographed musicians when they played in Greater Boston in the ’80s and ’90s, and her work is available for all to see on the walls of Diesel Cafe through February. “These images were made on film at a time when indie bands were getting in vans and taking it on the road,” she said in a statement. “Venues like The Rat, The Channel, and TT the Bears come back to life through the lens of a young woman armed with a crappy Minolta camera and a lot of chutzpah.”
JANUARY 18-21
Photo by Bill Manley
JANUARY 26-FEBRUARY 11
| FOOD
CAMBRIDGE WINTER FARMERS MARKET 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Cambridge Community Center It’s the dead of winter, and good, fresh produce seems like a distant memory. But this weekly market can help remind you of the farmers markets of summer. More than two dozen vendors offer, produce, baked goods, meat, fish, and more, plus there’s live music.
| FUNDRAISER
BOSTON STANDS AGAIN: A MARDI GRAS BENEFIT FOR THE ACLU 8:30 p.m., $20 ONCE Somerville This benefit features performers including Shaun Wolf Wortis & The Legendary Vudu Krewe and sends all proceeds to the ACLU.
FEBRUARY 14
| FOOD
VALENTINE’S DAY TRUFFLE EXPERIENCE WITH TAZA CHOCOLATE 6 p.m., $60-$75 Boston Public Market What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a Taza Chocolate class? Make a vat of chocolate ganache fondue, roll up your own dark chocolate truffles, and pair your chocolates with local wines in this special, two-hour class.
LOCAL SHOPPING DIRECTORY
T R U S T. KNOWLEDGE. EXPERIENCE. VA L U E .
Please consider shopping with these and other Scout sponsors. BLUE CLOUD GALLERY
713 Broadway, Somerville bluecloudgallery.com A unique gift shop that sells handcrafted gifts by 140 local artists.
QRST’S
561 Windsor St., Ste A301, Somerville 617-625-3335, qrsts.com Custom screen printing, embroidery and direct-to-garment printing.
JOANNA KIRYLO Joanna@VisitGriffin.com 55a Elm Street
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Leone’s Sub and Pizza HUB COMICS
19 Bow St., Somerville 617-718-0987, hubcomics.com Graphic novels, quirky minicomics, thousands of dollar books, and more in Union Square – Comics For Everyone!
Pizza and Subs fit for a king!
PRACTICE SPACE
practice-space.com @makespaceforpractice A studio and a shop in Inman Square. Useful objects made by artists and designers.
Since 1954
Best Pizza
5-time Winner! Everything made in-house to order! 292 BROADWAY, SOMERVILLE 617-776-2511 • OPEN DAILY 8AM-11PM
DAVIS SQUARED
409 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-666-6700, davissquared.com Fun, modern gifts for him, her, house and baby.
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 KIDS
95 Elm St., Somerville 617-764-4110, magpiekids.com Modern gifts for modern kids. Clothes, toys, books and more!
Thank you Scout Readers! Best Restaurant in Ball Square
MAGPIE
416 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-623-3330, magpie-store.com
Unique jewelry, apothecary, art, edibles, housewares and more!
BREAKFAST
BALL SQUARE FINE WINES
716 Broadway, Somerville 617-623-9500, ballsquarefinewines.com Well known for stunning selection and service. Made-to-order gift baskets and food platters too.
FULL BAR
DINNER
SPINDLER CONFECTIONS 2257 Mass Ave., Cambridge 617-714-4871 www.SpindlerConfections.com Handmade chocolates & candies. Check out our candy museum!
704 BROADWAY • 617.623.8338 • OPEN 6:30AM - 9:30PM WWW.SOUNDBITESRESTAURANT.COM
HAPPY NEW YEAR! scoutsomerville.com
The Wellness Issue 53
SCOUT YOU
Photos by Lauren Holahan
Two vendors at ONCE Rockin Holiday Flea.
A vendor at the Somerville Flea at the Armory.
A man flips through boxes of records at the ONCE Rockin Holiday Flea.
Baristas at Bloc, busy at work.
A young girl gets her face painted at the ONCE Rockin Holiday Flea. 54 The Wellness Issue
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Performers from the HONK school march through Union Square during their third annual Holiday Stroll.
New Year, New You
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Planning a birthday party, bachelor or bachelorette outing, family reunion, or staff outing? Make it one for the books with a private cooking event!
Whether you wish to pursue a culinary career or master your craft for home entertaining, our extensive programs in culinary and pastry arts provide the springboard for your most delicious ambitions.
www.CambridgeCulinary.com 2020 MASSACHUSETTS AVE | CAMBRIDGE, MA 02140 | 617.354.2020
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