2017 Spring Market
Spring has arrived! More inventory has come on the market, but not enough to keep up with demand. It’s a repeat of the last four spring seasons: multiple bids, high sales prices, and frustrated buyers. There are many factors that have contributed to this situation, including low interest rates, high demand (due to demographic shifts to urban areas and the lure of jobs in booming tech industries here), a strong local economy, and very little build-able land. None of those contributing factors are likely to change dramatically or soon, but if consumer confidence wanes, due to political or economic events, that will have a dampening effect.
Upcoming Events Somerville PorchFest
Art Show Opening
Enjoy free music outdoors on porches throughout Somerville between 12-6 PM. Go to www.somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/map/2017 to views bands and locations across the city. At our office, we’ll be hosting The Sorry Honeys from 4-6 PM in our driveway at 128 Willow Ave. Stop by!
Saturday, May 13th
Saturday, May 13th
Musical Mystery Tour: Photographs by Richard Pasley
12:00-6:00 pm
6:30-8:00 pm
As Porchfest winds down, head inside our office for a musically-themed art exhibit opening with food and drink. Musical Mystery Tour is a diverse exhibit of photographs of musicians by Richard Pasley from the 1980s through today, including many icons of Boston’s illustrious punk era (Scruffy the Cat, Los Lobos, The Replacements) to contemporary jazz greats (Danilo Perez, Lake Street Dive). Richard has enjoyed photographing musicians of all genres with the ultimate goal of translating their unique expressiveness from the aural to the visual.
Community Cooks Celebration: A Fond Farewell to Our Founder Saturday, May 20th
6:00-9:00 pm
MIT Media Lab
A fundraiser to celebrate Community Cooks’ retiring founder, Vicky I, and to help make places at the table for neighbors in need. Visit www.communitycooks.org/celebrate2017 to purchase tickets and learn more.
New Listings
123 Mt. Vernon Street #2, Arlington $399,000 Lovely, conveniently located top-floor 2 bed/1 bath condo with open plan living/ dining/kitchen area, private laundry, shared yard, and shared driveway
33 Summer #2, Somerville $TBD Loft-style Union Square 2-bedroom unit with exposed brick walls, oversized windows, oak floors, and in-unit w/d. Sleek, contemporary kitchen has grey cabinets, stainless appliances, and white quartz counters. Tiled full bath. Pet friendly. Views of field and dog park; steps to shops and nightlife.
Coming Soon
Thalia Tringo
171 Swanton Street #14, Winchester ~ $549,000 Tastefully renovated 2-level townhouse with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 tiled bathrooms, oak floors, fireplace, private patio with river view, 2 parking spaces (1 in carport), private storage room. Association amenities include swimming pool and tennis court. Walk to town shops and restaurants.
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Niké Damaskos
38 Cambria Street #3, Somerville ~ $TBD
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Spacious, renovated third floor Spring Hill condo on corner lot with 2 bedrooms, 1 baths, central air, storage, porch, and 1 unobstructed parking.
Magoun Square Single Family, Somerville $TBD Adorable single family with 2 beds, 1.5 bath, and fenced yard. Steps to great Magoun and Ball Square restaurants, near bike path to Davis Square.
Central Hill Single Family, Somerville ~ $TBD Spacious single family with 4 beds, 2 bathrooms, fenced yard, 2-car garage, beautiful light, and sweeping views.
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Free Classes
How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time for homeowners contemplating a move Monday, May 15 OR Tuesday, June 27 th
th
6:30-7:45 pm
If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one make 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.
First Time Home Buyers Tuesday, May 3 OR Tuesday, June 6
th
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, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
Get Ready to Sell and Boost Your Home’s Value Tuesday, May 9th OR Tuesday, June 21st
6:30-7:45 pm
Whether you sell in the next few months or a couple of years, this class will give you a checklist of things to do to get ready and maximize your sale price potential. From basic decluttering, updating, or finishing the basement or attic…this is the class to come to and ask those questions. Q&A with real estate professionals to guide you through your preparation process. Handouts and refreshments provided.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Your House but were afraid to ask!
Wednesday, May 24th OR Wednesday, June 28st
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Adaria Brooks
an overview of the buying process rd
Brendon Edwards
6:30-7:45 pm
Do you ever wonder what knob and tube wiring is? How to prevent ice dams? Should you worry about radon? What molds are dangerous? What is re-pointing and when does my foundation need it? When renovating, what questions should I ask the builder? Are these and other questions about your home on your mind? Q&A with a licensed home inspector to help you get those answers. Handouts and refreshments provided.
To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate but we appreciate donations of canned goods for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.
MAY | JUNE 2017 ::: VOLUME 45 ::: SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 8 // WINNERS & LOSERS A group at Tufts is using geometry to combat gerrymandering, while a pair of UN employees are addressing climate change with a cookbook. 10 // WHAT’S NEW? Three words: Green Line Extension. (And two more: no, seriously.) 14 // NEWS: LIBRARY COMMENTARY The West Branch Library, with its peeling paint and leaky ceilings, is more than ready for renovations. So what’s the holdup? 42 // SCOUT OUT: “LIFE’S FOR LEAPS” Misadventures is the only magazine dedicated to women’s outdoor lifestyle and adventure. We caught up with co-founder Zoe Balaconis.
34 42
44 // CALENDAR 45 // MARKETPLACE 46 // SCOUT YOU
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
20 // DOES ANYONE REMEMBER… Born-and-raised ’Villens on what made growing up here so special.
24 // AN AFTERNOON AT MARKET BASKET Spend some time with employees and patrons of this one-of-a-kind Somerville Avenue supermarket. 26 // MEET SOMERVILLE’S SHOP DOGS Is there anything like the joy of walking into a store and learning they have a shop dog? 32 // THEN AND NOW
You’ll hardly recognize the city in these archival photos.
34 // WHAT’S IN A NAME?
There’s no Mike at Mike’s Food & Spirits, and there hasn’t been a Jerry at Jerry’s Liquors in decades.
38 // FROM COAL TO CLEANTECH
Greentown Labs is recycling a former foundry outside of Union Square, more than doubling its existing space and creating close to 300 jobs.
Photo, top: One of these men owns Jerry’s Liquors. Neither of these men is named Jerry. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. Photo, bottom: Misadventures magazine’s Zoe Balaconis hits the waves. Photo by Matt Stirn. On the cover: Spotty strikes a pose at Memory Hole Vintage in Union Square. Photo by Jess Benjamin. Jimmy Del Ponte’s “Villen” plates, photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
EDITOR’S NOTE
PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien | hbanks@scoutmagazines.com
love dogs so much. Definitely more than I love most people. I think they’re totally pure beings and that, quite frankly, they’re too good for us. I’ve never met a dog I don’t like; I would elect a pup president, if I could. I also can’t have a dog in my apartment. So imagine the superhuman feat of Kris Ogonoswki Emily Reichert Emily Cassel goodwill it took for me to Photo by Jess Benjamin assign a story about the city’s shop pets (page 26) to another writer, while I instead agreed to look into the new facility Greentown Labs is building in an old industrial building on Somerville Avenue. It was devastating, folks. Weirdly enough, it was also very, very worth it. Over the course of a few afternoons, I learned a lot about the history of the neighborhood, about Greentown’s plan for the facility, about the ways in which the new space will open the company up to the community and the world. (I also learned that it’s hard to look cool in a hard hat.) It was energizing to listen to Kris and Emily share their vision—two people from decidedly different backgrounds animatedly discussing the ways in which the project will breathe new life into this old building. I was surprised by how much fun it was to weave through an active construction site, carefully climbing ladders and watching in real time as a hollowed-out hull of a foundry was shaped into a world-class green tech incubator. I guess what I’m saying here is this: Sometimes it’s good to do the thing you might not like, to try out an experience that’s totally foreign to you. That isn’t a particularly radical or revolutionary point of view, but I think it’s something we forget as we increasingly isolate ourselves in echo chambers—both online and in real life—that only reinforce our own points of view. Maybe this issue will encourage you to get out and learn something new about your neighborhood, either by talking to lifelong residents about what it was like growing up here (page 20) or striking up a conversation with the people who run your favorite small business (page 34). I’ll admit that I learned more from my neighbors that I would have petting dogs. Plus, if I want to hang out with some four-pawed pals, I can still say hello to Spotty at Memory Hole Vintage any time.
EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Cassel | ecassel@scoutmagazines.com emilycassel.me
I
BRAND AMBASSADOR Kate Douglas | kdouglas@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick | design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com DEPUTY EDITOR Katherine Rugg | krugg@scoutmagazines.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Jess Benjamin | jbenjamin@scoutmagazines.com jsbenjamin.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien | jallien@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Beryl Lipton, Eliza Rosenberry, Matt Stirn, Hannah Villhauer CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Adrianne Mathiowetz | adriannemathiowetz.com Morgan LaForge | morganlaforge.com COPY EDITOR Amanda Kersey WEB HOST Truly Good Design | trulygooddesign.com BANKS PUBLICATIONS c/o Scout Somerville 191 Highland Ave., Ste. 1A, Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutsomerville.com somervillescout
scoutsomerville scoutmags
Office Phone: 617-996-2283 Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. CIRCULATION 30,000 copies of Scout Somerville are printed bimonthly and are available for free at more than 220 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders).
Emily Cassel, Editor in Chief ecassel@scoutmagazines.com
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W&L WINNERS
LOSERS
SUSTAINABLE COOKING The new cookbook Adaptive Farms, Resilient Tables from Somerville’s Andrea Egan and Newton’s Jennifer Baumwoll is a celebration of global cuisine and an examination of the ways in which climate change impacts the food we eat. The meals come from six countries along the equator, but the book celebrates local fare, too; chefs from places like Highland Creole Kitchen (2 Highland Ave.) helped develop the recipes. “I feel like with climate, you need to make it visceral,” Egan told the Boston Globe in April. “A cookbook lets you understand that ... what people are eating is changing.”
TICKET FEES Let’s be real: Ticket fees suck. Whether you’re spending $15 or $50 to catch your favorite band, it’s a specific kind of frustrating to pay an additional third of that to Ticketmaster. But thanks to ONCE Lounge and Somerville Grooves, you can forego the fee-asco. In April, the Union Square record shop and Highland Avenue show space teamed up to offer face value, fee-free tickets out of the Somerville Grooves storefront. The box office is open every day but Monday, so you can support two great local businesses at once!
TEENS In just their second-ever season, the Somerville High School robotics team traveled to St. Louis in April to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition. The Highlanders were one of 400 teams to participate from a pool of more than 3,600, according to the Somerville News Weekly, and they were up against roboticists from around the world. And students haven’t only had STEM success of late; a group of teen poets from Somerville’s Books of Hope took a top slot in the prelims of the statewide youth poetry competition “Louder Than a Bomb Massachusetts” in April. (Kids these days, huh?) FEMININE HYGIENE In other Somerville-students-are-crushingit news, seniors Samantha Fillmore, Vivian Ferraz and Katia Matthews are behind a successful initiative that will bring free pads and tampons to the high school. In February, the young women started a petition calling for S.A.F.E.T.Y.—Safely Accommodating Free Equity with Tampons Yearly—and argued that limiting access to these essential hygienic products limited the ability of students having their period to succeed in class. They received hundreds of signatures, and on March 20, Superintendent of Somerville Public Schools Mary Skipper announced that free dispensers would be installed in all women’s restrooms at the high school.
GERRYMANDERING Can geometry combat gerrymandering? One Tufts prof thinks so. In the spring 2017 semester, Moon Duchin founded the Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group, which uses mathematical measurements to determine if districts have been redrawn unfairly. “We’re really interested in racial fairness,” Duchin told the Tufts Daily in April. “We think that’s been the aspect of redistricting law that’s received the least mathematical attention.” The unique undertaking has gained the group attention from the Chronicle of Higher Education and NPR’s Science Friday. WAITING. FOR ANYTHING. If, in the words of Freddie Mercury, you want it all and you want it now, Amazon’s got ya covered. In mid-March, the online retail giant rolled out its Prime Now service in Greater Boston, which means you can get everything from groceries to cleaning supplies to video game controllers to cat litter delivered to your door in under an hour. That’s as long as you’re willing to shell out the $7.99 for shipping, of course, and assuming you’re already an Amazon Prime subscriber. But hey… at least it’s one more way to combat TP emergencies.
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
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
SCOUT’S HONORED: NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES UNTIL 6/10 AT SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM/VOTE
SCOUT TO THE SOUTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the May/June edition of our sibling publication, Scout Cambridge.
SHOP DOGS OF CAMBRIDGE There’s more four-legged fun to be had with the shop pets at Porter Square Books, Out of the Blue Too and more.
MAKING SAFE SPACES Artists and activists are transforming venues—and in some cases, their own apartments—into spaces where women feel powerful and beautiful.
MASS AVE DINER This unassuming spot dishes out delicious eats with a side of community.
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!
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE LIVE MARIACHI!
Spring is here!!
Come lighten it up with our Balayage experts - Ashley, Samantha & Taylor! BEST HAIR SALON: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 BEST HAIR COLOR: 2016 BEST HAIRCUT: 2016
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FUN, MODERN GIFTS FOR HIM, HER, HOUSE AND BABY.
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Better banking bundle for you. Better opportunities for them. Open a Special Select Banking Package April – June and we will make a $10 donation to the Boys & Girls Club of your choice. To open an account today, speak with a Customer Service Representative.
1.866.354.ECSB (3272) •
ecsb.com
Member FDIC Member DIF
Arlington • Belmont • Cambridge • Chelsea Medford • Somerville • Waltham
Personal deposits of Massachusetts residents only. Other fees may apply, please refer to our Schedule of Charges. Product offering may be withdrawn at any time. Fees and other conditions may reduce earnings on accounts; ask for details. For other terms and conditions, please refer to account disclosures available at account opening and upon request. 1. Please note other financial institutions and independent ATM owners may assess a surcharge for transactions performed at their ATMs. 2. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) and interest rates may change after account opening unless otherwise disclosed here or elsewhere. 3.These services require a separate application. 4. Online Banking required. East Cambridge Savings Bank does not charge a fee for our mobile banking services. However, data and text message rates set by your mobile service provider may apply. Check with your mobile service provider for details. Visit ecsb.com/Special-Select-Banking-Package-Savings for more information.
617.666.6700 409 HIGHLAND AVE • DAVIS SQUARE
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scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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WHAT’S NEW?
YES WE CAN
AERONAUT TEAMS UP WITH CAMBRIDGE SCIENCE FESTIVAL ALLIANCE
GREEN MEANS GO
GLX
C
ould it be? On April 4, the Federal Transit Administration approved cost estimates for the MBTA’s Green Line Extension—and federal approval of the beleaguered $2.3 billion project means that the GLX might finally, literally, actually get built. Following the FTA announcement, Mayor Curtatone said construction could begin in early 2018, and all seven stops throughout Somerville and Medford are expected to open by 2021.
DAVIS SQUARE
SAGE CANNABIS APPROVED
After months of community meetings and public hearings, the Zoning Board of Appeals approved Sage Cannabis’s application to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 240 Elm St. (in the basement level of the brand-new Bfresh). Sage could open this summer, according to the Somerville Journal. Garden Remedies, another dispensary that had been petitioning to open in Davis Square at 245 Elm St.—the former home of Family Dollar— has withdrawn its proposal, according to an email from Ward 6 Alderman Lance Davis.
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May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
EAST SOMERVILLE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY
Somerville’s second medical marijuana dispensary will likely be Cardiac Arrhythmia Syndromes Foundation, Inc., which has received city approval to occupy a building at 67 Broadway. CAS Foundation COO Bert Vining told the Somerville Journal that they should open August 1. CITYWIDE
HIGHSPEED DELIVERY
Recreational weed use is legal in Massachusetts following the November
ballot referendum. Selling it isn’t. Gifting it, though? That’s A-OK, and that’s where HighSpeed comes in. HighSpeed Delivery is a juice company that’ll bring pressed juices to your door for $55 a bottle. If that sounds a little pricey, perhaps that’s because said juices are delivered with the gift of marijuana. The service is currently available within a seven-mile radius of TD Garden—which includes Cambridge, Somerville, Malden and Everett— according to the HighSpeed website, though people located outside of those confines can opt to pick up their… “juice.” Nothin’ like a good loophole.
On Earth Day, Aeronaut Brewing Co. announced a month-long fundraising effort with the Cambridge-based Science Festival Alliance. The initiative finds the brewery selling four-packs of its flagship IPA adorned with NASAthemed art from frequent collaborator Raul Gonzalez III. A portion of the proceeds will go to support the alliance. “Science made Aeronaut possible,” Aeronaut CEO and co-founder Ben Holmes said in a statement, “and we will fight to make it an accessible and joyful experience for children and adults nationwide.” More info (plus lots of cool art) is available at aeronautbrewing. com/earthday. The can-paign runs through May 22.
BANTAM GINGER BEER
On April 18, Bantam released an alcoholic ginger beer—the first non-cider drink from the Somerville-based cidery. The beverage is fermented with fresh ground ginger root and citrus, according to Brewbound, and is both “smooth and spicy” and “delicious on its own or a great addition to your favorite cocktail.”
Photo, top, by Peter Alfred Hess used under a Creative Commons license.
DEVELOPING STORIES
UNION SQUARE
BOW MARKET
A long-vacant storage building at Bow Street and Somerville Avenue will soon house more than 30 different small vendors, including restaurateurs, artisans, artists and more. Developer Matthew Boyes-Watson, who’s spearheading the project with partner Zach Baum, said his plans for the “funky little space” at 337—341 Somerville Ave. include a second-floor theater and a ground-floor brewery, and the building surrounds a public pedestrian courtyard that could have outdoor seating during warm months. “It’s really reminiscent of the souks of Marrakesh,” BoyesWatson told us earlier this year. “There’s all these small-scale storefronts in this little labyrinth of functional alleyways ... and it’s all independent, owner-operated
spaces where they both fabricate on-site and sell their goods. It’s really cool. It’s an ancient form of retail and commercial activity that we don’t do here, because no one chops up the spaces small enough.” Boyes-Watson added that he wants to keep the building “cheap and cheerful” and says most Bow Market tenants will sign affordable short-term leases between two and five years. The duo hopes to have the retail spaces ready to go by November, just in time for the holidays.
learn
ALDERMEN APPROVE HIGH SCHOOL BOND
In March, the Board of Aldermen officially OK’d a bond for renovations and restorations to Somerville High School. “This is the decision of a lifetime, not only for our students now, but for our students in the many years to come,” said Superintendent Mary Skipper at the March 22 meeting in which the bond was approved. “It’s a tired building ... something is missing.” Construction is slated to begin in 2018, according to the Somerville Journal, and Director of Capital Projects and Planning Rob King said students will be using the building by fall 2020.
www.somervillemedia.org
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
SLEEPBOX NAP PODS
Need to recharge your batteries but don’t have time to head home between work, working out and hitting the bar? Why not unwind in a “sleep vending machine?” That’s how the startup
Sleepbox refers to its nap pods, of which there are currently 60 available in airports and other locations throughout Europe. The first U.S. pod opened inside Brooklyn Boulders in early March, where tired wall-scalers can now catch some quick post-climb Zs or plug in to the outlets and Wi-Fi to get a little work done. Metro Boston reports that more pods are coming soon to Canopy City (where the startup is based) and the Cambridge Innovation Center.
create
share
scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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What’s New?
WHAT’S COOKIN’
UNION SQUARE
HIKŌKI POP-UP CAFÉ
C
hocolatier Alexandra Whisnant of Gaté Comme des Filles and Compliments Food Co. founder Bobby Maclean already have a home at Aeronaut (14 Tyler St.). Whisnant’s high-end chocolate company shares space in the Foods Hub, and Compliments serves grilled cheese, chili and more tasty taproom comfort food several times a week. Now, the pair are behind a new joint venture at Aeronaut they’re calling Hikōki Pop-Up Café. “We decided to work together, because I’ve always wanted to do coffee, too... and we’re already there UNION SQUARE
CASA B
Casa B got a revamped vibe and a refreshed menu in March. The tapas spot (253 Washington St.) went dark, reports Eater Boston, transforming its upstairs dining room into a rum bar and ditching the white walls and furniture in favor of darker, earthier tones. In addition, bar manager Taso Papatsoris and owners Angelina Jockovich and Alberto Cabré tell Eater they’ve added bar seating and high-tops to give the restaurant a more casual 12
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
feel, along with local craft COMINGbeer SOON offerings. The downstairs dining room is unchanged. UNION SQUARE
NATURAL WINE BAR AT TASTING COUNTER
Doing anything tonight? Tasting Counter’s Natural Wine Bar— once a weekend-only, late-night bites menu with wine starting at just eight bucks a glass—is
anyway,” Whisnant tells us with a laugh. Hikōki (a Japanese word for airplane) launched softly in April, with coffee, tea, pastries—and Gaté Comme des Filles’ decadent, delicious drinking chocolate. “I longed to make hot chocolate at my Lizzy’s pop-up all winter, but we were forbidden to do so because Lizzy’s shares the building with Starbucks,” Whisnant adds. “I’m so excited to finally be able to sell hot chocolate—it has been my dream for years.” Hikōki is popping up on Sundays, with a grand opening planned for late May, and extended hours could be in the future. now available from 5 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and between 10:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday, according to Eater Boston. BROOKLINE
VEGGIE CRUST EXPANDS
As we noted in our March/ April issue, two Somerville staples—Union Square Donuts and the Painted Burro—recently opened Brookline outposts. The Somerville-goes-Brookline trend
continued in April, with the news that Veggie Crust, the vegfriendly pizza place that opened on Somerville Avenue in August, was expanding into a second location at 8 Cypress St. in Brookline. Eater Boston reports that the new Veggie Crust is looking to open in late June. ASSEMBLY ROW
MIKE’S PASTRY
You can now satisfy your Mike’s Pastry cannoli cravings without leaving the city. As of April 20, the 55-yearPhoto, top, by Gwen Koch.
old shop got an Assembly Row outpost (445 Revolution Dr.) in addition to its locations in the North End and Harvard Square. DAVIS SQUARE
DONUTS AND BAGELS
After a “will-they-won’t-they” that rivals Ross and Rachel on Friends, Davis Square Donuts and Bagels will, in fact, open at 377 Summer St. “within the next few months,” according to Eater Boston. The bakery was initially announced in August 2015, but the project stalled in July 2016 when Eater reported that proprietor Kyriakos Kouzoukas had pulled out of the project. It’s back on as of early March. DAVIS SQUARE
SPOKE TO REOPEN
We can’t really say it any better than an April 6 Eater Boston headline, which proclaimed, “Hallelujah, Spoke Wine Bar Will Return This Spring.” After closing at the tail end of 2016, the restaurant (89 Holland St.) is back thanks to partner Dave Jick—that’s “Dave” of Dave’s Fresh Pasta right next-door—and bartender Mary Kurth. Boston Magazine reported that Kurth plans to keep things at Spoke largely the same as they were pre-closure—by-the-glass wine, cocktails and “refined comfort food” from chef John da Silva— and that the bar could make its return as soon as May. ASSEMBLY ROW
MIDICI
The L.A.-based Neapolitan-style pizza company Midici will open its first Massachusetts location this year at 463 Assembly Row, according to Eater Boston. The thin-crust pizza place serves delicious-sounding specialty ‘za— “fisherman’s pizza” made with Italian tuna, anchovies, greens and garlic;
a pizza romana with potatoes, rosemary and gorgonzola—and its website encourages diners to “enjoy it the true Italian way, with a fork and knife.” A rep tells Eater that the Assembly location should open this fall.
s Come in a a customer,
. leave as a friend
“Within two days, John set me up with three pre-owned vans to choose among, all in my price range. The van I chose has been fantastic. The way it’s handling, I expect it to last quite a few years. I’ve told my friends and family that I’ll never buy “brand new” again. I’d buy another car from John tomorrow, and I’d tell all my friends to go there too.” – Suzanne Fontano
TASTE OF SOMERVILLE
Taste of Somerville is making moves! After calling Davis Square its home for years, this year’s local food festival will be held at Nathan Tufts Park in Powderhouse Square. “Taste of Somerville in the Park” will still welcome more than 60 area restaurants, breweries and distilleries, and proceeds will benefit the Walnut Street Center and Somerville Home. Kids can hang around on a playground jungle or check out a Somerville Fire Department truck, while adults unwind with corhole, fooseball and bocce. Hungry? Mark your calendars for June 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. MEDFORD
DAVE’S FRESH PASTA TEAM TO OPEN RESTAURANT
If the soups, salads and sandwiches from the Dave’s Fresh Pasta counter have ever left you craving more, you’re in luck—the DFP team is opening a sit-down sibling restaurant in Medford (574 Boston Ave.) this spring. Semolina Kitchen and Bar will be located right by Tufts, where it’ll have seating for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with takeout. Other plusses include a pizza oven and a full liquor license.
“My wife’s beloved old car finally died after 150,000 miles. With a limited budget, my wife and I headed to John’s Auto Sales. Our son had purchased his first car at John’s and was impressed with the selection, service and price. After discussing our needs and price range with John, we looked around the lot. We had already checked the extensive inventory on the website and had a few options in mind. Knowing we were looking for a dependable vehicle, John suggested a car that had just come in. In one look, my wife was set. The car was exactly what she had been thinking about but never expected to find. But there it was. We test-drove it and we were sold. John and his team handled everything from finance to plates, and they did it all right there at the office. Though it was very busy that day, the people at John’s delivered professional, courteous and personal service. Our experience was just like the one our son had described. Both experiences fit with John’s Auto Sales’ reputation for safety and quality in every vehicle. Now my only problem is getting my wife to let me drive the car once in a while.” – Stephen Mackey “My first encounter with John’s Auto was about 15 years ago. My son was 17 and looking to buy his first car. Driving past John’s Auto one day he saw a silver Chrysler convertible and without even taking it for a test drive decided that was the car he wanted. When we went down to look at it John spent an hour trying to convince my son not to buy it. He told us that the timing chains of these particular cars had a reputation of breaking after a few yars and that it was a very expensive item to fix. Although my son had saved the money needed to buy the car, John knew he wouldn’t have the money necessary to make a repair of that magnintude. In all my years of buying used cars and dealing with used car salesmen, this was a first – the salesman actually trying to persuade a customer not to buy a car. He bought the car in spite of John’s many warnings and pleadings and sure enough a little over a year later the timing chain snapped. Fortunately, John is the kind of man who cares about his customers even after it’s no longer his legal responsibility. He had his mechanics fix the car and set up a payment plan my son could afford. In a world where car dealers have terrible reputations, John’s Auto is the exception to the rule.” – Bruce Desmond
181 Somerville Ave (across from Target) johnsautosales.com QUALITY USED CARS BOUGHT AND SOLD FOR 40 YEARS
scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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NEWS
LIBRARY COMMENTARY A leaky roof, peeling paint—the West Branch Library is ready for renovations. So what’s the holdup? BY ELIZA ROSENBERRY | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
J
ust a few blocks removed from the commotion of Davis Square, the West Branch Library is a stately building with prominent columns and elaborate architectural features. Its main entrance—a huge wooden doorway atop a wide set of stairs—is set back from College Avenue, accessible by a sidewalk that’s abutted by gardens on either side. “We’ve been thinking about the West Branch for a very long time,” says Kate Van Sleet, president of the Board of Library Trustees. What she means is this: West Branch needs an update. 14
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
The library was built in 1906 through funding provided by Andrew Carnegie, and since it’s not an ADA-compliant building, events held there need to be duplicated at another location. Van Sleet explains that the building isn’t “ideally configured”—that is, the children’s room is in the basement, and the only public bathroom is also in the basement, in the children’s room. Utility and accessibility upgrades need to be addressed. And while everyone agrees that it’s a beautiful, historic building—it’s even on the National Register of Historic Places—almost every painted surface is peeling. When it rains, librarians line recycling
SCOUT’S HONORED: NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES UNTIL 6/10 AT SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM/VOTE
bins with trash bags to catch the water dripping through the leaky roof. Two years ago, the library initiated a public process to make plans for a West Branch renovation and expansion that would include an auditorium and a makerspace. But now, after objections from community members who say the expansion sacrifices much-needed green space, it’s unclear where the project stands.
S
omerville may be just four square miles, but the city has three libraries: the Central Branch on Highland Avenue, the East Branch on Broadway and, of course, the West Branch. “Even though this city is very small and all the libraries serve the entire city, each library is a very special neighborhood library for the people within that neighborhood,” Van Sleet says. An estimated 300,000 people visited city libraries in the last year, according to data provided by the Somerville Library, and more than 10,000 children attended their programs and events. The libraries also host programs for teens and adults. While nearly 175,000 books were checked out of the libraries last year, the staff isn’t solely committed to printed resources. In fact, nearly 40,000 people are estimated to have used the computers at Somerville libraries in the past year, and librarians offered more than 200 one-onone technology training sessions to patrons during that time. “There’s this misconception that everybody has a smart device connected to the internet, but that’s not the case,” explains Glenn Ferdman, director of Somerville’s libraries. Even if you do have internet access, he adds, content is often blocked by a paywall. Libraries have adapted to the digital era by expanding services and collections to include digital media. Downloads for audiobooks, music, movies and comics increased by nearly 75 percent last year. Plus, there’s the invaluable resource of the expert library staff, who often guide patrons through online job applications, resume building or setting up email accounts. Ferdman says that while it’s impossible to know what technology and information access will look like in a few decades, he wants the West Branch Library to continue to serve the Somerville community, no matter what. “Repairing, renovating and restoring the building, as well as making it accessible, would permit us to provide a 21st-century library in essentially early 20th-century digs,” Ferdman says. “That would allow us to successfully serve the needs of the community—not only for the present, but for the future.”
T
he West Branch Library renovation process began with community input gathering nearly two years ago. In the current design, the new library would include renovations and updates to the existing building as well as an extension into the back, making room for a muchneeded auditorium that could be used for performances and city meetings, as well as a flexible makespace in the basement level, which Van Sleet says captures the growing innovative and creative spirit of Somerville. “[Makerspace] is a very big trend in libraries,” she says. “Libraries are very much being seen these days as more of a destination … and it goes with the way Somerville is. Look at how innovative we are here.” At a community meeting a little more than a year ago, the city presented a project timeline suggesting that construction could begin as early as September 2016. But that hasn’t happened. While all parties agree that accessibility and interior improvements need to be addressed at the West Branch Library for it to continue providing critical services, some residents don’t think the two pieces of the proposed redesign—renovation and expansion—are necessarily linked. Janet Campbell is a member of the Somerville Garden Club, which maintains the gardens surrounding the West Branch Library. Campbell has been part of a vocal group of citizens advocating against the proposed expansion because it would eliminate the library’s gardens and backyard, a green area in a city severely lacking in parks and open space. “The garden is a beautiful green space, and it exists now,” Campbell says. “We’re losing our green spaces in Somerville very quickly … We really
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15
News
need to preserve what we have.” The proposed auditorium is well and good, Campbell says, but it doesn’t need to be attached to the West Branch Library. She suggested that the city find another location instead of destroying one of Davis Square’s few green spaces, especially one in which the Garden Club has already established a structure of maintenance and care that she says would be difficult to replicate from the ground up. Abutters and other residents have also voiced concern about the impact of the extension on surrounding properties, as well as the cost of the project given recent city commitments to the new high school and the Green Line Extension. While board members say they’re sympathetic to community concerns, Van
“This is our one opportunity. We’ve been waiting a whole generation to make a renovation to the West Branch.” Sleet hopes the expansion will enable the library to further its commitment to the community. “I would prefer that we look at it holistically: What do we want for our kids to have 50 years from now?” Van Sleet asks. She fears missing what could be Somerville’s only chance to meaningfully expand the library. “This is our one opportunity,” she says. “We’ve been waiting a whole generation to make a renovation to the West Branch.” The last community meeting for the project took place in November of 2016, and since then, things have been fairly quiet. Board members are eager for the West Branch renovation to proceed but are unsure where the proposal stands. Ferdman 16
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
Photo, top: Librarian Karen Kramer stands in a water-damaged staircase. Photo, bottom: Recycling bins catch water dripping through the ceiling.
LIBRARIES AS SANCTUARY SPACES Values like equality and inclusiveness are embodied and practiced on a daily basis at libraries. Lifelong Somerville resident Laura Saunders is a professor of library and information science at Simmons College, and she also serves on the Board of Library Trustees. “Whether it’s kids after school or it’s people who may not have adequate shelter for themselves, or it’s people who just need a quiet space to spend some time,” says Saunders, “the library provides that. Its doors are open to everybody.” Saunders is particularly interested in libraries’ capacity for social justice. She wrote an essay in January called “Libraries as Sanctuary Spaces,” suggesting that libraries could be considered the ultimate sanctuary space: people of all backgrounds are welcomed; people are not asked to identify themselves in order to use services on-site; and getting a library card is usually relatively easy. The Somerville Library is on track to offer ESL classes to 3,000 people this year, a number that doubled over the previous year, and many libraries often cultivate collections in languages other than English. Fearing cuts in federal funding for libraries, Saunders is now calling for renewed support and commitment to libraries and the principles they embody.
had no new information to share related to the project timeline or potential redesigns, but did acknowledge that “there are some internal discussions happening regarding next steps in the project.” City of Somerville spokesperson Jackie Rossetti says the city is working with Ward 6 Alderman Lance Davis, the Capital Projects Department, the Library Department and the design team to schedule additional community updates, and in late April, another public meeting was scheduled for May 10. The renovation remains on Somerville’s current capital projects plan with an estimated $7.2 million price tag, including $2.5 million from Community Preservation Act funds. Other library projects, including a renovation for the East Branch and a relocation of the Central Branch to Union Square, are also being considered, according to the plan, but the West Branch renovation is the only one to have received city approval. In any case, the participation at recent community meetings shows broad public interest and investment in the use of city buildings, which board members and library staff say is critical to the process. “Whatever we come up with, I’m sure it’s going to be something that will be of great benefit to the community,” Ferdman says. “We’ve been grateful for the process and the input, and we look forward to continuing in that direction.”
Genuine Greek. Made in Massachusetts.
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. Even though yeeros are in the name, Opa offers so much more. The menu is a curated selection of Greek favorites from traditional Greek salads to spanakopita and “the best Greek yogurt” you’ll find outside of the Mediterranean. George will greet you with a smile, a friendly chat and delicious food that will keep you coming back for more.
378 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 617-718-2900 | www.opayeeros.com
We Deliver: Give us a call or find us on Foodler and Yelp Eat24 scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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YOU’RE INVITED TO JOIN JACK FOR HIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION AND KICK-OFF FUNDRAISER!
Wednesday, May 24th from 6PM - 8PM Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler St., Somerville Jack has decades of experience and has watched Somerville become a beautiful city by supporting job growth and development with the support of projects including the Green Line Extension and the building of the new Somerville High School.
As your Alderman at Large, and with your support, Jack continues to fight for working families, immigrant safety, senior services, and a major focus on the local opioid epidemic.
I’M JACK CONNOLLY AND
@AldJackConnolly @AldermanConnolly
I’M LISTENING... Paid for by the Committee to Elect Jack Connolly
www.aldermanjackconnolly.com
“
Somerville has always been a city of opportunity. We’ve seen waves of immigrants and working folks come here to build a life for themselves. For the past 175 years, we’ve been powered by the dream of a better tomorrow. It’s that inherent hopefulness that brought my family here from Italy. For those of us who grew up here, we learned it’s not about what you have, it’s about what you strive to achieve.
We’re going to see physical changes in this city. The Green Line extension has been funded and approved. Assembly Square has undergone a stunning transformation. New commercial buildings, housing and open space are going to take root in Union Square, Boynton Yards, Brickbottom and the Inner Belt. Yet the neighborhoods we grew up in are going to remain largely the same. They’ll have new coats of paint and more trees, but we’re always going to be a close-knit community filled with people who know the measure of a truly good life is how many people you say hello to when you walk around your block.”
– MAYOR JOE CURTATONE PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT JOE CURTATONE
18
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
REMEMBERING “THE GOOD OLE DAYS” - PAGE 20 AN AFTERNOON AT MARKET BASKET - PAGE 24 WHERE TO FIND THE CITY’S SHOP DOGS - PAGE 26 A LOOK AT SOMERVILLE THEN AND NOW - PAGE 32 WHAT’S IN A NAME? - PAGE 34 GOING FROM COAL TO CLEANTECH - PAGE 38
Prospect Hill photo by Beryl Lipton. Jimmy Del Ponte’s “Villen” plates, photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Does Anybody Remember... BORN-AND-RAISED ‘VILLENS SHARE THEIR SOMERVILLE STORIES BY EMILY CASSEL
Photo: During a 1947 inter-playground track meet, boys pose for the low bridge relay. Photo by E. R. Alves, City of Somervile Recreation Department.
20 May | June 2017
scoutsomerville.com
S
omerville celebrates its 175th birthday this year—a pretty huge milestone! In 1842, Governor John Davis signed the document that officially separated the city from neighboring Charlestown. At the time, Somerville had a population of a little over 1,000. Things are a little different today than they were then. Neighborhoods that were once farmland eventually housed brick-making or meatpacking plants, and now, many of those buildings—those that are still standing, at least—are artist spaces or apartments. Areas like Assembly Row, the former site of a Ford Motor Company factory that helped auto manufacturing pass meatpacking as Somerville’s biggest industry, welcome outlet shoppers and restaurant patrons to stroll along their streets. The city’s population is nearing 80,000. That’s a lot of change in not a lot of time. And if you ask just about anyone, that change has only accelerated exponentially in recent decades. It’s easy to forget what Somerville looked like 175 or 50 or even 15 years ago. And that’s where one online community comes in. Every day, on a Facebook page called “Somerville ‘The Good Ole Days,’” residents past and present share photos and text posts with their memories of growing up in the city, whether that’s organizing the card catalogue at the public library or taking a fivecent bus ride to Fenway and catching a Sox game from 50-cent bleacher seats. Many remember the streets where they grew up or shout out their favorite teachers. Some see if old Little League teammates belong to the group or recall questionable fashion choices from bygone eras. There are pictures of high-school pennants and grade-school classes, of Easter Sunday outfits and Halloween costumes. And of course, there are memes. (One recent upload instructs readers how to “speak Boston”—turn signal = blinkah, TV remote = clickah, etc.) Ron Bargoot, who was born in Somerville in 1960 and lived in Davis Square for 45 years, has been an administrator of the group for the last few years. He stumbled upon the page back when it had only a few hundred members and started sharing some of his old photos, inviting a handful of his friends to join. Many added their friends to the group, and it took off. Today, it has more than 7,000 members—all of whom have Somerville ties. “As far as people trying to join, if they don’t have Somerville on their profile— that they’re from Somerville— they won’t get in,” Bargoot says. “We probably turn down 20 people for every person we let in the group.” In addition, Bargoot and his fellow moderators, Darryl Babineau and group founder Christine Masiello, don’t allow people to post advertisements, nor do they approve political messages. There are other online communities for that; this one, for Bargoot and others, is a place to remember being a kid in the ‘Ville during a time in which there was “so little supervision,” when most parents just asked their kids to head home when the street lights came on. Bargoot says that along with many from his generation, he considers “the good ole days” to be those prior to the Red Line
“THERE WERE SO MANY KIDS, THERE WAS LIKE A WHOLE SUBCULTURE. WE HAD OUR OWN SOCIETY THAT I’M NOT FULLY SURE PARENTS EVEN KNEW ABOUT—OUR OWN INDUSTRIES, OUR OWN ECONOMIES, OUR OWN THINGS THAT WE DID.”
RON BARGOOT
“M
y grandparents bought their Somerville house in 1922 or 1923. My father grew up there, I grew up there, my son grew up there. My grandmother lived downstairs, my uncle lived downstairs, we lived upstairs. That actually was the norm back then. Families tended to fill up a whole house. We all went to school with our cousins—I went to school with my cousins, they lived right down the street. That was common. Families didn’t go too far. And every house had kids. Literally every house had kids— two, six, eight, 10 kids. There were so many kids, there was like a whole subculture. We had our own society that I’m not fully sure parents even knew about—our own industries, our own economies, our own things that we did. We used to hop on the bus at 12 or 13, get the train at Lechmere, and we’d go to either Wonderland or Suffolk Downs. As people were coming out, we’d ask them for their programs, wait until we got eight or 10, and then we’d go stand around the other side, and as people were coming in, we’d sell them back to them. We’d make like 20, 30 bucks—back in 1972, 30 bucks was a lot of money—and we’d go to Revere Beach. Harvard Square used to be all hippies back in the ’60s. I’m talking real hippies—Jim Morrison hippies. The Harvard Common, they used to camp out there on weekends, playing guitar and smoking pot and singing. It was an amazing time to grow up around Boston, and Somerville was way different than it is now. It was all working class, bluecollar families. It was a cheap place to live close to Boston, basically. When the Red Line came to Davis Square, that was pretty much the beginning of the end for the Somerville that we grew up in. People who had lived in West Somerville their whole lives cashed in; houses they bought in the ’40s and ’50s for seven- or eightgrand, all of the sudden they were worth $500,000. The whole texture of the neighborhoods changed.
FRANK PIGNONE
“R
emember in the early ’50s, when on a Friday Night, lower Broadway was like Friday Night Lights? Everybody was out doing something—shopping at the A&P or the First National on Broadway. There were shoemakers, barbers, Tuck’s clothing store, the five-and-ten-cent store. The Royal Furniture Store, where you could watch from outside the first TV, which had a magnifying glass in front of the screen to make it bigger—the lines of people watching that, not to mention all the toys they put in the window during Christmastime.
JIMMY DEL PONTE
“A
t Supreme Deli in Davis Square, on the corner of Elm Street and Chester, my dad had his own table, and he used to basically hold court there. Everybody would just listen to him. He was Fred Del Ponte, and he was like me—he loved to tell stories, he was a good storyteller. Davis Square was completely taken over and transformed by kids, people like my sons. Millennials. I’m 63, and I’ve seen it all. When I was a teenager, we hung around at the corner of Bay State Ave. and Kidder Ave. Most kids back then, in the ’70s, had hangouts: Belmont Park, Powderhouse Park. A lot of kids didn’t have cars, after supper we just hung out with our friends. For me growing up, I was always involved with music. We’d play in school dances and a thing called Somerfest. They used to block off the street, and we’d set up our band in the bed of a flatbed trailer and do concerts in the street. We were playing in a band called Shadowfax, and those three guys who were in the band are still my close friends. We just got together last week and went out and had lunch. We’ve been through everything together. When I was 14 or 15, me and three or four of my friends got jobs at Revere Beach, and it was the greatest thing (Continued on next page.) scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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Know Your Neighborhood
Does Anybody Remember...
in the world. We worked on the dodgem cars when there was an amusement park there. We used to take the bus and get off on the Blue Line, and we’d work—underage, under the table—and take tickets. The Hurleys owned most of Revere Beach; it was unbelievable. Now, there’s nothing there anymore. The Cyclone roller coaster was the last, and it burnt down in 1974 or something. This is funny: My father was an usher at the Somerville Theatre, I was an usher at the Somerville Theatre, and my son was an usher at the Somerville Theatre. Three generations. Why? Because it was down the street! We could walk there.”
ANNETTE FIORE BASSETT
Northeastern— walking to school and stopping at Johnny’s (Thurston Spa), for the most delicious tuna sub or Johnny Special, bologna and cheese. I think it cost $1.00. I met my future husband during that adolescence! He lived on what we called lower Tennyson… the other side of Medford Street. We both graduated from Somerville High in 1971, became Somerville Public School teachers in the mid ’70s. We also married and bought our first home in Somerville in the late ’70s.”
“W
hen I think back to my fondest memories of growing up in Somerville, I would have to say they center around my wonderful group of friends and my amazing and exciting neighborhood. I grew up in Somerville during the ’60s. I lived in a triple decker in the Winter Hill area, and my neighborhood was Forster Street and Tennyson Street—a very close-knit group of families. I remember being the only “Italian” family in a predominantly “Irish” neighborhood. The friends I made in that neighborhood were my very first friends and remain my friends to this day. My memories revolve around the seasons, summer being the most memorable because of the total freedom of being outside from morning until the street lights came on a night. Bike riding, roller skating, soccer ball (our made-up version of kickball), hide-and-seek, relevio and telling ghost stories under the street light at the corner of Forster and Tennyson Streets were all our games and activities throughout the summer months. Fall, a time when the Concord grapes were ripe for picking—all of us having paper bags would go through our neighborhood yards, filling our bags with delicious, juicy grapes and enjoying them sitting on a curb. During the snowy winter months, all of us actually sledding down Tennyson Street on our Flexible Flyers—very few cars back in those days made that possible. Other things that stand out… walking down Central Street to Don’s and buying penny candy or getting a popsicle or fudgesicle. In junior high—the 22
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
SANDI RUSCETTA
“F
or the first 10 years of my life I resided at 16 Hamlet St., a home my grandparents owned. It was a carefree life for a child, as I was born in 1946; we lived upstairs, we had a small farm (as many did at that time). My maternal grandparents were from Italy, and we had chickens, rabbits, large vegetable gardens. We made wine and tomato paste in the fall, and we did not consider it work—it was contributing and doing things as a family, as it was years ago. We took the bus to Boston to shop in the North End; we walked to Union Square. I attended the Pope School, and we walked to school—sometimes on McGrath Highway—or up to Prospect Hill. We walked home for lunch. During rain or stormy weather we would dry off our clothes and then walk back to school.” The streets were loaded with people: dads dropping in to the State Spa, Kozy Grille, Murphy’s and many bars after a hard week’s work. You could buy fresh vegetables at Walkers across the street from the State Spa, where they had fruits and vegetables out on the stand in the street. You could buy butter at Kennedy’s next to the Kozy Grill. We had a great neighborhood.”
extension coming to Davis Square. Back then, at just 10 years old, he remembers heading home from school and grabbing his shoeshine box, setting up in Davis to earn a little cash. But to be clear, while he loved growing up in Somerville, he doesn’t view his childhood here through rose-colored glasses. “It was a rough city—a lot of violence,” Bargoot reflects. “From 1961 until I think ’72, the Winter Hill Gang was at war. It was commonplace for people to get killed in the middle of the day, walking down the street. And in the early ’70s, you were taking a risk walking through Davis Square after dark.” Drugs were commonplace; Bargoot says many kids he grew up with are dead or in jail. School was often violent— he recalls the fights that used to break out in the middle of class, sometimes going uninterrupted because the brawling students were bigger than their teachers. (When his family shipped him up to school hundreds of miles away in rural Maine—and Bargoot swears this is true—his new principal saw that he was from Somerville and asked, “We’re not going to have a problem, are we?”) Overall, Bargoot says he’s happy that the city’s cleaned up, that there’s less crime, that property values are up. “Generally, it’s a good thing,” he says. “But it was what shaped us. It was what made us the people that we are now. For people like us, [development] killed a way of life. Everything we grew up with is gone.” One thing you’ll notice as you scroll through the photos and memories in the Good Ole Days group is just how many of the people posting, folks who grew up here and who loved growing up here, also miss living here. Bargoot’s moved out of town. The majority of members, it seems, no longer live in the city. Their families had to sell their homes, or rising rents pushed them out. Now scattered around the country, they long for bygone days not only because they were young and carefree, but because those days represent a time when they had the option to stay here. In that sense, Bargoot says the group has an almost therapeutic value. “That’s the thing—if you’re from some little town out in the suburbs, chances are if you really wanted to, you could go home again. You could go, get an apartment or buy a house, and you could go home again. People like me? We can’t. We can never go home. We can’t afford to move back to Somerville again. That’s really the sad part of it.”
Photo: 1980s baseball clinic. Photo courtesy of the Somerville Archives.
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A Self-Guided Tour of Member Gardens
BIG GARDENS s mall spa ce s
Lina Morales
Presented by the Somerville Garden Club
Sunday June 25, 2017 Rain or Shine! 11:00 am–4:00 pm Tickets $18 www.somervillegardenclub.org
Advance Ticket Sale Locations: (begins Friday June 2) • Pemberton Garden Center, 2225 Mass. Ave., Cambridge • Porter Square Books, Porter Square Shopping Center, Cambridge • Capone Foods, 14 Bow Street, Union Square, Somerville • Online at www.somervillegardenclub.org
Brother Mario, 1984
Sister Sheila, 2017
The Borges Family Welcomes You
Day of Event Ticket Sales: Sunday June 25, 11:00 am–3:00 pm • Davis Square Statue Park, opposite the MBTA Come for fun, leave with inspiration! For more information visit www.somervillegardenclub.org
WWW.THENEIGHBORHOODRESTAURANT.COM 25 BOW ST, SOMERVILLE • (617) 623-9710 scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
AN AFTERNOON AT MARKET BASKET It’s tough to explain the singular experience of shopping at the Market Basket on Somerville Avenue—the deals, the crowds, the packed parking lot—so we’ll let these photos do the talking. BY MORGAN LAFORGE
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May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
s ’ e l l i v r e m o tS
Mee
s g o D p o h S
) . o o T , s t i b b a R d n a s t a C d n (A
BY HANNAH VILLHAUER | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
I
f you’re like the majority of Somerville residents—roughly 65 percent—that means you rent your home. Plus side: no property tax! Minus side: your landlord may not allow pets. And with an average commute of half an hour, we’re a busy bunch; even homeowners may not have time to care for a cat or dog. Never fear, fellow ‘Villens! What we lack in personal space, we make up for in shop pets who keep you company while you support the local economy. What follows is by no means a comprehensive list of the city’s domesticated labor (see what we did there?), but it’s a good place to start if you crave a little companionship while you shop. 26
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
SCOUT’S HONORED: NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITES UNTIL 6/10 AT SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM/VOTE
Sherman
ACE WHEELWORKS • 145 ELM ST. At just 1 year and 8 months old, the incredible Sherman is the youngest of the shop pets featured in this piece. He started working at Ace Wheelworks with his person in the winter of 2015. Even though he’s a young pup, Sherman knows better than to take candy (or treats) from strangers, so if you stop in to visit him, just bring a friendly hello. He loves to chase and retrieve balls, and he’s in charge of Ace’s green initiatives; he heads up the recycling wing by chewing up any plastic bottles that come his way.
Mayble
E. SCOTT ORIGINALS • 199 HIGHLAND AVE.
Sweet Boston Terrier Mayble is 8-and-a-half years young and has been managing E. Scott Originals for seven of those years. Mayble’s a smart little gal who knows never to run outside the shop, even if she sees her favorite toddler friends. She loves to snuggle and show off her toys, so it’s no wonder that this girl has clients who come just to visit her. She won’t even bark when she gets excited, though as this interviewer learned, she may yelp if you cross your legs too quickly when you’re sitting for a chat. (Her mom says that’s the only kind of sound she makes.) Mayble can give you her paw—sometimes both! And she’s allergic to chicken, so please, no hot wing bouquets. Although she works in a jewelry store for humans, she’s not one to be left out of the fun. To that end, she has her own line of jewelry: Mayble Labels. These classy collar tags are made by mom and can be customized for the shop or house pets in your life. Mayble has seasonal collars to match the weather—and her mood—and she’s usually sporting one of her signature tags.
Huckleberry
LOYAL SUPPLY CO. • 21 UNION SQ. Huckleberry is a handsome chocolate pointer/plott hound who doubles as director of operations for Loyal Supply Co. He’s quite modest—a little bashful, even—so he may not tell you that his good behavior is what helped his humans think of the name Loyal for their store. He’s been overseeing the shop for about three years now, and when he’s not tending to his duties, he’s busy setting speed records and showing off how small he can be when he curls up. Huck’s favorite time is the morning, when the sun comes through the wide front windows and he can bask in its light. He’s got a bed on every floor of Loyal—loft, main and basement—and his mom, Kim, will move his ground-floor bed over the course of the morning to keep him in the sunniest spots. While he’s pretty easy to win over with gingerbread cookie treats, blueberries and baby carrots, he’s yet to come around on cats. Maybe we dislike in others what we recognize in ourselves— Huck goes a little batty when someone using their phone at the bus stop reflects bouncing rays of light into the shop, much like cats do with laser pointers. Huckleberry was adopted from Live and Let Live Farm in New Hampshire, and a portion of the proceeds from all leather leash and collar sales in the shop go back to the rescue. And if you really love him, you can take home something to prove you’re in his fan club. Among the many handprinted cards at Loyal, there’s a line that features dog illustrations—each one showcasing Huckleberry or one of his many dog pals. Huckleberry photo courtesy of Loyal Supply Co.
JOHN SAVOIA
Co-creator of DogSpotting
D
ogSpotting is a Facebook community with nearly 600,000 members, where people around the world earn points by sharing photos, videos, drawings and text “spots” of dogs they encounter while out and about. There are rules—you can’t earn points in “Low Hanging Fruit” locales like dog parks, for example, and the point system includes provisions for different kinds of pups including “PermaJacks,” or one-eyed, winking pups who will steal all your points for the year. But it is, without question, one of the best things on the internet. Co-founder John Savoia lives in nearby Jamaica Plain, so we asked him to share some Somerville spotting stats. How many DogSpotters live in Somerville? I have consulted Dogtech (the DogSpotting supercomputer we use to track points across the globe, as well as using advanced AI and heuristics to create heatmaps and attempt to intercept PermaJacks), and while Somerville’s totals are influenced highly by Cambridge’s, I feel confident putting out the number 700 as a rough estimate of active Dogspotters in your zone (23Bb to be precise). Where are the best places to DogSpot here? When it comes to suggested places to spot dogs, well, I have a little trouble giving away the real gems in my own backyard, y’know? Besides, DS is about the adventure and discovery; it’s about going somewhere that has a big “No Dogs Allowed” sign and still spotting a dog. That kind of accomplishment. I hate how—and how often—the word “bootstraps” is used these days, but I think it applies to DS. You gotta put in the work for the points, walk down that side street, poke your head in some stranger’s yard, hop a fence, jiggle the doorknob to a random building... there might be a dog in there! I can say that Somerville has a lot of wonderful parks, and while those might seem like a good place to begin, you start to get into the realm of “Low Hanging Fruit” pretty quickly, and where’s the sport in that? If you want some serious points, some truly mythic dogspots, there’s no substitute for hard work and stick-to-it-ness.
scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
27
Know Your Neighborhood
Meet Somerville’s Shop Dogs
SPOT T Y
Memory Hole Vintage • 8 Walnut St. How long have you managed this shop, Spotty? I’ve been looking after the shop for about 9 months now, and am excited to celebrate my first year in July. What is your preferred treat from customers? My favorite treats come from Paul, the mailman. I wasn’t sure about him at first (we dogs tend to be skeptical of postal carriers), but after a few teriyaki-flavored treats, I’ve warmed up to him. My all-time favorite treat is cheese. Any special tricks or talents? I’m very stealthy. Most customers don’t even know I’m there until they come to check out. Sometimes I’ll hop up on the counter to say hi, but usually I just continue my nap. How about pet peeves? There are these little humans that come into the shop called “children.” I’m not quite sure what to make of them—but I sure do love barking at them. If you could tell ‘Villens one thing they don’t know about your shop, what would it be? My favorite thing about the shop is all the surprises hiding in our ephemera collection. We’ve got lots of old photos, some dating back to the 1860s, and every now and then when I’m digging around, I come across an old picture of a fellow dog. I even once found another Spotty! Dad kept that one. Also, there are some other animals hanging out in the shop, but they never seem to want to talk to me. Dad calls them “taxidermy.” I don’t get it...
SCOUT
Wedgwood-Crane & Connolly Insurance Agency • 19 College Ave. How long have you been in the insurance biz? When my humans brought me home at 8 weeks
Max & Zuzu
BOW STREET FLOWERS • 108 BEACON ST. When you walk into Bow Street Flowers, it may take you a moment to notice this shop’s two tiny managers: Max and Zuzu. But what they lack in size, they make up for in efficiency; Max and Zuzu keep the floor spotless by eating the leaves and stems that fall from the work stations. That’s right, this flower shop keeps two beautiful bunnies on its fulltime staff. (There have actually been several bunnies looking after the shop through the years—at one time, there were four.) Both buns are of the Dutch variety. Max is a 3-year-old tan brindle, and his supervisor, Zuzu, is a 13-year-old (!) tan-and-white two-tone. When asked about special tricks, their mom grins and says, “No, no tricks. We just let them 28
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
old I really didn’t like being home alone. They decided to take me to work with them, and I’ve been here ever since—so I guess you could say I’ve been in the biz my whole life! It’s a great gig. I get to work with my family all day and meet lots of new friends. What more could a dog ask for? Can you tell us a bit about your day to day responsibilities at Wedgwood-Crane & Connolly? Well, I usually stroll into work around 8:30 or so. I have breakfast in the office and I spend most mornings supervising my fellow employees and making sure they’re on top of their work and head pats. If clients come in, I let everyone know (usually with a bark or two). I greet them at the front counter, but I make sure to stay behind my gate. Once they’re being helped, I get back to work chewing on my favorite bone or Kong. Around 11:30 I take my daily walk up and down the bike path nearby. When I get back to the office, it’s lunch time! I make sure everyone has their meal, and if something looks good, I flash my best puppy dog eyes and nudge them with my paw. Most of the time it works, and I’ll get to taste test it for them! When lunch is over, I usually set up at the front of the office and continue supervising. Around 2:30 p.m. I have my daily nap, and this usually brings me to the end of the day. I put my toys away (or watch someone else do it) and help lock up. I do a quick run through the office, make sure all is quiet—and then it’s homeward bound! What motivates you to come into the office each day? Treats and belly rubs! Plus, I love being around people and checking out all the action in Davis Square. Can people who stop by to visit do anything to earn your good graces? Please take off your hat and sunglasses, it makes me very nervous when people leave them on. But I do love having visitors! When they ask for me, I get so excited and wag my tail back and forth. I love a good back or belly rub... but the quickest way to my heart? Milkbones!
be bunnies.” Which is a good thing to be! Bunnies are quiet little diurnal beings who can be litter-trained just like a cat. Bunnies can get lonely, so it’s nice to have more than one. But they’re very territorial, and like any pet, you should research introducing them to one another before shoving them in a room together. (Since they’re silent, they can do a lot of damage in five minutes should they get into a row.) Luckily, Max and Zuzu have gotten on like gangbusters since their mom brought a baby Max home from the House Rabbit Society. They don’t much care to be picked up, and Max in particular doesn’t like his face to be petted, but they love when little kids come by to visit them in the store—maybe because small humans often have the best snacks? M and Z love bananas, but there’s too much sugar in the fruit for their delicate digestive systems. Since they can’t hit the banana stand, they settle happily for organic apples, rose leaves and timothy hay.
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scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
29
Know Your Neighborhood
Meet Somerville’s Shop Dogs
SUSANNA F INN Black Cat Rescue
What makes Somerville a great place for cats and cat owners to live? Hmm... well, cats make any place a great place to live! Somerville is great, though, because of all the resources around: pet supplies stores (both local and larger chain stores), great veterinarians, emergency hospitals, shelters and rescues to adopt from, lots of cat sitters, etc. Any hot tips for cat lovers and prospective cat owners living in the ‘Ville? Do some research! Cats might seem like “easy” pets, but it’s important to learn about their needs before adopting: adjustment time for a cat in a new setting, types of litter, foods, scratching posts. People might also be surprised to know that cats can live up to 20 years, so make sure you’re prepared for that kind of long-term commitment. If someone isn’t ready to commit to having an animal for 20 years, fostering is a great option! Who’s your favorite internet cat celebrity? Maru was probably my first feline web favorite, but these days I’m pretty into @thecatcaesar on Instagram.
BRIAN DAVIS
Dennis
RIVERDOG • 321 SOMERVILLE AVE. Dennis is a big, beautiful, 7-year-old orange tabby. He’s been managing RiverDog for six years now, ever since his parents rescued him from Cambridge Animal Control. It all started when a customer, who would often bring her dog along with her to CAC, inadvertently sparked a friendship between the dog and baby Dennis. When she saw how well they got on, she called the folks at RiverDog to tell them she’d found their next shop cat. He walked into the shop like he’d lived there all his life, and he’s been running the show ever since. Chief among Dennis’s responsibilities: teaching dogs with bad manners to respect cats and other authority figures. While most pups learn that lesson pretty quickly, he has lost his patience with troublemakers a few times over the last six years. Since he’s surrounded by doggies learning obedience all day, it’s no surprise Dennis has picked up some tricks of his own. For the right treat (Tricky Trader dog training treats and Look Who’s Happy dog treats are his favorites at the moment), you might get to witness Dennis “sitting pretty” like one of his poodle pals or coming when he’s called from across the shop. Dennis loves dressing up, and every Halloween he gets decked out in full witch garb. His visitations aren’t restricted to store hours; every Friday and Saturday night as folks stagger out of nearby pubs, he scampers to the window to wish them well—and give them directions to the nearest cab stand. 30 May | June 2017
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SomDog
What makes Somerville a great place for doggos? The amazing dog-owning community and nonprofit support for dog owners, city resources and great dog parks. What do you think could improve Somerville’s dog culture? More volunteers, education and involvement. Where are your favorite places around town to walk and play? Union Square to Sullivan—stopping at RiverDog—and Nunziato Dog Park and Zero New Washington Off-Leash Recreation Area. What advice might you to give to dog lovers and prospective dog owners living in the ‘Ville? Get involved! Support local groups who give back to the dog-owning community.
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scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
31
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
THEN
and
NOW
Take a little trip down memory lane with these pictures of Somerville’s past and present.
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73 Broadway, 1953, photo courtesy of The Somerville Archives
73 Broadway, photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz
Union Square, photo courtesy of Historic New England
Union Square, photo by Beryl Lipton
Lowell at Highland Avenue, 1957, photo courtesy of The Somerville Archives
Lowell at Highland Avenue, photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz
May | June 2017 scoutsomerville.com
483 Broadway in front of Stan’s Highlander Center, early 1970s
483 Broadway in front of Winter Hill Laundromat, photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz
Somerville Theater, Davis Square, 1950s, photo courtesy of The Somerville Archives
Somerville Theater, Davis Square, photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz
“The one with all the answers.” Cynthia Osemwegie, MBA Candidate, School of Management
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Accounting Consultant stacey@accountingforcreativity.com www.accountingforcreativity.com 617.335.7300 | Union Square scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
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KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
s ’ t a h W
In A
? e m Na
I
BY EMILY CASSEL | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
t seems fairly safe to assume that the people behind businesses like Jerry’s Liquors and Mike’s Food & Spirits would actually be named Jerry and Mike. It seems fairly safe… but it isn’t. While plenty of places around town—Leone’s, Dave’s Fresh Pasta, Alibrandi’s Barber Shop—are still helmed by the folks whose names they bear, it turns out that lots of others aren’t. Who’s actually running the show at your favorite Somerville spots? We set out to learn a little bit about the folks for whom some of the city’s iconic establishments are named.
Want to know more about these local businesses and the people who keep them running? Well, you can always drop in and say hello— they’re all super friendly. But if you want to check them out without leaving the couch, you’re in luck. This is the latest installment of SCOUTV, a multimedia collaboration between Scout Somerville and SCATV that brings the stories in each issue of the magazine to life with video. Head to scoutsomerville.com/ scoutv for behind-the-scenes footage and in-depth interviews that’ll help you put a face to these names.
“Growing up here, I was known as ‘Jerry’s kid,’” says Marco Romao, chuckling. (His dad’s name is Ignacio.)
JERRY’S LIQUORS | 329 SOMERVILLE AVE.
“I
’m sorry, did I overhear you say your father’s name is not Jerry?” asks a bewildered shopper, setting a bottle of wine on the counter in front of Marco Romao. “All this time, we’ve called him Jerry, and you little Jerry. What is his name?” “It’s Ignacio,” a grinning Marco replies. “That’s why he allowed you to call him Jerry. A lot of people had a hard time saying it.” “We’ve lived in Union Square since 2010,” the customer laughs, shaking his head as he swipes his card. “All that time—including the time he agreed to let me take the grapes off the grape arbor here and I thought we were getting to know our local liquor store owner—I was calling him Jerry, calling his son little Jerry. This is news to me.” It’s an incredibly common mistake, even though there hasn’t been a Jerry at Jerry’s for almost 60 years, according to Marco. George was
34 May | June 2017
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the original owner, and the shop became Jerry’s in the 1940s or ’50s. When his dad took over, he decided to keep the name… which has led to confusion following him nearly his entire life, ever since he started working at the liquor store at age 10. (“Times were different back then.”) “Growing up here, I was known as ‘Jerry’s kid,’” Marco says. “Hey, there’s Jerry’s kid!” Today, those who are new to the city and didn’t know him growing up make the same mistake shoppers once made about his dad, assuming that he’s the Jerry. And who can blame them, really, when Marco’s the one manning the liquor store counter between 12 and 14 hours a day, seven days a week? (Oh, he “only” works six hours on Sundays.) Besides, he doesn’t mind the mix-up. A name change would be expensive, and Jerry’s is so recognizable—and so beloved—that it wouldn’t make sense. Years ago, Marco printed shirts with the shop logo and gave them out to friends. He says one buddy met a fellow Jerry’s fan while wearing his tee in Vegas, and Marco himself was sporting one as he took a seat on a bus in Jamaica and heard a voice shout out from the rear, “Jerry’s? Union Square! I love that shop!” “It’s been here so long, anyone from Somerville could hear Jerry’s and know what you’re talking about,” says “Little Jerry” with a shrug.
MIKE’S FOOD & SPIRITS | 9 DAVIS SQ.
M “Believe it or not, there is no Mike.”
aria Terranova DiSisto took over Mike’s Food & Spirits close to a decade ago, and the question we’re here to ask her on this April afternoon is one she’s gotten countless times over the last 10 years. “I get this question a million times a day: ‘Who is Mike? Who’s Mike?’” she says. “Believe it or not, there is no Mike.” Her dad had been working at the diner for a few years before taking it over in 1980. There was no Mike back then, and there isn’t one now. But there’s been a Maria for decades—she started working at the restaurant when she was just a kid. “This is the only job I’ve ever had,” Maria says. “I’ve been here since I was old enough to reach the counter.” There’s an argument to be made that Davis Square is the Somerville neighborhood that’s changed most over the last 40 years, and Maria’s watched it all transpire from behind Mike’s wide front windows. The eatery predates the Davis MBTA station, and she remembers when the area was a “ghost town” by 5 or 6 o’clock. Now, of course, it’s something of a destination. But as the neighborhood shifts around it, Mike’s hasn’t changed much. Many of the recipes in use today were passed down from Maria’s Italian grandmother. “Our dough recipe, I don’t think we’ve changed in probably 30 years,” she says. The menu is huge, but simple: pizza, pasta, subs, calzones—and those beloved 32-ounce draft beers, perfect for sipping on the patio on a warm summer afternoon. “Nothing fancy,” Maria laughs. Still, it’s a transient area, and the restaurant industry is notoriously fickle. Maria credits her “wonderful” staff with keeping Mike’s running all these years. And of course, there are the customers: both the university students who come and go and people like Lauren Mosca and Sean Donnelly who are there every week, without fail. Mosca, who’s sipping sangria at a high-top on this sunny afternoon, says she’s lived in Somerville for eight years, but that Mike’s is the first and only place where she’s felt like a regular. She describes the bartenders as mother figures, her fellow patrons like family. “I’m sitting here, and next to me is someone who doesn’t speak any English, and we’ll both just have these big smiles on our faces,” she laughs. “When I have guests visiting, I don’t really take them anywhere else.”
scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
35
Know Your Neighborhood
What’s in a Name?
LEONE’S SUB & PIZZA 292 BROADWAY
U
“We’ve always taken care of people who are down and out.”
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nlike the other spots in this story, Leone’s is still, well, Leone’s. The beloved Winter Hill sub shop has been in the family for more than 60 years. But if you’ve ever stopped in to get a slice and a soda on your lunch break, there’s a good chance it’s partner Nick Ruccolo who you recognize behind the counter. He’s there seven days a week, and name aside, he is part of the family; his sister is married to Vic Leone, who works nights under the eatery’s iconic, zig-zagging neon beacon. “It started in 1954—Mr. And Mrs. Leone started it,” Ruccolo explains, taking a break from rolling a batch of Leone’s massive meatballs. “It’s been in the family ever since.” Ruccolo was born in Cambridge and grew up in Revere, but he knew the Leone’s name; he had family who lived just around the corner. After studying at Salem State and spending a year as an accountant—a job he “hated every minute of”—he stepped into the Leone’s kitchen at 22. Today, Leone’s is almost exactly as it was when Ruccolo joined the staff, one of myriad reasons the shop endures as a community staple—a landmark, even—to this day. There’s also the fact that the food is incredible, the famed square slices so doughy and delicious the shop has shipped pizza to former customers as far away as Hawaii and Florida. The shop has also partnered with and donated to nonprofits throughout the city since just about the day they opened their doors. And Ruccolo says they’ve never turned people away if they can’t pay. “I’ve been here so many years,” Ruccolo says. “If a kid didn’t have money, I’ll take care of them. We’ve always taken care of people who are down and out.” Plus, there’s the sense of belonging that comes from seeing the same friendly faces every time you drop in, catching up over a sandwich at the counter. “You’re never gonna leave here, are you, Nicky?” a customer asks after placing an order for three slices. “You could go over to Italy, sit down, drink wine in the afternoon…” But Ruccolo loves this job, and he doesn’t have any plans to retire just yet. “I enjoy what I do,” he says, smiling. “If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t come in.” “And I can still go to Italy,” he adds. Then the phone rings, and Ruccolo turns from the counter to answer, running down the succinct list of questions familiar to so many in Somerville. “Leone’s. What is it? Who’s it for? When are you coming? We’ll see you then.”
y t Jerr e’s no ’s kid, m a n y ry No. M m not Jer hat you and I’ n’t care w as been h do but I e. Jerry’s ness for i m s l u l b a ere c s mily’ ears. I’m h k a f y e m y e 0 w 3 y he nearl y day of t a really ever ou want ation, y d and if recommen ask. good the one to I’m
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37
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
from
COAL to
CLEANTECH GREENTOWN LABS IS BRINGING NEW LIFE TO A FORMER FOUNDRY OUTSIDE OF UNION SQUARE.
38 May | June 2017
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Photo, left: building owner Kris Ogonowski. Photo, right: Greentown Labs CEO Emily Reichert.
FAMILY RECIPES WITH MODERN TWISTS.
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La Posada is Somerville’s spot for delicious, hand-crafted Latin American cuisine. Chef Johe Posada and his family crew develop and prepare original meals with the freshest ingredients daily. The menu is filled with unique family recipes and classic Latin American dishes. From perfectly crafted pupusas to tacos with distinctive garnishes, the menu is full of innovative and delicious offerings. Come in to get the La Posada experience, or get their delicious dishes delivered directly to your door.
BY EMILY CASSEL | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
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ris Ogonowski remembers walking down Somerville Avenue as a kid in the ’70s, when the stretch between Porter and Union squares was a bustling industrial neighborhood. Back then, the route he took from his mother’s house on Park Street in Teele Square—a house she still owns today—to kindergarten at the Durrell School, and later, to St. Anthony’s School, wound past factories like the Ames Safety Envelope Company on Tyler Street. He always made a point to pass these buildings, fascinated by the work that went on there. “When I walked to Saint Anthony’s, you could see all the people working because they had those slide windows,” the longtime local, whose grandparents settled here 1947, recalls. “I used to jump up—8 years old—so I could look inside.” Of course, the neighborhood looks very different today. The Ames factory closed down in 2010, and neither of Ogonowski’s former schools is still standing; Durrell closed almost three decades ago, while St. Anthony’s shuttered in 2006. Plus: “Back then, you used to walk to kindergarten—now, you’ve got GPS all attached to you, they’ve gotta know where you are every 30 seconds,” he says, laughing. But one thing that hasn’t changed is his excitement for bustling industrial sites. Today, walking through the building at 444 Somerville Ave. that he bought in 1984, an animated Ogonowski is just as thrilled by the work going on inside. On this brisk April morning, dozens of workers are sawing, hammering and welding their way through the old foundry, which was the first copper and brass tubing factory in the world when it was built in 1849. Beeping from a bright-yellow Komatsu excavator cuts through the chilly spring air as Ogonowski and Greentown Labs CEO Emily Reichert stroll through the building, eyes surveying the work approvingly from beneath the brims of their white hardhats. Soon, this Somerville Avenue space will house a totally different type of industry: the Greentown Labs Global Center for Cleantech Innovation. “What we’re trying to create is a place where entrepreneurs and innovators come from around the world to share ideas and create technology that can solve our biggest energy and environmental
505 Medford St. Somerville • 617-776-2049 www.laposadasomerville.com scoutsomerville.com May | June 2017
39
Know Your Neighborhood
From Coal to Cleantech
THE GLOBAL CENTER FOR CLEANTECH INNOVATION WILL ROUGHLY DOUBLE GREENTOWN’S EXISTING SPACE, LETTING THE INCUBATOR HOUSE MORE THAN 100 DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGY AND ENERGY STARTUPS AND CREATE ROUGHLY 300 JOBS. problems,” Reichert explains, raising her voice slightly to talk over a buzzsaw that’s just started whirring. Greentown Labs partnered with Ogonowski close to two years ago, and construction on the building began last fall. When the buildout wraps up—ideally in October—the state-of-the-art center, located adjacent to Greentown’s headquarters on Dane Street, will allow the incubator to house more than 100 different cleantech and energy startups. (Currently, the company is at capacity, with 52 members.) They’re using the former foundry’s vertical space to its full potential, building a second and third floor in addition to a green roof deck. The new building will create a minimum of 325 new jobs, according to a release from the company, and it will roughly double Greentown’s existing space, rounding out the campus—which includes rented space in Ames Business Park—to a cool 95,000 square feet. It’s an incredible amount of growth for Greentown, which, when it moved to Somerville a little over six years ago, was just four companies in a warehouse. And though she’s soft-spoken, Reichert’s eyes sparkle when she talks about housing the next generation of innovators and creators from Greater Boston and around the globe. “It’s a great fit for the city of Somerville, with all the artists and makers and also the history of manufacturing that already existed here,” Reichert says. “We’re really excited to be putting roots down further. It’s a great place for entrepreneurs, and it’s a great place for Greentown Labs.” Right now, the company’s Dane Street HQ is a little tucked away. (“We’re in an alley with no name,” Reichert laughs.) But the Global Center for Cleantech Innovation will have a streetscape, with wide garage doors that open onto Somerville Avenue. In addition, the new facility will have an event space that can accommodate more than 400 40 May | June 2017
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people, plus a wet laboratory, something Greentown can’t offer in its current facilities. There will be more than 200 bike parking spaces and two electric vehicle charging stations. “And this is where Emily is going to give all her speeches,” Ogonowski grins, gesturing to a platform that overlooks a ground-floor common area. In the front of the facility, Greentown’s member companies will exhibit prototypes of their technology—projects that now hang from the ceiling or are tucked in a corner, wherever there’s room—alongside relics from the building’s past: massive metal cranks that opened the foundry windows, square nails that the construction workers have saved, metal plates from some of the old electric motors. “My first feeling was that it had great bones,” Reichert says, remembering the day, years ago, when she first walked through the space. “You see these cranes hanging across the top, and the height of the building—35-foot ceilings in the middle—I could see that this structure was built to last. We’re really trying to preserve and protect and exhibit the manufacturing history.” It’s a legacy worth remembering, if only to show how much Somerville has changed—how far it’s come since those industrial days— and where it could still go. “That’s the wonderful thing; it was dirty back in the day, it wasn’t efficient,” Ogonowski says. Part of the renovations to the space involved the removal of thousand-gallon fuel tanks, including “a heater the size of a school bus” that once warmed the massive foundry, first with coal, and eventually with oil. “What they’re doing now, there’s a recycling aspect. They’re giving this building another 100-year life cycle.” “It’s an evolution,” Reichert smiles, adjusting her hard hat. “The building was ready,” Ogonowski says, nodding his agreement. “It’s recycled. It’s a whole lot cleaner than it was back in the day.”
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SCOUT OUT
“LIFE’S FOR
LEAPS”
E
very year, thousands of people head up to the mountains, out on the sea and into the depths in search of the unknown. Records are broken, stories are created, bonds are forged—all in the name of outdoor adventure. But many of these narratives remain dormant, something Somerville’s Zoe Balaconis is working to change. By day, Balaconis is an English teacher in Cambridge. By night, she’s the editor of Misadventures, the only magazine devoted to women’s adventure and outdoor lifestyle. We caught Zoe between teaching, surfing, traveling and editing to talk about her work for the fast-growing Misadventures and what it’s been like starting a print magazine in a digital era—especially in an industry that’s traditionally placed men in the spotlight. Scout Somerville: Tell me about yourself and the other editors. Is Misadventures your day job? Do you all live in the Boston area? Zoe Balaconis: We have many careers, but I’m the only one careering here in Somerville. I am a high-school English teacher at the Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge. Jessica Malordy, my co-editor and our social media savant, is an author who also works for the Girl Scouts in Tucson; Sarah Connette, our operations manager, works for the Tennessee Justice Center in Nashville and is a pro pickup basketball player; and Marybeth Campeau, our creative director, juggles millions of projects while being a design manager at Blue Chair Bay—Kenny Chesney’s rum company. SS: What’s it like running a magazine cross-country? ZB: It’s tough, but we’ve gotten very good at communicating, delegating and being upfront about what we’re able to take on at any given point. We’re constantly messaging each other and having video-meetings—and it helps that before we started Misadventures we were all friends. It’s been a great way to stay in touch, actually. It seems like we would be pretty disorganized and chaotic, but I’m amazed at everyone’s capacity to keep the ship afloat. SS: What’s the story behind Misadventures? ZB: I’ve always loved magazines, and I started to realize that a lot of the outdoor or sport magazines I subscribed to weren’t written for me. They were written for a male audience—and, not-so-surprisingly, there were very few women on those mastheads. I thought, “Well, surely there is a magazine out there for this niche. Surely there’s an outdoor and adventure magazine for women.” I looked around, and there wasn’t much there. I emailed Marybeth and asked if she wanted to start a magazine with me, and she said yes (foolishly), and we were off. The short story is we noticed a glaring gap in the media landscape, and we aimed to fill it. SS: Is it hard doing something like this in a male-dominated industry?
AN INTERVIEW WITH MISADVENTURES MAGAZINE FOUNDER ZOE BALACONIS WORDS AND PHOTO BY MATT STIRN
ZB: It can be hard, but I’ve felt very supported by my team and by others who hear about our mission. Going into this, we were pretty confident about our design and editing skills, but we knew very little about the legal side of publishing: distribution, brand partnerships, advertising sales, working with stockists, etc. There was a steep learning curve, and it can be difficult to cede that ground of confidence as a woman in business. We had to balance an appearance of confidence and faith in our idea with humility—and just having no idea what we were doing. We’ve been lucky to have wonderful mentors and collaborators—men and women—in publishing and in the outdoor industry who’ve helped us along the way. SS: Have you had any difficulties or pushback with Misadventures or has there only been fanfare, parades and positive receptions? ZB: There have been very few actual trumpets (unfortunately), but I’ve been surprised that we’ve mostly gotten fanfare. When discussing advertising partnerships with brands, sometimes I’ve had to explain the
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size of this market—that, yes, women do like climbing and traveling and cycling and survival skills—believe it! And it’s a growing group! But, more and more, companies are coming to us. We did have a man, early on, email us and “very helpfully” and “patiently” explain that we probably didn’t know what “misadventures” meant because it’s “actually” a bad thing and not something to be celebrated, so we should probably change our name. Thanks, guy, for that insight. (So many of the editorial decisions we make are based on puns, I have to admit.) SS: What’s it been like starting a new print magazine in today’s digitally oriented world? ZB: It has been challenging, but it’s also forced us to be more creative with our revenue. You hear all the time that print is dead—and, yes, magazines are folding all over the world—but before we launched as a print magazine we did a good bit of market research and found that though people are less likely to buy magazines, they are more likely to invest in less frequent, higher-quality publications. That—and cost of printing—is the reason behind us being on a biannual print schedule. It keeps the quality of the product high and validates it as a worthy purchase by our subscribers. People don’t want an update—we get those all the time from social media. They want a beautiful, artful artifact that they can keep, collect, savor, put on a bedside table, clutch to their heart! SS: Since you’ve been running the magazine, have you noticed any shift in how society perceives women? How about how women are perceived in the outdoor industry? ZB: I’ve definitely noticed a shift in visibility in the outdoors industry. Women writers are getting more page space, women athletes are getting more recognition, but in both the industry and society in general, we’ve got a long way to go. It’s one thing for the media to begin changing its representation; it’s another thing for the governments of the world to start making policies that recognize and protect women (trans, cis, women of color, all) in their pursuits—whether those be in the outdoors, in the workplace, in any place. That shift has yet to come. SS: What’s next for Misadventures? ZB: We’re always looking ahead to the next story, the next issue, the next project. Next is the summer issue of the magazine, which is shaping up to be incisive, surprising and funny (just as summer ought to be!). After that, we just hope to keep championing women who go “out and beyond” in all the issues to come. SS: Do you have any advice for others looking to take a leap and start something they are passionate about? ZB: Do it! The worst thing that can happen is failure. I would say, yes, leaping is good, but you should also do some looking first, too, especially if there are going to be financial repercussions. Spend some time making a plan, talking to people more experienced than you are, gathering resources and getting a crack team together. Then, leap! There’s no better learning experience. Life’s for leaps.
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SS: Give us a haiku or limerick about Somerville… go! ZB: “Somerville Sunset” Atop Prospect Hill I can make out the red light Of Ebi Sushi Misadventures is published biannually, and subscriptions and information about submissions are available online at misadventuresmag.com. You can also find Misadventures at Barnes & Noble and in select REI locations.
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CALENDAR
1
HISTORY | Every Day Through June 30
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BEER | June 9 and 10
2
THEATER | MAY 4–21
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MUSIC | June 1 and 2
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FITNESS | June 4
9
BIKES (PLUS BEERS!) | June 7
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FOOD & DRINK | June 14
“WE WERE HERE: MEMORIES OF CAMBRIDGE COMMON” ALL DAY, FREE CAMBRIDGE COMMON PARK, WATERHOUSE STREET AND MASS. AVE. For the past several months, people have been sharing their Cambridge Common stories with artist Kelly Sherman. Now, their words come to life thanks to a park-wide installation that takes those tales and transforms them into beautiful banners.
“YELLOW BIRD CHASE” SHOWTIMES VARY, $10–$25 BOSTON CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 527 TREMONT ST., BOSTON You’ll have to cross the Charles to catch this production from Cambridge-based theater company Liars & Believers and Somerville icon Johnny Blazes, but it’ll be worth it; “Yellow Bird Chase” combines puppetry, physicality, masks and more to create a production that’s fully accessible for audience members who are deaf and hard of hearing. (Plus, there’s a free puppetry workshop for kids after matinee showings!)
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FUN & GAMES | May 19
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BOOKS | May 20
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OLD SCHOOL GAME SHOW’S WRESTLING SMACKTACULAR 8:30 P.M., $25–$35 OBERON, 2 ARROW ST., CAMBRIDGE The Boston League of Women Wrestlers join the Old School Game Show Crew for a wrestlingthemed installment of their one-of-a-kind live trivia competition.
AN AFTERNOON WITH GRANTA MAGAZINE: BEST OF YOUNG AMERICAN NOVELISTS 2 P.M., FREE CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC LIBRARY, 449 BROADWAY, CAMBRIDGE Just once a decade, Granta publishes an issue of collected fiction by America’s most talented onesto-watch age 40 and under. This panel discussion is a can’t-miss; so are the authors whose works appear in the issue.
NATURE | June 3 and 4
HERBSTALK 9 A.M.–5 P.M., FREE–$30 ARTS AT THE ARMORY, 191 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE The sixth annual Herbstalk festival invites herbal educators to impart their wisdom with nature walks and classes on holistic health. Don’t have time to take a course? There’s always the marketplace; it’s free to enter, and dozens of local artisans and farmers will be on hand to share their wares. scoutsomerville.com
THE SIXTH ANNUAL HYPERLOCAL CRAFT BREWFEST ARTS AT THE ARMORY, 191 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE Not just local but hyper-local, this annual brew bonanza lets thirsty ticket-holders sample beverages made in New England with New England-sourced ingredients, from hops to apples to grapes and even oysters. Features demos, live music, unlimited tastings and more.
FEIST 7:30 P.M., $15–$55 MEMORIAL HALL, 45 QUINCY ST., CAMBRIDGE If all you know of Feist is the delightfully twee hit “1234,” it’s high time you checked back in with the multifaceted musician as she tours in support of Pleasure (her first new record since 2011’s Metals). Queue up that title track, lose your mind at its fiery, explosive climax and get your tickets to this show, like, as soon as possible.
EAST CAMBRIDGE FREEDOM RUN 9:30 A.M., $42.50–$50 CAMBRIDGESIDE GALLERIA, 100 CAMBRIDGESIDE PL., CAMBRIDGE Don your stars and stripes and bust out the red, white and blue facepaint—it’s time for another Freedom Run from Cambridge 5K. Feel good about waking up to run on Sunday morning… then enjoy an after-party sponsored by Bantam Cider, Notch and Slumbrew.
BIKE TALK SOCIAL HOUR 6 P.M., FREE AERONAUT BREWING CO., 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE Once a month, the Somerville Bicycle Committee pedals on over to Aeronaut to chat about bikes over beers. Meet advocates, activists and assorted other two-wheeled travelers and learn what’s going on in the cycling community!
TASTE OF SOMERVILLE IN THE PARK 5–8 P.M., $50–$75 NATHAN TUFTS PARK, 850 BROADWAY, SOMERVILLE You know the drill: 60 of Somerville’s best restaurants serving up bites to benefit area nonprofits. Oh, except this year it’s in the park! That means cornhole, bocce and a popup playground for kids.
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SOMERVILLE’S PREMIERE CELEBRATION OF
FOOD, DRINK, AND FAMILY FUN 60+ Somerville restaurants All proceeds serving the Somerville Home and the Walnut Street Center
Wednesday, June 14th / 5-8pm Tickets at www.tasteofsomerville.org Leone’s Sub and Pizza Pizza and Subs fit for a king!
Comprehensive & Empowering Legal Service Facilitates resolution, not litigation. Free consults.
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SCOUT YOU
Photos by Adrianne Mathiowetz
Rachel Taylor, City of Somerville Animal Control Officer and Inspector, talks at the Tiny Great Outdoors Festival about animals local to the area and how the city addresses concerns. (Don’t feed the turkeys.) Greg Cook, right, helped organize the event.
Sonia scoops some apple pie ice cream into a pint carton at Gracie’s in Union Square. On April 24, Gracie’s donated a portion of all sales to MOM’s Run to support the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge.
During a birthday party at Sacco’s Bowl Haven, Jim Knizer makes a wish.
From left to right: Pals Abby Fasano, Ally Nisbet and Neil Sisson enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon in front of Sally O’Brien’s. 46 May | June 2017
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Conrad Crawford, executive director for Groundwork Somerville, brings his daughter to Somerville Clean Up Day at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse.
Anna, David and daughters Alexandra and Eva relax in the sun at the Tiny Great Outdoors Festival at the Quincy Street Open Space.
A group of friends—Andre Green, Jad Atoui, Ward 4 Alderman candidate Jesse Clingan and Justin Moeling—volunteer together every year at Somerville Clean Up Day.
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OPEN STUDIOS SATURDAY, MAY 13TH & SUNDAY, MAY 14TH 12–6PM EACH DAY All across Cambridge
RIVER FESTIVAL SATURDAY, JUNE 3RD 11–6PM, EAST CAMBRIDGE WATERFRONT Along DCR Cambridge Parkway and Lechmere Canal Park adjacent to CambridgeSide, Near Kendall Square and Lechmere Stations
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