2016: A GOOD YEAR FOR SELLERS
This year was another banner year for sellers, with high prices, multiple bids, waived contingencies, and high activity throughout the year. In short, it was similar to the last 3-4 years, but with less price escalation overall.
What will happen in 2017? We don’t have a crystal ball, and election years are always a little hard to predict. However, we have seen signs of the market softening a bit, and we expect that to continue in 2017. That is likely to mean that prices will stabilize and properties may sit on the market a little longer—not everything will sell in a week. If the Fed raises interest rates in 2017 as predicted, that will usually result in a surge of activity initially, as buyers try to lock in a rate before additional increases are made. Later in the year, it may result in slower sales. That said, our micro-economy in the Boston area is very strong, and most buyers in the Somerville/Cambridge market will not be adversely affected by the downturn we inevitably will see in real estate markets in other parts of the country. Our lack of buildable land, growth in employer base, and high demand for the wide variety of types of property (condos, multis, singles) insulate us from most of the factors that crash other markets (over development, loss of major employers, uniformity of inventory). If consumer confidence is lower nationally, that will affect local buyers’ feelings of confidence as well, but our market should still be active.
If you had a good year, please help those who did not No matter how good this year was for many people in our area, it was an especially difficult year for residents struggling to meet their most basic needs of food and shelter. Please remember to make year-end donations to local charities, especially those that address homelessness, affordable housing, and food insecurity. Some of our favorites are Somerville Homeless Coalition, Community Cooks, Cambridge Housing Assistance Fund, Greater Boston Food Bank, Food for Free, Community Servings, Heading Home, and RESPOND.
~ Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate
Listings
26A Kidder Avenue, Somerville ~ $499,000 Davis Square top floor 2 bed, 1.5 bath condo with central air and in-unit laundry. Common yard and patio. Ideal Davis Square location, walkable to subway, shops, restaurants.
26 Marshall Street #2, Somerville ~ $699,000
10 Hall Street #1, Somerville ~ $425,000
Lovely contemporary townhouse with 3 beds, 2.5 baths, central air, and garage parking— just around the corner from Sarma. Three living levels with oak floors. Open layout on the first floor. Two bedrooms, full bath, and laundry on second level. Entire top floor is a stunning master suite with vaulted ceilings and skylit master bath with whirlpool tub and separate shower.
Near Davis and Porter Squares, this 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom condo with a private yard is ready for your touch.
Thalia Tringo
Coming Soon
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
North Cambridge 1-Bedroom in Mid-Rise with Garage Parking ~ $479,000 Davis Square 1-Bedroom with Private Garage and Porch ~ $tbd
Niké Damaskos
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Union Square Large loft ~ $tbd
Free Classes Jennifer Rose
How to Prepare Your Home for Winter Wednesday, November 30th
6:30-7:45 pm
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Do you worry about pipes bursting? Ice dams? Clogged gutters? Broken downspouts? Heat loss? Damage from broken tree limbs? Heating system failure? Routine maintenance is the best way to prevent damage to your most important investment: your home. Come to this class to get a checklist and explanation of the things you need to do to maintain your home—and sanity.
First Time Home Buyers
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
an overview of the buying process Wednesday, January 18th OR Tuesday, February 28th
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.
How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
a primer for non-traditional homebuyers Thursday, January 19th
6:30-7:45 pm
When two or more people, whether or not they are related, buy property together, what are their options for taking title? How do you determine each one’s financial contributions, percentage legal interest in the property, and expense allocation? What kind of arrangements can be made in the event one or more parties want to move on but others want to keep the property? What type of financing is available? We will address these and other questions in this class with a follow-up Q&A session. Lead by our team and a local real estate attorney. If you are a first time home buyer, please attend the First Time Home Buyers Workshop (Jan. 18th) or make an appointment with one of our agents so you’ll have your prerequisites for this class.
How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time for homeowners contemplating a move Tuesday, January 24th OR Monday, February 13th
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.
To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods or coats/gloves/hats for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
Adaria Brooks
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016 ::: VOLUME 42 ::: SCOUTSOMERVILLE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE
8 // WINNERS & LOSERS A Somerville startup wants to revolutionize education, while the city attempts to crack down on concussions in youth sports. 10 // WHAT’S NEW? Davis Square is practically a different place than it was two months ago. 14 // NEWS: LIQUOR IS QUICKER Not everyone is convinced that a sudden influx of new liquor licenses serves the best interests of restaurant owners—or the city as a whole. 16 // PHOTOS: BACKSTAGE AT THE SLUTCRACKER Almost every year since 2008, photographer Adrianne Mathiowetz has been snapping poignant behind-the-scenes shots at everyone’s favorite holiday burlesque production.
32
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
18 // FEATURE: HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE Step away from the laptop and shop right here in town with our annual roundup of the the coolest presents Somerville has to offer.
52 // SCOUT OUT: BATTLE OF THE BOTS Fighting robots are fun to watch, but more importantly, they’re showing people how cool it is to work in STEM fields. 54 // SCOUT OUT: “THE PHOENIX RISING” This year has been a wild ride for Paramount Bicycle owner Tyler Oulton, but he’s back in action at his Ball Square shop. 56 // SCOUT OUT: HIGHLANDER KITCHEN Somerville High School’s student-run restaurant is a hidden gem. 58 // SCOUT THIS 60 // CALENDAR 61 // MARKETPLACE 62 // SCOUT YOU
32 // MADE IN THE ‘VILLE What’s even better than buying gifts that are sold in your neighborhood? Buying gifts that are made in your neighborhood. 44 // MOM KNOWS BEST: A FAMILY-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY HANDBOOK No one’s busier during the holidays than parents, which is why we’ve put together a special gift guide just for you. 50 // HIGHWAY TO HELP Bikers rev up their engines to help families in need.
52
Photo, top: Wilhelm Seam’s Jason Jammallo stitches up a storm in his Somerville apartment. Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. Photo, bottom: Charles Guan shows off his fighting robot. Photo by Jess Benjamin. On the cover: Just some of the incredibly cool gifts you can find in Somerville.
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
n late October, with less than a week until this issue goes to press, I’m frantically texting my colleague, former Scout managing editor Emily Hopkins. I want to reference an article she sent me recently in my editor’s note (which should have been written weeks ago), and I just can’t find it. She doesn’t remember, either—Poynter? Nieman Lab?—and I so don’t have time for this, so I’ll paraphrase it here rather than quoting it directly. The story was about… well, just that, actually—the fact that our newsrooms, operating as they are with skeleton crews and limited financial resources, are often able to do only the bare minimum. They can get through the day-to-day work of publishing a newspaper or magazine, but they’re struggling to. They Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. certainly aren’t able to innovate or make big-picture changes that would better serve their readers. Taking a long view is tough when that view is obstructed by a mountain of emails and meetings and interviews that need transcribing. Can’t see the forest for the media inquiries. It’s one of the strange conundrums of our time. We have more technology at our disposal than ever, yet we’re somehow busier than ever. There’s more to do, not less. Often, that irony is brought into sharp relief around the holidays, when everyday challenges are compounded by additional planning—seasonal parties, travel arrangements, gift shopping. That’s part of the reason we publish a local gift guide (p. 18) each year; we want to support local businesses, but we also know how helpful it is to have a carefully curated list of items you can buy in the same city where you live or work. I’ve thought about that article—if anyone knows where it was published, please tell me, because this is eating me alive—countless times since I first read it. I think it’s so important for media organizations and individuals, too, to continue growing rather than staying still, limited resources and time and mental capacity be damned. Here at Scout, that often means connecting with others who can help us reach our goals. On p. 32, you’ll read the first in a new series we’re debuting with our friends at Somerville Community Access Television. We’re calling it SCOUTV, and it finds our two media groups traipsing around town together to shoot audiovisual material that compliments the stories you read in the magazine, giving us the opportunity to go deeper with the stories we cover and to further amplify the voices of the people we interview in each issue. You’ll be able to find all of these videos at scoutsomerville.com/scoutv. Maybe that’s all we can do in these time-strapped, overstuffed days: learn what we can from our neighbors, ask for help and find strength in the talented people around us. Maybe we can’t innovate, necessarily, but we can collaborate. And maybe, in some ways, that’s even better.
PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien hbanks@scoutmagazines.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Cassel ecassel@scoutmagazines.com emilycassel.me DEPUTY EDITOR Katherine Rugg krugg@scoutmagazines.com OFFICE COORDINATOR Shannon Aubourg saubourg@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Jess Benjamin jbenjamin@scoutmagazines.com jsbenjamin.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Leanne Cushing, Eliza Rosenberry, Kat Rutkin, Hannah Walters CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Adrianne Mathiowetz adriannemathiowetz.com COPY EDITOR Joshua Eaton 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
scoutsomerville
somervillescout
scoutmags
Office Phone: 617-996-2283
Emily Cassel, Editor in Chief ecassel@scoutmagazines.com
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). You can find a map of our pickup locations at scoutsomerville.com/pick-up-spots or sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutsomerville.com/shop.
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November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
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“
For a lot of people, shopping in Somerville’s locally owned stores has become a holiday tradition. If it isn’t a tradition yet for you, it’s one well worth starting. It’s an experience completely unlike going to a mall and buying whatever the chain stores have on offer. When you shop local, it’s a chance to pick out more thoughtful, personal and unique items and to discover more about what our fabulous city has to offer. Not only will you love what you find, the trip through our city squares is a good time too. Yes, you can actually have fun when you do your holiday shopping. I hope to see you out there. Happy holidays to all.”
– MAYOR JOE CURTATONE PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT JOE CURTATONE
scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
7
W&L WINNERS
LOSERS
HILARY SCOTT The Somerville Arts Council hosted its firstever AgriCultural Festival, which celebrated the intersection of the arts, food and farming, in October There was an apple cider press, there were familyfriendly games, there were howto sessions on building raised beds and making composting bins—but it’s this cockamamie contraption, a small-scale Prospect Hill Tower chicken coop hatched up by Greg Cook and built by Somerville sculptor Hilary Scott, that had us squawking with laughter.
LOCAL JOB MARKET In October, the Somerville Journal reported that the city’s July unemployment rate of 2.7 percent was among the lowest in the state—which is great! The problem is that those workers can’t find jobs here in the city. Stephen Mackey, Somerville Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, told the Journal that of the 50,000 workers who live in Somerville, only about 26,000 hold local jobs, which poses a challenge for retailers and restaurants. “If you don’t have jobs here, you’re running a deficit in terms of a workweek economy,” Mackey told the Journal. “Davis Square has a fabulous nights and weekend economy. During the 40hour workweek, though, if you’re a retailer in Davis Square, the foot traffic is not what you’d like it to be.”
POWDERHOUSE STUDIOS Thanks to a $10 million “Super Schools” grant from an education nonprofit called the XQ Institute, Somerville startup Sprout & Co. will soon be shaking up the way we think about the classroom. That seed money will fund Powderhouse Studios, a brand new high school located in the former Powderhouse Community School on Broadway that will have a unique, project-based curriculum aimed at helping students who struggle in standard classroom settings. “The school will be housed where we have artisans, makers and artists—people who make up our community,” Sprout & Co. cofounder Alec Resnick told the Somerville Journal. “That’s certainly not the traditional environment.” Powderhouse Studios is projected to open by fall 2018. AGING GRACEFULLY Somerville celebrates its 175th birthday in 2017, and that’s cause for a year-long party! You can get in on the fun right now—the city is seeking ideas for a logo that will appear on all banners, signage and memorabilia displayed throughout next year’s festivities. Artists of all skill levels are encouraged to submit their sketches by November 21 at somervillema.gov/somerville175.
ABSENTEE LANDLORDS “I’ve had constituents who can’t find their landlord when they have ceilings caving in, water problems or no heat,” Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston told the Somerville Journal in October. “I don’t think it’s right that tenants who probably pay high rents have to deal with that and have to deal with trying to find their landlords.” In an attempt to hold landlords accountable, Heuston has proposed an ordinance that would create a citywide rental registry of large properties—those containing six or more apartments—much like the bylaws on Boston’s books. The Journal reported that the registry would include 9,165 units, roughly 40 percent of all rental units in Somerville and a third of the city’s total housing stock. CONCUSSIONS On October 5, the city announced that it was teaming up with the Concussion Legacy Foundation for a three-year partnership called SomerSafe Sports aimed at making Somerville a model city for concussion education, policy and prevention. “I am pleased to announce SomerSafe Sports not only as Somerville’s mayor but as a father, a former football coach and a former athlete myself who has experienced concussions,” said Mayor Curtatone in a statement.
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
November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
SCOUT TO THE SOUTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the November/December edition of our sibling publication, Scout Cambridge.
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: CAMBRIDGE EDITION The shopping fun doesn’t stop in Somerville!
THE CURIOUS CASE OF HISTORIC HARVARD SQUARE Redevelopment plans have come to represent more than just the loss of a famous children’s bookstore.
LANES & GAMES We spent an evening hanging out at this beloved bowling alley, which could be demolished to make way for condos as early as next year. 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!
MOUSE
IN YOUR HOUSE?
M
ice enter homes looking for two things: room and board. Aside from the obvious headaches mice create, they are a royal pain for health reasons. they eat your food and leave urine and feces everywhere. Sometimes, their feces carries life-threatening hantavirus. To control your house’s mouse population, you’ll need to identify where the mice are traveling - and limit their access into and around the home. This is easier said than done; Because of their malleable spines, mice can squeeze through openings as small as a dime. Removing and cleaning their droppings is crucial. When you perform this execrable task, don a mask, wear gloves, wet the droppings with disinfectant and wipe up the droppings. Simply sweeping and vacuuming is dangerous. Any airborne particles can be inhaled and that’s how diseases take root. Here’s where we can hep: We’ll seal off entry points, limiting mouse access both in and around your home. Then we’ll set up rodenticide baits wherever they’re needed to eliminate your mouse problem. If you think you have an issue - or you just want the peace of mind that comes with knowing you don’t - make a call to Best Pest Control Services. Unlike other companies, Best Pest will only treat your home if it is necessary. We are a locally owned and family operated business. We’ve been serving Somerville and greater Boston since 1984 - and not just for mice. Ants, bedbugs, roaches, rates - you name it, we’ll get rid of it. Our rates are reasonable and customer service is our top priority.
63 ELM ST, SOMERVILLE 617-625-4850 • bestpest.com
WHAT’S NEW? DAVIS DEBUTS DAVIS SQUARE
OAT SHOP
N
ot everyone was sold on the idea of an oatmeal cafe when Oat Shop’s forthcoming location (22 College Ave.) was announced in June. “My horse will LOVE this!” teased one Davis Square Livejournal user. But owner Alan Donovan isn’t perturbed—he thinks people want to have quick, healthy breakfast options in their neighborhood. “There’s just not much out there,” he told us in October. “There’s donuts, pastries, but not really anything that’s healthy, that people can feel really good about eating every day.” He added that in many ways, oatmeal is “basically the same as rice,” offering near-infinite customization options. Donovan says he’s shooting for a mid- to late-November opening. DAVIS SQUARE
MEM TEA RETAIL STORE
Just in time for chilly weather to roll around, Watertown’s MEM Tea opened up in midSeptember at 196 Elm St. It’s not a cafe but a retail space, where you can buy looseleaf tea and teawares or swing by for a free tasting every Tuesday from noon until 2. The shop also offers Saturday morning classes on the origins and health benefits of various teas, at ten bucks a pop. DAVIS SQUARE
O GINGER
Why are you even reading this when you could be at O Ginger getting a sushi burrito right now? The Japanese eatery opened in the space that was briefly home to Yumi Hot Pot (263 Elm St.) in late Septembe. In addition to burritos, O Ginger serves traditional sushi, tempura and a variety of rice and noodle dishes.
GOING GREEN (AND GOLD) MARY J
On October 6, the city announced that it was accepting permit applications for medical marijuana dispensaries to open at four Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee-approved locations. “Our community voted overwhelmingly in favor of making medical marijuana available to patients, as did voters across the Commonwealth,” Mayor Curtatone said in a statement. “In Somerville, we took time to develop a rigorous process for review of applicants and locations, and now it is time to move forward to ensure that 10
November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
people in chronic pain, cancer patients and others suffering from a variety of illnesses and symptoms that can be effectively treated with medical marijuana have safe and reasonable access to this treatment option.” Two of the approved locations are in Davis Square, one is in Union Square and one is in the East Broadway business district.
ARTFARM GRANT
In September, the state awarded Somerville a $23,656 grant to continue developing ARTFarm, the 2.2-acre former waste
transfer site that will soon become a center for arts and agriculture. The grant was part of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ Urban Agriculture Program. Somerville Patch reports that it will be used to purchase an outdoor walkin cooler and a 50- by-20-foot raised bed. UNION SQUARE
LAPELS
An eco-friendly dry cleaning company called Lapels is coming soon to Union Square, according to a sign posted in the window at 369 Somerville Ave. Lapels has a few other locations throughout Greater Boston. As outlined on its website, the cleaner uses a “GreenEarth” solution made
from sand, water and carbon dioxide that’s as gentle on clothes as it is on the environment. DAVIS SQUARE
ORGANIC USED ELECTRONICS
After the Davis Square Planned Parenthood location (260 Elm St.) shuttered at the end of August, a sign went up in the window promising “organic used electronics” would be available in the space as of November 1. Intriguing! But, as a Davis Square Livejournal user later pointed out, that sign was replaced by slightly less ambiguous “Cash for Gold” and “We Buy Diamonds!” signs in October. That shop has a grand opening scheduled for November 15.
Photo, top left, by Yoonjoo Kim. Photo, top middle, courtesy of MEM Tea. Photo, top right, by Chattman Photography. Photo, bottom right, courtesy of Somerville Bread Company.
SOMERVILLE AND BEYOND
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Start the Conversation Today. THE BURREN HEADS TO FENWAY
It might seem like a surprise to go from Irish pub to jazz club, but that’s exactly what Burren owners Tommy and Louise McCarthy will do when they open The Bebop at 1116 Boylston St. in Boston. Tommy McCarthy told Eater Boston that the pair— both professional musicians themselves—plan to serve coffee, tea, crepes and pastries at their new establishment. They’ll also have live music every night of the week.
CURIO IN CAMBRIDGE
The Somervillebased small-batch spice company Curio Spice Co. will open its first brick-andmortar location in Cambridge (2265 Mass. Ave.) this fall. According to owner and spice maker Claire Cheney, who until now has been selling her wares at makers markets throughout the area and at shops like Cambridge Naturals, the store will primarily stock spices, as well as accoutrements like mortars and pestles and pepper grinders. Coincidentally, Curio will be located in the same block of buildings that houses Jeremy Spindler and Spindler Confections—another smallbatch Somerville company that
made the move to a Cambridge storefront this year. “We were talking about it!” Cheney told us in September. “Both of us were initially looking for a space in Somerville and just kind of ran out of luck.”
SOMERVILLE BREAD CO. GOES TO MARKET
Y’all bread-y for this? Less than a year after opening the doors to his bakery on Medford Street in Somerville, Nick Robertson debuted a second location at the Boston Public Market (110 Hanover St., Boston) in midOctober. The newest Somerville Bread location even has a stone mill that lets customers get fresh-ground flour on the spot.
BROOKLINE GETS A BURRO BAR
The Painted Burro will trot across the Charles in late fall or early winter when Burro Bar opens up in Brookline (1665 Beacon St.). This baby burro will be a “smaller-scale” version of its namesake, according to Boston magazine, but the menu will be largely the same. Two—you know what, make that four—BLT & cheese tacos, please!
STACEY SIMON
Accounting Consultant 617.335.7300 stacey@accountingforcreativity.com www.accountingforcreativity.com
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scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
11
What’s New?
PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW
UNION SQUARE
VANGO CONVENIENCE STORE
Vango Convenience closed on September 15, taking beloved four-legged mascot and unofficial mayor of Union Square—Hunter the dog—with it. Owner Thu Tran told Somerville Neighborhood News that business had dwindled over the last few years while rents and other expenses climbed. When she first opened Vango, Tran says her rent was around $900 a month; 14 years COMING later, it SOON had climbed to over $1,600, not including property taxes, heat and water. But it’s not all bad— she’s looking forward to having a job that’s a little less demanding of her time and energy than running the shop was. EAST SOMERVILLE
EAST END GRILLE
In early October, Boston Restaurant Talk reported that East End Grille (118 Broadway) closed suddenly after three years in business. An email newsletter from East Somerville Main Streets later confirmed the closure was permanent and that a new mixed-use apartment complex is planned for the location. EAST SOMERVILLE
DAVIS SQUARE
TERRI’S LITTLE PUMPKINS
SPOKE WINE BAR
T
his one hurts: On December 22, Spoke Wine Bar (89 Holland St.) will say farewell to Somerville. In a heartfelt Facebook post, owner Felicia “Flea” Foster explained that health issues have led her to shutter the business. She thanked guests and neighbors for their continued support and mentioned each member of the staff by name. “When all is finished and the doors close, each one of them will move on to incredible new pursuits (and perhaps a few well-deserved vacations),” Foster wrote, “and they have earned my eternal love and gratitude.”
DAVIS SQUARE
ORANGE LEAF
No mo’ froyo—after five years in Davis, Orange Leaf (260 Elm St.) closed on September 30. “With sad hearts and after five amazing years our lease has come up … We hope our legacy will live on in your 12
November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
COMING SOON
hearts,” a post on the eatery’s Facebook page read. The post also urged readers, “Froyo on friends!” But that’s no longer an option in Davis, because… DAVIS SQUARE
IYO BISTRO
the square, also appears to have closed. At press, no formal announcement had been made, and the restaurant’s social media accounts were still online. But a handwritten “closed” sign has been on display in the window at 234 Elm St. since September.
COMING SOON
Dirt and dead rodents: two things you don’t want to hear in connection with your child’s daycare. Terri’s Little Pumpkins, which had locations at 88 Broadway in Somerville and in Revere, Chelsea and Medford, shut down in late September after the state pulled its child care licenses, sending the parents of more than 200 children scrambling to find alternatives. CBS Boston reported that the daycare had violated COMING several SOON state regulations, including understaffing the centers and allowing what housing inspector John Ferrara called “deplorable conditions” to endure at its Revere location.
...iYo Bistro, the last holdout for froyo in
Photo, top left, by Katie Noble. Photo, top right, courtesy of the City of Somerville.
PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS
ARGENZIANO SCHOOL PLAYGROUND REOPENS
The first phase of the $9.4 million Lincoln Park renovation was unveiled in September, when the Argenziano schoolyard reopened with “new playground equipment, surfacing, an outdoor classroom, a multi-sport court and raised-bed gardens,” according to the Somerville Journal. And the best part? The Journal reported that MacKay’s Construction Services carpenters worked from mid-June until the end of August to ensure that students didn’t have to go one day without a playground this school year.
DEANNA CREMIN PLAYGROUND
On October 22, hundreds attended a ceremony celebrating the reopening of the former Otis Street Playground at the corner of Otis Street and McGrath Highway. The park has been
renamed to honor Deanna Cremin, a beloved Somerville teen whose 1995 murder remains unsolved. “We lost someone special when we lost Deanna Cremin,” said Mayor Curtatone, according to Fox 25. “This park will honor her caring, fun-loving spirit, and with the renovation of the playground, our children and families will be now able to enjoy a space dedicated to Deanna’s memory and legacy.”
MEDFORD STREET MURAL
A mural by Somerville artist Liz LaManche now brightens a set of stairs that climb up from Pearl Street to Medford Street. According to WBUR, the mural—which features a blue Volkswagen Beetle, a mustard yellow Volkswagon Vanagon and a red Saab 96—honors the late Al Riskalla, who ran ABJ Auto Repair on Marshall Street. “It was quite the local institution,” LaManche told WBUR of ABJ. “Al would make sure we could fix our cars when we were students and artists and folks just trying to get by … It was the kind of place where you could bring in a Volkswagen engine on a hand truck and they would fix it for you.” She’s calling the work “The Soul’s Journey as a Series of Weird Old Automobiles.”
The greatest satisfaction is understanding our client’s needs to translate their vision into form and functional art.
SCOUT CHECK Catching you up on news we already covered recently, in print or online. • A plethora of poke places are poised to appear. Manoa will open outside Porter Square (300 Beacon St.) “soon,” according to Facebook; they were hiring in mid-October. Meanwhile, the California-based chain Pokéworks, which serves poke and sushi burritos, was hiring for its Davis Square outpost (261 Elm St.) as of late October. •N u Café should be serving up organic coffee, juices, salads, sandwiches and lots more—including booze—at 197 Washington St. by mid-November. • No update at press time about the forthcoming Totto Ramen location at Assembly Row (465 Artisan Way), which was initially slated to open in mid-October.
Architectural Services
• New construction, additions, renovations • Interior design • Sustainable materials & methods
amortondesign.com 617.894.0285 info@aMortonDesign.com scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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NEWS
LIQUOR IS QUICKER A dramatic increase in the number of available liquor licenses seems, on the surface, like a boon for Somerville’s bars and restaurants. But not everyone is convinced that the influx serves the best interests of restaurant owners—or the city as a whole. BY ELIZA ROSENBERRY | PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
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arlier this year, the Massachusetts legislature awarded Somerville 65 new liquor licenses—an increase of more than 60 percent from the city’s previous stock. It’s an unprecedented number of new licenses, and it means more bars and restaurants will soon be able to serve beer, wine and liquor. But the influx has caused a drastic devaluation of existing Somerville liquor licenses, which are bought and sold privately when not awarded directly by the city, sometimes for hundreds of thousands of dollars. JJ Gonson, owner of the venue and locavore restaurant ONCE on Highland Ave., says she cashed out her life savings three years ago to purchase a liquor license privately from its previous owner. The investment felt like a “security blanket,” she says, enabling her to run her business knowing she could later sell it to cover her losses if something went wrong. Now, with so many new licenses soon to be available from the city, there’s no longer a demand for her investment. “It’s scary to feel this way,” Gonson confesses.
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n Massachusetts, the state regulates a limited number of liquor licenses through a quota system. Occasionally, it releases a few new licenses to cities and towns by request, but they’re generally bought and sold between restaurant owners. Those seeking to purchase a license privately must receive approval from the municipal licensing commission and the state regulatory body, and licenses are renewed annually. Before the state approved the request for 65 new licenses in July, there were 82 all-forms (beer, wine and liquor) and 16 wine-andbeer-only licenses in Somerville. At the outset of 2016, the city had just four all-forms licenses available. Licenses awarded by the city cost $5,500, plus an application fee, and all Somerville liquor licenses—whether purchased privately or 14
November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
awarded by the city—require an annual renewal fee of $3,500. Todd Smith, president of Corbett Restaurant Group, which specializes in restaurant and hospitality real estate, says that until recently those liquor licenses could sell privately for as much as $250,000. “If I was a license owner [in Somerville], I would be livid right now,” Smith says. The announcement of the new licenses “changed the market overnight,” he says, instantly devaluing existing ones. Dan Newcomb of Atlantic License Brokers often serves as the middleman in private liquor license transactions in Massachusetts. He says there’s no demand for private liquor licenses in Somerville since the new ones became available, and he doesn’t see that changing anytime soon. “I highly doubt that the value of the licenses is ever going to recover,” Newcomb says. He explains that demand will likely not exceed supply for the foreseeable future, as Somerville can only ever support so many bars and restaurants. The sudden spike is part of a recent effort to expand licensing across Massachusetts and to allow cities and towns to distribute licenses themselves. Governor Baker’s municipal modernization bill, which was signed this summer, originally included a provision to eliminate the quota system statewide, but that legislation was ultimately dropped. The Somerville Board of Aldermen requested this increase in February 2015. Elected officials have spoken in support of the increase and, more broadly, in favor of municipal control over licensing, for years. “Somerville has reaped the benefits of a growing restaurant culture in our city,” Mayor Joseph Curtatone wrote in 2014. “But this growth could and should have been bigger. We have had to turn down would-be entrepreneurs seeking licenses because not enough licenses were available.”
Photo: JJ Gonson stands behind the bar at ONCE, her Highland Ave. venue and restaurant.
Steve Clark of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association thinks regulators need to be cautious in approving new licenses and related policies. He explains that a devaluation on the private market doesn’t just signify a loss of security for restaurant owners like Gonson but could have more significant ramifications for the industry, which has thrived in Massachusetts in recent years. Clark suggests the state’s growing restaurant industry could be “approaching a tipping point where the market is oversaturated,” pointing to the current statewide shortage in restaurant staff. “A lot of that new growth is coming from individual operators opening a second location,” Clark says, as restaurant owners are able to leverage the value of their liquor licenses in applying for loans from banks to open new locations. Without the value of that asset, he says, proprietors could default on their loans in the coming years, and industry growth could slow. For many, purchasing a liquor license privately can be a prohibitive cost. The license increase has removed that roadblock, making the city a more viable place for new bars and restaurants to open their doors. But even the process of applying for a license through the city can be a significant undertaking. Katrina Jazayeri prepared for months to file for a liquor license—including speaking with city representatives and attending licensing commission hearings—and still her Union Square restaurant, Juliet, couldn’t serve alcohol for six months after opening. “We would have had to take a close look at our business plan and concept had Juliet failed to secure that license,” says Juliet co-owner Josh Lewin. Restaurants operate on small profit margins, and serving alcohol is key in increasing them, he explains. Thankfully, Juliet now offers wine pairings to accompany its multi-course prix-fixe dinner menu and will soon have beer and cocktails. Jazayeri says she was aware of the existing private market for liquor licenses from previous experience in the industry. “A license like that was never going to be in our cards,” she says, because of the cost involved. And she’s not alone. “That definitely wouldn’t be possible,” says NU Cafe owner Josh Van Dyke of purchasing a license privately. When it opens in Union Square this November, the restaurant will offer alcoholic beverages alongside its smoothies and sandwiches thanks to a liquor license granted by the city earlier this year. According to city spokesperson Denise Taylor, a strategy for distributing the 65 new licenses has not yet been determined, though some will be targeted to specific neighborhoods like Boynton Yards or Assembly Row while others will be available citywide. The new licenses won’t be awarded until 2017; they also won’t be transferrable between owners. “The cost of obtaining a transferrable license can be prohibitive to businesses looking to locate in the city,” Taylor said in an email. “That said, the transferable licenses still have value. Some restaurant owners prefer them.”
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t ONCE, Gonson acknowledges that nothing has changed on a day-to-day basis, but she still feels the city has pulled the rug from underneath her business. She says the city told her that the influx of new licenses will ultimately benefit ONCE as more bars and restaurants open nearby, but she’s less concerned with that than she is with her investment. Having a valuable asset can influence business decisions—like in early 2015, when restaurants around Massachusetts struggled as bad weather forced customers to stay home. “Our decision of survival was made based on our knowledge that we could sell [the license] if we needed to,” Gonson recalls. “If we have a winter like that this year, we’re done.” Gonson hopes the city might offer support—like tax breaks or lower annual maintenance fees—to support restaurant owners like her whose liquor license investments have lost value. In the meantime, she’ll keep serving drinks. “We have no choice now but to succeed,” Gonson says.
We Sell Properties
3%
Commission
T R U S T. KNOWLEDGE. EXPERIENCE. VA L U E . GRIFFIN PROPERTIES
2285 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140 55 Elm Street Somerville, MA 02144 Phone: 617-354-5888
www.VisitGriffin.com
scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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THEATER
James Bondage (the Dildo Prince) and Nina Rose (Clara) rest in their places before the curtain goes up.
Backstage at the
SLUTCRACker
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n December 1, everyone’s favorite scandalous holiday burlesque production returns to the Somerville Theatre in all of its sequined, glittery, pole dancing glory. Local photographer Adrianne Mathiowetz has been capturing candid, behind-the-scenes moments at the Slutcracker nearly every year since the show—and its giant peppermint dildo—first, uh, skewered Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet in 2008. She’s watched it grow from the recipient of skeptical side eyes to one of the region’s most anticipated holiday events. “Every year, the show is more incredible,” she says. “Last year I talked to dancers who had traveled from outside Massachusetts to audition and were subletting in Somerville for the winter just to be in the show.” We asked her to share some of her favorite shots from the last few years.
Sugar Dish rehearses steps backstage.
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“ The one withone all the “The answers.” with all the answers.”
Cynthia Osemwegie MBA Candidate, School of Management Cynthia Osemwegie Osemwegie Cynthia MBA Candidate, School of Management MBA Candidate, Cynthia knows who she
Paulo Mania and Sugar Dish get ready to step onstage as Franz and the Sugar Dish Fairy.
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Esmeralda does her makeup in the Green Room (also known as the “Tiger Den”).
Zak Wheeler stretches in front of the Tiger Den fridge.
Since 1987, Brickbottom artists have opened their live-work studios, showing and selling work in a variety of media and formats. This year, over 50 artists will participate, along with the artists of Joy Street Studios, a block away. Visitors will find work in every price range. Free performances, admission and parking.
scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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Holiday
Gift Guide WE TRACKED DOWN THE BEST GIFTS IN TOWN FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST. Happy shopping!
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November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
SOMERVILLE PENNANT Nothing says “I’ve got Somerville spirit!” like this pennant. $20, Magpie
FLUFF PIN
Fluff Festival comes just once a year, but this super sweet enamel pin is there for the other 364 days. $8, Loyal Supply Co.
al c o L For the Proud PROSPECT HILL PATCH
For those who want to wear their Somerville pride on their sleeve—or tote bag, or backpack, or just about anywhere, really. $6, Magpie
UNION SQUARE DONUTS BASEBALL TEE Batter up! (Donut batter, that is.) $25, Union Square Donuts
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Gift Guide
For the
Proud Loca l PERFECTLY UNREFINED GIFT BOX
Taza Chocolate may now be available nationwide, but it’s still the pride of Somerville. This box is stocked with six scrumptious Amaze Bars and all eight flavors of Taza’s unique, “satisfyingly gritty” Chocolate Mexicano Discs. $65, Taza Chocolate
TACO POWER TEE
Illustrator Jon Negri’s luchador tees are pretty much the definition of “taco party.” $15, Taco Party
GRACIE’S ICE CREAM TRUCKER HAT
Be honest: You’ll take any excuse to pop into Gracie’s. Next time you’re grabbing a fluff cone for yourself, pick up a trucker hat—and some free cone tokens—for the ice cream lover in your life. $15, Gracie’s Ice Cream
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REVEL REVEL PRINT
This 12x18 print from Revel Revel debuted at Open Studios earlier this year and is packed with references to everyone’s favorite spots in the city. $28, shoprevelrevel.com
UNION SQUARE PLAYLIST
Positively packed with the sounds of Somerville, this CD, which was released in October, features 20 songs from 20 Union Square-based artists. And the art was designed by Union Press’s Eli Epstein! $15, available at Bloc11, Hub Comics, Somerville Grooves and M&S Beauty Supply and Record
HAPPY ! HOLIDAYS
Small-batch, Handmade Candies Chocolates Caramels Brittles Pate de Fruits Gifts Books Classes Wedding Favors Stocking Stuffers Custom baskets Mention this ad for 10% OFF your holiday order! 2257 MASS AVE, NORTH CAMBRIDGE • SPINDLERCONFECTIONS.COM
Gift Guide
For the
e i d o o F MATCHA SET
A beautiful set of traditional tools, including a classic ceramic matcha bowl (a chawan), a bamboo scoop (chashaku) and a bamboo whisk (chasen) make this kit a must-have for anyone looking to see what the powdered tea trend is all about. It also comes with two ounces of MEM’s premium matcha from Kyoto, Japan. $75, MEM Tea
BEGINNER’S TEA SET
This set comes with four of MEM’s most popular teas—Blue Flower Earl Grey, Masala Chai, Blood Orange Hibiscus and China Green Jade: Mao Jian—along with a stainless steel scoop, 100 paper filters and an easy-to-use brewing guide. Perfect for beginners looking to give loose leaf tea a try. $52, MEM Tea
DAMN GOOD COFFEE! PRINT
WHAT TO DRINK WITH WHAT YOU EAT
Still the comprehensive guide to pairing food with wine, beer, craft cocktails, caffeinated beverages—and even water. $35, The Boston Shaker
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Designed right here in Massachusetts by Wilding and Davis, this handcut linoleum block print might even be enough to perk up coffee lovers before that first morning cup of joe. $25, Magpie
FALCON PREP SET
Nearly 100 years after its debut, Falcon’s enamelware endures as the go-to for at-home chefs and bakers. $82, Loyal Supply Co.
GÂTÉ COMME DES FILLES GIFT BOXES
“Très avant garde ... You cannot find chocolates like these in Paris,” JeanPierre Moullé, former chef of Chez Panisse Restaurant, says of these Somerville-made sweets. $75 for 16, $43 for nine or $22 for four, Gâté Comme des Filles
THE WANDERLUST COLLECTION
Take your culinary adventurer on a global flavor journey with this set of six organic, ethically sourced spices from Somerville’s own Curio Spice Co. $49, curiospice.com
HOT DOG BEANIE
This winter, may your head stay as hot as your dogs. Davis Squared, $22
RIFLE RECIPE BOX
Because those time-lapse Tasty videos clogging up everyone’s Facebook feed can only take aspiring chefs so far (and aren’t nearly this adorable). $34, Magpie
scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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r e e h c y a d i l o Spreading h ! g n o l n o s a e all s
liquors 329 Somerville Ave, Somerville (617) 666-5410
Fresh oils and vinegars, artisan salts and spices
• Organic spices, teas and salts from around the world • Voted “Best of the New” by the Boston Globe, 2015 • Custom gifts for every occasion • Hand-crafted Italian and French ceramics • We Ship! Saltandolive.com | 1160 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA | 857.242.4118 | Open 7 Days
Gift Guide
Pals with Pet s CUSTOM PET PORTRAIT
The pet-obsessed person in your life can have their furry, feathered or scaly pal forever immortalized with a portrait from Somerville’s own Pawblo Picasso! Grab a gift certificate so they can commission a oneof-a-kind work of art that emphasizes the idiosyncrasies they love about their pet. Pen & Ink Drawings Start at $150, Acrylic Paintings Start at $325, pawblopicasso.com
SLATE WINE TOPPERS
They make wine for cats now—just Google “pinot meow”—but these will help human wine lovers label and preserve their own bottles. $10.99, Stinky’s Kittens & Doggies Too
HORSEWARE DOG COATS
Baby, it’s cold outside—but your pup doesn’t have to be. Made in Ireland by the famous Horseware company, these high-quality equine coats are available for dogs in a slightly smaller size. $32.99-$39.99, River Dog
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FUN, MODERN GIFTS FOR HIM, HER, HOUSE AND BABY.
Residential Happy Restoration, Holida ys! Remodeling and New Construction We sub out very little work, saving you time and money.
HAPPY AYS D I L O H THE M O R F W! E R C 2 D
“I love what I do and take great pride in every job. It is my absolute pleasure to create the perfect home for my clients.” - Joel Luis
617.666.6700 409 HIGHLAND AVE DAVIS SQUARE
DAVISSQUARED.COM
True Home Partners: We Partner With You
Insured
(617) 201-2765
License #181472
LISA J. DRAPKIN
NANCY M. DIXON
Mobile: 617-930-1288 Lisa.Drapkin@NEMoves.com
Mobile: 617-721-9755 Nancy.Dixon@NEMoves.com
PREMIER ASSOCIATE
“Lisa engenders immediate trust, with a strong knowledge of the real estate market, great ideas for how to prepare for a sale, and an infinite network of connections to help you get the job done.”
DEBBIE LEWIS REALTOR®
REALTOR®
DAVE WOOD REALTOR®
Mobile: 617-388-3054 Dave.Wood@NEMoves.com
Mobile: 617-461-6797 Debbie.Lewis@NEMoves.com “Debbie has a charming personality, bringing humor to the often stressful process of home buying, and always brightens our day. We would not hesitate to recommend Debbie to anyone looking to purchase in Cambridge, Somerville, or the surrounding areas.”
• A partnership of five full-time Coldwell Banker real estate professionals. • Full-time Executive Assistant. • Combined 55 years of experience.
LAURIE CRANE REALTOR®
Mobile: 617-866-8865 Laurie.Crane@NEMoves.com
• Honed negotiation skills. • Innovative marketing. • Intimate knowledge of current market conditions.
TrueHomePartners.com Call us to find out how we can partner to sell your home or find your next one.
Gift Guide
For
with Pets s Pal
MAYBLE LABELS
MENDOTA SNAP LEASHES AND COLLARS
Mendota’s snap leads are guaranteed for the life of your pet, so you know they’re committed to quality. They’re also available in a number of color combos that let Fido step out in style. $16.99-$19.99, River Dog
A customizable ID tag for your cat or canine that’s as fashionable as they are. You can even get a phone number engraved on the back. $35, E. Scott Originals
CATNIP DONUT
Feline friend been eyeing that box of Union Square Donuts? Get ‘em a treat they can enjoy. $12, Magpie
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BRASS DOG BOOKENDS
How else to display your copies of Marley & Me, The Art of Racing in the Rain and Ol Yeller? $60, Loyal Supply Co.
Make a good impression on your friends, family, & co-workers.... ...not your couch. NEW TO IMPROV? Check out our 100% FREE Intro-to-Improv drop-in Every Saturday from 1-230PM. Find out more at improvboston.com
IMPROVBOSTON • 40 PROSPECT ST. CAMBRIDGE - IMPROV, SKETCH & STANDUP COMEDY + BEGINNER AND ADVANCED CLASSES, YOUTH PROGRAMS AND MORE!
Come in as a customer “That first trip to John was in the 1980s. I have honestly lost count of how many cars I’ve bought from him since, but I haven’t bought from anybody else in that time. I buy two at a time. Just in the last year I bought a 2000 VolksWagon Beatle and a 2001 PT Cruiser within six months of one another.” – Roberta Ferrara
, 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 “You know how it feels when a friend just lands himself in a great situation? You see what your friend has, and you think, man, I wish that were me. For the first time in my life, thanks to John’s Auto, I’m that guy! I’m so proud of the car John found me.” – Alan Kinbell 181 Somerville Ave (across from Target)
johnsautosales.com
QUALITY USED CARS BOUGHT AND SOLD FOR 40 YEARS scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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Gift Guide
C.O. BIGELOW TOOTHBRUSH
CERAMIC AND GOLD EARRINGS
Stuff a stocking with a C.O. Bigelow natural bristle toothbrush. The vintage-inspired brush is gentle and comes with a handy carrying case that’s ideal for trendy travelers. $9, Davis Squared
For the
Local artist Maeve Mueller is behind these gorgeous, shimmering ear adornments. $40-$100, maevemueller.com or Magpie
Sty le Icon NAIL MONEY CLIP
What’s Apple Pay? Perfect for the person in your life who has a passion for fashion and cashin’. $125, E. Scott Originals
PADDYWAX GILT SOY WAX CANDLES Paddywax’s Gilt Collection adds a slightly sophisticated, shimmering touch to what could be a boring old jar, and the scents inside are rich, deep and dreamy. $26.95, Davis Squared
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GORILLA BABY CABLE CONTROLLER Desktop warriors can keep those charger and USB cords in check with this simple, sensible wooden cable organizer. $25, Magpie
GIFT GUIDE CONTINUED ON PAGE 38
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN PAPER ORNAMENT PAPERWORKS ELEMENTS: PAPERBAG
House brand paper that resembles a paper grocery bag. Has been edited to work with both ink jet and laser printers. Various sizes in 80lb text or 80lb cover weight. 100% recycled. Starting at $13 for a package of 100
PLATINUM CARDS
Perfect to make a holiday card your own. Sizes range from 4 bar to lee. Cream and white, panel/no panel, foldover/no foldover. Plus plenty of options for inside card. Starting at $12 for 250 cards and envelopes
STARDREAM ENVELOPES
FILL A BAG!
You never know what you’ll find, but always stocked with fun and funky sizes in all different types of paper. Just $5
OTHER THINGS WE DO…
Fs inF O % 10 r purchasere only) (fo ille sto rv o S me
2. Stack circles in patten: for 3 - A BBCCAA B B C C A, 2-ABBA A B B A, etc. Fold circles in half 3. Staple circles at top and bottom on the fold line
Fun and fancy flair! Metallic and pearlescent surface on both sides with beautiful colors - a top seller, especially for the holidays! Come in sizes a2-a9, in a euro (pointed) flap or square flap Starting at $10 for a package of 50.
UT ‘SCO R N O I O T MEN GUIDE’ F T F GI
1. Cut out circles of any size. 4 of each color (I chose to do 3, but 2 or 4 would also work)
• • • • • • • • • • •
Announcements & invitations Coated paper Menu papers Letterpress paper & envelopes Colored paper & envelopes Custom in house cutting, perforating, and scoring Recycled papers and envelopes Speciality papers Wide format papers Folio (flat sheets) sized paper Copy paper
FAMILY-OWNED AND OPERATED FOR MORE THAN 75 YEARS. 691 Broadway | Somerville, MA 02144 | (617) 440-6300
4. Use a pen and put a mark at the bottom right side on front circle, and top right on next half circle. This is where you will glue.
5. Add string to hang between any circles (I didnt have any string!) 6. Alternate gluing every other like shown in picture.
FINAL PRODUCT!
MA
Gift Guide
IN THE E D
BY EMILY CASSEL PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
E IN THE AD
Want to learn even more about the people we’ve highlighted here? You’re in luck! This story is the first in a new multimedia collaboration between Scout Somerville and our friends at SCATV that we’re calling SCOUTV. Head to scoutsomerville.com/scoutv for in-depth interviews and behind-the-scenes footage of these makers at work.
NERVOUS SYSTEM n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com
essica Rosenkrantz and Jesse Louis-Rosenberg founded the experimental design studio Nervous System somewhat accidentally. The two had planned to spend their lives in academia. That changed in 2007 when Rosenkrantz, then a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, left a laser-cut project sitting out in her workspace. “Somebody walked by my desk and said, ‘Hey, is that a bracelet?’” Rosenkrantz recalls. It wasn’t—and she laughs that she actually got a poor review on the assignment. But the question inspired her. She started making jewelry using the machinery in basement of the building—somewhat illicitly, she says—and selling it on Etsy. Nearly ten years later, Nervous System sells a full range of organically inspired laser-cut and 3D-printed jewelry and housewares, and Rosenkrantz and Louis-Rosenberg have worked with everyone from the MoMA to New Balance. “A lot of our work comes from this sort of obsession with natural patterns and how incredibly interesting and beautiful and confusing they are,” Rosenkrantz explains. “Just trying to understand how all of the different things we see around us in nature emerged from some sort of set of processes and conditions … is pretty mind boggling.”
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There’s buying local, and then there’s buying local—like, from people in the same four-mile radius as you. We caught up with five Somerville-based businesses to talk about their original, giftable goods.
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DEANO’S PASTA 15 Garfield Ave. | deanospasta.com
n a red and white warehouse building off of Broadway in East Somerville, you’ll find one of the city’s best-kept secrets: Deano’s Pasta. “A lot of people who drive past our factory have no idea they can actually walk right in and buy pasta right where it’s being made every day,” says Hala Matarazzo. She runs the business with husband Dean Matarazzo, whose grandfather founded the gourmet pasta company in 1947. Deano’s pastas all start with their signature semolina dough, and everything here is rolled out by hand. It’s
a process that pays off: “We like to say it’s addictive,” Matarazzo says. “You almost can’t stop eating it because it’s so good.” She likes to toss fusilli in a basil pesto or marinara sauce, which Deano’s also makes fresh at their Somerville factory, or spread that basil pesto over a chicken breast with tomato slices and mozzarella for a twist on a chicken parm. Not in the neighborhood? You can also find Deano’s Pasta at Whole Foods or at any one of a number of area farmers markets—they participate in more than 20 every week.
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Gift Guide
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A WILHELM SEAM instagram.com/wilhelmseam
ason Jammallo is not here for the throw-away culture of 2016. “Most of the things we own have become disposable, and I want to change that, at least in a small way,” Jammallo muses. “I’ve always been one to repair instead of replace, and find objects that have been well worn with patina more desirable than something new and shiny.” That’s part of the reason the Somerville resident first began working with leather, eventually founding the perfectly punny imprint “Wilhelm Seam,” which he debuted earlier this year. “I want to make things that break in to a person in their own unique way—like a pair of leather work boots or a thick pair of denim jeans,” Jammallo says. “In that way, the object becomes more personal, and it is my hope that it becomes truly an extension of the owner and their lifestyle.”
MICHELLE BARRETT CERAMICS michellebarrettceramics.com
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ou may think you’re unfamiliar with the work of local potter Michelle Barrett, but it’s likely you’ve already seen her ceramics around town. She’s the artist behind the plates and bowls at Fat Hen, the Italian eatery that opened inside La Brasa in August. She also crafted the coffee pots and vases you’ll find at Juliet in Union Square. “I’m hugely inspired by nature,” Barrett says. “I think primarily because I’ve always lived in urban areas.” She jokes she has a tendency to pick up found objects from the ground—rocks, feathers, rusty nails—which later find their way onto her mugs and plates. “Though a rusty nail has not yet made it onto a pot,” she adds with a laugh. Barrett has been handcrafting small-batch ceramics in her home outside Teele Square, where she’s converted the apartment’s sun porch into a studio, since 2013, but she won’t be working there much longer. Thanks to a successful October Kickstarter campaign, she just signed a lease on a retail and studio space all her own.
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DAVIS SQUARE
EDDM-R CERTIFIED LOCATION
AUTHORIZED DHL INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING CENTER
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING FOR THE HOLIDAYS!
AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED BUSINESS SERVICES CENTER 411A Highland Ave. | 617-776-4949 | store2668@theupsstore.com HOURS: Mon-Fri 8:30–7, Sat 9–5 | theupsstoreLOCAL.com/2668
COMFORT FOOD WITH ATTITUDE ALL YOUR OLD FAVORITES PLUS 30 NEW MENU ITEMS, INCLUDING 9 SALADS! TRY OUR DELICIOUS BREADS MADE FROM SCRATCH IN HOUSE
AND ONE OLD SCHOOL NEAPOLITANSTYLE PIZZA!
CALL FOR CATERING! DINNERS, PASTAS, PLATTERS AND MORE.
HOMEMADE PASTAS FROM DEANO’S OF SOMERVILLE
WE DELIVER
WEB ORDERING AT CITYSLICKERCAFE.COM RECEIVE 15% OFF YOUR FIRST ONLINE ORDER! 588 SOMERVILLE AVE / SOMERVILLE / 617-625-0700
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MA
Gift Guide IN THE DE
E
M
‘VILL E IN THE AD
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EHCHOCOLATIER 561 Windsor St. | ehchocolatier.com
laine Hsieh and Catharine Sweeney were introduced in 1999, when a mutual friend asked if they’d make her wedding cake. “As it turned out, neither of us could make wedding cakes back then,” Hsieh says. “We had no experience in wedding cakes.” “I liked wedding cakes!” Sweeney laughs. The two started making sweets together more and more, and in 2010, they decided they’d go into business as EHChocolatier. Hsieh and
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Sweeney share a commitment to using the best ingredients they can and paying attention to every last detail, right down to their beautiful, painstaking packaging. They also share a warm, laid-back energy and an easy chemistry. “All of my strengths are her weaknesses, and vice versa,” Sweeney says. “And here we are today, still together after all these years.” “Haven’t killed each other yet!” Hsieh adds, grinning.
CONTINUE SHOPPING!
SERIOUS INSTRUCTION for The Home Chef at
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
Give the Gift of Good Taste with The CSCA Gift Certificate. Planning a birthday, anniversary, or bachelorette party? Call us to plan a hands on cooking party at The CSCA.
The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts Recreational Program offers classes designed to introduce the amateur chef to the world of specialty cooking. Students prepare recipes in a hands-on environment with assistance from professionally trained chef instructors. Wow your friends and family with a gourmet meal, perfect pie crust, or well-seasoned sauce. The school offers extensive career programs, and we provide at-home chefs the opportunity to take their skills to the next level through our recreational programs. Choose from one-day classes as well as short series courses in techniques, baking, pastry, wine, international cuisines, seasonal and specialty classes. You’ll find classes for individuals, couples and teens. You can even create your own class, selecting from our course offerings or working with us to design a custom experience. For more information contact 617.354.2020 or visit cambridgeculinary.com
2020 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE | PORTER SQUARE, CAMBRIDGE 617.354.2020 | www.cambridgeculinary.com
Register for one of our Holiday Cooking Classes. Looking for a Holiday Gift Idea? Give the gift of cooking!
Gift Guide
For the
Cyclist
NEON BANDITS SOCKS
Any athlete could benefit from a pair of Neon Bandits socks. This Boston-based company makes all-in-one footwear for on-the-go individuals, with a reinforced heel and toe, a no-slip calf and mesh arch support. Plus, they look super cool. $13, neonbandits.com
BLOODY KNUCKLES HAND REPAIR BALM
Even the toughest winter cyclists deal with dry skin. Show them you have their back—or hands— with Duke Cannon’s repair balm. $16, Davis Squared
TIGER TAIL
Hands down the most fun gift you can give a cyclist for under five bucks. $4, Loyal Supply Co.
BIKEYFACE “ON WHEELS” PRINT
We can’t say it any better than this poster by Somervillebased comic artist Bikeyface. $15, bikeyface.com
PROSPECT HILL WATER BOTTLE
BIKE CHAIN CUFFLINKS
Sterling silver and stainless steel, this cufflink set is perfect for the two-wheeled traveler who has to suit up. Handcrafted right here in the city by Acebo Jewelry. $120, acebojewelry.com
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Featuring the tower you know and love, these bottles are custom-made for Magpie by Somerville’s own Sylvia TomaykoPeters. $23, Magpie
Happy Holidays from the girls of HAIR by Christine & Co! 15 MCGRATH HIGHWAY, SOMERVILLE 233 ALEWIFE BROOK PARKWAY, CAMBRIDGE 2153 MYSTIC VALLEY PARKWAY, MEDFORD 48 BROADWAY, MALDEN
BEST HAIR SALON: 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 BEST HAIR COLOR: 2016 BEST HAIRCUT: 2016
217 HIGHLAND AVENUE, SOMERVILLE • 617-776-6470 WWW.HAIRBYCHRISTINEANDCO.COM
BEST DENTIST
2016 WINNER
2015 NOMINEE
2014 WINNER
• FA M I LY A N D C O S M E T I C D E N T I S T RY • TEETH WHITENING • CROWN AND BRIDGE WORK • R E S T O R AT I O N O F D E N TA L I M P L A N T S • VENEERS • C L E A R O RT H O D O N T I C A L I G N E R S
DR. KATIE TALMO, D.M.D. • 617.864.6111 • 180 HIGHLAND AVENUE scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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Gift Guide
For the
r e d n e t r a B
PINEAPPLE TUMBLER
As a symbol of hospitality, the pineapple says “Welcome to my home!” As a gorgeous, 12-ounce shaker, it says “I’m the most stylish bartender in town!” $35, The Boston Shaker
GLENCAIRN WHISKEY TASTING GLASS
The “ideal” whiskey vessel, Glencairn’s glassware is specifically designed to let malt lovers sniff and sip the full complexity of single malts, bourbons, Irish whiskeys and more. And here you were using a highball tumbler this whole time. $10, The Boston Shaker
WESTLAND WHISKEY PRIVATE BARREL
Bottled exclusively for Ball Square Fine Wines, this single-run, single-malt whiskey is only available for a limited time. $79.99, Ball Square Fine Wines
NEAT ICE KIT
PAIRINGS PASSPORT
Got a giftee who’s gearing up for a trip abroad? Give a guided, personalized shopping experience from DFP that focuses on wine and food pairings from a destination of their choosing, be it Tuscany, Sicily, Portugal or the Loire Valley. $75 per trip, Dave’s Fresh Pasta 40 November | December 2016
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GROW YOUR OWN COCKTAIL KIT
Your would-be city-dwelling horticulturalist can get their start with this easy-to-use kit from Urban Agriculture Co.—plus, they’ll have an awesome homemade cocktail to show for it. $40, Davis Squared
Because even the most perfectly poured cocktail won’t be Instagram-worthy with cloudy ice cubes muddying up the shot. $42, The Boston Shaker
BREWED IN MASS. NOT MASS BREWED. BREWERY
•
CAFE
•
KITCHEN
HOME BREWER’S LABELS
That meticulously made, small-batch IPA deserves better than a piece of masking tape with Sharpie on it. $12.95, Magpie
CREST 1 BOTTLE OPENER
No one should be cracking beers with an aluminium Coors Light keychain. Fort Standard’s beautiful, solid brass bottle opener is a welcome upgrade. $60, Loyal Supply Co.
GIFT CARDS NOW ON TAP
WINTERHILLBREWING.COM | 328 BROADWAY, SOMERVILLE
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Gift Guide
For the
t s i l a r N atu
NATALIE THERESE ECO-FRIENDLY POUCHES AND BAGS
HERB TEA TOWEL
Part tea towel, part plant identification cheat sheet. $16, Magpie
With eco-chic cork fabric pouches from Natalie Therese, any outdoorsy urbanite can feel and look great knowing they’ve stowed their belongings in an environmentally friendly, sustainably made accessory. $14-$75, Davis Squared
SET OF THREE WOODLAND JOTTER NOTEBOOKS
Designed, printed and bound by hand in Somerville by artist Sylvia TomaykoPeters, Middle Dune’s outdoorsy journals will help unleash anyone’s inner Walt Whitman. $20, etsy.com/shop/ middledune
SELF-WATERING HERB KIT
An all-in-one kit that’s perfect for green thumbs and black thumbs alike thanks to a “passive hydroponic system” that prevents overand under-watering. $20, Magpie
COLE HEADWEAR HATS
ZODIAC PENDANTS
Here’s a holiday horoscope: Get a zodiac pendant for the astrological explorer in your life. They’ll love it. $150, E. Scott Originals
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Urban cool meets outdoor adventure in Cole Headwear’s collection of classically inspired yet distinctly modern caps, hats and beanies. $30, Davis Squared
ials hly Mondt ent Spec Stu
30+ DIFFERENT FLAVORS
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! OPEN DAILY: 11AM - 11PM
282 BEACON STREET, SOMERVILLE • 617-492-7773 WWW.RF-OSULLIVAN.COM
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Gift Guide
Mom Knows Best:
A Family-Friendly Holiday Handbook
AND NOW, HERE’S A GIFT FOR MOMS AND DADS: A SHOPPING GUIDE SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF THE MOST FRAZZLED AND TIME-STRAPPED AMONG US. We asked Scout’s friendly local parenting expert, “Mom Knows Best” columnist and former executive director of Somerville Local First Kat Rutkin, to track down the best gifts for kids of all ages at a few of her favorite shops. Some are practical, others are purely fun, but all are guaranteed to inspire big imaginations in the smaller residents of our city. BY KAT RUTKIN
Babies months) (0 to 12
SOMERVILLE ONESIE
The best baby gift in town, still, is the everpopular Somerville onesie. It’s never too early to start in on city pride. And these are custom made for Magpie, so your baby can be a proud local and a trendsetter. Magpie, $24
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FRIENDLY TOYS WOODEN HELICOPTER
Many small kids are already familiar with the Herb Chambers helicopter that’s known to whirr over Union Square. You can give them their own to keep forever thanks to this adorable little helicopter from Friendly Toys. It’s 100 percent natural, biodegradable and safe for children. Loyal Supply Co., $27
PADMINI IS POWERFUL
Published by Bharat Babies—a company founded by Somerville mom and constant inspiration Sailaja Joshi— Padmini is Powerful is a beautifully illustrated introduction to Hindu Gods in a baby-friendly board book format. Bharat Babies books are available at Magpie Kids and Porter Square Books and are totally charming. Learn more about Sailaja on page 48! Magpie Kids, $9.95
Toddlers to 4 years)
(18 months
PLAN TOYS KITCHEN SET
This tiny kitchen is non-toxic, biodegradable and comes with pans and a spatula. But the best part is that it’s tastefully decorated, and the product dimensions are only 12 x 7.2 x 11.3 inches. Big fun in a pintsized package. $69.95, Magpie Kids
Did you know that the Landlord’s policy doesn’t cover your stuff? Did you know… We can help! WEDGWOOD - CRANE & CONNOLLY INSURANCE AGENCY, INC. SEEDLING MAKE YOUR OWN SUPERHERO CAPE
If there’s anything cuter than a kid in a superhero cape, it’s a kid in a superhero cape they designed themselves. Unleash the superhuman creativity of the children in your life with this great Seedling set. $39.95, Magpie Kids
BOBA MINI DOLL CARRIERS
617-625-0781 | www.WCCINS.com 19 College Ave, Somerville (next to Davis Sq T)
HOME • LIFE • BUSINESS • AUTO • RENTERS
AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CUISINE
Cute, tiny versions of a baby carrier—just like mom or dad wears!—for your little one’s stuffed animals and dolls. (Replicating parental exhaustion is optional.) $29.95, Diaper Lab
UNICORN HORN
What’s that saying? “Be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn?” Now you (or your kid, I guess) can be both. These come in a variety of colors to accommodate all unicorn styles, and are held on with elastic so your mythical creature can be truly hands free. $14, Magpie Kids
LIVE MARIACHI!
SOMERVILLE • MALDEN • LOWELL
ELPOTROMEXICANGRILL.COM
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Gift Guide
Young Kids
(Roughly 5 to 8 years)
BROOKLYN BOULDERS KIDS ACADEMY PASSES
OPINEL LE PETIT CHEF
Fans of Montessori learning methods will tell you that even very small children can be involved in daily cooking activities around the house. This set is both practical for small hands and incredibly beautiful, and teaches correct knife skills. (In our family, that might just make our kindergartener the most skilled chef in the house.) $50, Loyal Supply Co.
Tweens
& Teens
For an afterschool or weekend activity that’s sure to please active kids, look no further than the Brooklyn Boulders Kids Academy. Passes for twohour, kid-focused climbing and team-building sessions can be used for drop-in or scheduled visits. I don’t know if this is a better gift for kids or the parents who arrive to pick up their worn out kiddos at the end of the session. Brooklyn Boulders, starts at $49 for a one-day pass
(8 years to about 13 years)
CLASSES AT CRAFTWORK SOMERVILLE
EEBOO 1008 PIECE PUZZLE
This crafter- and maker-space on Highland Avenue regularly hosts classes for kids ages eight and up, including Monday Crafternoons, a semester-long afterschool program that meets weekly and features rotating teachers who cover book-binding, screen printing, eco-dying and much more. Prices vary, www.craftwork.rocks
This puzzle has no “correct” side to complete—either one can be done for the fun of it! Interesting patterns on both sides make hours of puzzle fun for the whole family. $17.99, Magpie Kids
SPIROGRAPH DRAWING SET
These things are hours of fun for kids of any age, really. I often fight my son for a turn with his. This set also comes with four pens to mix up designs, providing hours of entertainment! $12, Loyal Supply Co.
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AMAL’S EID
This story of a third-grader named Amal is perfect for kids learning about different cultures, holidays and traditions. Like Padmini is Powerful, Amal’s Eid is published by Bharat Babies. $19.95, Magpie Kids
scoutsomerville.com
The
For the
New Mom
RESTAURANT Neighborhood & BAKERY
SUMMER LULU JEWELRY
Becoming a mom isn’t the end of your fashionable days, even if you occasionally end up buying your clothes where you buy your food. (Guilty!) Summer Lulu accessories are the ultimate in multitasking, serving as both jewelry and teethers. The company was started by a Cambridge mom, and the necklaces are made by moms, for moms (and kids). They’re beautiful and safe for baby to chew on, as they’re made of food grade silicone—just like a pacifier—and come in a variety of styles and sizes. And they’re not just good for moms and babies; kids with sensory issues can use these as well. Summer Lulu is the very proud official chewelry of the American Autism Association! Prices vary, available at Magpie Kids, Two Little Monkeys and online at summerlulu.com.
SAKURA BLOOM SLINGS
These are a useful splurge for the new mom in your life, great for wearing newborns, babies and toddlers with beauty and grace.* They’re perfect to stow in the diaper bag or car for those moments when you need an extra pair of hands—and an extra dose of style to distract from the sleepless look. Available in silk and linen blends and in several gorgeous colors, every carrier sold at Diaper Lab comes with free babywearing assistance from a team of trained experts, as well as the emotional support of a team of experienced moms. $95 and up, Diaper Lab
Now Featuring: Apple Cider French Toast (dipped in Apple Cider and drizzled with Apple Cider flavor icing)
Pumpkin Pancakes, too!
WWW.THENEIGHBORHOODRESTAURANT.COM 25 BOW ST, SOMERVILLE • (617) 623-9710
*Grace not guaranteed, although the beauty of the sling makes up for that!
Whole Family
For the
Give the gift of an experience! Membership to a local institution can provide hours of entertainment, and it’s something your favorite family might not think to purchase for themselves. THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE is a local favorite—straddling the Charles River, the building literally bridges Boston and Cambridge. Family memberships start at $90, but for those who regularly visit by car, a premier membership offers two hours of free parking per visit and can save hundreds of dollars per year. DRUMLIN FARM, a Mass Audubon Sanctuary just 25 minutes away in Lincoln, offers family memberships starting at $32. The staff is engaging, the displays are interactive and the size is manageable for smaller kids—but the best part is that they have little stools everywhere, so you don’t have to keep lifting your kid up to see the animals or use the sink. It’s the little things, really.
TRY OUR NEW FLATBREAD PIZZAS
NEW MENU ITEMS INCLUDE GLUTEN FREE!
TRIVIA TUESDAYS MUSIC BINGO THURSDAYS
HAPPY ! HOLIDAYS 9 DAVIS SQUARE (617) 628-2379 MIKESONDAVIS.COM scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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Gift Guide
MEET THE MOM BEHIND BHARAT BABIES Sailaja Joshi’s small, Somerville-based publishing house is diversifying children’s lit, one title at a time. BY EMILY CASSEL PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
I
Sailaja Joshi and her daughter, Ojo, are all smiles.
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t all started when Sailaja Joshi was an expectant mother who wanted to have a library-themed baby shower. As she searched for books to include on her registry, she noticed there was something missing. “I realized I couldn’t find any books where it looked like my daughter on the cover,” Joshi explains. “I thought it was really messed up that it was 2013 and that my daughter wasn’t going to be able to see herself in books.” As a sociologist and anthropologist, Joshi understood how important it is for children to read early—and to see themselves represented in the books they pick up. The existing titles that did feature Indian characters were, at best, inaccurate. Others were downright offensive. None took into account her future child’s developmental needs. That’s when Joshi began laying the groundwork for Bharat Babies, a publishing house telling stories of India’s heritage. “We really started out as me refusing to believe that my daughter would have this reality,” she says simply. “That’s really it.” The publishing house launched in November 2014 with the illustrated title Hanuman and the Orange Sun. Bharat Babies has since published six other board books, illustrated books and early readers, and they have three more on the way. “I think it’s really powerful now that my daughter and her classmates know other realities, that they’re just hanging out chatting about Ramadan and how they’re not going to eat until the sun goes down, because that’s what Amal does.” “I think that’s such a sweet moment,” she continues, “that these children are pretending to be Hanuman, and calling themselves Harini, in the same way that I was mesmerized by Harold and the Purple Crayon and Harry Potter.”
Get the Goods
ACEBO JEWELRY
acebojewelry.com
BALL SQUARE FINE WINES 716 Broadway ballsquarefinewines.com
BIKEYFACE
bikeyface.com/store
THE BOSTON SHAKER 89 Holland St. thebostonshaker.com
BROOKLYN BOULDERS
12A Tyler St. brooklynboulders.com/somerville
CURIO SPICE CO.
2265 Mass. Ave., Cambridge curiospice.com
CRAFTWORK SOMERVILLE
GRACIE’S ICE CREAM
DAVE’S FRESH PASTA
LOYAL SUPPLY CO.
259 Highland Ave. craftwork.rocks
81 Holland St. davesfreshpasta.com
DAVIS SQUARED
409 Highland Ave. davissquared.com
DIAPER LAB
200 Elm St. diaperlab.com
DRUMLIN FARM
208 S Great Rd., Lincoln massaudubon.org/drumlin
E. SCOTT ORIGINALS 199 Highland Ave. escottoriginals.com
GÂTÉ COMME DES FILLES 14 Tyler St. gatecommedesfilles.fr
22 Union Sq. graciesicecre.am
21 Union Sq. loyalsupplyco.com
MAGPIE
416 Highland Ave. magpie-industries.myshopify.com
MAGPIE KIDS
95 Elm St. magpiekids.com
MEM TEA
196 Elm St. memteaimports.com
MIDDLE DUNE
middledune.com
MUSEUM OF SCIENCE 1 Science Park, Boston mos.org
NEON BANDITS
neonbandits.com
PAWBLO PICASSO
pawblopicasso.com
REVEL REVEL
shoprevelrevel.com
RIVER DOG
321 Somerville Ave. riverdogdaycare.com
STINKY’S KITTENS & DOGGIES, TOO
110 Bristol Rd. stinkyskittens-doggiestoo.com
TACO PARTY
711 Broadway tacopartytruck.com
TAZA CHOCOLATE
561 Windsor St. tazachocolate.com
UNION SQUARE DONUTS 20 Bow St. unionsquaredonuts.com
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Gift Guide
y a w HOigh T
p l e H BY ELIZA ROSENBERRY PHOTOS BY ADRIANNE MATHIOWETZ
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FOR MORE THAN FOUR DECADES, THIS GROUP OF BIKERS HAS COME TOGETHER TO HELP FAMILIES IN NEED.
O
n a sleepy Sunday morning in Bedford, a motorcycle roars down the town’s quiet main road and into the American Legion parking lot. Behind the motorcycle’s operator, a skeleton reclines in the passenger seat, a faux-bloody axe jutting from its exposed ribcage. Inside the hall, dozens of men and women—most clad in leather jackets—pour steaming coffee into paper cups and scoop eggs and sausages from catering trays. Against the wall behind them is a pile of stuffed animals, board games, gift cards and even a toy drone. Every October, these riders—members, affiliates and friends of the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA)—meet to ride 30 miles west from Bedford to Lancaster as a fundraiser for Toys for Local Children, a Somerville-based charity that provides toys to families in need during the holiday season and throughout the year. It’s the longest continuously running charity ride in the state, according to John Pecora, MMA district 1 manager, and has occurred annually for more than four decades. To participate in the ride, which winds along scenic country roads, bikers bring at least one item to donate to Toys for Local Children. “I pick something I think I’d want to play with,” says Jay Brislin of Lowell, between bites of breakfast. This year, he brought the drone. Cindy Hickey, a Somerville resident and the director of Somerville’s Council on Aging, has headed up Toys for Local Children for almost a decade. She works closely with Pecora to organize the fundraiser, which originated as a partnership with Toys for Tots. Hickey was a volunteer there, but when she branched off on her own to start Toys for Local Children in 2001, the MMA stayed with her. Hickey says she always wanted to run a charity with a local scope because it would enable her to make a meaningful, tangible difference in her own backyard. “It’s the people, it’s the community,” she observes. “There’s no big corporations.” She remembers hearing of one family who received board games from the organization at Christmas and spent their entire winter vacation playing together as a family. Over the years, Toys for Local Children has distributed tens of thousands of toys in Somerville and the surrounding area. The charity is particularly active around the holidays, but it also helps families who are displaced by fires or experience other difficult circumstances throughout the year. “Cindy works her tail off,” smiles Debbie Connolly, who serves on
the Toys for Local Children board. The work involved in running the organization, including coordinating pickup and dropoff from their warehouse space as well as administration and fundraising, is distributed among a small but dedicated group of board members and volunteers. Across the country, motorcycle clubs frequently host fundraising rides as a way to bring their communities together for a good cause and a safe ride—and for fun. Sometimes they decorate their bikes in the spirit of the season. But there are often multiple rides each weekend during peak months, and Pecora noted it can be tough to attract bikers given that competition. In the heyday of this ride, he said there could be up to 1,000 people participating. This year, there are fewer than 20. But the spirit and the enthusiasm have not subsided. “It’s personal, and it becomes very rewarding,” says Dave Condon, MMA Chairman. “You see how generous people are. There’s a lot of people that give, and a lot of people that need.” Condon describes the MMA as an advocacy organization that promotes safety and education throughout the state—along with legislation relevant to motorcycle owners, including right-of-way laws that also benefit pedestrians and cyclists. Many Somerville businesses and residents happily support the work of Toys for Local Children. Best Pest owner Rod Kreimeyer has collected toys, assembled toiletry kits and contributed gift cards to the organization over the past decade alongside his wife and grandsons. For Christmas this year, his grandsons are asking for donations to Toys for Local Children. “We live in this city. We do business here,” Kreimeyer says. “We don’t [support Toys for Local Children] for the advertising … We do it because it’s a way to give back to our community.” As the October breakfast concludes, Pecora calls a riders’ meeting to review protocol with the group and the two police escorts before setting off. He thanks those involved for their time and contributions to the cause. “Hopefully, you guys have a good ride,” he says. “Any time on a bike is a good ride, I guess.”
“IT’S PERSONAL, AND IT BECOMES VERY REWARDING. YOU SEE HOW GENEROUS PEOPLE ARE.”
Toys for Local Children drop-off facilities are located at several businesses around the city, including Best Pest, Winter Hill Bank and Flatbread. For the full list of donation locations, as well as information about upcoming events and applications to receive toys, head to toysforlocalchildren.org. scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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SCOUT OUT
BATTLE BOTS OF THE
“IT’S EITHER DESTROY OR DISABLE.” BY LEANNE CUSHING | PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
T
hroughout Somerville and Cambridge, momentum has been gathering for a new, rough—and nerdy—sport: combat robotics. In an effort to increase awareness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, universities and passionate hobbyists are joining forces to try and change the stigma that robotics isn’t accessible to all. From local tiny robot competitions to heavyweight robot battles that air on national television, teams around the region are helping build up a very different kind of sports community and fanbase. “It’s something that kids can touch, that they can handle—it’s not too likely they’ll actually get themselves hurt,” explains Jamison Go of MIT’s LiMITless Robotics Club. “What really we want to do is engage these new audiences to play around with robotics ... and it’s great when you can get kids actually involved in STEM.” When you think of combat robotics—if you’re familiar with combat robotics at all—it’s likely television hits like “Robot Wars” and “Battlebots” that come to mind. And in fact, there were several Somerville- and Cambridge-based teams competing on this past season of ABC’s “Battlebots,” including LiMITless Robotics, Danger 4, Equals Zero Robotics and Team Brutus. While “Battlebots” covers the heavyweight class of 250-pounds robots, that’s not a common size for the sport as a whole. Combat robotics has upwards of ten weight classes, and most competitions tend to support fairy weight (150-gram), antweight (one-pound), beetleweight (three-pound) and featherweight (fifteen-pound) robots. “Somerville is really cool for robotics because it does little robots stuff, [up] to thirty pounds, very frequently ... lots of people are really adamant and passionate about it are here,” Go explains. “[Smaller robots] use more accessible technologies—it’s more manageable for people to host events ... the boundaries to enter are so much lower. It’s really a nice way to engage new audiences.” Every year, as interest in the sport is growing, the giant robots themselves are getting even bigger. The latest giant robot challenge will pit Japan’s Kuratas against the American MegaBot, and these humanoperated machines weigh up to 12,000 pounds and stand 15 feet tall. (The Hayward, CA-based MegaBots, Inc. has a few Artisan’s Asylum alums on its team, including founder Gui Cavalcanti and operations manager Robert Masek.) But these headline-grabbing, projectile hurling hunks of metal— MegaBot can throw a three-pound object more than 130 miles per hour—aren’t the be-all-end-all of bots. Combat robotics has a very different take on robotic competition than the popular problem-solving organization FIRST Robotics, which gives middle school and high school
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students the opportunity to learn about electromechanical assemblies and basic machine programming. Each year, FIRST Robotics presents student teams with a challenge to navigate, such as gathering and shooting playground balls or climbing stairs. The FIRST challenge changes from year to year, and the annual cost to register and get the standard kit of parts is in the thousands of dollars. Competitors work with a restricted parts list and design objectives and have just six weeks solve the year’s problems and build their bot. This sparks creative problem solving but means that the innovation can be limited. MIT Mechanical Engineering grad Charles Guan, who founded Equals Zero Robotics in 2012 and appeared on “Battlebots” earlier this year, explains that combat robotics is unlike FIRST and other organized robot competitions. The rulebooks aren’t nearly as expansive, and competing robots don’t usually have to conform to a specific shape or geometric limit. “They really offer you a lot of creativity,” Guan says. “And that’s what makes it accessible.” “The goal is really easy to understand,” he continues. “There’s a lot of other competitions with intricate goals, or it’s critical thinking in a different way. This is, like, optimization for a very specific, easily understandable goal.” In combat robotics, the team size tends to be more limited, but the parts list is unknown and the electronics and controls are relatively open-ended. As a result, teammates get to adapt on demand, try new things and learn from their failures. They can take their time to develop a more spontaneous or eccentric idea. That, to Guan, is one of the biggest benefits of combat robotics. “The thing that I’ve encountered the most is that people talk themselves out of being able to do STEM activities, including building combat robots,” says Guan, who’s seen this firsthand in his three-and-ahalf years as a shop manager at MIT. “[It] exposed me to every possible cross section of people—who want to make, who think they can make, who think they can’t do it, you know, who want to do it but their parents told them they can’t, things like that.” Still, whether it’s problem solving or projectile hurling, it’s learning and exploring the world through science that’s key. “This is your knowledge,” Go emphasizes. “You learn it all. It’s not an experience you get in a larger organization.” The next local combat robotics competition, Mass Destruction, will take place at Artisan’s Asylum (10 Tyler St.) on November 12 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
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scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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Scout Out “The Phoenix Rising”
54 November | December 2016
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“THE PHOENIX RISING” THE LAST TWO DECADES HAVE BEEN A WILD RIDE FOR PARAMOUNT BICYCLE OWNER TYLER OULTON. BY EMILY CASSEL | PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
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ike any cyclist in Boston, Paramount Bicycle owner Tyler Oulton his son is out of the woods. has had his fair share of near misses. He shattered an ankle in one Things took a more devastating not long after. His health declined, crash; he once landed in the hospital after ending up on the wrong and quickly. A doctor told him he had three days to live. He spent two side of a cab windshield. weeks in hospice care, where he was sure he was going to die. His But there’s a specific run-in from his early years as a bike courier weight plummeted to 110 pounds. he still remembers vividly, when he found himself between a car and But he didn’t die in three days. Doctors said he might make it a a Mack Truck. week. Then, maybe a few weeks. Months later, he’s still here—back “The [truck] tire turned and caught my handlebar, and it flipped me on his feet and back in business—and Paramount has returned to its up and over,” he says, rotating and spinning through a demonstration in posted hours. his Ball Square bike shop. “I ended up facing this way, still on my bike, “I couldn’t wait to get back to work,” Oulton says. “I have fidgety feet.” and I just started laughing hysterically. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t dead.” Today, standing in the shop, he doesn’t seem restless. He has the That was more than two decades ago, before Oulton, who has sturdy self-assuredness of someone who’s dodged Mack Trucks and always loved bicycles and got his start working on friend’s bikes out defied an especially bleak prognosis, coming out (relatively) unscathed of his basement, opened a shop of his own. The decision to start a on the other side. It’s a brisk fall day, but warm afternoon light pours business was spurred on by his wife. He’d been through Paramount’s street-facing windows— thinking about doing it, and one morning, she Oulton says that between the broad panes coyly suggested the two grab breakfast at the and the boilers in his building’s basement, he Three days after shattering Prince Diner. The now-defunct restaurant was doesn’t even need to pay for heat in the winter. located in Powder House Circle, conveniently Jazz by trumpet player Bill Chase, a favorite of his ankle, Oulton was back at the repairman, fuzzes triumphantly from the taking them past an empty storefront that would eventually become Paramount’s first home. “She speakers. (Chase didn’t have Oulton’s nine-lives Paramount, using a stool to totally baited me,” he says. “Oh, look at that, kind of luck; he met his untimely end in a plane there’s this huge empty spot here.” crash at age 39.) wheel around his bum leg. “We took out a bullshit personal loan—ten Oulton is one to keep it simple. A handwritten grand—going into winter,” he continues. “And I’ve sign reading “Cash Only: Old School Survives” survived 20 years.” hangs by the shop’s antique register. He doesn’t That’s not to say it’s always been a smooth ride. A week after have—and has never had—any employees aside from the occasional Paramount Bicycle opened its doors, Oulton was riding home on a bike apprentice. When his health declined, the shop stayed shut for two that had been given to him by a friend. As he cruised down a hill near months, a tough break for someone who genuinely just wants to work his house, the front wheel fell off; that’s when he shattered—“absolutely on bicycles. shattered”—his ankle. Not working wasn’t an option. He was back at Oulton knows how lucky he’s been, how rare this kind of recovery Paramount three days later, using a stool to wheel around his bum leg. is. “I bought a set of wings for myself and put ‘em on a denim jacket,” He laughs that people started bringing him bikes out of pity. he says. “The phoenix rising.” But he also isn’t one to take himself The shop survived that first winter. Ten years later, it moved to its too seriously. When his work is briefly interrupted by a call from a current home at 104 Bristol Rd., where the laid-back Oulton has been telemarketer offering a line of credit to the tune of $500,000, he hangs quietly and competently selling bikes, building wheels and repairing up the phone and laughs. rides since. “Well, hell, the way my health is going, might as well take it,” he says The last year, though, has tried his luck—which is either great or with a wry grin. “Die rich.” terrible, depending on the way you look at a half-full glass. He got Lyme disease, and shortly afterward, one of his two sons was diagnosed with Paramount Bicycle is located at 104 Bristol Rd. Shop hours and a brain tumor. Thankfully, it wasn’t cancerous—Oulton says it looks like additional info can be found at paramount-bicycle.com. scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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Scout Out Highlander Kitchen
HIGHLANDER KITCHEN
SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS SERVE UP A SERIOUS LUNCH BY HANNAH WALTERS | PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
O
n Highland Avenue, there’s a charming cafe, beautiful and bright, with natural sunlight streaming through a wall made up entirely of windows. In the dining room, two-dozen tables are adorned with white tablecloths and topped with little rectangular vases holding fresh-cut flowers, their deep red hue subtly echoed by maroon-colored cloth napkins folded into rose shapes. It’s the perfect place to treat yourself to lunch on a weekday afternoon—and it also happens to exist in a building where, beyond the threshold of the restaurant’s double doors, you might hear the metallic slam of lockers and the excitable voices of teenagers catching up between classes. Each autumn since 1986, Somerville High School has opened the doors to the Highlander Cafe, a student-run restaurant that’s a project of the culinary arts program. Students enrolled in the program are in charge of running virtually every aspect of the restaurant, 56
November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
from designing the menu to preparing and serving food. Two faculty members act as head chefs, supporting the students. The cafe’s ambiance and the knowledge that it helps educate Somerville teens are enough to draw in hungry patrons. But it’s the food and service that ensure they come back. On one October afternoon, Rita Lodi was enjoying lunch with her niece at a two-top table in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows. She graduated from the school in 1943, more than four decades before the Highlander Cafe existed. In the high school she knew, buying food at lunch was a luxury, to say the least. “In 1943, not many students ate in the cafeteria,” Lodi explains. “Students couldn’t spare [money] to eat there, no matter how inexpensive it was. They ate their sandwiches from home, and maybe some fruit.” “This is a real gem for the Somerville community,” her niece adds,
The Highlander Cafe (81 Highland Ave.) is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. during the school year.
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smiling across the table at her aunt as they wait for their food. “What an extraordinary way for young men and women to learn a skill and benefit the community.” Marissa Toner, who was waiting on Lodi’s table, is a senior at the high school. She explains that sophomores and juniors do all the prep work back in the Highlander kitchen, while seniors cook on the line with the chefs and fill front of house roles like waiting tables. Toner says she aspires to be a pastry chef, but she enjoys the well-rounded experience she’s gained working various positions at the cafe. “I love [the culinary arts program],” she says. “I like the customer service part of it. Front of house is a lot of fun.” Jose Lizama, another Somerville High School senior who works in the dining room with Toner, also seems pleased with the program. “I just like to cook,” he says simply as he explains why he joined the culinary arts program last year. The menu at the Highlander Cafe changes every two weeks, and this year’s inaugural offerings included steamed seafood appetizers, two types of salads, pizza, burgers and even lobster. The delightful dishes—and the dedicated students cooking and serving them—have earned the restaurant a passionate group of patrons. Seated just a few tables over from Rita Lodi, Joel Lynch echoes her sentiments. “I think [the program] is terrific. It’s great for the kids. They’ll be able to go right to work after school,” he says. “They’re very polite. I’m very impressed.” “Some restaurants should send their staff here for some retraining,” he adds with a grin. Lynch may have a point. The Culinary Arts Program website lists positions that have been held by its alumni: pastry chef at Formaggio, chef at Lolita, first chef at Tufts University. Many now work in the community at Somerville favorites like Foundry on Elm, Redbones Barbeque and Highland Kitchen. Rory Perryman, who was enjoying one of the most popular meals of the week—a boiled lobster with potatoes and corn—was impressed. “This is phenomenal, and I’m from the Cape. The presentation is great. The students are polite. Nowhere else could you get this quality of food for this price.” (The going rate for Perryman’s 1.25-pound boiled lobster and accompanying side dishes was just $10.) Could Highlander put Mt. Vernon Tavern—with its famed two-lobster special—out of business? “Well, they have Keno… and alcohol,” Perryman says with a laugh. Otherwise, he says, it could be a close match. Seated next to Perryman is Somerville High School Principal John Oteri. He agrees: “This [menu] is going to be hard to top. They have sold out of lobster every day this week.” Leo DeSimone, the director of the school’s Center for Career and Technical Education, nods his head in agreement, looking at the dining room proudly. “They’re doing great,” he says. As for what’s on the menu over the following weeks? Toner has some ideas. “I threw out the idea of a brunch burger [to the team], so basically eggs benedict but with a burger instead of ham,” she says. “But we’ll see.”
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415B Medford Street, Somerville Retail Hours: Tuesday - Friday 3-7pm, Saturday 8-12pm Email Wholesale Request to nr@somervillebreadcompany.com scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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SCOUT THIS!
CONGRATS, MAYA!
C
ongrats to Maya Escobar, winner of last issue’s Scout Fridge contest! A Somerville resident of 20 years, Escobar says she’s always crafting. Her house is full of fabric, wool and bits of paper, and she likes to stitch her own clothing and accessories. “Successfully? Maybe not,” she laughs. “But it’s fun to have something to do with your hands.” The Cambridge Public Library employee thought she’d give the contest a shot and titled her Curated Fridge-inspired collage “Rodents of Unusual Size.” Escobar is almost apologetic when she says that her winnings will probably go towards a very “unsexy” cause: paying utility bills. “Although I am having a party,” she adds, “and I have a big tamale order I have to pick up from Cantina...”
Win $50!
F
or our latest Scout This! photo contest, we’re asking you to show us how you shop. We know plenty of you already bring our annual gift guide with you when you hit the streets in search of presents. This year, simply snap of photo of yourself with the mag in any shop featured in these pages. Post it to Instagram by December 15 using the hashtag #scoutshopper, and you’ll be automatically entered to win $50! (Make sure to tag @scoutmags so we see it.) Not on Instagram? You can also email your submissions to scout@ scoutmagazines.com. Winners must be available for interview.
ur annual gift guide is more than just a list of stuff you can buy—at its core, it’s a celebration of the incredibly vibrant small business community in Somerville and Cambridge. So this year, we’re having a little after-hours mixer to celebrate that community!
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Join us for an evening of food, fun and merriment at the Armory, where we’ll raise a glass to recognize the little guys. We’ll have bites from City Slicker and Patty Chen’s Dumpling Room and some snacks from the shops highlighted in this year’s guide. We’ll also be accepting donations to benefit the Somerville-based charity Toys for Local Children—especially for kids ages 0-2 and 10-15. All that’s missing is you!
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1 • 5:30PM THE ARMORY • 191 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE ADMISSION IS FREE
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November | December 2016 scoutsomerville.com
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scoutsomerville.com November | December 2016
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CALENDAR
1
6
BOOKS | November 30
DANCE | November 18 and 20
7
SHOPPING | December 3 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.) and 4th (1-6 p.m.)
3
SCIENCE | November 19
8
COMMUNITY | December 17
4
CREATIVITY | November 20
9
THEATRE | December 17-31
5
POETRY November 30
10
COMEDY | December 24
2
FILM | November 18
“DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER” AND “AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY” DOUBLE FEATURE 7:30 P.M., $10 THE SOMERVILLE THEATRE 55 DAVIS SQ., SOMERVILLE Nothing goes together like 007 and Austin Powers. The famous spy and his famously randy spoof are perfectly paired on 35mm film for this one-night engagement at the Somerville Theatre. DANCE, YES WE CAN: A POST-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PERFORMANCE 8 P.M. AND 6 P.M., RESPECTIVELY, $30 JULIE INCE THOMPSON THEATRE, 536 MASS. AVE., CAMBRIDGE “Ideally these performances will not only allow us to take a collective deep breath post-election, but also enjoy companies and dancers that don’t necessarily identify as political, but are doing politically charged work—asking pointed questions about race, identity, art construction and otherness,” says executive director Peter DiMuro of this election cycle palate cleanser from the Dance Complex.
MIT HACKING ARTS CONFERENCE 9 A.M.-4:30 P.M., $35-$75 MIT MEDIA LAB 75 AMHERST ST., 6TH FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE Interested in the intersection of science and the arts? These eight expert panels will cover it all—“from fashion to virtual reality, biotech to dance and beyond.” TRASH BASH 2016 2-8 P.M., FREE AERONAUT BREWING CO. 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE Trash Bash is back! The fourth annual recycled art show comes to Aeronaut for a celebration of sustainability and creativity to benefit Somerville Local First. Prizes will be awarded for originality, best use of recycled content and more.
POETS & PINTS: PETER GIZZI, DAVID RIVARD AND MAGGIE DIETZ 6 P.M., FREE AERONAUT BREWERY, 14 TYLER ST., SOMERVILLE Porter Square Books and Aeronaut have teamed up for a new monthly series celebrating Cambridge and Somerville’s vibrant poetry community. You can mingle with writers and poetry fans at a social hour that kicks off the evening, then enjoy a reading from 7 to 8 p.m.
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CAITLIN MORAN 6 P.M., $5 BRATTLE THEATRE 40 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE Hilarious British journalist and How to Be a Woman author Caitlin Moran comes to the Brattle for a conversation about her new book, Moranifesto, with Boston Globe Love Letters columnist Meredith Goldstein.
ESTHER’S SEASONINGS A FAIR TO REMEMBER FREE 62 CLARENDON AVE., CAMBRIDGE For the last 17 years, Cambridge resident Esther Splaine has opened up her home each December for a holiday market, where she sells spices and herbal salves made from her vast garden along with honey from her beehives. She’s joined by local artisans selling an array of jewelry, crafts and fine foods. It’s a seasonal community event unlike anything you’ve ever attended. ILLUMINATIONS TOUR 4:30-10 P.M., PRICE TBA SOMERVILLE CITY HALL 93 HIGHLAND AVE., SOMERVILLE Somerville residents already know the transformation the city’s homes undergo each holiday season—the bright lights, the homemade ornaments, the incredible craftsmanship—and the annual trolley tour that takes you to see it all. If you’re not, well… trust us when we say you won’t want to miss this. JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH SHOWTIMES VARY, $20 LOEB DRAMA CENTER 64 BRATTLE ST., CAMBRIDGE If you’re not planning to catch the ever-so-slightly more scandalous Donkey Show at The A.R.T.’s other venue, OBERON, this family-friendly stage adaptation of James and the Giant Peach might be more your speed. JEWMONGOUS CLUB PASSIM 47 PALMER ST., CAMBRIDGE The “colicky, uncircumcised brain child of Sean Altman,” JEWMONGOUS performs unforgettable comedy anthems like “They Tried to Kill Us (We Survived, Let’s Eat),” an Irish drinking song called “Christian Baby Blood” and so much more. The songs are hilarious, wicked— and actually pretty catchy!
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SCOUT YOU
Photos by Adrianne Mathiowetz
Delighted dogs and runners at SomDog’s Tom Taylor Memorial Doggie 5K Fun Run.
Beverly Neugeboren relaxes with a book at Kenney Park.
Emy Phelps opens for Ramblin’ Jack Elliott at The Rockwell (formerly the Davis Square Theater). Wayne Goldstein gives his daughter Aubrey a push on the swings at Walnut Street Park.
Martha Friend speaks to the crowd before cutting the ribbon for the new “Friend Smithsonian Tiny Museum” at 135 Highland Ave.
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