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Tonight’s Meeting Regarding Transportation of Ethanol will be Shortened, Rescheduled

16 Apr

Due to the tragic and disturbing nature of the events that occurred at yesterday’s Boston Marathon, the Cambridge state legislative delegation has chosen to abbreviate a meeting regarding the transportation of ethanol that was originally planned for 6pm this evening at the King Open School. The delegation has decided that it will go forward with the meeting in a shortened format, and will postpone the presentation of a Massachusetts Department of Transportation safety study by Department officials. Residents who still wish to attend will have an opportunity to discuss their questions and comments with their elected representatives. Residents who attend the meeting will also be able to obtain copies of MassDOT’s safety study presentation.

The Cambridge delegation plans to reschedule a full meeting with Department of Transportation officials and will announce the rescheduled meeting’s date, time, and location in the coming days.

MassDOT’s ethanol safety study and related documents can be found at http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/planning/Main/CurrentStudies/EthanolSafetyStudy.aspx

Somerville Athletic Fields Survey – Only Two Days Left

13 Mar

The City of Somerville is asking for your feedback and suggestions about how to improve the City’s athletic fields. This is your chance to make an impact on Somerville’s parks and green spaces, and the City needs to hear from you.

Please take a moment to fill out this survey. You’ll be asked your opinion about the current state of the City’s fields and what you’d like to see from them going forward. All responses are strictly confidential. The survey will close on March 15, so don’t delay!

MEMA Offers Tips for Staying Safe in Extreme Cold

22 Jan

The following is a press release from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA).

FRAMINGHAM, MA – “With the forecast of extremely cold temperatures and severe wind chill over the next few days, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is presenting these cold weather safety tips,” stated MEMA Director Kurt Schwartz.

  • Continue to be aware of the timing of extreme weather conditions by monitoring Media reports.
  • Make sure you always have a well-stocked Winter Home Emergency Supply Kit that includes flashlights, portable radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, bottled water, non-perishable food, a manual can opener extra heavy blankets.
  • Minimize outside activities, particularly the elderly and very young. Also, consider your pets.
  • Dress in several layers of loose-fitting, lightweight clothing, rather than a single layer of heavy clothing. Outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Wear a hat, mittens and sturdy waterproof boots, protecting your extremities. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
  • Excessive exposure can lead to frostbite, which is damaging to body tissue that is frozen. Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and a pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, seek medical help immediately.
  • Hypothermia can occur in extreme cases. The warning signs are uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If the person’s temperature drops below 95 degrees, seek immediate medical care.
  • Ensure you have sufficient heating fuel, as well as emergency heating equipment in case you lose electricity. Remember that unvented kerosene heaters are illegal in Massachusetts.
  • Call Mass211 or check with your local Emergency Management Office to find the locations of any Warming Centers that may be open in your community.

-more-

  • When utilizing alternate heating sources, such as your fireplace, wood stove, space heater or a generator, take the necessary safety precautions. Keep the heat sources 3-feet away from anything that can catch fire. Turn off space heaters when going to bed or leaving the house.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher handy; ensuring everyone knows how to use it properly. Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors.
  • If you lose your heat, seal off unused rooms by stuffing towels in the cracks under the doors. At night, cover windows with extra blankets or sheets.
  • Food provides the body with energy for producing its own heat.
  • Be a good neighbor. Check with elderly or relatives and friends who may need additional assistance to ensure their safety.
  • To keep pipes from freezing, wrap them in insulation or layers of newspapers, covering the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture. Allow a trickle of warm water to run from a faucet that is farthest from your water meter or one that has frozen in the past. This will keep the water moving so that it cannot freeze. Learn how to shut off your water if a pipe bursts.
  • If pipes freeze, remove insulation, completely open all faucets and pour hot water over the pipes or wrap them with towels soaked in hot water, starting where they are most exposed to the cold. A hand-held hair dryer, used with caution, also works well.
  • Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
  • Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night. By temporarily suspending the use of lower nighttime temperatures, you may incur a higher heating bill, but you can prevent a much more costly repair job if pipes freeze and burst.
  • Make sure your car is properly winterized. Keep the gas tank at least half-full. Carry a Winter Emergency Car Kit in the trunk including blankets, extra clothing, flashlight with spare batteries, a can and waterproof matches (to melt snow for drinking water), non-perishable foods, windshields scraper, shovel, sand, towrope and jumper cables.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) is the state agency responsible for coordinating federal, state, local, voluntary and private resources during emergencies and disasters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. MEMA provides leadership to: develop plans for effective response to all hazards, disasters or threats; train emergency personnel to protect the public; provide information to the citizenry; and assist individuals, families, businesses and communities to mitigate against, prepare for, and respond to and recover from emergencies, both natural and man made. For additional information about MEMA and Winter Preparedness, go to www.mass.gov/mema. Also, continue to follow MEMA updates on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MassEMA; Facebook at www.facebook.com/MassachusettsEMA. Download the free ping4alert! app to your Smartphone to receive important weather alerts and emergency messages from MEMA. Easy instructions are available at www.mass.gov/mema/mobileapp.

Flu Myths and Realities

16 Jan

In recent days, a talk radio host who I won’t name told his listeners not to get a flu shot because it would make them sick. The radio host went on to say that while there’s no evidence the flu vaccine causes autism, you shouldn’t blame him if you get the flu vaccine and go on to develop autism.

All of this is rubbish. More than that, it’s dangerous.

Some facts:

  • The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.
  • The flu vaccine does not give you autism or any other illness, disease, or disorder.
  • People who are not immunized against the flu can transmit the virus to other people, particularly the very young and the very old. You do not need to fall ill with the flu to give it to someone else.
  • This year’s flu vaccine immunizes patients against three strains of the flu. The vaccine has proved remarkably effective in preventing the flu among recipients.
  • The reason we’re seeing people still coming down with the flu despite the best efforts of doctors and public health officials is because not everyone has gotten a flu shot.

As you can see here in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s weekly reports, the Commonwealth saw a major spike in doctors treating influenza-like illnesses at the end of last year. But historically, the flu tends to make a comeback every February, which is why the DPH is still urging people to get flu shots. The vaccine can take up to two weeks to be integrated into your immune system, which means that if you haven’t done so already, you should GET A FLU SHOT. Cantabrigians and Somervillians can learn more about how to get a free flu shot here.

The DPH has already distributed 760,000 free vaccines across the state, with another 28,000 on its way. Thanks to the hard work of the folks at DPH, Massachusetts is in line to receive a vaccine for children of low-income families in February once the CDC certifies that particular vaccine. DPH has also issued guidelines to the Commonwealth’s pharmacists to allow them to make their own generic versions of Tamiflu in case local shortages occur. We have the tools to beat the flu, we just need to use them properly.

The flu vaccine works. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

Kendall Square is a Model for Smart Urban Renewal

15 Jan

An opinion piece from Paul McMorrow in today’s Boston Globe speaks of Kendall Square in glowing terms. You should read the whole article, but here’s the key paragraph:

With a smart blend of retail, R&D, office space, and housing, Kendall Square has become a model of urban revitalization. Image via Boston Globe.

With a smart blend of retail, R&D, office space, and housing, Kendall Square has become a model of urban revitalization. Image via Boston Globe.

As mega-developments in Boston’s Seaport, Somerville’s Assembly Square, and Quincy Center speed ahead, Kendall Square’s revitalization effort, which is dominated by funky independent retailers, stands out as an important test case. Real-estate firms used to dealing with bland chains are making money in Kendall Square, not in spite of going independent, but because they’ve gone independent. Kendall landlords have created a neighborhood that’s a better place for everyone — their investors, small entrepreneurs, corporate tenants, residents, and the wider Boston region. So now, in places like the Seaport and Assembly Square and Quincy, the choices are stark: Either follow the Kendall model, or construct corporate neighborhoods that could appear on any airport mall road in the country.

The revitalization of Kendall Square has been a focal point of my public service, and we’re applying the lessons we learned in Cambridge to the new development at Assembly Square in Somerville. Unlike Mr. McMorrow, I don’t see development as an either-or proposition, and we certainly didn’t rebuild Kendall Square by pretending any one of us had a monopoly on answers. But as Mr. McMorrow points out, Kendall Square “is humming because neighborhood leaders paid attention to who was filling those empty storefronts.”

A scale model of the new Assembly Square.

A scale model of the new Assembly Square.

I’ve been around long enough to remember when Kendall Square wasn’t such a hotspot. When I was growing up in East Cambridge, big-name chefs wouldn’t even think about setting up shop here, and we certainly couldn’t call ourselves the most innovative square mile on the planet. But we always knew Kendall’s best days were ahead of it—and I believe they still are. All it takes is some hard work, some patience, and a lot of passion from the local community.

The Kendall Square development model worked, and I’m proud to have played a role in this success story. With a little luck and a lot of elbow grease, we’ll be saying the same thing about Assembly Square soon.

Where to Get a Free Flu Shot

14 Jan

I just want to reiterate one point from my previous post that might not have been clear. When I wrote, “Get a flu shot. Let me repeat that: GET A FLU SHOT,” I left out one important word: “free.”

The Cities of Cambridge and Somerville are offering free flu shots.

In Cambridge, the Public Health Department is providing free vaccinations at 119 Windsor St. every Wednesday from 9am-1pm and every Thursday from 1pm to 4pm. To schedule your appointment, call 617-665-3826. There is no charge for these shots, but people with health insurance are encouraged to bring their insurance cards. 

In Somerville, you can get a free flu shot at the City Hall Annex (50 Evergreen Ave.) every Thursday from 5pm-7pm. Somerville’s free flu vaccines will only be distributed until January 31, and like Cambridge, neighbors are encouraged but not required to bring their health insurance cards. You can call the Public Health Nurses at 617-625-6600, ext. 4320 if you have any questions.

Of course, if you’re 18 or older, you can always get a flu shot at a pharmacy. Most Massachusetts health insurance plans cover flu shots, so just call ahead to the pharmacy to make sure they can take you, and go get that flu shot!

Fighting Back Against the Flu

11 Jan
Fight the flu! Knowing is half the battle!

Fight the flu! Knowing is half the battle!

The word “epidemic” sounds so dire, but the numbers don’t lie: we’re in the middle of a bad, bad flu season. Last year, Boston reported 70 cases of the flu. This year? 700. And it’s only January.

It’s the worst year for the flu since 2009, according to the Boston Public Health Commission, and it’s not just confined to Boston. Our neighbors across the river have declared a public health emergency, and given the fact that the flu hits children and seniors hardest, I think they were right to do so.

So, how do you keep the flu at bay? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have a comprehensive guide, but these are the most important steps you can take:

  • Get a flu shot. Let me repeat that: GET A FLU SHOT. Even if you don’t fall ill with the flu, you can still serve as a carrier for the virus, which in turn can make other people sick. BPH executive director Dr. Barbara Ferrer tells us, ’The less immunizations that we have around people who are surrounding babies, the greater chances that small infants who cannot get immunized will get ill with influenza. So we’re urging people — whether you do it for yourself or you do it for people you love, this is the time to get immunized.”
  • Once you’ve gotten your flu shot, preventing the flu almost becomes a matter of manners. Wash your hands. Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Try not to rub your eyes or your nose after touching a dirty surface. The CDC has a much more comprehensive list of flu prevention techniques here, but basically, if you can do what kindergarten teachers ask of their students, you’ll help control the spread of the flu.
  • Ok, so what if you do all of that and you still start to run a fever? Step one is push fluids and rest: give your body’s immune system a fighting chance. Step two is to stay home from work (or, if your children fall ill, keep them home from school). The Boston Public Health Commission reports that Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan have been hit hardest by the flu, and health officials say that’s because those communities are home to a large number of workers who get less paid sick leave than other workers. Employers need to understand this as a matter of not only their employees’ health but also of dollars and cents: one employee missing three days of work is a far more profitable scenario than a dozen employees each missing three days of work.
  • Finally, and perhaps obviously, call your doctor. You may be a good fit for an antiviral drug prescription, but only a trained physician can say for sure.

Good health and good luck to all of you.

Washington Post Discovers Somerville Culture

21 Dec
A schematic of

A schematic of “Stompy,” one of the many eclectic projects at Artisan’s Asylum. Image via Artisan’s Asylum.

Well hi there, Washington Post, good of you to drop by!

The Post’s Robin Soslow spent some time in the ‘Ville recently, and she’s put together a nice write-up on the funky, craftsy, DIY-inspired culture that makes Somerville such a fantastic place to live. You can read her story here.

Personally, I’d like to check out “Stompy” over at Artisan’s Asylum, which Soslow describes as “ a 4,000-pound, 18-foot-wide, 135-horsepower six-legged robot designed to carry two riders and 1,000 pounds of payload over rubble, rocks and water.”

If you live in Somerville, it’s likely that none of this is news to you. Still, if you’re ever looking for something to do, this article’s a good reminder that for Somerville residents, fun is never far from home.

Shop Local on Black Friday

23 Nov

Black Friday is upon us, and I, for one, am going to try to avoid the crowds. But if you do go shopping today, I hope you’ll spend some time in Cambridge and Somerville’s small businesses. The lines will be shorter, your gifts will feel more personal, and you’ll contribute to our local economy.

The East Cambridge Business Association and the Somerville Business & Professional Association both maintain lists of their members, so you can find local businesses more easily. And remember, our local businesses are more than just places to buy gifts: these organizations include some of our communities’ best restaurants, and every shopaholic needs a bite to eat (you’re not supposed to literally shop ’til you drop).

The big box stores in our neighborhoods offer a huge array of gift options, but don’t overlook the little guys. To paraphrase an old saying, the best gifts come from small businesses.

Applications Now Available for 2013 Grants from Somerville Arts Council

20 Sep

Grant funding is available from the Somerville Arts Council for individuals, schools, community groups, and non-profits. These local cultural council grants are typically used for funding after-school and summer programs, artist residencies and fellowships, school field trips, exhibitions, public concerts, and more. They are a great resource for the local artists and organizations that make Somerville a vibrant and interesting place to live.

If you would like more information about how to apply for a LCC grant through the Somerville Arts Council, please attend one of their two upcoming information sessions:

Thursday, September 20th, 6-7:30 pm
Somerville Public Library, West Branch
40 College Ave

Monday, September 24th, 6-7:30 pm
Cross Street Senior Center
165 Broadway

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