Cambridge News Weekly

All dressed up and nowhere to go

 

By William Tauro

With only a handful of available parking spaces along Cambridge Street in East Cambridge, some merchants are up in arms that their customers have nowhere to park. According to a source, "this is a familiar site as you pass along Cambridge Street." We noticed that Middlesex County Sheriff Department vehicles were parked just about everywhere. They are constantly parked all day long at the meters over the two hour limit and as you can see this cruiser's driver decided that it must be ok to be parked in a tow zone. It's a problem that has been getting worst month after month and year after year according to local store owners. "Sheriff vehicles just have no where to go" said one shop keeper that wishes to remain anonymous. He also noted that "the sheriff should find some alternative parking spaces for his cruisers to give the shop keepers on Cambridge Street a little break so that our customers can have some place to park."

Parking tickets in the cold

 

By William Tauro

Cambridge Parking Control officer Anthony Garcia places a parking violation on a car parked in front of 462 Cambridge St. Despite frigid temperatures and strong winds gusting in his face, Garcia continues to beat a path down Cambridge Street.

Indie Rock Artist Kirsten DeHaan Playing in Somerville and Cambridge on January 10 and 11

 

Kirsten DeHaan's latest album 'Thorns On a Crown' launched in October. You can preview her entire album at www.sirladyexperience.com or at http://www.myspace.com/kirstendehaan which also includes her current tour schedule. You can also follow her latest developments on http://twitter.com/SirLadyExp.

Cambridge Community Blood Drive Dec. 31

Cambridge Community Blood Drive
Thursday, Dec. 31, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Cambridge Public Library
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St.

This December, donating blood is not just about giving, it’s about giving back. The American Red Cross is teaming up with Best Buy and Wachusett Mountain to help maintain an adequate blood supply in our communities. All presenting blood donors can enter to wina PLASMA TV or a $50 BEST BUY Gift Card and will receive a $5 off coupon from Wachusett Mountain!

 For Appointments, call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.givelife.org

Flu Vaccine Available for All Cambridge Residents and Workers and Students

 

This year Cambridge public health nurses have been dispensing two vaccines for flu. While delivery of both vaccines was significantly delayed in October and November,  the vaccine supply, particularly of H1N1, also known as swine flu vaccine, is increasing every week. Seasonal flu vaccine supplies are more limited, but currently  there is enough to offer to anyone who wants it.

The Old Aluminum Christmas Tree

Jimmy Del Ponte On The Silly Side (The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of the Cambridge News Weekly belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Cambridge News Weekly, its staff or publishers.) It came in a box with a stand and a pole, and branches that fit snuggly into each hole. No strings of lights came along with the deal, to light it up you needed a color wheel.

Cambridge Mayor boycotts Hyatt

 

 

By William Tauro 

Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons sent a letter  Wednesday to the  Hyatt Hotel Corp President, Mark Hoplamazian, telling him that the City of Cambridge would not do any further business with the Hotel chain unless the 98 local housekeepers that were fired get the positions reinstated. The letter stated:" This is the season for charity and neighborliness and it is not too late for the Hyatt Corporation to do the right thing."

24-hour house arrest for Senator Anthony Galluccio

By William Tauro Today Cambridge district Judge Matthew Nestor scheduled a Jan 4th hearing to decide if Senator Galluccio will go to jail for a probation violation due to failing several breathalyzer tests this week. Originally the judge agreed on Galluccio's terms of probation which was to allow the senator to leave home to cast a vote in the Senate and to attend church services. Now the Senator is under 24-hour house arrest will not be allowed to leave his home until the upcoming hearing. If the senator is found in violation of his probation at the January surrender hearing, he could face up to a year in jail. Galluccio blames the false reading on the breathalyzer on his use of toothpastes that contain sorbitol as an ingredient.

Galluccio Blames Alcohol Violation on Toothpaste

By William Tauro Sen. Anthony Galluccio pleaded guilty last week on two charges of leaving the scene of an accident on Oct. 4. He was later sentenced to six months of home confinement and subject to random alcohol testing, surrendered his drivers license and ordered to stay away from alcohol by a Middlesex judge. After retuning from court, Galluccio's probation officer placed the senator in violation of his probation for testing positive after several tests on a court-issued breathalyzer that was installed in his Cambridge home.

Residents air views on Yard 8 alternatives

Dave Boate, a project manager for the MBTA Green Line extension, shares a presentation on the pros and cons of three proposed maintenance sites at a Dec. 16 public hearing in Cambridge. ~Photo by Tom Nash By Tom Nash Cambridge and Somerville residents had another chance to register their opposition to proposed sites for a maintenance facility for the Green Line Extension Project at a public hearing held by state officials last week. The Green Line extension will reach from the current terminus at Lechmere Station through Medford and Union Square. As a part of the project, MBTA officials insist a maintenance facility needs to be placed in the area. The site they chose, a lot known as Yard 8, adjacent to the Brickbottom Artist Community, has raised the ire of both residents and city officials.

Better late then never

 

By William Tauro

Workers from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and the Boston Community Boating division on the Charles River backup a piggyback trailer full of sailboats on this frigid winter afternoon, three days before Christmas.The boats were recently plucked from the icy Charles River where they were moored all season long and will now spend the remainder of the winter in a garage carved into and under the McGrath Highway overpass on Lower McGrath Highway in Somerville.The boats are used during the spring and summer months for training sailing students around the Boston and Cambridge river front.

Cambridge Engine 5 making it safe

 

By William Tauro

Cambridge Fire Department's Engine 5 patrolling the city for any safety hazards that they may encounter while on call. After a recent snow storm  we had last weekend, keeping fire hydrants and intersections clear of snow is one on the fire department's top priorities in keeping Cambridge safe.

Walk/Ride to Work on Last Friday of the Month

The City of Cambridge and Green Streets Initiative invite you to participate in Walk/Ride Days, which occur on the last Friday of every month.  On these days, people everywhere are invited to go, and wear green. The Green Streets Initiative is a grassroots organization of people from Cambridge, Massachusetts and surrounding cities, who celebrate, promote, and advocate for the use of alternative transportation.

Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons invites everyone, old and young, to participate in 9 or more Walk/Ride Days in 2009! The Mayor will hold a special reception in January 2010, with prizes, awards and more.  To find out more, visit: http://www.gogreenstreets.org/2009/01/cambridge-mayors-9-in-09-walkride-day-challenge.html.

Learn more about Green Streets Iniative at:
http://www.gogreenstreets.org/

Snow Emergency Parking Ban Lifted at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20

Property Owners Must Clear Sidewalks.

After a major snowstorm, the Department of Public Works (DPW) will clear streets as soon as possible, starting with major arteries.  Please don’t take it personally if we plow snow back into your driveway, but as we work to keep streets passable, it is often unavoidable.

The City’s goals of keeping streets open, returning streets and sidewalks to safe, travelable conditions quickly and keeping them clear and accessible can only be accomplished with your participation. 

Somerville lawyer is sentenced to 2-3 years in state prison in connection with mortgage stacking scheme

NEW BEDFORD - Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office announced the sentence of a former Somerville real estate attorney in connection with making false statements on mortgage applications and associated documents and using the funds secured from the loans for his own purposes, rather than paying off existing loans as directed by the new lenders. On September 28, 2009, Kevin Carey, age 49, of Middleboro, pled guilty in Middlesex Superior Court to the charges of Larceny Over $250 (8 counts) and Willfully Making a False Statement Regarding Financial Condition or Assets (7 counts). Today, Superior Court Judge D. Lloyd MacDonald sentenced Carey to two to three years in State Prison, followed by 10 years probation. Carey is also ordered to pay $2.6 million in restitution.

Cambridge under snow

 

By William Tauro

Cambridge got it's share of the white stuff. With a parking ban still in effect and with only five more shopping days until Christmas, local merchants are hoping for a small miracle that will attract shoppers in their direction today. The DPW has done a great job clearing the streets and making travel safe for motorist as well as making travel more easier for the holiday shoppers.

Snow Emergency Parking Ban in Effect Saturday, Dec. 19 at 10 p.m.

 

When a Snow emergency is declared, parking is prohibited on streets signed “No Parking during Snow Emergency." Check signs carefully.  For information on School Closings, call 617-349-6513.  For information on City program cancellation, contact the respective organization.

A list and map of prohibited streets can be viewed by clicking on the Snow Storm Procedures link of the Traffic Dept. Website at www.cambridgema.gov/traffic.  Some parking garages will provide free parking for a limited time during a declared snow emergency. Call 617-349-4700 or visit above website.

For more information, also visit the DPW Website www.cambridgema.gov/snow.
A new feature on this site will allow you to report unsafe sidewalks.

Galluccio receives sentence for hit-and-run crash

By William Tauro State Sen. Anthony Galluccio pleaded guilty today in Cambridge District Court for an Oct. 4 hit-and-run accident that injured a 13-year-old Cambridge boy. The 42-year-old former Cambridge mayor was sentenced to six months home confinement, with the stipulation that he can leave his home to attend church on Sundays to cast votes at the State House. Galluccio was also ordered to surrender his drivers license for five years, and will be subject to random alcohol and drug testing. He was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine. Galluccio had been convicted of drunken driving charges twice before the October incident, in 1984 and 1997.

Harvard Square bracing for this weekend's storm

By William Tauro

Harvard Square's outdoor book market prepares for this weekend's storm that will be arriving bringing snow and frigid temperatures along with it. City workers are hoping that bicycle owners who have their cycles chained to the bike rack will have them removed early enough to avoid any accidental collisions with snowplows when they are out and about this weekend.

Old Toys

Jimmy Del Ponte On The Silly Side (The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of the Cambridge News Weekly belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of the Cambridge News Weekly, its staff or publishers.) Christmas is all about toys right? Of course it isn't - but it is for kids. This column is all about the toys we asked for back when we were kids. The toys we begged our parents for when we saw those great commercials on TV. The toys that looked so much better on TV than when we actually got them. The toys that sometimes were broken by noon on Christmas Day.

Soverign Bank on Massachusetts Ave robbed

   

By William Tauro

The Sovereign Bank located on 515 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge was robbed about 10:40am this morning. The suspect fled onto Massachusetts Ave on foot dropping debris that has turned into evidence in front of 563 Mass Ave just after a bank die pack exploded on his clothing.

Somerville writer Mo Lotman documents Davis Square's cousin:Cambridge's Harvard Square

By Doug Holder Off The Shelf The first thing I noticed when I opened up Mo Lotman's impressive illustrated history of Harvard Square was a picture of the Tasty Sandwich Shop. It closed a number of years ago, and it was right next to an equally defunct restaurant the "Wursthaus." I used to frequent the "Wursthaus" for their marvelous selection of beers, the beauty of their Bratwurst, and to dodge the barbs from the ancient waitresses. The Tasty on the other hand was only a counter, but it served an excellent cup of coffee in an old fashioned mug, and there was always the comforting sight of hotdogs simmering on a grill in a sea of grease. The counterman used to call me "smiley" because of my own frequently pensive mug. Anyway, although I have lived in my beloved burg of Somerville for the past 15 years, Harvard Square has been an equally important part of my experience since I arrived on the shores of the Charles River in the 1970's to attend college.

Cambridge Police has no time for nonsense

 

By William Tauro

Cambridge police motorcycle units on each side of Massachusetts Avenue at the 600 block stopped two motor vehicles simultaneously for two different moving violations. The Cambridge police traffic unit is cracking down full throttle on traffic offenders in the Central Square area that don't obey the everydaytraffic laws.

Cambridge Police out in full force this holiday season

 

By William Tauro

Cambridge Police cruiser car-224 pulls over a van at the intersection of Cambridge and Second Street on a motor vehicle violation.

Store security wrestle shoplifter to ground

 

By William Tauro

Three Cambridge Police cruisers respond to a call at the Galleria Mall. The call came in as a report of a shoplifter resisting arrest and being wrestled to the ground by store security in front of a store on the third floor. This incident occurred at 12:43 pm on Monday.

Gasoline leak in Harvard Square

 

By William Tauro

Cambridge Fire Department units were dispatched for a motor vehicle leaking gasoline in front of 30 Dunster Street in Harvard Square at 11:35am Monday. Emergency crews stabilized the situation then Cambridge Police had the vehicle towed for as safety hazard. Cambridge DPW crews soon arrived and cleaned the area.

2010 Annual Melvin H. Chalfen, MD, Lecture on Public Health

 

Cambridge Health Alliance presents the 7th Annual Melvin H. Chalfen, MD, Lecture on Public Health, featuring Paul B. Batalden, MD, a professor of pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School and director of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Leadership Preventive Medicine Residency Program. Over his 40-year career, Dr. Batalden has made significant contributions to the fields of medical education and health care quality. His presentation will focus on clinical microsystems within healthcare, defined as small groups of people who work together regularly to provide care to discrete patient populations, as a framework for improving health delivery. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Water main leak in East Cambridge

 

By William Tauro

City of Cambridge Water Department worker Jack Terrio turns off water that is
leaking at a rapid flow onto the street at the intersection of Gore and Sixth Street around 5:25pm Saturday night. A water main rupture caused treacherous conditions due to the frigid temperatures which turned the street into a sheet of ice. The Department of Public Works arrived shortly after to sand the area to prevent any accidents from occurring.

Somerville Lions Club's president pushing to form a Cambridge Lion's Club

Somerville Lions Club President, Bill Tauro Somerville Lions Club and it's president Bill Tauro are forming and sponsoring a new "Cambridge Lions Club." The city of Cambridge has not had an active Lions club in quite some time. Tauro said that "Past Somerville Lions Club president Ann Sabbey had begun spinning the wheels on this idea a couple years ago, but now we can help give her idea a little boost with some new ideas and helping hands. Lions 33k District Governor Ned Merrick and Vice District Governor Joyce Hogan showed much interest in the idea and agreed that they would be interested in helping out to assist the clubs to get the historic task accomplished.

Mayor & Vice Mayor to Host Forum on Central Square’s Future Dec. 16

  Mayor E. Denise Simmons and Vice Mayor Sam Seidel will host a forum entitled Central Square: Discussing The Present, Envisioning The Future on Wednesday, Dec. 16, from 6 – 8:30 p.m., in the Sullivan Chamber of Cambridge City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Ave.

This forum is part of the City’s ongoing efforts to take stock of this bustling area of Cambridge, and to determine how all the area’s stakeholders can play active roles in establishing an even brighter future for it. This event is open to the general public, as the Mayor and Vice Mayor hope to engage the diverse mix of people who live, shop, work in, and pass through Central Square each day.