Cambridge Civic Journal Forum

August 29, 2018

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 335-336: Aug 28, 2018

Episode 335 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 28, 2018 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 28, 2018 at 5:30pm. Topics: Sept 4 Primary, Emerald Ash Borer. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 336 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 28, 2018 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 28, 2018 at 6:00pm. Topics: new voting machines, MIT graduate student housing, new developments in Kendall Square, Alewife, Harvard Square. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

August 25, 2018

Tuesday, September 4, 2018 Primary – List of Offices & Candidates (Cambridge)

Filed under: Cambridge,elections — Tags: , , , , — Robert Winters @ 9:00 pm

Tuesday, September 4, 2018 Primary – List of Offices & Candidates (Cambridge)

If you are registered with any political party, you may only vote in that party’s primary. Unenrolled voters may choose to vote in any party primary. Choosing to vote in a particular party’s primary does NOT enroll you as a member of that party.

[Check your voter registration status]     [Where do I vote?]

Democratic Primary Republican Primary Libertarian Primary
SENATOR IN CONGRESS
ELIZABETH A. WARREN, 24 Linnaean St., Cambridge GEOFF DIEHL, 10 Village Way, Whitman
JOHN KINGSTON, 16 Chestnut St., Winchester
BETH JOYCE LINDSTROM, 161 Wharton Row, Groton
NO NOMINATION
GOVERNOR
JAY M. GONZALEZ, 62 Putnam St., Needham
BOB MASSIE, 140 Sycamore St., Somerville
CHARLES D. BAKER, 49 Monument Ave., Swampscott
SCOTT D. LIVELY, 453 State St., Springfield
NO NOMINATION
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
QUENTIN PALFREY, 683 Boston Post Rd., Weston
JIMMY TINGLE, 27 Lawrence St., Cambridge
KARYN E. POLITO, 2 Tatassit Cir., Shrewsbury NO NOMINATION
ATTORNEY GENERAL
MAURA HEALEY, 40 Winthrop St., Boston JAMES R. McMAHON, III, 14 Canal View Rd., Bourne
DANIEL L. SHORES, 2706 Hockley Dr., Hingham
NO NOMINATION
SECRETARY OF STATE
WILLIAM FRANCIS GALVIN, 46 Lake St., Boston
JOSH ZAKIM, 177 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
ANTHONY M. AMORE, 182 Norfolk Ave., Swampscott NO NOMINATION
TREASURER
DEBORAH B. GOLDBERG, 37 Hyslop Rd., Brookline KEIKO M. ORRALL, 120 Crooked Ln., Lakeville NO NOMINATION
AUDITOR
SUZANNE M. BUMP, 6 Hoe Shop St., Easton HELEN BRADY, 1630 Monument St., Concord DANIEL FISHMAN,
36 Colgate Rd., Beverly
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS – FIFTH DISTRICT (Wards 3-2A, 4-2, 4-3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10-1, 10-2) – MAP
KATHERINE M. CLARK, 64 Prospect St., Melrose JOHN HUGO, 20 Walnut St., Woburn
LOUIS KUCHNIR, 15 Foxhill Dr., Southborough
NO NOMINATION
REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS – SEVENTH DISTRICT (Wards 1, 2, 3-1, 3-2, 3-3, 4-1, 5, 10-3, 11)MAP
MICHAEL E. CAPUANO, 172 Central St., Somerville
AYANNA S. PRESSLEY, 1910 Dorchester Ave., Boston
NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
COUNCILLOR (Governor’s Council) – SIXTH DISTRICT
TERRENCE W. KENNEDY, 3 Stafford Rd., Lynnfield NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Senate – SECOND MIDDLESEX DISTRICT (Wards 9, 10, 11) – MAP
PATRICIA D. JEHLEN, 67 Dane St., Somerville NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Senate – MIDDLESEX & SUFFOLK DISTRICT (Wards 1, 2-1, 3, 4-2, 6, 7, 8)MAP
SAL N. DiDOMENICO, 125 Clarence St., Everett NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Senate – FIRST SUFFOLK & MIDDLESEX DISTRICT (Wards 2-2, 2-3, 4-1, 4-3, 5)MAP
JOSEPH A. BONCORE, 39 Sagamore Ave., Winthrop NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Representative – TWENTY-FOURTH MIDDLESEX DISTRICT (Ward 11-1, 11-3) – MAP
DAVID M. ROGERS, 18 Richard Ave., Cambridge NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Representative – TWENTY-FIFTH MIDDLESEX DISTRICT (Wards 4, 6-2, 6-3, 7, 8, 10-1, 10-2) – MAP
MARJORIE C. DECKER, 29 Raymond St., Cambridge
LESLEY REBECCA PHILLIPS, 1643 Cambridge St., Cambridge
NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Representative – TWENTY-SIXTH MIDDLESEX DISTRICT (Wards 1, 2-1, 3, 6-1) – MAP
MIKE CONNOLLY, 4 Ashburton Pl., Cambridge NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Representative – TWENTY-NINTH MIDDLESEX DISTRICT (Wards 9, 10-3, 11-2) – MAP
JONATHAN HECHT, 159 Russell Ave., Watertown NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
State Representative – EIGHTH SUFFOLK DISTRICT (Wards 2-2, 2-3, 5) – MAP
JAY D. LIVINGSTONE, 311 Commonwealth Ave., Boston NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
CLERK OF COURTS – MIDDLESEX COUNTY
MICHAEL A. SULLIVAN, 42 Huron Ave., Cambridge NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
REGISTER OF DEEDS – MIDDLESEX SOUTHERN DISTRICT
MARIA C. CURTATONE, 37 Munroe St., Somerville NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION
DISTRICT ATTORNEY – NORTHERN DISTRICT
MARIAN T. RYAN, 8 Bradford Rd., Belmont
DONNA PATALANO, 12 Norwood St., Winchester
NO NOMINATION NO NOMINATION

August 24, 2018

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Confirmed in Cambridge

Filed under: Cambridge — Tags: , , — Robert Winters @ 11:49 am

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Confirmed in Cambridge

Ash treeEmerald Ash BorerAug 23, 2018 – On Monday, August 20, 2018, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) confirmed that Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has been found in Cambridge. EAB is particularly concerning because of the speed at which it kills Ash trees, generally within 1-3 years. Standing dead ash trees present a public safety risk due to how quickly their brittle branches will fail.

The City of Cambridge was the first municipality in New England to develop a comprehensive treatment strategy to protect the ash tree population on city property. Healthy Ash trees on city property, including street trees, have been protected from EAB through proactive treatments of TreeAzin over the past 3 years. TreeAzin is a product derived from seed extracts of the Neem tree and is administered by injection at the trunk of the tree. TreeAzin is listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) for use in organic production in the U.S. This pesticide is not hazardous to humans or animals. For more information on the City’s treatment program for EAB, please visit: www.cambridgema.gov/EAB

How do I know if I have an Ash tree?
According to University of Connecticut College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources Tree Guide, Ash trees have four identifying features:

  1. Ash trees have compound leaves comprised of 7 to 11 leaflets.
  2. The twigs are smooth, rigid and grayish and resemble bones.
  3. The bark of mature trees is deeply furrowed.
  4. They have opposing branches.

Ash tree
excerpted from http://clear.uconn.edu/info/EAB_quick_reference_guide.pdf

I have an Ash tree. What do I do?
If you have an ash tree on your property, please consider one of the following:

  • Treat – If you have not yet begun a treatment program, we recommend that you work with a certified arborist to develop an ongoing treatment plan for your Ash tree. It is far more cost-effective to treat a healthy Ash tree than it is to remove it. You can find a certified arborist at www.massarbor.org.
  • Remove – Dead and dying trees become a risk for public safety. Remove and replace unhealthy Ash trees with different species. Doing nothing may put you and your property at unnecessary risk.

For additional questions or concerns regarding Emerald Ash Borer in Cambridge, contact the City’s Urban Forestry staff at cambridgetree@cambridgema.gov.

Emerald Ash Borer Fact Sheet (DCR)

August 22, 2018

New ImageCast Voting System for the City of Cambridge

Filed under: Cambridge,elections — Tags: , — Robert Winters @ 11:29 am

New ImageCast Voting System for the City of Cambridge

The City of Cambridge is thrilled to announce the launch of the newly acquired ImageCast Vote Tabulators which will be utilized for the first time for the upcoming State Primary, Tuesday, September 4, 2018. We wanted to give our voters a brief introduction to the new equipment to provide a glimpse of what to expect on Election Day. While the design of the new tabulator is similar to the AccuVote system used in past elections, there are some new features which improve its usability. The new design makes it easier to navigate and is more user-friendly. Election workers at each polling location have been trained to assist the voter, if needed, during their introduction to the new equipment. One of the new features of the ImageCast Vote Tabulator is that the voter will be able to see if their ballot has been cast successfully or if a ballot error has been detected. If an error is detected, the voter will be provided with the option of having the ballot returned to them to make the correction or to cast the ballot without correction. After an option has been selected by the voter they will then proceed with casting their ballot. Voters are advised to watch the LCD screen on the tabulator to confirm that their ballot has been successfully cast.

ImageCast ImageCast

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 333-334: Aug 21, 2018

Episode 333 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 21, 2018 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 21, 2018 at 5:30pm. Topics: Envision Cambridge, Affordable Housing Overlay proposal. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 334 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 21, 2018 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 21, 2018 at 6:00pm. Topics: Central Square Mural Project, Neon lights!, OldTime Baseball. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

August 15, 2018

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 331-332: Aug 14, 2018

Episode 331 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 14, 2018 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 14, 2018 at 5:30pm. Topics: EMF landmark study, St. James housing, Brown Petition fallout, flat roofs, and more. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]


Episode 332 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 14, 2018 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 14, 2018 at 6:00pm. Topics: OldTime Baseball, Central Sq. murals, Surveillance Tech. Ordinance and Plan E Charter, civic opportunities, and upcoming primary. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube] [audio]

[Materials used in these episodes]

August 14, 2018

Tight spot on Huron Avenue

Filed under: Cambridge,cycling — Tags: , , , , , , — jsallen @ 1:01 pm

I am expanding here on comments which I made on a post in the Cambridge Bikes Facebook group.

The overhead view from the post shows a stretch of Huron Avenue near Sparks Street.

Huron Avenue and Sparks Street, Cambiridge, Massachusetts

Huron Avenue and Sparks Street

I see here a retrofit to a car-centric street design in an attempt to accommodate bicyclists of all ages and abilities, a popular goal of bicycling advocacy.

This stretch is downhill right to left in the overhead view. A common explanation for the buffer (diagonally-striped area) to the left of the bike lane is that it is to protect cyclists from overtaking motorists — but it places the bike lane in the door zone. A bike lane in the door zone is unsafe for any bicyclists, but it is worse here. Motorists don’t have x-ray vision. A look in the driver’s side mirror won’t show a bicyclist until rather late on a right-hand curve: bicyclists are hidden by the parked cars behind. Bicyclists can travel as fast or nearly as fast as cars here, also worsening the dooring hazard. and do best to merge out and ride in the stream of motor traffic. This also improves sight distance for motorists who might (horrors!) have to slow a little to follow a bicyclist.

On the other side of the street, the bike lane leads bicyclists into the right-hook zone at Sparks Street in the expectation that all right-turning motorists will yield. The green-painted crossing is an attempt to accommodate bicyclists who do not check for traffic behind them, whether due to lack of skill, a stiff neck, inattention or misplaced trust. But, not all motorists yield. A bicyclist needs to be extra careful here, casting a look over the shoulder, and preferably merging left to block a right-turning motorist or let that motorist pass on the right.

Is it actually possible to design safely for all ages and abilities here? A speed hump could help by slowing motor traffic. Removing parking spaces would make a big improvement, but parking spaces are sacred to residents and business owners, and illegal parking (as in the bike lane on the south side) is tolerated as a minor sin. Moving the legal parking to the uphill, soutth side, would reduce the dooring risk. On the south side, bicyclist are traveling more slowly and sight lines are better.

But above all, a major change in motorists’ behavior is needed — a cultural change: reduction in speed, and respect for bicyclists who safely far enough from the parked vehicles to avoid dooring. Attempting to bring about bicycling accessible to people of all ages and abilities using paint first, without the public will to step up enforcement, gets things backwards. In the mean time, children might ride slowly on the sidewalk, but grownups do best to use defensive driving techniques, as I have described.  The major motorist behavior change can be expected (with autonomous vehicles) — in a decade or three.  If  shared use becomes dominant with motor vehicles, there also will be less need for parking spaces and that would be good too.

August 7, 2018

Cambridge InsideOut Episodes 329-330: Aug 7, 2018

Episode 329 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 7, 2018 (Part 1)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 7, 2018 at 5:30pm. Main topics: Buildings going up in Central Square and elsewhere, Central Square Cultural District, St. James Church housing development and obstructionism. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube]


Episode 330 – Cambridge InsideOut: Aug 7, 2018 (Part 2)

This episode was broadcast on Aug 7, 2018 at 6:00pm. Main topics: Some background on unsavory settlements, petition to landmark EMF building, some ideas on Central Square Arts Overlay. Hosts: Judy Nathans, Robert Winters [On YouTube]

[Materials used in these episodes]

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