Chicken and the Hill.

William Tauro recently posted about the closing of the KFC on Broadway and Cross Street for the Somerville News, resulting in some commenting about Winter Hill and East Somerville. Take a look.

The Gobble View from Magoun Square

Here's a view of yesterday's Somerville Road Runners Thanksgiving Gobble Gobble Gobble. Can you find yourself??

We have a lot to catch up on...

Here we go:

1) There was a discussion about the Somerville 48 hour parking rule on yelp (started by a Winter Hill neighbor):
http://www.yelp.com/topic/boston-somerville-48-hour-parking-rule-with-residential-permit

2) Danielle Dreilinger wrote about 'More cyclists are hitting the road in Somerville', noting that:"Bike use was notably low in Winter Hill and Assembly Square. Joggers, meanwhile, love the Community Path, and more people jog after work than before.":
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/somerville/2011/10/more_cyclists_are_hitting_the.html

3) Mitch is trying to rent out an off-street parking spot in Winter Hill:
http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/prk/2632684906.html

4) The Bicycling New Historic Somerville brochure is online with Winter Hill hotspots (sorry I missed the actual event way back in May):
http://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/2011-FinalBrochure.pdf

5) This is cool. Mose Berkowitz-Urban Appreciator takes a stroll through Winter Hill:
http://moseberkowitz.com/blog/somerville-survey-winter-hill–-working-class-roots-uncovered-in-modern-times

6) Vegetarians in Winter Hill looking for a roomate (well, I'm assuming they are also vegetarian; otherwise it would just be weird:
$500 Nov. 1: Two Professionals Seek Vegetarian, Male Roommate (Winter Hill, Somerville)

7) A Winter Hill Resident expresses their thoughts about the Green Line Extension:
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x463307693/Letter-Green-Line-Extension-reason-for-moving-to-Somerville

Ok, we'll leave it at that for now. There are two other items that we should be discussing in the near future:

1) The race for Ward 4 Alderman on Tuesday Nov. 8th. If you would like to get to know some of the players, check out:

http://www.tonylafuente.com/

http://christinebarber4somerville.com/

and, this is the big one:

2) Somerville's First Foodie Crawl is Oct. 25, 6-9:30pm! Get your tickets in advance; this will undoubtedly be a good time.

The Somerville Grocery Dilemma

Boston Globe Correspondent Taryn Luna recently reported on the obstacles and now Danielle Dreilinger takes us through the key points in the debate on the opening of a WalMart Market in Somerville; complete with awesome Somerville infographic!

By Danielle Dreilinger, Globe Correspondent

In Somerville, it's not just Mayor Joe Curtatone who has an opinion about Walmart's interest in opening its first grocery store in New England. Everyone is talking. Let's outline the key points of debate: - But they don't allow unions - But affordable organic food is a good thing - But it's so close to the Stop & Shop - Why didn't Walmart look into the vacant Star Market space in Winter Hill? - It will help the local economy - It will destroy the local economy

Read more...



Image borrowed from http://www.cepro.com

SOMERSTREETS: “SEIZE THE SUMMER” SET FOR SUNDAY, JULY 24TH ON HIGHLAND AVE.

SOMERSTREETS: “SEIZE THE SUMMER” SET FOR SUNDAY, JULY 24TH ON HIGHLAND AVE.

2nd SomerStreets Event to Include Outdoor Yoga, Kidical Mass Bike Ride, Sand Castles, Live Music and More!

SOMERVILLE- The City's 2^nd SomerStreets celebration of 2011, "Seize the Summer!" will take place on Sunday, July 24^th along Highland Avenue, from Walnut Street to Cedar Street.

For this unique event where "roads are closed to cars and open to you!" programming will extend along Highland Ave. from noon - 4 p.m., and will include activities such as a "Kidical Mass" bike ride to Davis Square, various kid activities health workshops, arts and crafts, live music and more. SomerStreets is the City's Open Streets Initiative, which closes sections of roadways one Sunday per month to promote and support active living - walking, biking, running, dancing, etc.

"Carnaval @ SomerStreets drew record crowds of over 5,000 last month along East Broadway, thanks to a partnership with East Somerville Main Streets and FossFest, and we're excited to bring our Open Streets Initiative to a new area of Somerville this month with Seize the Summer," said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. "These events encourage community members of all ages to get outside and be active, but also to experience new areas of the community and learn about the businesses and organizations that call our City home. We have a lot of wonderful things to offer, and I'm excited at how popular the SomerStreets trend has become in just one short year."

Along Highland Ave., local businesses and organizations including Cambridge Health Alliance, the Somerville Fire Department, Kidical Mass Arts at the Armory and the Somerville YMCA, among others, will partner with the City to provide activities for children and adults of all ages. Activities will include, but are not limited to:

• Farmers Market

• Outdoor Yoga

• Live music

• Family swim at the YMCA

• Bike decorating & "Kidical Mass" bike ride

• Face painting

• Sand castle building

• Arts and crafts

• Health fair

• Dance demonstrations

Additionally, at 4:00 p.m., attendees are invited to continue the fun with a walk down Vinal Ave. to a family friendly concert at the Community Growing Center.

The remaining 2011 SomerStreets schedule is:

• Seize the Summer - Sunday, July 24 on Highland Ave. from Walnut St. to Cedar St.

• Going Green on Rte. 16 - Sunday, August 21 on Alewife Brook Parkway from Dilboy Field to Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge

• Rolling on the Mystic - Saturday, September 10 on Shore Drive

• Fall Festival - Sunday, October 23 on Somerville Ave. from Union Square to Porter Square

SomerStreets builds on the Shape Up Somerville healthy living initiative. Similar open streets events take place all around the world, providing space normally taken up by automobile traffic for people to be more active. Special attention this year is being paid to providing fresh food at SomerStreets.

All SomerStreets events will run from 12-4 p.m., rain or shine.

Carnaval@SomerStreets is THIS Sunday in Somerville, 6/5/11 12pm-4pm, and it's FREE :)

Carnaval @ SomerStreets

Sunday, June 5th - 12-4pm

Roads Closed to Cars....Open to You
All along Broadway from Temple St. through East Somerville to Sullivan

WEBSITE

Come check out all the culture and energy that East Broadway has to offer! This unique one day street party brings the life and culture inside of East Broadway's businesses to the street!

Bring your friends.

Bring your family.

And enjoy our street.

• Shape Up Somerville Road Race
• 12:15 "Samba-Motion Parade" - led by Mayor Curtatone
  Open to All --- Wear your best Carnaval Costume -- the more color, feathers and beads the better!
• Music on 2 Stages -- the Foss Fest Stage & the East Broadway Stage (@ the East Branch Library)
• Villen Vibez Hip Hop Open Mic
• Farmer's Market
• Craft Fair
• 30+ Participating Businesses
• Explore the cuisine of local restaurants
• Raffles, Facepainting, Balloon Animals, Dance and Fitness Demos

The City of Somerville is partnering with East Somerville Main Streets and Foss Fest to kick off the city's SomerStreets inititiave, with Carnaval @ Somerstreets! Somerville's new Open Streets Initiative, SomerStreets, is a monthly celebration from June - October of each year, during which the City closes sections of roads to vehicle traffic in favor of walking, running, biking, dancing, and other activities! By partnering with local businesses and organizations, one Sunday each month the city transforms different Somerville neighborhoods into celebrations of active living, community pride, and live entertainment. Find more information on the City's Website.

@SomervilleCity @EastSomerville @FossFestival

Winter Hill's Tin Thistles have a new EP coming on 6/26

From Tin Thistles Facebook page:

"Boston’s own Tin Thistles have somehow found a way to combine elements of Oi! and folk music into a rambunctious-yet-rootsy blend that’ll get your boot stomping and your beer spilling all over the place as you can’t help but throw a fist into the air."

— Bryan, Playground Boston


"Get your elbows swinging and your beer glasses clinking! New to the scene, The Tin Thistles are here to invite you to put an arm around a stranger and join in on the pub-style music you just won’t get anywhere else. The Midway Café in Jamaica Plain invited us in out of the cold Monday night as The Tin Thistles’ boisterous tone echoed down the street with the hearty chants of “Mutiny” and “Young Ambitious Women” cutting through the stale night air. The smooth and steady sound of the cello was missed, but songs mixed with heavy strumming guitars, and a few blows on the harmonica between verses, filled us with a sense of camaraderie and an energetic swagger within this cozy bar.."

— Haley Waugh, Boston Night Life (read less)

"Boston’s own Tin Thistles have somehow found a way to combine elements of Oi! and folk music into a rambunctious-yet-rootsy blend that’ll get your boot stomping and your beer spilling all over the place as you can’t help but throw a fist into the air."

The good news is that they will be releasing a new EP, We Were Promised Better, on June 26th.
The even better news is you don't have to wait to get a taste. A preview of 'Accidents Happen' awaits you right now, online. It's a rocker, in the good way:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Tin-Thistles/197641027935?ref=ts

They've got a couple of shows coming up too, so you can go out and show your love for your neighbors :)

2 upcoming shows/events

• Jun 25

  Flask Lounge

  Portland, Maine , US

• Jun 26

  Middle East Upstairs

  Cambridge, Massachuse, US

Help shape the future of Magoun Square this Wednesday night, 5/25/2011 6:00 PM.

From ward5online.com, by Courtney O'Keefe:

Magoun Square tops the agenda for the upcoming Housing and Community Development Committee scheduled for Wednesday May 25th at 6pm, being held in the second floor committee room of City Hall.

Read more here...


Photo borrowed from Gig Harmon's flickr photostream.

Christine Barber for Ward 4 Alderman Campaign Kick-off Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 18, 6:00-8:00pm

From christinebarber4somerville.com:

CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF!
Come meet Christine and help her kick off her campaign!
Wednesday, May 18, 6:00-8:00pm
The Paddock, 249 Pearl Street, Somerville
RSVP here. E-mail any questions to Barber4Alderman@gmail.com


Image borrowed from here.

Carnaval@SomerStreets Comes to Broadway on Sunday June 5th from 12-4pm!

Carnaval@SomerStreets is coming to Broadway from East Somerville up to Temple Street on Sunday June 5th from noon until 4pm. Please mark your calendars and please help spread the word about this event by reposting this announcement and emailing to anyone who might be interested in attending.

SomerStreets is an initiative by the City of Somerville and its partners to close the streets to cars and open them to activity. On June 5th from 12-4pm, Broadway will be blocked off from Sullivan Square to Temple Street (Star Market) to make room for dancing, cycling, skating and fun!

Somerville named bicycle friendly community

From The Somerville News:

Somerville named bicycle friendly community

City given bronze-level recognition by the League of American Bicyclists
*

With plans under way to expand its network of streets marked for bicycling and to extend the Community Path, Somerville has been named a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the Washington, D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists. Somerville joins a host of other cities receiving this level of recognition for its efforts to promote bicycling, including Kansas City, Mo.; Raleigh, N.C.; and Northampton, Mass.

Somerville added 10 miles of streets marked for bicycling last year and will add another 11 this year, making it approximately a 30-mile bicycle network inside a city of 4.1 square miles.

Read more..

Don't forget about Somerville Open Studios TODAY AND TOMORROW (4/30/11-5/1/11): Powered by Winter Hill!

Andy Metzger of wickedlocal.com has a nice Q&A with Winter Hill resident Terry Dovidio, one of the people behind Somerville Open Studios. Check this out, and check out the open studios this weekend!
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/features/x1072483905/Q-A-Behind-the-doors-of-Somerville-Open-Studios-with-Terry-Dovidio

Somerville celebrates 236th Patriots Day!

From wickedlocal.com/somerville By Andy Metzger:

Riding into history: Somerville celebrates 236th Patriots Day

Zoom

Photos

Purchase this photo

Wicked Local photo by Alex Jones

Paul Revere, played by Master Sergeant Paul Tobin of the National Lancers, arrives at Somerville's 236th Patriot's Day Celebration held at Foss Park on Monday morning.

Somerville —

Traffic paused on Broadway, making way for a Paul Revere re-enactor trotting down the middle of the roadway astride a chestnut-colored horse named Cannon Fire.

While runners wheezed through 26.2 miles across the Charles River on Monday, Somerville turned out to celebrate the 236th anniversary of the first battles of the American Revolution.

Read more

The new City of Somerville website

http://www.somervillema.gov/

Did you know:
That there is supper and bingo at Hanscom Air Force Base tomorrow (4/20/11)?
http://www.somervillema.gov/departments/council-on-aging/events

That Somerville Sunsetters auditions are on May 16th?
http://www.somervillema.gov/spotlights/2011-somerville-sunsetters

About the Web-based Registry Anti-Theft Program?
http://www.somervillema.gov/spotlights/prevent-theft

Click away!

Call to Artists: Bands and musicians, artist and craft vendors and volunteers are all wanted for Carnaval at SomerStreets, on June 5, 2011!

Please mark your calendars for Carnaval at SomerStreets on June 5th. More info to come. To get involved with programming at the FossFest Stage, see fossfest.com or contact
fossfest at gmail:

Patriot's Day is Coming to Foss Park 4/18/11!

Please help keep the amazing history of Somerville alive by joining the City for the annual celebration of Patriot's Day in Foss Park on Monday April 18! Click on the flyer for a larger version.

And don't forget to get dressed for the event :)

The Race is on for Alder(wo)man of Winter Hill

From:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/somerville

Barber announces run for Ward 4 alderman

E-mail | Print | Comments (0)Posted by Marcia Dick March 9, 2011 10:03 AM

The following announcement was submitted by Christine Barber:

Recognizing a need for stronger advocacy on behalf of the Winter Hill and Ten Hills neighborhoods of Somerville, Thurston Street resident Christine Barber announces her candidacy for Somerville Ward 4 Alderman. Ms. Barber is a long-time health care advocate and has been active in local and state political campaigns. A former leader of the Marshall Street Area Neighborhood Group, Christine currently serves on Ward 4’s Democratic Ward Committee.

“Ward 4 is growing, and our community needs and deserves a hard-working advocate who will listen to input from the community and bring people together,” said Barber. “I am looking forward to discussing these important issues with my Ward 4 neighbors.”

Read more...

Update on National Politics from Winter Hill

Given the greatly disproportionate representation of 'bad' to 'good' news out there these days, we try in our own teeny way to have at least a minuscule influence in rebalancing the focus to positive aspects of our part of town. This editorial by Andy Metzger (who does a great job covering Somerville and Winter Hill in various forms) isn't really a 'positive' story per se; however, it falls within the context of an important national story that Winter Hill's Mike Capuano is a potential candidate for US Senate. We will continue to cover his candidacy as it evolves, and hope to see more print about his positions in the coming months.



Photo credit to Mike Capuano's flickr photostream.

Playing Catch-up for WHR-Related Webstuffs

Haven't posted anything so far this February, so here are some random items of interest:

Six Degrees of Starcraft: Not sure what is going on here, but it seems like you get a 'random' topic to start with, and then need to somehow click your way to Starcraft. The StarStruck got 'Winter Hill, Somerville' to start.

Tweet of the hill: @SvilleSchools Delish! (and healthy!!) Asian chicken salad for lunch at Winter Hill School. See it next week on Our Schools, Our City.1:01 PM Feb 8th via Twitter for iPhone

Winter Hill Neighbor Profiled in The Somerville News: Gonzalez, a Winter Hill resident, performs a variety of tasks – from shoveling to driving a stick shift vehicle – that wouldn’t seem possible for a man born with one arm. He shrugs off the praise he receives from neighbors and family who tell him he is inspirational.

Paul Revere Rides up Winter Hill:




Somerville Patch Profiles Winter Hill's Bob Massie

Ok, I think that catches us up for now. If not, feel free to let us know!

Where to go for live music in Winter Hill or East Somerville?

I think that it was somewhere in Somerville Scout that I recently read something about only New York having more artists per capita than the City of Somerville. Music is no small part of the artistic contributions throughout the city. Somerville has plenty of places to see local and visiting musicians play, Precinct, Johnny D's, The Burren, PA's Lounge, Sally O'Briens to name a few; and that's not even to mention the various local house, studio, and loft shows that happen around town. And don't forget the live mariachi at at El Potro in Union Square! A search on myspace gives me about 2400 hits for bands claiming Somerville as their home (ok, I'm not sure if I did that right, but you get the point).

That said, I am not aware of too many places in Winter Hill or East Somerville to see live music. If places exist, please let us all know! If they don't exist, what current establishments might make the best live music venues?

Looking forward to your responses!

And let's hear it for some of the locals (click picture to see more):

Thinking Through East Somerville (and Winter Hill)

Everyone knows that there is a range of development throughout the Wards of Somerville. Although East Somerville (...and let's not forget Winter Hill) doesn't get the overall attention that Davis does, from what I have seen, this is not due to lack of trying on behalf of the Mayor and the City. Any perceived difference in support from the City would first need to be quantified, and in doing so, would have to take into account a range of relevant variables. Priorities for services likely have to account for factors such as where the most people are and where the most traffic is. There are many people working with the City to make East Somerville and Winter Hill a better place for everyone. This isn't particularly satisfying if you can't get your car through the snow on your street to get to work. In a case like this, I would like to think that the City would be willing to help if they are made aware of the problem. I would be very interested to hear other opinions on this. It takes a community, and the more the merrier, so please get involved. Best to all Somerville neighbors.

This mini-thought was inspired by Danielle Dreilinger's recently posted article on boston.com:

Many grumble East gets the least

Dan Sorger of the Dutch Bike Company is thrilled with his company's recent move to Boston's Financial District. Though the new workroom/storefront is a little smaller, "It's a much improved space. We used to be in a garage which was just horrible," he said. His rent went down. "We moved to a much nicer neighborhood, and… we're not dealing with the issues of East Somerville."

Read more...

Winter Hill Democrat to challenge Scott Brown

Somerville Democrat to challenge Scott Brown: It's about healthcare
From Wicked Local Somerville
By Andy Metzger
Wicked Local photo by Mark Thomson

Somerville —
In his 54 years, Bob Massie has beat the odds, clinging to health insurance and surviving an incurable disease, and now he wants to defeat the man who is possibly the state’s most popular politician.

Read more...

Somerville honors King Monday

From Somerville News:

Somerville honors King Monday

The 2011 Martin Luther King Jr. celebration will include new programming, such as the reading of essays submitted by Somerville youth, and increased musical performances

Student essays and musical performances will celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. at the city’s annual event on Monday.

Read more...

The Astonishing Winter Hill: Volume 1

Porchfest Planning Meeting

The Porchfest Somerville Planning Meeting happened tonight at the West Branch Library. The fact that there weren't enough seats available in the meeting room demonstrates the strong local interest in this sort of citywide event. The meeting focused on basic logistics, with several details yet to be determined. Stay tuned for more info.

Available Real Estate and Rentals in and Around Winter Hill

Here are a few listings we came across recently. Welcome, potential neighbors:

For Sale:
26 Cherry Street Somerville MA 02144 Condo for sale - MLS #71176180

21 Partridge Ave

53 Ash Ave, Somerville, MA Real Estate Listing MLS # 71175294

Rentals:
$1,375, Skyline views from deck & windows, Hardwood Floors Dishwasher Now/Jan.

Winter Hill's Tin Thistles Rock to Benefit City Life 1/15/11!

Winter Hill's own The Tin Thistles (at least Winter Hill according to their Tweets) will rock P.A.'s Lounge on 1/15/11 to benefit City Life/Vida Urbana! Be there or be with deprived eardrums.

HOT MOLASSES ( Molassa-chusetts rock guild )- THE TIN THISTLES ( Somerville face melters )- Tad Overbaugh and The Late Arrivals- Fashion Snake with The Sass Attack Radical Cheerleaders!

PA's Lounge 345 Somerville Ave.Somerville, MA 02143

Doors are at 8:30pm$10 21+

City Life/Vida Urbana is a grassroots community organization in Boston committed to fighting for racial, social, and economic justice and gender equality by building working class power through direct action, coalition building, education and advocacy. Through organizing poor and working class people of diverse races and nationalities;we promote individual empowerment, develop community leaders, and build collective power to effect systemic change and transform society.