Listings
87 Wallace Street, Somerville $999,999
Among Trees an exhibition of paintings by
Vicki Kocher Paret
Tired of seeing the same renovations and finishes at every open house? Would you rather customize your own home? This Victorian single-family gem, in the heart of Davis Square, awaits your re-imagining. With a great location, 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms on 3 floors, yard, 2-bay garage and driveway parking for 3 additional cars, this house has all the ingredients you need to create your ideal home. Live on one of the most beloved streets in Davis Square, with an annual block party, listserv, and a sense of community. Walk to the Davis Square Red Line subway, shops, nightlife, and eateries—all just .3 miles away (WalkScore® 91).
February 15 – May 31, 2020 Opening Reception: Thursday, March 19, 2020 from 5:30-7:30 pm at the offices of Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate
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156 Ivy Street, Brookline $5,125,000
Best Real Estate Agency
Best Real Estate Agent
Walk to downtown Boston, the hospitals, Fenway Park, and Cambridge from this stunning Early Gothic Revival (c. 1851) single family on 8/10 acre abutting conservation land in the Cottage Farm neighborhood. The house offers 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, 3 studies, library, dining room, living room, 5 fireplaces, finished basement with media room, high ceilings, central air, beautiful architectural details, and 3-car garage with electric car outlet. Historic home originally owned by the co-founder of Mass Audubon. Walk to Green Line B, C, and D trains, major hospitals, Coolidge Corner, and BU campus.
Coming Soon
Thalia Tringo
21 Wood Street Unit 1, Cambridge Nestled on a side street between Porter Square and Huron Village, this bright first-floor condo has 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1 parking space, private porch, central air, gas fireplace, and basement storage area. Walk to Danehy Park, Porter Square, and Huron Village from this convenient residential neighborhood. Union Square Multi-Family $2,950,000 Union Square 10-unit multi-family on a corner lot with parking for 6 cars. Six studios, two 1-bedrooms, and two 2-bedrooms. Fully tenanted with 6 leases ending between 5/318/31/2020 and 4 units TAW. Owned by the same family since 1994 with several long-term tenants; rents below market rate. Spring Hill 3-bedroom with 2 baths and parking On a one-way street between Porter and Union Squares, this condo occupies the upper two floors on a corner lot and has sweeping views of the area. This warm, homey unit has 1 bedroom, study, kitchen, dining room, and full bathroom on the first level, and 2 bedrooms and another full bath on the top floor. A private porch, shared yard, and unobstructed parking space make this home complete with a list of desirable amenities. Porter Square Two-Family Well-maintained 2-family very near Porter Square T station with a strong rental history. Recent updates include re-siding, new fence and railings, and landscaping. Each unit has 2 bedrooms and 1 bath. Davis Square Two-Family Ideal location on a residential side street near Davis Square. First floor unit has 2-3 bedrooms and 1 full bath; upper unit is on two levels with 2-3 bedrooms and 1 full bath. Lovely front and rear yards. Lower roof replaced in 2020. Could easily be converted back to a single family as well and has been used that way in the past.
Free Classes
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Seth Kangley
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 315.382.2507 cell/text Seth@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Sarasvati Lynn
an overview of the buying process
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.702.4751 cell/text Sarasvati@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
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 and a loan officer from a local bank, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
Adaria Brooks
First Time Home Buyers: Wednesday, April 1st
6:30 – 7:45 pm
How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time: for homeowners contemplating a move Monday, April 13th
6:30 – 7:45 pm
If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one makes your head spin, this workshop will help make the process & your choices 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.
How Individuals Can Buy Property Together as a Group Monday, March 16th
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
6:30 – 8:30 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, followed by a Q&A session. Lead by our team and a local real estate attorney.
To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
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.
MARCH 10 - MAY 11, 2020 ::: VOLUME 43 ::: SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 8 // WINNERS & LOSERS New funding means Cambridge firehouses are getting a major facelift and the Cambridge Housing Authority decides to give tenants back their security deposits; meanwhile, Harvard Department Chair Charles Lieber is put on administrative leave following an arrest and high rent remains an ever-growing problem.
MEET THE MAKERS 18 // LOVE LETTER TO CAMBRIDGE Known for his murals around the world, Caleb Neelon remembers the Cambridge he grew up in, dives deep into his latest mural in Central Square, and talks about his process. 20 // ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNFILTERED Central Square resident Ronan McGovern and his team are testing the limits of non-alcoholic brewing. Learn a little bit more about the man behind the beer. 22 // BORN AND RAISED Cambridge-raised rapper King Fiya is riding a wave of momentum, releasing three
20 albums in three years and always thinking ahead to the next project. 24 // THE CREATIVE BLOCK Also known as the 1300 Block, the section of Cambridge Street home to Gather Here and Albertine Press is a haven for makers. Rather than compete with each other, these stores work together to bring crafting to all.
10 // WHAT’S NEW? Cambridge is bursting at the seams with a long list of new restaurants coming soon, a proposal aims to rename the Agassiz neighborhood, Bernie Sanders wins one of the nation’s first satellite caucuses in town, and more.
14 // NEWS: REPARATORY JUSTICE A group of Harvard students has uncovered the school has significant ties to the prisonindustrial complex, and they’re speaking up. We break down what The Harvard Prison Fund Divestment Campaign group has done so far, and what they’re planning next. 28 // CALENDAR 30 // DO-GOODERS, KEY PLAYERS, AND GAME CHANGERS: FOOD FOR FREE Food For Free has been “rescuing” food from places like colleges, hospitals, and biotech companies and redistributing it to those in need for over 30 years—and their programs only show signs of growth.
30
26 // FROM THE GROUND UP East Cambridge-based affordable housing developer Just A Start is in the business of quite literally making space for people to live in Cambridge, but there’s much more to come in the battle for equity in the city.
Photo, top: Ronan McGovern at 730 Tavern with a non-alcoholic beer. Photo by Sasha Pedro. Photo, bottom: Volunteers sort food at the nonprofit Food For Free. Photo courtesy of Food for Free. On the cover: Rapper King Fiya in Cambridge, where he grew up. Photo by Sasha Pedro.
I had fallen in love with food and the importance of it— its ability to create community.”
e r a u q S l a tr n e C IT’S GREAT TO BE PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Revolutionary Clinics is thrilled to be serving patients at 541 Massachusetts Avenue. Situated in the heart of the Central Square cultural district, this spacious shop features the highest quality cannabis along with a team of people who are passionate about connecting you with the products and delivery methods best suited for your needs. So stop by, say hello and enjoy the convenience of Central’s Square’s first and only cannabis clinic.
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617.430.6699 617. 213.6006 617.800.0813
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MURAL BY FELIPE ORTIZ Please Consume Responsibly. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Marijuana should not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. This product has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is limited information on the side effects of using this product, and there may be associated health risks. Marijuana use during pregnancy and breast-feeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product. Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. The impairment effects of edible marijuana may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
t’s pretty remarkable how many skilled, creative makers live in Cambridge—so many that I had a hard time picking the few that we included in this issue. We have bakers and brewers, muralists and musicians. And all with a fascinating story to tell about how their work is inspired by their city. On the cover, we have rapper King Fiya, who was born and raised in Cambridge and works with a close-knit community of childhood friends and family—a profile that, as a former music journalist, I have to admit I’m a little biased towards reading and re-reading (p. 22). Inside the magazine, we tried to cater to different interests and different readers: Those who want to know about an expert’s process from a distance, and others who Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz. want to dive right in and learn how to make something themselves. On one hand, I had the opportunity to learn about how non-alcoholic beer is brewed from Cambridge-via-Ireland resident Ronan McGovern (p. 20), and I got to drink my first non-alcoholic beer with the maker himself at 730 Tavern in Central Square. We also dove into changes that residents, new and old, are making in their communities. We have profiles on the non-profit organizations Food For Free (p. 30), which is making food more accessible to all, and Just A Start (p. 26), which is quite literally making space by creating affordable housing. Our former intern, and current interim fellow Elie Levine spent a little over a month investing herself in the student-led Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign for our news story—explaining how the university is being accused of contributing to the prison-industrial complex (p. 14). This has turned into a wonderfully visual and distinct issue of Scout, and I’m proud to have it on the stands. I’m also proud to invite the community to our free celebration event for this issue at Somerville’s Aeronaut on March 22, from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Come join us and a few of our favorite makers as they demonstrate some of their skills, and we break down how we make our magazine every two months. As always, thanks for reading!
Lilly Milman
MANAGING EDITOR Lilly Milman lmilman@scoutmagazines.com ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com INTERIM SCOUT FELLOW Elie Levine elevine@scoutmagazines.com STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Sasha Pedro EDITORIAL INTERN Emily Curtis CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Shafaq Patel, Thomas Gillespie, Ryan Magnole, Sadye Mascia, Eric Francis COPY EDITOR Maura Gaughan EVENT PROGRAMMING Bryan MacAuslan — EventThem bryan@eventthem.com BANKS PUBLICATIONS 519 Somerville Ave, #314 Somerville, MA 02143 FIND US ONLINE scoutcambridge.com scoutcambridge
Lilly Milman, Managing Editor lmilman@scoutmagazines.com
Scout Cambridge and Cambridge Local First,
the nonprofit network of locally and independently owned businesses, share a common goal of uplifting the local economy, so we’re partnering up! Starting March 11, we will highlight a different Cambridge neighborhood on our social media accounts. Once a week, we will head out together and explore the neighborhoods and the small businesses that make them great as part of a new initiative called the “Wednesday Walk.” We will be documenting the walks on our social media accounts, and sharing the stories of a few business owners. You don’t want to miss out on the chance to get to know your neighbors—join us each Wednesday, and remind yourself why you love local business!
6 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
PUBLISHER Holli Banks hbanks@scoutmagazines.com
scoutcambridge @scoutmags
Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. GET A COPY Scout Cambridge is available for free at more than 250 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). Additionally, thousands of Cambridge homes receive a copy in their mailbox each edition, hitting every neighborhood in the city throughout the year...sometimes twice! You can sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutcambridge.com/shop.
Sell your home faster and for more money with Compass Concierge. From painting to flooring and everything in between, Compass Concierge helps you easily prepare your home for market by advancing the funds for home improvement services. No upfront costs, no interest — ever. Get in touch with me today to learn how Compass Concierge could help you sell for more. Erik Hook erik.hook@compass.com 617.461.4691 erikhook.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by equal housing opportunity laws.
MEET THE
MAKERS ISSUE RELEASE PARTY MARCH 22 / 1:30-4:30PM 14 TYLER ST, SOMERVILLE
You’ve read about some of our favorite makers, and now it’s time to meet them in person! Head down to Aeronaut Brewing Co. for a fun-filled afternoon of demonstrations, some you’ll be able to try yourself. Meet the Scout team and learn a bit about how we put this and other issues together. Children and teens must be accompanied by an adult. Suggested donation - $8. Photos: Top left, by Adrianne Mathiowetz. Bottom left, courtesy of Aeronaut Brewing Co. Bottom right, by Ellen Callaway Photography.
scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers
7
W&L
WINNERS
LOSERS
FIREHOUSE FACE-LIFTS Cambridge’s firehouses are getting a big upgrade. In January, Cambridge’s City Council announced that it will dedicate more than $1 million in total to repairs to the Lexington Avenue Firehouse, the River Street Firehouse, and the Lafayette and Inman Square Firehouses. This follows the city’s 2018 efforts to spend $25 million on a renovation of the 85-year old Fire Headquarters on Broadway. Also in 2018, the City Council decided to dedicate $2 million to restoring the city’s fire stations—so the city is finally making good on those two-year-old promises.
GREEN STREET When Green Street Studios closed last fall, the larger Boston community jumped at the chance to resurrect the space, which had been an affordable dance hub in Central Square for 28 years. Major figures in the square offered assistance, like lawyer Patrick Barnett and Executive Director of the Central Square Business Improvement District Michael Monestime. Citing the lack of a long-term solution, Green Street’s leadership did not accept the deal. Managing Director Leah Thiffault and Board Chair Stephen Ursprung said in a statement that “clients would immediately be uncertain about GSS’ long-term viability.”
DEBTS REPAID The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) will return security deposits to all of its tenants by the end of March and cease its security deposit program indefinitely, Cambridge Day reports. CHA currently has close to $300,000 in security deposits, but they are spending about twice as much money per year to keep the accounts active. “We have very good tenants,” Andrew Kerivan, asset manager at CHA, told Cambridge Day. The Boston Housing Authority does not charge security deposits. FARE-FREE Free buses in Cambridge might be in the near future. The City voted in late January to have City Manager Louis DePasquale look into free-fare programs for the busy 1, 68, and 69 routes. “Somerville should definitely explore a similar pilot program, especially along Broadway where we recently installed a bus lane,” City Councilor Matt McLaughlin told The Somerville Journal. “Any costs associated with such a pilot would be worth reducing congestion on our streets.” A similar program has been employed in Everett. The largest concern city councilors face at the moment is whether the costs of such a program would outweigh the benefits.
HIDDEN TRANSACTIONS Charles Lieber, the chair of Harvard’s department of chemistry and chemical biology, was arrested in January for lying about his financial ties to the Chinese government. Lieber was accused of taking money from Thousand Talents—a state-run initiative that aims to attract Chinese intellectuals who were educated overseas—without disclosing the amounts to Harvard. The university has placed him on administrative leave. His arrest falls in line with the Justice Department’s increasingly more aggressive policies aimed at scientists thought to be stealing research from American institutions, usually for China. A federal judge set Lieber’s bail at $1 million. LEAKED TOXINS Cambridge Day reports that four of the city’s institutions—Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge Brands, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities—have violated the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority’s safe sewage pollution levels in the past two years. Cambridge Brands, a candy-making company known for being the sole provider of Junior Mints and Charleston Chews, was written up for discharging sewage contaminated with mercury and formaldehyde. Harvard and MIT had sewage with unsafe levels of zinc, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities was cited for its levels of cyanide. Excessive sewage pollution does not bode well for public health. MIT and Harvard have both discharged unsafe amounts of mercury, which is poisonous and can find its way into fish. When the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority asked MIT to comply with its quotas, the school said that mercury had accumulated in its buildings’ pipes and that they would need until Sept. 30, 2020 to meet the prescribed limits.
NEWS FROM THE NORTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the Meet the Makers Issue of our sibling publication, Scout Somerville.
FOLLOWING SOMERVILLE’S LEED When Somerville passed its first zoning overhaul in 30 years, many were still in disagreement about whether or not requiring LEED Platinum sustainability standards would hurt or help the city. We break down what it all actually means.
A SLICE OF LIFE Along with getting their clothes rinsed and pressed, Porter Square Dry Cleaners customers have also started to purchase something else: floral jelly cakes, a classic Vietnamese dessert.
WHERE ART MEETS ACTIVISM Somerville resident Nina Eichner has been participating in social justice demonstrations on both a local and a national level, using her artistic abilities to act as an art lead for the organization Sunrise Boston.
Someone rustle your jimmies or tickle your fancy?
Let us know at scoutcambridge.com/contact-us, and we just might crown them a winner or loser.
8 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
—BY ELIE LEVINE
scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers
9
WHAT’S NEW
BY ELIE LEVINE
FOOD & DRINK PORTER SQUARE
YOKI EXPRESS BRINGS POKE TO PORTER
Yoki Express, a new poke place in COMING the former Bruegger’s spot SOONBagelsMOVED at 1876 Massachusetts Ave. serves poke and sushi burritos, according to Eater Boston. The restaurant had its grand opening on Jan. 31, though it had been operating since the end of 2019. The first Yoki Express location is in Boston’s Seaport. Both locations are meant to be casual versions of the sitdown Yoki restaurant at Station Landing in Medford. HURON VILLAGE
BASE CRAVE SATISFIES CRAVINGS FOR NEPALI CUISINE
INMAN SQUARE
CORAZÓN DE FRIDA
A
new Mexican cantina replaces Asian-fusion joint Ginger Exchange at 1287 Cambridge COMINGis decorated St., which closed recently. The restaurant MOVED to honor its namesake, Mexican SOON artist Frida Kahlo, with portraits of Kahlo featured prominently across the walls. Its owner, Eric Brambila, co-owns three other Boston-area Mexican spots: Tequila’s in Chelmsford and Wakefield, and Ixtapa Mexican Grill in Groton.
A new Nepali restaurant has moved into the former Full Moon location at 344 Huron Ave.COMING Base Crave, MOVED SOON formerly named Melting Pot, went through a last-minute name change when owner Bhola Pandey received a cease-and-desist order from the Melting Pot fondue restaurant chain, based in Tampa, Fla. Pandey also runs Mitho Restaurant, a Nepali eatery in Winchester, Mass.
CITY BEAT CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS INCLUDE HALAL OPTIONS FOR STUDENT MEALS In February, Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) introduced halalcertified chicken to its school lunches. According to their website, this effort was prompted by Muslim families in CPS and was made possible through the efforts of Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui and School Committee ViceChair Manikka Bowman.
BERNIE SANDERS WINS AT SATELLITE CAUCUS
Iowa residents gathered in Harvard Square on Feb. 2 for a satellite caucus, one of many caucuses held internationally for displaced Iowans, WGBH reports. This is the first year 10 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
the program has been enacted; previously, Iowans far from home had no option to vote. The tally totaled 22 votes for Sanders, 20 votes for Warren, and 8 for Buttigieg, translating to 3, 2, and 1 delegates, respectively.
PROPOSAL AIMS TO RENAME AGASSIZ NEIGHBORHOOD
The City Council approved a proposal by Maya Counter, the president of the Black Student Union at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, to rename Agassiz the “Baldwin neighborhood,” for the late educator Maria Baldwin. The neighborhood’s elementary school, The Maria L. Baldwin School, also honors Baldwin, who in 1899 became the first black woman to be a school principal in the
Northeast. Counter, a resident of the Agassiz neighborhood, took an advanced placement history class that unveiled the life history of the neighborhood’s current namesake, Louis Agassiz, who espoused harmful theories such as eugenics.
having used e-cigarettes in their lifetime has soared, rising from 11 percent in 2018 to 33 percent. Close to a fifth of students reported having used the products in the past month. “This is now a crisis, an emergency,” Tracy RoseTynes, the manager of school health services for the Cambridge Public Health Department, said.
CAMBRIDGE UPGRADES ITS VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM
VAPING SURGES AMONG CAMBRIDGE TEENS
Cambridge Day reports that in the past year, the number of Cambridge Ringe and Latin School students who reported
The Office of the Secretary of State offered a new way for Cambridge voters to register in February, The Cambridge Chronicle reports. The all-online registration system allows you to apply to register, change your address, apply for an absentee ballot, or change your party affiliation. The new website is www.registertovotema.com.
Photo, top left, courtesy of Corazón de Frida. Photo, top right, courtesy of Tiger Sugar.
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
MOVED
Authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails with modern flare.
TIGER SUGAR BRINGS BUBBLE TEA FROM TAIWAN TO CAMBRIDGE
Taiwan-based bubble tea chain Tiger Sugar—which sells tigerstriped, Instagram-friendly bubble teas—signed a lease on a new space in Harvard Square last December, but has yet to disclose the address of the forthcoming location. According to Eater Los Angeles, K. Leung, a representative of Tiger Sugar, says that founder Ming Tsung Yang stumbled upon this uniquely pretty tea when he mixed brown sugar syrup, tapioca pearls, and milk at his dessert spot in Taichung, Taiwan.
and shuffleboard, according to Eater Boston. PORTER SQUARE
DEAR ANNIE
Lauren Friel, a sommelier at Somerville’s Rebel Rebel Wine Bar, Andrew Brady, chef-owner of Field & Vine, and Sara Markey, partner and general manager of Field & Vine, are teaming up to open an intimate neighborhood pub space called Dear Annie at 1741 Massachusetts Ave. The menu features a variety of seafood, and tartines and breads made fresh in-house, and the owners plan to use Dear Annie as a space for classes and themed parties, according to Boston Magazine.
NORTH CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGEPORT
Famed Boston chef Steve “Nookie” Postal—who runs Commonwealth in Kendall Square and served as the executive chef for the Boston Red Sox—is opening a new restaurant called Mothership at 125 CambridgePark Dr., an office complex already home to various dining options. But Mothership will offer more than just dining. Eater Boston reports that it will be a spacious beer hall featuring televisions, bar bites, and games including skee-ball
A new Asian-fusion joint will occupy the former space of the beloved neighborhood spot River Gods at 123 River St. Nu Do Society is set to open in February or March, Eater Boston reports. Nu Do’s menu includes tom yum ramen, a soup with Japanese noodles and Thai herbal broth. River Gods, a well-known destination for the city’s best DJs, occupied that address for 15 years before shuttering in summer 2016. Nu Do, unlike River Gods, will not sell alcohol.
NOOKIE POSTAL’S NEW RESTAURANT MOTHERSHIP
The searc h
for the roo ts of Mexic
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t feeling a h t r o f h c ...the seaurthentic pride... of a
NU DO SOCIETY MOVES INTO RIVER STREET SPOT
Corazón de Frida
1287 Cambridge St, Cambridge corazondefridacantina.com scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers
11
WHAT’S NEW
CHANGING FACE CENTRAL SQUARE
CENTRAL KITCHEN
C
entral Kitchen, COMING MOVED located at 567 SOON Massachusetts Ave. for 20 years, has closed. However, Brick & Mortar, the cocktail lounge upstairs, which remains under the same ownership, will not be shutting its doors. The new marijuana dispensary Western Front, which is not affiliated with Central Kitchen owner Gary Stack, will be opening its doors in Central Kitchen’s space later this year.
for your years of support and we look forward to a promising future together.” CENTRAL SQUARE
REVOLUTIONARY CLINICS
CENTRAL SQUARE
THE MIDDLE EAST
FOR SALE The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub complex on Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square— which includes the club, ZuZu Restaurant, and music venue Sonia around the corner on Brookline Street—is for sale, Cambridge Day reported, though action on the listing is not likely. Nabil Sater and his family currently own the 12 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
complex, which they bought for $7.1 million in 2014. “To our valued community, the Sater family would like to inform you that they’re looking to develop the property; the Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub will remain running and open as usual,” the owners wrote in a Facebook post. “We will keep you updated as we go through this process. The Middle East business is here to stay and will be a part of any development at 472-480 Mass Ave. Thank you
Revolutionary Clinics, one of the state’s leading providers of medical marijuana, open COMING its doors atMOVED 541 SOON Massachusetts Ave. in Central Square on Feb. 25, according to a press release from the company. The 6,500-square-foot dispensary will carry a full range of medical marijuana brands and products developed at a Revolutionary Clinics production facility in Fitchburg, Mass. HARVARD SQUARE
CAMBRIDGE, 1.
Gourmet pizzeria Cambridge, 1. closed at the end of last year after almost COMING 20 years of operation SOON at 27 Church St. “Our thanks to the many guests who have shared this special experience with us,” the restaurant says in a brief note
posted on their door. According to Cambridge 1.’s website, the now-defunct alternative weekly newspaper The Boston Phoenix once called their pizzas “minimalist performance art.”
SALT & OLIVE MARKET
As developers move into the neighborhood and rents rise, Cambridge faces another COMING MOVED loss of a local business: SaltSOON & Olive Market. The local favorite operated for seven years, first in a location close to Harvard Square, and later in The Garage. In addition to its unique offering of over 50 varieties of olive oil on tap, the market also hosted lectures and cooking classes open to anyone in the community. On Feb. 14, the owners hosted an “Until We Meet Again Open House” at 35 Dunster St., described on MOVED their Facebook page as “a celebration of community and all the ways that food has brought us together.”
Photo, top left, by Lilly Milman. Photo, middle ledt, by Jess Benjamin. Photo, bottom left, courtesy of Salt & Olive. Photo, top right, courtesy of 907 Main.
CONSTRUCTION ZONES CENTRAL SQUARE
A NEW BOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH ROOFTOP DINING
COMING SOON
MOVED
B
uilt by global design firm Gensler in collaboration with Cambridge-based architect Boyes-Watson, 907 Main (located at 907 Main St.) will house 67 rooms as well as retail space and a rooftop bar called Blue Owl. The hotel’s website says its design drew inspiration from the legacy of Margaret Fuller and the Transcendentalist movement. Due to Central Square’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, the design was approved by the Cambridge Historical Commission. The new hotel, and future home to Toscanini’s Ice Cream and Praliné French Patisserie, will open in May according to its website.
WESTERN MASS.BASED ARTIFACT CIDER PROJECT TO OPEN NEW LOCATION
COMING SOON
New England hard cider manufacturer Artifact Cider Project, based in Florence, Mass., will open a new taproom in Central Square as soon as this spring, according to Boston Magazine. “Having a brick and mortar presence on both sides of our state will give us new opportunities to experiment, collaborate, and make cider that celebrates the Northeast and the people who live here,” they shared in an email newsletter dated Jan. 16. The team did not disclose the planned location for the taproom.
A MARIJUANA DISPENSARY BRINGS OPPORTUNITY
When Central Kitchen at 567 Massachusetts Ave. moves out, Western Front will begin construction on a new marijuana dispensary, expected to open sometime this year, Dennis A. Benzan, the dispensary’s co-founder, told The Harvard Crimson. According to the company’s proposal, they aim to establish the first Cannabis Work
Authentic Mexican cuisine and cocktails with modern flare.
Force Training Center in the state to train and hire underprivileged MOVED Cambridge residents and members of marginalized communities. Benzan is a former City Councillor (the first Latino ever to hold that position) and vice-mayor of Cambridge. “Historically, communities of color and minorities have been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs, and … now that it’s legal, it’s imperative that we do everything possible to permit the minority community to enter the cannabis industry,” Benzan told the Crimson. EAST CAMBRIDGE
THE SHED
COMING SOON
This summer, the Shed—a retail building in the heart of the Cambridge Crossing development in East Cambridge— will be home to new dining and drinking establishments, including Luminati Spirits, a “distillery and brewery project” operated by Lamplighter Brewing Co., and an all-day cafe and 60seat restaurant. The latter project comes from Will Gilson and his team, known for their Puritan & Co. restaurant in Inman Square and the pop-up Café Beatrice in Allston, Eater Boston reports.
...carried d
eep in the
MOVED
heart...
r time noary. e h it e n t a h ...t an take aw distance c
Corazón de Frida
1287 Cambridge St, Cambridge corazondefridacantina.com scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers 13
NEWS
REPARATORY JUSTICE: A LOOK AT THE HARVARD PRISON DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGN BY ELIE LEVINE
W
hen Harvard University student Jarrett Drake worked on a class project regarding the school’s investments in prisons in the fall of 2017, he didn’t expect it to garner national attention and spark widespread campus action in the following three years. The class had focused on incarceration, ending with a final creative project. Drake dove into the project with his classmate, Graduate School of Design student Sam Matthew. Throughout the course of their research, Drake and Matthew discovered that Harvard’s $40 billion endowment includes 14 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
holdings in companies that profit from the prison-industrial complex. The result of their project was Harvard’s Investments in Prisons (HIP), a look at the school’s investments in the prisonindustrial complex (PIC), which later grew into a full-fledged activist group: the Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign (HPDC).
A MOVEMENT IS BORN
A
ccording to Rachel Herzing, co-founder of the grassroots organization Critical Resistance, the PIC is composed of “the overlapping interests of government and
industry that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to what are, in actuality, economic social, and political ‘problems.’” This means that private prison businesses gain profit from incarceration, rather than tackling the problems that lead to imprisonment at their roots. Most of the university’s investments are not public. However, of the holdings it does disclose, $3 million are invested in the PIC, the HPDC found. This number includes investments in private prison companies CoreCivic and GEO Group. It also includes exchange-traded funds (ETFs)—which are bundles of
stocks and bonds—bound up in these private prison companies, as well as companies that profit from the PIC through bail bonds, surveillance, prison labor, transportation, and other services for public and private prisons. For the better part of 2018, Matthew and Drake took the data they had gathered about the PIC for the project. In February 2018, Drake, along with a group of other Harvard students, held a teach-in on Harvard’s investments in prisons. He says 10 people attended the first interest meeting on March 2, 2018, and meetings continued throughout the semester.
Photo, left, by Sasha Pedro. Photo, right by Lilly Milman.
Drawing on resources from a widespread network within and outside of Harvard, Matthew and Drake launched what would become the HPDC in the fall of 2018. At the time, it bore the same name as their project: HIP. Though he changed the group’s name to HPDC in October to more directly reflect the group’s mission, Drake’s definition of the organization’s goals at that time still stands. While Drake learned that the problem of the PIC was a national one, with effects that spread far beyond Harvard’s borders, he also witnessed the movement’s growth within the undergraduate and graduate communities at Harvard—from the School of Public Health to the Divinity School to the School of Education, Law School, Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, as well as the Business School and the Graduate School of Design. On Nov. 1, 2018, HPDC hosted an open forum at the Law School where they presented a more extensive breakdown of their research and mission. The HPDC has now blossomed into a group of students actively working to sever Harvard’s financial ties to the PIC. Among HPDC’s ranks are Amanda Chan and Anna Nathanson, both third-year Harvard Law School students; Ismail Buffins, a third-year Divinity School student; and Drake, a third-year Ph.D. student in anthropology at Harvard’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
‘THE RIGHT SIDE OF HISTORY’
T
he HPDC has been escalating its efforts during the past year. The group circulated a petition in February 2019 that garnered 3,000 signatures and presented it to University President Larry Bacow on March 1, 2019. They also held a rally of 200 people, mostly students, and asked the undergraduate student government to vote in support of divestment. When Bacow gave a speech at a gender inequality conference at Harvard, the HPDC came with a banner
that communicated that gender inequality persists in prisons. Chan explains that the group met with Bacow and Senior Fellow William Lee in the fall of 2019, where the administrators gave their “usual spiel about how they’re not going to listen to us or help us or take us seriously.” The students followed up with a silent protest at a talk Lee gave at Harvard Law School’s 45th Annual Fall Reunion. “Prisons do not disappear social problems, they disappear human beings,” one sign read. “Harvard only fights for
all said it was worth discussing,” Chan says. “But none of them— not a single one of them—stuck their necks out and said, ‘We should seriously consider this because we want Harvard to be on the right side of history.’” In response to the claims members of the HPDC have leveled against the university, Jason Newton, Associate Director of Media Relations & Communications in Harvard’s office of Public Affairs & Communications, refers to an article in The Harvard Crimson
progressive causes when it benefits them,” Chan says, adding that Bacow and Lee are proud to have been on the right side of affirmative action because it was in their interest. Bacow published an oped in The Harvard Crimson condemning the protesters who attempted to draw attention to PIC divestment at an event held in the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Kennedy School. In the op-ed, Bacow criticizes the HPDC for infringing upon his free speech. “A university committed to truth cannot function if some members of our community shout down others,” Bacow says in the statement. At one action, a Harvard University police officer asked Chan to take down a sign she was using to protest as Bacow watched it happen. She condemns Harvard’s administrators for repeatedly not taking her complaints seriously. “We even had that meeting with them in October. They all went around the table and agreed it was an important issue and they
from October of last year. According to the article, the HPDC walked out of a meeting with Bacow and the Corporation Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (CSSR) when the administrators did not provide a yes-or-no answer to the question of whether they would consider divestment. The CSSR is a sub-committee of the Harvard Corporation, the university’s highest governing body, which handles investments. At the meeting, Lee, senior fellow at Harvard, said that he had read the report and requested to have a conversation to gain a deeper understanding of the PIC. He told The Crimson in an email that student activists had refused to answer his questions about the PIC.
‘WHERE’S MY MONEY GOING?’
I
n response to months of inaction from the university administration, the HPDC filed a lawsuit against various
Harvard officials and the Harvard Corporation. They sued them on two counts. First, the HPDC alleges that the university is in breach of their fiduciary duty to the donors in considering the university’s charitable purposes. Nathanson and Chan made small donations to the university, which means that Harvard has a fiduciary duty to listen to them, too. “My $20 is somewhere in that pot of $40 billion. Where’s my money going? I need answers. I want answers, and I have a legal right to those,” Chan says. There is precedent for this in the world of Harvard student activism: in 2016, the fossil fuel divestment movement Divest Harvard filed a similar lawsuit that failed in a lower court and a Massachusetts Appeals court because the students had “no legal standing” to influence the Harvard Corporation, the Boston Globe reported. The second count in the HPDC lawsuit is that of false advertising. According to Nathanson, this count deals with the connection between the PIC and slavery’s legacy. Chan says the university profits from the same systems of oppression it appears to denounce. “Harvard has a huge reputational benefit from being progressive-minded,” Chan says. In a 2016 statement, Harvard’s then-President Drew Faust invoked the school’s history of slavery. He sought to honor the importance of enslaved Africans, with the overall goal of understanding “the attitudes and assumptions that made the oppressions of slavery possible in order to overcome their vestiges in our own time.” “Harvard is profiting from the exact same systems of oppression that W.E.B. was against, the exact same systems of oppression that Martin Luther King would hate, and detest, and speak out, and fight against,” Chan says. “It’s actually lying to the public and making money by positioning yourself as a pro-Black, antislavery, antiracist institution, but it is one of the many institutional investors that actively profit [from] the oppression of Black people.” (continued on page 27)
scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers 15
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MEET THE MAKERS
Love Letter to Cambridge BY SHAFAQ PATEL | PHOTO BY SASHA PEDRO
C
ambridge resident and muralist Caleb Neelon’s most recent work, “The Teachers’ Home,” located behind the H Mart in Central Square, is a “love letter to [his] hometown,” he says. Through this mural, Neelon says he wanted to thank the women in the city who raised him. This mural was a part of the Central Square Mural Project, through the Business Improvement District. The goal of the project is to celebrate the area while paying homage to the past, present, and future of Central Square. Neelon is also hoping to convey that the city that he loves should remain a home for all its people. “This place is expensive,” Neelon says. “It’s gotten obscenely so. I think it’s important for the people coming in who may be younger to know it wasn’t always that way here. There used to be a little more room in Cambridge. The transformation of wanting to be an industry town has been something that’s been weighing on everybody. I think it’s important to hold onto things we can hold onto.” The conglomeration of images depicts a teacher looking out of her window to see high rise buildings, new condos, and construction. Behind her is a bulletin board filled with teacher appreciation letters—inspired by Neelon’s 7-year-old daughter’s drawings—alongside rent payments and loan notes. “Cambridge was a place where people could be a school teacher and not get a laugh and an eye roll
18 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
when thinking about historicizing his “There used to living here,” he says. experiences, be a little more “And that goes for whether it be room in Cambridge. all civil servants, through art or too. This goes for writing. While ... I think it’s police officers and the graffiti and important to hold firefighters.” mural scenes onto things we can Neelon painted were visually “The Teachers’ Home” bursting at the hold onto.” in just a few weeks seams in the ‘90s, in October. He planned there was little being out the giant project using written about them. a smaller sketch, but he says the So, coming from a family overwhelming size of the mural of writers, Neelon began writing wasn’t an issue. articles and books about public art, too. “I don’t want to say this in a Neelon says he explored places bragging way, but nothing about the where there was more of a community size or scale was difficult,” he says. “The between artists and less regulation. site was easy, the parking lot was closed When he was in Brazil, he’d be painting off, I had a lift, I could go home to use on a wall and the owner of the business the bathroom. It doesn’t get any easier would come out and offer him a ladder. than that, honestly. The size thing just “Such an interaction would be comes with doing murals a lot.” beyond inconceivable here,” he says. Very few of Neelon’s earlier Inconceivable, yes, but not experiences in large-scale murals took impossible. Back in 2012, Neelon place in Cambridge, however. While recalls walking up to a wall on there is no shortage of public art in the Columbia Street he had been eyeing area now, this was not the case when for a while, and asking the owner if Neelon was growing up. he could create a piece of art. After Neelon says he grew up in a time looking at a photo of his ideas, she where the city was not receptive to agreed. So, he believes there’s hope contemporary public art, calling it “a for more art, yet. Only time will tell. very late-developing art town.” Since Cambridge was not the best place for Caleb Neelon has painted murals across muralists, Neelon began traveling and the greater Cambridge area, as well as immersed himself in the global graffiti in surrounding cities like Worcester, scene under the name SONIK in the Allston, and Chelsea. He also does mid-1990s. He painted in over two curatorial and studio work. To learn dozen countries, from Nepal to Brazil. more, visit www.calebneelon.com. It seems he had a knack for
scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers 19
MEET THE MAKERS
ENTREPRENEURSHIP UNFILTERED BY LILLY MILMAN PHOTO BY SASHA PEDRO
I
nman Square resident Ronan McGovern’s story is a classic twist on an old favorite: He moved to Massachusetts from Ireland and eventually started selling beer—but there were a few important stops on the way. No, he didn’t open a classic Irish pub like The Druid or The Plough and Stars. He did it in the other Cambridge way: In 2014, he received a Ph.D. from MIT in mechanical engineering, and founded a tech company based in Woburn two years later. This past year, he began crafting his own non-alcoholic beer called Point Five. What makes McGovern’s story remarkable are these distinctions: In a world where everything is going digital, he’s crafting hardware. Rather than trying to make the next Uber or Facebook, he’s creating machines and physical products. Sandymount Technologies, where McGovern is the CEO, specializes in providing breweries with a trademarked hyperfiltration technology called Revos that removes large amounts of water from beer at a low temperature. This means that the filtration machines reduce the weight of the products, ultimately cutting transportation and shipping costs and making it easier for breweries to export their product to new markets—while retaining the flavor and alcohol content. The name comes from a mistake McGovern made when recalling one of his grandmother’s favorite areas in Dublin, which was actually called Sandycove. Coincidentally, the Revos machines are also effective in creating a non-alcoholic beer that retains the same flavor, says Dana 20 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
Hemmert, a resident of Cambridge and Sandymount engineer. One of the reasons McGovern and a few of his Sandymount colleagues began crafting Point Five was that they wanted to realize the full potential of their machines. In a way, they are also creating a vertically integrated company: One that creates and sells the filtration machines, and then uses them to create a consumer product. “We wanted to get a product out on the market so that people can taste what our technology can do,” Hemmert says. What differentiates Point Five from other non-alcoholic beers is that the alcohol is not removed through heat, which is one of the traditional methods of brewing non-alcoholic beer, Hemmert explains. Another common method they avoided is arrested fermentation, which means brewing the product at a low temperature for a short enough window that little to no alcohol is produced. “What we’re doing is we’re taking a complete beer, we’re keeping it cold, and we’re basically just removing the ethanol from the beer,” Hemmert says. “But everything else stays in tact and at the correct temperature.” Point Five refers to the amount of alcohol in the product, which is less than 0.5 percent. The team avoided taking the alcohol out completely because it would have negatively impacted the
taste, McGovern says. Although he says he drinks Guinness when he’s in Ireland, the Point Five flavor is modeled after McGovern’s drink of choice: a pilsner. Both Hemmert and McGovern admit that they enjoy a refreshing beer and they wanted to challenge themselves to produce a brew that they would actually want to drink themselves. McGovern splits his time between Cambridge and Ireland, but he is devoted to working around his found home. He has mostly focused on getting his product in stores and locations he’s familiar with in the city, using connections that he’s made throughout his decade of living in Inman Square. In December, 730 Tavern in Central Square became one of the first to put it on their menu, where it’s featured prominently alongside other popular alcoholic products— despite the fact that non-alcoholic beers like O’douls are usually tucked away on long beer lists.
His favorite bar, The Field, is another supporter of Point Five— and another nod to his Irish roots. McGovern became a regular while attending MIT, as the university’s Irish Association would plan monthly trips to the pub. After he graduated, McGovern took up salsa dancing at the nearby YWCA and the bar later became his weekly lunch spot afterwards. Six-packs of Point Five can also be found at Supreme Liquors in Central Square, among other locations. Getting his product into stores has helped McGovern become even more invested in his community, he says, and he hopes to continue to build relationships with local businesses around the area. To learn more about Point Five, visit pointfivebrewing.com.
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MEET THE MAKERS
BY RYAN MAGNOLE | PHOTOS BY SASHA PEDRO
“B
orn and raised in Cambridge” is a description that is becoming more and more of an anomaly. With the high concentration of colleges, and the booming biotech industry, the city attracts transplants. Cambridgebred rapper King Fiya remembers seeing the shift happen in front of him around 2011, while living in the heart of Central Square. “Me and a lot of the people 22 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
I grew up with, we’re all in the Malden and Everett area now. I was still around Cambridge in 2012 and then it just happened so fast. The prices are just sky high now,” he says. And it’s true. Since 2012, Cambridge rent prices have gone up by almost 50 percent. Luxury apartment buildings and office spaces are being erected, while community institutions like The Middle East are being forced to sell.
But home is where the heart is, and King Fiya has a tight-knit circle that started in the core of Cambridge. The people who make up his music team are a mix of close friends and family (his DJ is his cousin and his manager is a childhood friend, among others.) He remembers the beginning of his journey in 2010: One of his close friends, rapper Darius Heywood, pushed him to record his raps.
“Once I heard my voice recorded, I fell in love with it,” he says. It wasn’t until around 2015 that he began to take rapping seriously. A year later, one of his tracks, “Dour,” began to gain traction. By this point, King Fiya had already released a handful of mostly self-produced tracks— one of which was called “Gettin’ Paid,” featuring New York rapper Dave East.
“I like catching that ‘I just heard the beat, I’m excited’ feeling ... I found myself thinking too much while writing and it took away some of that natural vibe. Once I started freestyling, I felt my songs got to a whole other level.”
When King Fiya discovered Dave East on Twitter, he only had a few thousand followers. Dave East now has tracks with over 26 million streams on Spotify. “That was a situation out of necessity,” King Fiya says. “I didn’t even expect him to respond, so I still had to find the song. I had this one song that had one verse over a beat I made and one verse open, so it was perfect and I sent that to him.” Around the same time, King Fiya tapped in his childhood friend Cartier C, who came from a family of music makers. Equipped with FL Studio, Cartier C became King Fiya’s right-hand producer, showing up six times on his first album, “Money Dreaming.” “We were together so often, and he knows exactly what I like,” King Fiya says. “It gave us a natural chemistry that worked so well on the songs.” “Money Dreaming” kicked off King Fiya’s sound as we know it. The music was meant for cars
with the windows down and summer parties—specifically in Cambridge. He initially released the project as a way of providing a house for the loose tracks that were gaining him his buzz, as well as a way to put out enough music to book himself some shows. A little over a year later, in 2018, he released “Benefits,” which showed him focusing more on the musicality and songwriting. As an album, “Benefits” took a step back from the upbeat vibe and went down a nocturnal, introspective route. Fast forward to January of this year, when King Fiya released his personal favorite album: “Money Season.” The return to a more bouncy production coupled with the experience of making an album like “Benefits” is what makes “Money Season” such a success in his eyes. King Fiya also tweaked his process based on what he learned making his last two albums. Instead of zeroing in on a concrete set of nine tracks, he ended up making much more
than he needed. “I probably had about 30 songs, and I switched it around a bunch of times. I tried to see which ones worked the best together,” he says. He also shifted his songwriting technique: Rather than focusing solely on the lyrics, he created natural melodies by freestyling while hearing the beat for the first time. He says he realized that initially freestyling while hearing a beat allowed him to create refreshing melodies that he could later sharpen with different lyrics. “I like catching that ‘I just heard the beat, I’m excited’ feeling,” he says. “I found myself thinking too much while writing and it took away some of that natural vibe. Once I started freestyling, I felt my songs got to a whole other level.” In a little over three years, King Fiya has been able to release three albums and his growth as an artist is evident. While he doesn’t live in Cambridge right now, the city
supported him at the “Money Season” release show at The Middle East. It was a proud, full-circle moment for him to perform this project at the heart of Central Square. Friends and fans came through, not only knowing the words to many of his songs, but also to support him by buying merch from his clothing line, Fiya Supply. The momentum doesn’t stop there. King Fiya says he’s using the success of his last step to make the next jump even higher. While he has enough music to release another album, he knows now that he needs to wait until the time is right. His dreams are only as big as he can imagine—for him, the dream’s as big as getting his Fiya logo on a pair of Nike Air Force Ones. If he achieves that, there’s no doubt there will be an even bigger dream lined up instantly. To learn more about King Fiya, visit his SoundCloud at www. soundcloud.com/king-fiya. scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers 23
MEET THE MAKERS
THE CREATIVE BLOCK AT THE HEART OF INMAN SQUARE, THE 1300 BLOCK OF CAMBRIDGE STREET IS AND HAS BEEN THE HOME FOR SHOPS THAT CATER TO CANTABRIDGIANS’ PREFERENCE FOR HANDMADE THINGS. BY ERIC J. FRANCIS
Y
ou may have a printer, but Shelley Barandes of the Albertine Press has a printing press. She has several, actually: a Vandercook, a Heidelberg, and a Chandler & Price, and another Vandercook, for good measure, and a few more. With these descendants of Gutenberg’s 15th-century invention, Barandes can turn out custom stationery or introduce you to the mysteries of letterpress printing (as well as bookbinding and calligraphy classes) from her shop at 1309 Cambridge St. “The thing about letterpress is that it’s—at least the way we do it, and the way it’s done these days—it’s inherently tactile,” says Barandes. “You can print anything on your home printer, but it’s not going to have that same quality to it, kind of a lusciousness.” Albertine Press is just one of several current and past shops in the 1300 block of Cambridge Street where residents can go when a creative urge strikes them. From 2016 to 2019, one of Albertine’s neighbors was Practice Space, which offered a combination of retail, studio, exhibition, and community rooms for artists. Catty-corner from them is the venerable Inman Square Hardware, a DIY mecca. And across the street is Gather Here—the knitting, sewing, 24 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
and fiber arts emporium run by Virginia B. Johnson and her husband Noah Dubreuil. The love of all things tangible is what binds the block together. “I think one of the main reasons people take up sewing or knitting now is people are looking to learn something that is really tangible and there is a final outcome,” Johnson says. “When you’re learning to sew, you’re literally picking the fabric, cutting the fabric, stitching the fabric, and you walk away with the thing.” Both Albertine Press and Gather Here relocated to the 1300 block from other locations when they needed to grow. Albertine Press moved about two years ago from just down the road in Somerville, and Barandes says she’s found both cities to be “so full of artists and people who understand the craftsmanship of what we do.” “It’s a really strong crafting and craft-supporting community,” she says. “People who participate in crafting and also just appreciate it and want to support that kind of creative endeavor.” Building community was a big part of the Gather Here ethos at its original location on Broadway, and the move to the former Inman Square Supermarket site at 1343 Cambridge St. in 2016 gave them more space for those activities.
ALBERTINE PRESS
In fact, the calendar on their wall shows something happening— classes, meetings, events—every single day of the month. “A lot of people in the [Broadway] community came along, and people in Somerville
were super-psyched we were so much closer. And there was already a vibrant community atmosphere in Inman Square,” Johnson says. Walking into either shop, one of the first impressions is
GATHER HERE
the physicality of everything. In Albertine, you see shelves of cards, broad worktables, and the presses; Gather Here is known for the bolts of cloth and skeins of yarn, in a riot of colors, along with its dozens of sewing and quilting
machines. Both places make you want to touch things—and if you do, then you’ll find yourself wondering how it was made, and whether you can make it. And the answer from the businesses on this block is not just “yes, you can” but “we’ll show you how.” It’s probably not surprising that these two businesses, both built upon handicrafts that date back centuries and yet are still ubiquitous in modern life, see crossover among their respective communities. “One of our customers, as she was planning her wedding, had picked out all of her fabrics and colors, then she brought her fabric to meet with Shelley to do her wedding invitations, and Shelley sent me an Instagram story,” Johnson says. Barandes adds that she often sees shared clientele, as evidenced by their project bags. “I think we attract a similar kind of person, whether they’re making things themselves and looking for the tools, or taking classes and learning something new and bringing that kind of craft mentality to their own life,” she says. Albertine Press is located at 1309 Cambridge St. and Gather Here is located at 1343 Cambridge St. To learn more, visit www.albertinepress. com and www.gatherhere.com.
Photo, left, by Sasha Pedro. Photo, right, by Tony Luong.
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MEET THE MAKERS
BY THOMAS GILLESPIE
F
or 50 years, East Cambridge –based affordable housing developer Just A Start has been quite literally building space for low-income residents from the ground up. And that’s just one of the ways they’ve been fighting income inequality in the increasingly divided city. Last month, Just A Start purchased a 43,800 square foot property at 52 New St. in North Cambridge. The organization, which hopes to build approximately 100 units at the site, acquired the property in 26 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
what has become their trademark hands-on approach, says Real Estate Director Noah Sawyer: “We have to hustle, we have to sell people on our mission.” According to Sawyer, 52 New St. had been a development project that didn’t work out. After its plans initially fell through, Just A Start began “aggressively” pursuing the property—working with the City of Cambridge to ensure the nonprofit acquired it, and ultimately receiving a large portion of the financing from
the Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust. Competing with luxury developers and deep-pocketed universities and tech companies has forced the organization to pursue a number of creative measures in its search for space to make Cambridge affordable. One new source of benefactors is longtime Cambridge residents, who are looking to preserve Cambridge’s inclusive character; in the last six months, two have approached Just A Start with the intention of handing over their
homes for affordable housing in their wills, according to Executive Director Carl Nagy-Koechlin. Nagy-Koechlin sees these gifts as a fruitful avenue for the organization to create new pockets of affordability throughout the city’s neighborhoods. However, despite the New Street acquisition and Just A Start’s other ongoing projects, he stresses that the affordability crisis in Cambridge continues to grow. “We’re in a prolific phase, with about 215 [units] queued up, but even that’s a drop in the bucket,” he
says. “We’re working hard to help people thrive in Cambridge, and that means a stable place to live and a sustaining career. We’d like to be more comprehensive and holistic in terms of how we serve people.” Gerry Zipser, Just A Start’s director of housing, echoes Nagy-Koechlin’s belief regarding the need for conversations about affordability to move beyond just housing. “When you’re low-income, you’re subject to so many more crises that you may not be able to deal with financially,” she mentions. “When we did our first food pantry at our Rindge property … we found that 18 percent of [the residents] were food insecure. Sometimes, you’ve got to start with basic necessities.” From Zipser’s perspective, Just A Start and similar organizations working to make Cambridge more equitable must address a wide
industry, often maligned for skyrocketing prices in the city, as an opportunity to reconnect the city’s prosperity with its residents. “These companies are struggling to find talent and fill positions, so we’re in a moment where we can persuade them to think a little outside the box,” he notes. “There’s data that candidates from the most prestigious universities might not stay in the area long, so we’re able to make an argument that the people we’re training in our life sciences training program and in our IT program are really good matches for those positions.” Prioritizing opportunities for local residents in Cambridge’s booming economy, however, is only one step in building a more connected community. Zipser emphasizes that many of Just A Start’s current residents work directly in the city’s local
“We’re probably your neighbors already, and we think we’re pretty good neighbors.”
range of structural barriers to help low- and moderate-income families truly thrive. “We have a longstanding biomedical careers training program,” Zipser explains. “The idea is to take folks in Cambridge who may not have a college degree or might have credentials from their home country that haven’t translated and get them into the biomedical field, and the income stream that comes with that.” Likewise, Nagy-Koechlin sees Cambridge’s biotech
institutions and neighborhoods. “We need housing for people you already know … who work in our public schools, [or] are home health aides,” she underlines. “The goal is to bring in families who contribute to their neighborhoods,” Sawyer adds. “We’re probably your neighbors already, and we think we’re pretty good neighbors.” Just A Start is located at 1035 Cambridge St. #12. To learn more, visit www.justastart.org.
Photo, left, courtesy of Just A Start. Photo, right, by Sasha Pedro.
(continued from page 15)
Nathanson says the administration’s pledge to engage with its legacy of slavery is a hollow promise that extends to Harvard applicants. “When students apply to grad school here, they see those promises about fixing the legacy of slavery,” she says. “That might have been why they felt comfortable coming to this school.” Nathanson says that the primary purpose of the lawsuit is to bring about a court order for Harvard’s divestment from the PIC. Another important goal is to spread information and education about the PIC, she says. It could be a year before the case reaches summary judgment, she adds.
ABOLITION ACTION ASSEMBLIES
D
rake and Matthew used abolition as a theoretical framework for their work, seeing incarceration as an extension of the legacy of slavery. Ultimately, he is working for the abolition of the prison system at large. “People in prison ... were saying these conditions are as severe as the conditions were for people under slavery,” he says. “We need to abolish the prison and all the different structures like police [and] jails that funnel people into prison.” Drake’s words fall in line with an excerpt from The Incarcerated Workers Organizing Committee, which the HPDC uses in their lawsuit. “We are legally slaves,” the excerpt reads. “If you’ve been to prison, you’d know we are treated like slaves.” Abolition Action Assemblies, a series of gatherings meant to educate other students on the PIC, further the legacy of Drake and Matthew’s initial teach-in. Each assembly highlights a different aspect of the PIC, covering topics from public health to gentrification to transformative justice. One focused on real estate, as Harvard is one of the largest property owners in Massachusetts. Chan says the assemblies are an effort to shed light on the aspects of prisoners’ lives that
are often hidden from people’s imaginations, like the quality of food.
DESIRED OUTCOMES
“I
want Harvard to actually respond with some structural changes to this investment approach and … to commit to removing its holdings from any funds that benefit from human cages. I would say I also want to see Harvard take meaningful steps to remedy those harms,” Drake says. That would look like making financial investments in cooperative housing and other prison alternatives, or offering more learning opportunities to share ways of addressing harm and violence that don’t rely on or reproduce structures of violence, Drake explains. At a joint rally with other campus activist groups on Jan. 27, members of the HPDC called for PIC divestment alongside a Palestine solidarity group, Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard, a reproductive justice group, the Graduate Student Union, the undocumented students rights group Act on a Dream, a group promoting ethnic studies, and other similar organizations. The conversations heavily focused around the idea of “Veritas”— the latin word for “truth,” which appears on the Harvard logo. “Our campaign [is organized] in the spirit of abolition, which I think envisions a safe world without prisons, borders, and cages of any kind,” Chan said at the rally. Chan was one of dozens of student activists who gathered in a semi-circle in the lobby of the Harvard Science Center lobby. All spoke of intersectionality, and the need to join forces to strengthen their respective groups. The rally ended with a triumphant march towards the John Harvard statue—an emblem of the university’s storied history. The fight for each of these groups is still in its early stages, however, with a much longer march ahead. Lilly Milman also contributed to this report. An expanded version of this story can be found at scoutcambridge.com. scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers 27
CALENDAR
MARCH 15 | FOOD & DRINK
Photo courtesy of The Vegan Market.
THE VEGAN MARKET 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Free 191 Highland Ave., Somerville It’s finally here—the Spring Vegan Market at Arts at the Armory! Featuring food, baked goods, beer and wine, art, jewelry, and more from a grand total of 30 local vendors, this is the place to be for anyone looking for crueltyfree and vegan goods. Free parking will also be available.
APRIL 6 | ACTIVE
Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
MARCH 22 | SCOUT
Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
MEET THE MAKERS: ISSUE RELEASE PARTY 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Free 14 Tyler St., Somerville You’ve read about some of our favorite makers, and now it’s time to meet them in person! Head down to Aeronaut Brewing Co. for a fun-filled afternoon of demonstrations, some you’ll be able to try yourself. Meet the Scout team and learn a bit about how we put this and other issues together. Children and teens must be accompanied by an adult. Suggested donation - $8.
APRIL 17 | EDUCATION
Photo by Leonardo March.
Photo courtesy of The Jungle.
Photo courtesy of Harvard Museums of Science & Culture.
Photo by Adrianne Mathiowetz.
Photo courtesy of BIDA.
28 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
LADIES CLIMBING COALITION MEET-UP 7:15 to 9:15 p.m.; $24 12 Tyler St., Somerville Once a month, the Ladies Climbing Coalition invites all women-identifying, non-binary, and femme people interested in rock climbing to Brooklyn Boulders to test their skills in a welcoming environment. Both new and experienced climbers are welcome, and the focus is on bouldering and top rope.
APRIL 25 | EDUCATION
APRIL 5 | ACTIVE
BIDA CONTRA FAMILY DANCE 5:30 to 10:30 p.m.; $5-15 1950 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge Whip out your dancing shoes, it’s time to contra dance at the Cambridge Masonic Hall! This is a gender-free, all-ages dancing experience where anyone is welcome to participate in any capacity they choose. The price of entry is on a sliding scale, and a beginner’s workshop runs from 7 to 7:30 p.m.
TODDLER DANCE PARTY 5 to 7 p.m.; $7 6 Sanborn Ct., Somerville Kids deserve a night out, too! And that’s exactly why The Jungle is hosting a dance party specifically for toddlers—complete with fun kid-friendly foods like grilled cheese and fries (vegan options are also served) and appropriate music for all ages. Everyone under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
APRIL 20 | ACTIVE
MARCH 29 | EDUCATION
HARVARD ARCHAEOLOGY FAIR 1 to 4 p.m.; $15 11 Divinity Ave., Cambridge Travel around the world and back in time with Harvard students as they share their experiences from excavations abroad at the Peabody Museum’s all-ages fair. Examine artifacts, participate in various hands-on activities, take a behind-the-scenes look at how scientists identify animal bones in the Zooarchaeology lab, and more!
SCIENCE IN THE CITY 2020 2 to 6 p.m.; Free 795 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge How do traffic lights work? What about compost piles, or solar panels, or urban gardens? Find out the answers to all of those questions and more at the City of Cambridge’s science fair takeover, conveniently located at City Hall. All four floors will be dedicated to hands-on learning activities that are exciting for all ages.
APRIL 19 | KIDS
MARCH 25-29 | ENTERTAINMENT
BOSTON UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL Varying times; $25+ 40 Brattle St., Cambridge Are you a fan of the strange and unusual? Have we got just the fest for you! Every year, BUFF brings innovative filmmakers to Brattle Theater and connects them with eager audiences. Festival passes and various ticket packs can be purchased online, and different price points come with unique perks.
SOMERNOVA ROBOT RUN 6 to 7 p.m.; Free 12 Tyler St., Somerville Need some motivation to lace up your sneakers? The weekly Somernova Robot Run is an opportunity to get active, and then get rewarded with the opportunity to meet a real-life robot and its creator. Brooklyn Boulders will first lead a 50 to 60 minute run, and then participants will be introduced to a specialized robot.
Photo courtesy of Earthwise Aware.
URBAN WILDLIFE QUEST 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Free 22 Vinal Ave., Somerville A collaboration between the Somerville Community Growing Center and non-profit EarthwiseAware, the Urban Wildlife Quest is a day to get involved in helping the local environment and to learn more about the international City Biodiversity Challenge. Pre-registration is required and attendees should bring their smartphone or camera in order to upload photos.
Please consider shopping with these and other Scout sponsors.
SHOPPING DIRECTORY
REAL ESTATE DIRECTORY TEAM JEN & LYNN
PORTER SQUARE BOOKS
Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Lynn 617-216-5244, Jen 617-943-9581
25 White St., Cambridge 617-491-2220, portersquarebooks.com Porter Square Books is your fiercely independent source for great books, magazines, fun gifts and more.
TeamJenandLynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Bringing our expertise and good humor to help you find a perfect home or say good-bye to your old one.
HEALTH & WELLNESS DIRECTORY
IRENE BREMIS THE IBREMIS TEAM
Prices are already up quite a bit over 2013, which was the strongest market in years. More inventory has started to appear, but it is still not enough to satisfy demand. Consequently, prices should continue to rise in 2014.
Our New Listings
Please call us for more information on the market, or to get a sense of the current value of your home. ~Thalia, Todd, Niké, Jennifer, and Lynn
DR. KATIE TALMO, D.M.D.
180 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-864-6111 Dr. Talmo provides a personalize approach to dental care. Come enjoy the Morrison Ave. and Grove St., is the very large, open, level yard. Owned by the same family comfortable dental experience since 1955, this unspoiled home is readyafor a new family to make their own updates and memories. in her newly renovated office space. ~ $519,000 ~ $1,495,000
This is a very rare opportunity to own a single family home with garage on one of the largest lots in Davis Square . The Victorian-era house has 4 bedrooms and one and a half baths on two levels. The detached garage
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com
Lovely Agassiz 2 bedroom/2 bath condo with private porch on a pleasant side street between Harvard and Porter Squares. Near great shops, restaurants, and Harvard campus.
~ $349,000 Roomy Ten Hills 2 bedroom/1 bath condo with charming details, reonvated kitchen, parking, and storage.
MASSACHUSETTS FOOT & ANKLE SPECIALISTS
Lynn C. Gr aham
Residential Sales Specialist, ealtor R ® cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRe alEstate .com
RESTAURANT DIRECTORY LEONE’S SUB AND PIZZA
292 Broadway, Somerville 617-776-2511, leonessubandpizza.com Pizza and subs fit for a king since 1954. Now being delivered by Dash!
MIKE’S FOOD & SPIRITS
617-905-5232, irenebremis.com irenebremis@gmail.com Real Estate Consulting, Listing, Marketing, Sales & Rental Specialist. iBremis Realty, Inc. powered by LAER.
9 Davis Square, Somerville 617-628-2379, mikesondavis.com Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Burgers and more! Dine in our casual dining room open to Davis Square or watch a game at the bar!
CHARLES CHERNEY REALTOR AT COMPASS
OPA GREEK YEEROS
THALIA TRINGO & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE
LA POSADA RESTAURANT
CambridgeRealEstate.com 617-733-8937, cc@compass.com Helping You Buy the Right Home and Sell for the Best Price in Cambridge and Somerville, MA.
378 Highland Ave., Somerville 617-718-2900, opayeeros.com Authentic Greek cuisine and a lively atmosphere. Expanding soon!
~ $229,000
Near Medford Sq., this 1 bedroom/ 1 1/2 bath condo is in an elevator building with parking.
Dr. Pasquale Cancelliere 53 Main Street, Somerville 617-629-2806, candriafas.com In the heart of Davis Sq., this 2 bedroom/1 bath condo in a brick building has a parking space. Board Certified, Fellowship Trained Equidistant from Davis and Porter Squares, this 3 bedroom/1.5 bath condo on two levels has in-unit laundry, 2 porches, private yard, and exclusive driveway for 3 cars. Podiatrist Coming Soon
Renovated 1 bedroom/1 bath near Prospect Hill with central air, in-unit laundry, private porch, and shared yard.
SUPPORT LOCAL MEDIA. JOIN THESE ADVERTISING PARTNERS! Contact Holli at hbanks@scoutmagazines.com
617-616-5091, thaliatringorealestate.com
Our agents strive to make your experience of buying and selling as smooth as possible. From start to finish, we are here to help you. Free classes.
ERIK HOOK, REALTOR®
617-461-4691, erik.hook@compass.com Servicing Greater Somerville, Boston, and Cambridge, Erik is committed to trustworthy, personalized, and responsive service for his clients.
505 Medford St., Somerville 617-776-2049, laposadasomerville.com Somerville’s spot for delicious, hand-crafted Latin American cuisine.
MASS AVE DINER
906 Mass. Ave., Cambridge 617-864-5301, massavediner.com Since 2010 Serving Killer Brunch and Diner Fare. Now Open Late and Serving Craft Beer and Wine!
TACO PARTY
711 Broadway, Somerville 617-764-0683, tacopartytruck.com Building tacos from the ground up.
scoutcambridge.com | Meet the Makers 29
DO-GOODERS, KEY PLAYERS & GAME CHANGERS
DO-GOODERS, KEY PLAYERS, AND GAME CHANGERS
FOOD FOR FREE
BY SADYE MASCIA
T
he idea that one shouldn’t waste food out of respect for those less fortunate is echoed around millions of dinner tables throughout the country— and it is the foundation of the work done by the Cambridgebased non-profit Food For Free. Food For Free “rescues” food and distributes it to those who need it by partnering with colleges, hospitals, grocery stores, and biotech companies—assuring that any excess food ends up on a plate, rather than in a landfill. The non-profit was established roughly 30 years ago with the intention of promoting the idea that food is a fundamental right. And not just any food—Food For Free is committed to serving healthy, beautiful, and balanced meals. 30 Meet the Makers | scoutcambridge.com
The small, but still-growing team is headquartered in a house-turned-office space on a residential street, not far from Inman Square. “This one room used to be all of Food For Free,” Program Director Fiona Crimmins says while sitting in her long, windowfilled office, “but we’re growing.” The organization now occupies the majority of the building, reflecting the increase in staff and programming. Some of their popular programs include home delivery, family meals, and the Backpack Program, which feeds over 900 students in Cambridge and Somerville on the weekends. Their programs are designed to be accessible to everyone, and the focus is on giving freely
rather than waiting for one to ask for help, Crimmins says. “We take the asking off the table,” she says. “We do the offering and then folks can just engage with it. Rather than ask people to step up and be vocal about needing help, we present it, and then it’s there as an option.” Food For Free also provides education about the overwhelming amount of food waste in the country, and operates on the belief that awareness can help downsize the large number of meals thrown away. About 40 percent of the food grown in the country is thrown away, according to Executive Director Sasha Purpura. She was inspired to join Food For Free after receiving an M.B.A. in sustainability.
“I had fallen in love with food and the importance of it—its ability to create community,” she says. It’s the passion of the staff that has helped the organization expand its work. When Purpura joined in 2012, the home delivery program was reaching around 50 individuals a month. Now, that number has more than doubled. Each successful program brings more awareness to the non-profit, which ultimately draws in more volunteers and partners. It all circles back to the creation of a community, Purpura says. “That’s been the wonderful part of being involved with Food For Free,” she says. “We’re not doing any of this alone.” Due to the positive reception of some of the early programs, Food For Free is now beginning to shift their focus onto the school systems. Purpura wants to connect with more local families, and similar non-profit groups. At the same time the Backpack Program was released, Food For Free also published a toolkit online that would guide others in replicating the program within their own communities. “There’s often barriers to getting food,” she says. “So, when we started serving school markets, 80 percent of the families we were reaching weren’t using other emergency food systems.” Food For Free’s mission isn’t simply “solving hunger,” a task that is far too complicated with too many variables for one non-profit to tackle. Rather, the intention is to look after those living in the community. “Cambridge and Somerville are small places when you really get down to it,” Crimmins says. “They’re small communities where things are really interconnected. People live and work so close to each other, and I really think doing good means taking care of each other.” What Food For Free is doing with their programming is starting a conversation about hunger that involves both those who have suffered from it, and those who want to understand it and provide help. Some of their volunteers relied on the programs when they were young. It’s a cycle, but it is moving in the right direction. Photo courtesy of Food For Free.
YOUR DENTAL HEALTH IS PART OF YOUR OVERALL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING.
• FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY • TEETH WHITENING • CROWN AND BRIDGE WORK • RESTORATION OF DENTAL IMPLANTS • VENEERS • CLEAR ORTHODONTIC ALIGNERS
Best Dentist
DR. KATIE TALMO, D.M.D. 617.864.6111 • 180 HIGHLAND AVENUE
Best Dentist
Best Dentist
2018 WINNER
2017 WINNER
2016 WINNER
2015 NOMINEE
2014 WINNER
