Mark Sandman Memorial Concert in Pacific Park

Sunday, September 27th at Pacific Street Park, several local and national acts will gather at Pacific Street Park to play a concert in memory of legendary Morphine frontman Mark Sandman. The show will benefit the Mark Sandman Music Project, a not-for-profit community-based organization dedicated to bringing children and music together to foster recreational, educational, and artistic goals. Sandman, a Cambridge native, suffered a fatal heart attack after a performance in Italy in 1999. His passing was noted at the time in a touching eulogy featured in the Boston Phoenix.

Concert details per the Central Square Blog:

The second Mark Sandman Memorial Concert will take place at Pacific Park... on Sunday, September 27, from 1 to 7 pm. The first was on July 25 of 1999, just weeks after the Morphine frontman’s untimely passing onstage at the Nel Nome del Rock festival in Palestrina, Italy. July 3, 2009 marked the tenth anniversary of Sandman’s death, and Sept. 24, 2009 would have been his 57th birthday.

As well as celebrating the life and work of this favorite son of the Cambridge and Boston music scene, the Memorial Concert will focus attention on the Mark Sandman Music Project, based in the newly renovated Arts in the Armory building in Somerville.

See the CS blog post for links to all the artists, or friend the Mark Sandman Memorial Concert on Facebook for details. For more on the nonprofit Music Project, see their myspace page. Something I didn't know: the intersection of Brookline and Mass Ave, location of the famous Middle East, is named Mark Sandman Square.

Cambridgeport History Day is Coming!

Cambridgeport
Originally uploaded by thewhiterabbit11

Details on the upcoming events on October 3rd from the organizer, the Cambridgeport History Group. This is shaping up to be a really fantastic weekend for the C-port community:

“If This House Could Talk..." invites residents and visitors to explore the intimate history of this rich neighborhood. On October 3 and 4, Cambridgeport neighbors and businesses will display original signs sharing choice tidbits about events—contemporary or historic, personal or public—that happened in their buildings. Cathie Zusy, the project’s organizer, hopes that “neighbors will stroll around, discovering great stories that took place just around the corner.” [ed: I saw my first "If This House Could Talk" sign this morning at Dana Park... anyone seen others up yet? Residents eager to put up a sign can contact Cathie at 617-868-0489 or at cathzusy@aol.com]

Saturday, Oct. 3rd activities:

(pick up a map of historic sites and a list of sign locations anytime 10am-5pm at Dana Park)

Noon: Rededication of Fort Washington Park, the only survivor of a chain of small forts ordered built by George Washington in 1775 to defend against the British occupiers of Boston. Gardner’s Regiment, a local group of Revolutionary War re-enactors, will be encamped at the fort from 11am to 2pm and will participate in the rededication

1:00-2:30pm: Charles Sullivan, Executive Director of the Cambridge Historical Commission, will lead a walking tour of Cambridgeport, starting at Fort Washington and ending at Dana Park

2:30-5:00pm: local community groups will provide entertainment and activities for children and adults, including:

• Sidewalk Histories—Brookline Street Mosaics, the Cambridge Poet Populist Program, and Dana Park Quotes (Cambridge Arts Council)
• A Mystery History Photo Contest (Cambridge Historical Society)
• History Rubbings (Gallery 263)
• “Memory Lane: Walking Routes Celebrating Cambridge Women’s History!,” self-guided tours of Cambridgeport (Cambridge Women’s Commission)
• Collage Houses: An Art Project for Kids (Hazel Ryerson)

4:00-7:00pm: the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association will hold its annual potluck dinner at Dana Park. Neighbors are invited to bring a dish and enjoy music by local musician Ken Field’s Revolutionary Snake Ensemblette.

If you have questions, e-mail: cport@cambridgehistory.org or call the Cambridge Historical Society at 617-547-4252.

Western Avenue Bridge Repairs

2004-10-23 019
Originally uploaded by sv.prudence

From the Chronicle:
State to make repairs to Western Avenue Bridge

Beginning Saturday, Sept. 13 continuing for several days from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. each night, [DCR] will be repairing the concrete railing on the Western Avenue Bridge... During the work, the right Boston-bound lane will be closed. Loud jack hammering noise will end by 11:30 p.m. each night.

625 Putnam Approved by Planning Board

On Tuesday night the Planning Board formally approved the Homeowners Rehab, Inc (HRI) proposal known as the 625 Putnam development. The project was approved as proposed, containing 40 affordable housing units in two buildings (a six-unit building fronting Brookline St and a 34-unit building facing Putnam). The project will have 28 off-street (underground) parking spaces for residents. HRI's team was advised to consider the neighborhood's concerns, but did not make their approval contingent on any specific conditions.

For the unfamiliar, there's a lot of background info in these prior posts.

Despite the very real concerns of abutters, the project has great potential and will expand C-port's vibrant residential fabric into the light industrial belt of buildings on MIT's west side. Hopefully, the HRI team will continue regular communication with the neighborhood as the project moves through design and construction.

Cambridge Carnival Parade this Weekend

cambridge carnival participants
Originally uploaded by iamtonyang

Saturday Sunday the 13th marks the return of the 17th Cambridge Carnival International festival and parade, a "colorful and festive celebration that is rooted in African traditions," and annually attracts 150,000 celebrants.

Most of the carnival itself will be centered at Kendall Square, but the enlarged, 1.3 mile parade route runs right through C-port, starting at Blackstone Street and River Street at 1pm, continuing up River Street to Mass Ave. From Central Square, it continues down Mass Avenue to Main Street into Kendall Square.

A bit more from the organizers:

Cambridge Carnival is the most unique event in the City of Cambridge. It is planned entirely by the community for the community. The organizing committee works hard year-round to plan an event that is inclusive, engaging, and reflective of the City’s diversity. The event is organized by a non-profit volunteer community organization made up of a diverse group of individuals who live and work in Cambridge as well as local businesses who desire to promote, preserve and share the history and culture of the Caribbean and Carnival traditions based on the models of Trinidad and Tobago and Brazil. The festival is a vehicle to bring together Cambridge's diverse community for a spectacular annual costume parade and celebration.

The Cambridge Carnival has come a long way since 1992 from a small street fair at University Park, to now one of the most spectacular events in the Greater Boston area. Today, Cambridge Carnival is one of the largest outdoor multicultural festivals in New England. After twelve years of growth, in 2004, Cambridge Carnival, which takes place in August every year, outgrew its Central Square location and found a home in Kendall Square. Cambridge Carnival is one of twenty-four North American Caribbeanstyle carnivals that combine wire-bending, costumes, masks, music, steel pan, street-parades, dancing, and food and craft exhibits, to display the diverse cultures of all the countries and Caribbean islands.

Capuano to Run

Per the Chronicle, citing the Dorchester Reporter:

Report: Capuano to run for Kennedy Senate seat

If the former Somerville mayor indeed runs, it would end a six-term stranglehold on the 8th District seat. C-port (and the rest of Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea and the two-thirds of Boston that make up the District) will have an open seat in 2010 for the first time in 12 years, since Capuano succeeded Joe Kennedy.

Neighborhood Association Meeting on Sept 10

From Bill August, on behalf of the CNA:

The Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association will be holding a community meeting Thursday, Sept 10, 7 pm, at the Woodrow Wilson Court community room (entrance down the ramp on Fairmont St, off of Magazine St). We have an exciting agenda and all are welcome.

1) C-port History Day and Park/Block Party on October 3rd. This is gearing up to be a big day for the neighborhood, with the rededication of Fort Washington, tours, a party at Dana Park and other ways of celebrating C-port's fascinating history, including If This House Could Talk. The CNA meeting will be a vital planning event.
2) State Rep. Marty Walz has requested an opportunity to update the neighborhood about new legislation she has filed for better protecting open space along the river.
3) Update on the wide range of current DCR issues affecting the neighborhood, which will certainly include the more controversial efforts.
4) An update on the proposed 625 Putnam development--especially the results of the potentially decisive public hearing on September 8th.

Man Stabbed on Brookline Street

I don't closely monitor the police blotter, so I really don't know how common violent crime is in the neighborhood. But I'll admit that I get pretty complacent about safety in our sleepy C-port. So Monday night's stabbing at the corner of Brookline and Erie surprised me.

Via the Globe:

Teen stabs man multiple times in Cambridge robbery attempt, police say

A 56-year-old man who refused to give up his wallet was stabbed multiple times Monday night by a teenager during a struggle on a dark Cambridge street, Cambridge Police said.

And in today's Chronicle, we hear about a related crime across town:

Cops: Teen robber stabbed one victim in Kendall, another in Cambridgeport

The 16-year-old Cambridge boy was arrested at about 1:45 a.m. Aug. 31 and charged with attempted robbery and assault with intent to murder after he used a knife to allegedly stab a 56-year-old Cambridge man. The teen allegedly demanded his victim’s wallet and when he refused, the teen allegedly stabbed the man multiple times at the intersection of Brookline and Erie streets, police said.

The victim underwent surgery and was listed in stable condition in the hospital Tuesday night, said Pasquarello.

The same teen is also wanted for an alleged stabbing in the Kendall Square T station Friday night, according to MBTA officials.

Our thoughts are with the victim and his family.

Next 625 Putnam Planning Board Hearing on September 8

The Planning Board staff passed along a notice for the next Planning Board meeting, which will include "deliberation and a possible decision" on the 625 Putnam project proposed by HRI.

The details:

September 8, 7:30 pm
City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway
2nd Floor Conference Room

You can read the background on the proposal from these prior posts.

Congrats to Mayor Simmons

From the Chronicle, a story on the recent (historic) wedding of Mayor Denise Simmons:

Simmons, draped in white lace, clasped hands with a suit-and-tie-clad Hayes, as they became the first same sex couple to be married inside the century-old St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church.

Simmons, the nation’s first African American, openly lesbian mayor, said she is cognizant of the deeper social implications of her wedding day in the city that granted the first same sex wedding license in state in 2004.

“Times are changing, people are becoming more accepting of their fellow citizens, and we are slowly arriving at more of a ‘live-and-let-live’ kind of world,” Simmons said in a statement released before the wedding. “Our society is definitely making progress.”