Somerville Scout » General

July/August 2011 Contest Winner

Jon Van Kuiken — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:57:26 +0000

Scout Congratulates Louise Marks – July 2011 Contest Winner!

Louise Marks – July 2011 Contest Winner!

Louise Marks’ winning entry was randomly drawn from the 55 correct answers we received. Many of the correct replies were enthusiastic. One entrant even told us, “I got so excited (upon recognizing the photo), I told my mom about it!”

Louise knew – as did most of you – that the rectangular paneling in our snapshot belonged to none other than Somerville Hospital (230 Highland Ave).

When she first saw the photo, she wasn’t sure. “I thought it was a parking garage,” she confesses. But a few days later – July 24, to be exact – she was walking down Highland Ave during the “Seize the Summer” portion of the city’s SomerStreets celebration. When she passed the hospital, she recognized the photograph.

A retired social worker who worked for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health, Louise has been a Somerville resident since 2004. She lives with her spouse, Faye Bergsman, in the “Walnut Hill” neighborhood, not far from Somerville High School (81 Highland Ave). She plans to spend her $50 prize during an upcoming vacation in Reno, Nev.

Her favorite Somerville haunts include Mount Vernon (14 Broadway), where she loves the twin lobster. “I’m from Gloucester, so I know my seafood,” she says. She’s also a fan of the captain’s platter at Jimbo’s (40 Bow St). She is a frequent shopper at Somerville’s farmers markets and she enjoys spending time at both Diesel Café (257 Elm St) and Starbucks (260 Elm St) in Davis Square. “It depends on where there are more comfy seats available,” she says.

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WEEK HIGHLIGHTS: JAN. 30–FEB. 2

Eli Jace — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:27:49 +0000

**MONDAY, JAN. 30

THIRSTY DOG Todd Sargent of ballooning Armory fame hosts the sorta-bi-monthly Monday Mini Cinema Presents. Howl with delight this Monday for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds: Road To God Knows Where. Customary beer, wine and snacks available like always. Jan. 30, 7—10 p.m. Suggested $3. Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. www.artsatthearmory.org
IT’S IN THE SAUCE Chef Jason takes you down the tunnel of sauce. Get crazy with olive oil, tomato, cream, and pesto, sampling each along the way. Jan. 30, 6—8 p.m. $50. Dave’s Fresh Pasta, 81 Holland St. www.davesfreshpasta.com

**TUESDAY, JAN. 31

STEELY JON Veteran guitarist Jon Herington from the Steely Dan circle, and also his own Jon Herington Band, performs. Jan. 31, 8 p.m. Tickets $15 (Premium Seating/Diner Package $40). Johnny D’s Uptown Restaurant & Music Club, 17 Holland St. www.johnnyds.com
VILE THOUGHTS Thurston Moore transcends the distortion of his day job in Sonic Youth and delivers calm cascading swaths of acoustic guitar for his solo work. Demolished Thoughts, his newest album, came out last year. Kurt Vile, who released the EP, So Outta Reach in December, wakes himself up just long enough to open. Jan. 31, 7:30 p.m. Tickets through Ticketmaster $29.10 (including additional fees). Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Sq. www.somervilletheatreonline.com

**WEDNESDAY, FEB. 1

BIG BROTHER MICHAEL J Introducing a little twist to the open mic night. The first Wednesday of every month Sophia Cacciola and Michael J. Epstein will host Wiretap Wednesday Open Stage. Each performer gets a maximum 5-minute set which will stream live on the Internet and be kept forever on the Internet. In addition, a featured artist will cap off the voyeurism with a 25-minute set. J-Krafty (Joe Kowan) will be the inaugural guest. Find more event details online. Feb. 1, 7—10 p.m. FREE. Center for Arts at the Armory café, 191 Highland Ave. www.artsatthearmory.org
BELLY UP Get that perfect shimmy in your step with this Beyond Beginning Belly Dance class taught by Nadira Jamal. Feb. 1, 7:30—9 p.m. Drop-in $25. Third Life Studio, 33 Union Sq. www.thirdlifestudio.com

**THURSDAY, FEB. 2

BUILT TOUGH Kristen Ford hosts this weekly Open Mic. Sign up early, become a star. Also take a peek at some paintings from Amanda Hu currently displayed. Feb. 2, 6—8:30 p.m. Bloc 11 Café, 11 Bow St. www.bloc11.com
GOOSE PIMPLES Midriff Records curates one of many shows in celebration of their tenth anniversary with Eldridge Rodriguez, Lucky Dragon, M.G. Lederman, Greg Lyon and, performing downstairs between sets, magician and escape artist Eric Robitaille. Yikes! Feb. 2, 9 p.m. $5 at the door. 21+. Radio, 379-381 Somerville Ave. www.radiobarunion.com

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WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS: Jan. 27-29

Eli Jace — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:15:08 +0000

"Shim Sham Shimmy" by Ron Brunelle

A PEEK AT SOME NOTABLE EVENTS AROUND TOWN

FRIDAY (Jan. 27)

SOFT MUSCLE Start the weekend off by turning your nerves and joints into lava with a full body massage. The Massage Clinic at Lincoln Institute hosts fundraiser benefiting Somerville Youth Development and Boxing Club. Money raised will go toward programming and equipment needs. Jan. 27, 12—8 p.m. $30 per full body massage, by appointment only, $20 for walk-in service. The Lincoln Tech Massage Clinic, 5 Middlesex Ave. facebook.com/SomervilleYouthBoxing

MELTED CHOCOLATE The Boston Babydolls bring to life the story of a miserable writer writing a self-help guide to romance in Unlucky in Love. Plays every night this weekend and runs through Feb. 14. Jan. 27, 8—10 p.m. Tickets $20—$40 through Brown Paper Tickets. Davis Square Theatre, 255 Elm St. brownpapertickets.com

SATURDAY (Jan. 28)

LEG UP Shake the cold from your bones and limber up for two-hour yoga workshop, Beating the Winter Blues, with Kripalu Yoga Instructor Natalie Brooks. Jan. 28, 2—4 p.m. $25 pre-registration or in class. Third Life Studio, 33 Union Sq. yogawithnatalie.net

THE OTHER DYLAN Brooklyn’s Dylan Chace plays the Armory with Somerville’s Dan Zinder opening. Cozy time. Jan. 28, 8—11 p.m. Tickets $7 at the door. Center for Arts at the Armory café, 191 Highland Ave. facebook.com/dylanchacemusic

B IS FOR BUSINESS A night of prehistoric music that defies the elements of sound presented by Performer Magazine. Double Stops, B for Brontosaurus and Hands & Knees all get down. Jan. 28, 8:30 p.m.—12 a.m. Tickets $10. 21+. P.A.’s Lounge, 345 Somerville Ave. paslounge.com

SUNDAY (Jan. 29)

COLLECTOR’S WILL The bi-monthly Drill Hall Flea Market pulls out the tables littered with collectibles and antiques. Jan. 29, 10 a.m.—4 p.m. Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. artsatthearmory.org

BRUNELLE’S LAST STAND Ron Brunelle’s washed-out, microscopically blurred paintings have decorated the walls of the Armory all month. Sunday is Brunell’s closing reception and your last chance to stare into alien oceans. Jan. 29, 2—4 p.m. Center for Arts at the Armory Gallery, 191 Highland Ave. artsatthearmory.org

TURKEY LEG Early Music Afternoon enters its twenty-third season with “The Tudor Consort,” a collection of early Renaissance music from England play by El Dorado Ensemble with mezzosoprano Pamela Dellal and special guest Wendy Gillespie. Jan. 29, 3 p.m. Tickets $17, $12 for students, seniors and museum members. The Somerville Museum, 1 Westwood Rd. somervillemuseum.org

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‘Greater Somerville’ Hosts Patch Editor

Somerville Scout — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:36:51 +0000

“Greater Somerville” co-host Joe Lynch was joined this week by Somerville Patch editor Chris Orchard to discuss the city’s media scene.

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Scout Deal: Ronnarong Thai Tapas Bar

Somerville Scout — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:02:22 +0000

Don’t let the snow keep you in. Ronnarong is always worth the trip, and our Scout Deal will help offset the cost of renting a dog sled to get there.

Find our $15 voucher for $25 worth of food here.

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Hot Molasses: After the Flood

Eli Jace — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 05:06:25 +0000

93 years ago on Jan. 15 a tank filled with molasses exploded in the warm air sending waves up to 15 feet high over the North Shore, killing 21. In commemoration, The Precinct Bar (70 Union Sq.) will host the fourth annual Boston Molasses Disaster Benefit Concert on Jan. 21 at 9 p.m.
Started by the band Hot Molasses, whose name is no coincidence, the concert acts as a fundraiser for different organizations. Past recipients have been City Life Vida Urbana and Alternatives for Community and Environment. “We raise money for a good cause while highlighting the quirkiness and the tragedy,” bassist and vocalist of Hot Molasses, Andrew Cohen says. Whistlejacket, Battleship Cometh and Fashion Snake will also support.

This year’s beneficiary is Opportunity Africa, “a fantastic organization,” Cohen says. They offer scholarships to academically gifted students living in Central Africa’s Cameroon in an effort to pull them from difficult living situations. Cohen studied abroad in Cameroon through the School for International Training with the organization’s future founders, Heather Buesseler and Michelle Wilson. He lived there for ten years and now acts as advisor to the board. Their work for Opportunity Africa began in 2007.

That same year Hot Molasses began to define itself as a pogo-stick rock-and-roll band. Guitarists Ben Abrams and Doug Sisko, vocalist Julia Dickinson, drummer Peter Kriensky and Cohen were all linked together in some way in previous bands. But as those projects unraveled a new one came together. They’ve since established themselves by playing every possible corner of Boston, Somerville, Cambridge and beyond. “We invest in getting people out to see us live,” Cohen says, adding, “We do not stand at our shows.”

Last year the band released their excellent EP, Frankly. This year they’ll begin work on a new EP and follow its path. “There’s a good chance we expand it into a full length,” Cohen said. “We have a lot of songs that we are super excited about.” They are eyeing an “end of spring, early summer” release, just as the air begins to stick and the humidity climbs.

Of the new material, Cohen says they’ve “been moving in a poppier direction. The songs are even a little bit simpler,” than previous efforts. Given their bare-bones attempt at song structure, it’ll be interesting to hear them peel back even another layer.

When creating songs from thin air Cohen stresses a first-come-first-served style. “When you’ve got a nugget of a really good song,” he explains, “to really build on that nugget is the key thing; to take the idea and not destroy it with too many other ideas, but really nurture the genesis of the song. There’s no reason to throw everything in.”

On Saturday the audience will get to hear the new raw tunes and bask in the warmth of charity. The cover charge is $10 with all proceeds going to Opportunity Africa. Pretty Things Beer will serve drinks.

opportunityafrica.org
hotmolasses.bandcamp.com

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‘Greater Somerville’ Talks Fiscal and Physical Fitness Goals for 2012

Tom — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:44:00 +0000

“Greater Somerville” co-host KyAnn Anderson was joined this week by Rebecca Schrumm, partner of Commonwealth Financial Group and Maren Kravitz, co-partner of The Training Room, about their “Top 5″ list to help achieve fiscal and physical fitness goals in 2012.

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New Year’s Scouting Report: First Flag Flown

Pietre — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:53:09 +0000

I used to live on Prospect Hill. As recently as two years ago or so, I would hurry past that castle parapet everyday on the way to Union Square, always just barely catching the bus to work. Of course, it wasn’t until I moved elsewhere in Somerville that I finally learned of Prospect Hill’s historical significance. I know. Missed the big old “Somerville Gateway Mural” and everything. (It’s by Be Sargent and adorns 59 Union Square). In any case, as many of you wiser Villens already know, it was atop this tower that the first true American Flag was raised.

According to NPR’s Steven Mulder, who lives “halfway up the hill where the first American flag ever flew,”

“January 1, 1776 is the date that made Prospect Hill famous. On this day, George Washington ordered that a new flag be raised on a 76-foot schooner mast placed on Prospect Hill. This ‘Grand Union Flag’ was the first true American Flag representing the united colonies. It was raised with a salute of 13 guns and loud huzzahs by the soldiers…

“The flag design wasn’t sanctioned by the Continental Congress, but was a design that Washington and others liked. It combined the British crosses of St. Andrew and St. George with 13 red and white stripes…

“The Grand Union Flag flying on Prospect Hill continued to be a great morale booster for troops in the seige of Boston, maintaining them until the British were finally driven out of the city in March of 1776. It remained the de facto national flag until the Continental Congress authorized the more familiar Stars and Stripes in June of 1777.”

For more of Mr. Mulder’s interesting and in-depth research, visit: http://www.muldermedia.com/prospecthill/

So just in case you weren’t around 236 years ago or happened to have slept through that historical re-enactment this New Year’s Day, there you have it.

Happy New Year, Everyone !

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Scout This January/February 2012

Jon Van Kuiken — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 15:23:05 +0000

Where in Somerville was this picture taken?

Correctly identify where this photo was taken and you will be entered to win $50 cash from Scout!

You can also view previous contests »

[contact-form-7]

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Somerville Scouting Report: Davis Sq. Statues

Pietre — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:00:30 +0000

Many folks find the statues in Davis… creepy, well-sculpted work but somewhat unsettling, largely because of their masks. So effective are these statues at doling out both the heebies & the jeebies that one wise observer wondered whether or not that had been the artist’s intent all along. As it turns out, this was not the case.

The statues had been defaced by vandals. Their bronze masks were added in 1996, to address the vandalism as well as the toll taken by age. Commissioned in 1980 by the MBTA and the Cambridge Arts Council’s “Arts on the Line” program, sculptor James Tyler based all of these cast-masonry statues upon people that lived in or around the area. The elderly couple who inspired this prominent pair of statues, illustrated above, apparently owned a restaurant in the neighborhood. According to a woman interviewed in a film about the “Arts on the Line” project, “They were the nicest people you’d ever met your whole life. If you didn’t have a dime you still could have a nice dinner for nothing.”

Below is the segment of that film, by Northern Light Productions, which focuses on the Davis Square statues and the children’s wall-tile artwork inside the T station. Ever want to hear a whispery voiceover speak for the statues? Yikes. Ok, well, this is your chance.

http://vimeo.com/5749920

Happy (early) Holidays from The Somerville Scout and your favorite masked restauranteurs!

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