Memorial to Tom Champion's father, Sunday 10/5 @ JFK School, Harvard

[ron_newman]

Tom Champion sent this to me and asked me to post it here. Everyone here is invited to attend.

( A Special Invitation to Attend the Hale Champion Memorial, Sunday, October 5 at Harvard JFK School of Government )

Although the invite says "All Faculty and Staff" the event is free and open to any interested members of the public. Although it is not a political event, and although I'd be very surprised if any DSLJ members actually knew my [Tom's] father, the program may be of interest to anyone with an affinity for public policy and recent American political history. It should be a fairly large event, but there's plenty of room in the forum to accommodate more (although people should RSVP).

I've gone back and forth on this, and I apologize for the short notice, but in the end, I decided to pass it along.

If you are at all hesitant for any reason, or think it's off-topic, I will quite understand.

( A brief bio of Tom's father )

poster size prints from digital photos

[c011een.livejournal.com]

does anyone know where i can get poster size prints from digital photos?  i tried the cvs and walgreens websites, which both offer poster prints.  the cvs photo website sucks ass, so i gave up on that.  the walgreens website works, but it seems that you can only get poster prints mailed to you (can't pick them up in a store).  the complicating factor is that i'm looking to get some poster-size photos for sunday, so i can't wait for it to be mailed.  preferably, i would like a store near davis square, since i don't have a car.  but i could get a zipcar if i needed to.
thanks! 

Failing/failed business in the Davis Sq area.

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

I've seen a few scattered posts about this topic. I thought it might be useful to have a consolidation thread about failed business in the area. It gives an idea of how well the neighborhood is doing, financially. If you know of businesses that have gone down, please post the information/links here.

Magazine sales scam

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

If some guys came to your place selling magazines within the past few days, even if you didn't buy any, call the non-emergency police # or 311 and give the police your info. They came to my place in Winter Hill on Monday (thankfully, I didn't buy anything or let them in) and I don't know where else they went, but the cops apparently kicked them out of the city today. The PD still wants a record of who they talked to, though. These guys had no license to be selling; also, when I looked up the name of the suscription company associated with them, there was no trace of that company.

(In other words, don't hold your breath on your year's worth of Cosmo--you'll just have to find his special LMNOP spot some other way.)

RCN slow at night in Somerville

[lefauxfrog.livejournal.com]

If you live in Somerville, use RCN for internet access, and notice dramatic decreases in speed during weekday evenings you're not alone.

I found this discussion board thread on DSLReports.com where people are gathering reports about the problem. Apparently someone who works for RCN is monitoring the thread and looking into it.

To save you some reading, here's the latest from page three:

I don't believe this is any sort of issue at the node or at your house, it looks to be a issue of congestion and available bandwidth. Let me do some digging and I'll will post a reply shortly.

Wick-ed ways?

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Does anybody know where I can get wicking for an oil lamp?

Is Ye Olde Davis Square Oil and Gas Lamppe Shoppe still open?

Bedbug PSA

[dietrich.livejournal.com]

Hi, Somervillians,

I've been dealing with a bedbug infestation in my home, and my understanding from the exterminators is that bedbugs are a huge problem in Somerville right now. So I wanted to pass along what I've learned to the larger LJ community, as it were. Read on...

( How to avoid bed bugs, and how to deal if you can't avoid them )

Outdoors in Somerville, this weekend and beyond

[ron_newman]

Saturday, October 4: Historic Bicycle Tour of the Middlesex Canal leaves from Sullivan Square T station at 9 am. It rides through Somerville, Medford, Winchester, Woburn, Wilmington, and Billerica before ending up in Lowell. There are several opportunities to turn back early and take a commuter train back to Boston (or West Medford). Here's a detailed cue sheet.

Saturday, October 4: The Somerville 5K Road Race to benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition, starting at 9 am in Davis Square. If you don't run yourself, consider sponsoring the run of surrealestate. It's a great cause.

Saturday, October 4: Harvest Fair at the Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave, 1-4 pm. From their calendar page: "The Growing Center’s season finale. games, cider making, harvest treats, The Butter Dance, pumpkin decorating, contests and music."

Saturday, October 4: Fireworks on the Mystic at Assembly Square. Beginning at 4pm, the event will include food catered by Redbones, family- and kid-friendly games and entertainment, and will conclude with a major fireworks display at 7:30pm.

Sunday, October 5: Community Day at Tufts University, 11 am to 3 pm. Complimentary lunch and refreshments; Exhibits, activities, and resource information presented by Tufts departments/organizations and by Medford and Somerville community groups; Music and dance performances by student groups; Pumpkin painting, crafts, face painting, and other activities for children.

Sunday, October 5: Historic walking tour of Union Square, starting at 2 pm at the Independent. (Rescheduled from 9/14 due to rain.)

Upcoming:

• Honk! Festival, 10/11 in Davis Square, 10/12 march from Davis to Harvard Square Oktoberfest
  
• Tour de Somerville: Explore Somerville's Outer Limits by Bicycle, Saturday 10/18, 10 am, starts in Seven Hills Park
  
• Ghosts of Somerville, Saturday 10/18, 4 pm at Milk Row Cemetery
  
• Spirits of the Garden, Saturday 10/18, 3-5 pm, Community Growing Center
  
• Shape Up Somerville Family Fun and Fitness Day, Saturday 10/25 at Trum Field
  
• AntiMorris Dance, Friday 10/31, 5 pm, Community Growing Center, followed immediately by the Oxford Street Souling Tour

Kitten!

[jojotbird.livejournal.com]

On my walk home today I encountered a cute little kitten (~6 weeks old) that appeared to be living under the stairs of an unoccupied building near my house... After dinner I went back with a can of food and the kitten returned along with its mom. Both the mom and the kitten appear to be long-haired calico cats and seem to be healthy with voracious appetites. I didn't see a collar on the mom and am guessing that she's a stray (although maybe she's yours and she's lost?). Does anyone have advice about what we should do about these cats? Does anyone want to provide them with a new home?