Last day to register to vote!

[gruene.livejournal.com]

If you've been putting off registering to vote for the upcoming election, delay no longer, for today is the final day.

Fortunately all town halls in the state will be open until 8pm to accept last minute registrations.

Somerville's City Hall is at 93 Highland Ave, at the intersection of School Street. Their offices open at 8:30am.

The Cambridge Election Commission is at 51 Inman St, a couple blocks outside Central Square.
Arlington is 730 Mass Ave, Medford is 459 Main St, all towns are listed here: http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleclk/clkidx.htm

Free giveaways

[taura-g.livejournal.com]

Futon - 8 inch thick mattress with denim mattress cover and black tubular frame.

Bookcases - all pressboard: 
1 light walnut - 30"w x 72"h with 4 shelves included.
2 black - 25"w x 42"h with 2 shelves each

If they aren't claimed by the weekend they are going out to the curb.

Comment if you are interested-- I am on Hillsdale in Medford, 2 blocks from the top of Tufts Hill.

Don't Let The Armory Be Run Out of Town. ZBA Hearing for Somerville Armory, Oct 17 - 6PM @ City Hall

[mrbrandon]

ZBA Hearing for Somerville Armory, Oct 17 - 6PM @ City Hall

In my opinion The Armory has been pushed around by a few people using issues of little or no substance at ZBA hearings for years . It's in real danger of going away. 

If you enjoy having a winter farmer market, movie nights, local food and beer/wine tastings, educational classes, performing

 arts and many other things The Armory offers then show up at the hearing. Otherwise e-mail the ZBA.

When it comes to community matters a few people shouldn't be the voice for a whole neighborhood or a city of 75K. Most neighbors don't seem to have a problem with the Armory. There is no issue brought up that can't be solved. Judging by the large turnout for some events, it doesn't seem that area residents don't have a problem with The Armory either. Obviously they want it.

The public hearing process doesn't work too well in today's world. Some people aren't home from work when they start. If they are then it's a choice between skipping out on family time, dinner, chores, dog walking....you name it....all the things that fill up a persons day. Unfortunately the system is stacked in favor of people with a lot of time on their hands that have an axe to grind.

So...you really should show up in support of hearings about the Armory and/or e-mail the following people to express your support

dpereir AT somervillema.gov
mayor AT somervillema.gov
sean AT odonovanlaw.com
william.a.white AT verizon.net
AldermanSullivan AT aol.com
aldermanconnolly AT gmail.com

Phoenix/Stuff merger

[tealegirle.livejournal.com]

I'm curious on the thoughts of the community on the Phoenix/Stuff magazine merger. Is it good/bad/indifferent? I'm a bit confused by it, since Stuff and the Phoenix don't seem to be aimed at the same audience.

Red Line closing, Harvard to Alewife, 4 weekends in November & December

[ron_newman]

T closing Porter, Davis, Alewife stations on four weekends this fall

The MBTA will close the Red Line north of Harvard Square on four weekends in November and December in a continued effort to remove and replace corroded stretches along the track.

Buses will replace the trains along the stretch of the Red Line on the weekends of Nov. 17-18; Nov. 24-25, Dec. 1-2 and December 8-9, according to the MBTA.

Free Books!

[lucky-otter.livejournal.com]

I have two large boxes of books to give away. Various contents. A few samples:

• Ringworld, by Larry Niven
• True Thai, by Victor Sodsook
• Design with PIC Microcontrollers
• Hominids, Robert J. Sawyer
• His Dark Materials trilogy, Philip Pullman
• Eniac, Scott McCartney
• The Professor and the Madman, Simon Winchester

It goes on like that. TONS more titles. A mix of SF/fantasy, cookbooks, old textbooks, history, classic literature, and probably a couple other categories. Come take it all away! Preference given to people who will take everything.

Send me a message for the address. A couple blocks from the Porter T stop. They'll be on my porch.

Taken! Thanks for your interest.

ZBA approves Armory special permit

[ron_newman]

The Zoning Board of Appeal tonight approved the special permit application for the Armory. The meeting started at 6 pm, with the Armory first on the agenda; the final vote occurred at 10:26 pm.

The special permit conditions are long and complex, and I didn't take detailed notes. But the most important things are:

• The Armory and its cafe may open at 7 am, instead of the current 8 am
• Sunday through Thursday nights, performances must end by 11:15 pm, with all attendees leaving by 11:30 pm
• Friday and Saturday nights (and Sunday nights before a Monday holiday), performances must end by 12:45 am, with all attendees leaving by 1 am
• Outdoor cafe seating is allowed, but only until 8 pm. There will be no table service or alcoholic beverage drinking outdoors.
• No outdoor events are allowed in the parking lot, except for farmers' markets and farm share pickup
• The Armory may now apply for a full liquor license (they currently have a beer and wine license). This will be a whole separate process, with its own public hearing, before a different body (the Licensing Commission).
• Permissions for extended hours and amplified music are effective only for Arts at the Armory or a successor arts-oriented non-profit; they do not transfer to the landlord or any other tenant if Arts at the Armory goes out of business

I left right after the Armory vote, so I don't know if the ZBA got around to dealing with the Pinkberry and Painted Burro special permit requests. The ZBA chair declared an 11 pm curfew on the meeting, which would not have left much time for other business. ETA: Painted Burro was approved; Pinkberry deferred until November 7.

ETA: I believe the special permit also includes some increases in capacity, allowing up to 495 people in the main performance hall, but only for a limited number of events each week and month. The Armory will have to provide a shuttle bus to Davis Square station for any such 'full capacity' event.