Union Square post office moving to tiny Bow Street storefront?

[ron_newman]

The latest Planning Board agenda includes a proposal by the US Postal Service to convert what is now the Parisian Style wig shop, 18 Bow Street, to a new post office. Here are the submitted plans and the report by the city planning staff.

I don't think the plans will affect or displace the adjoining Dance Union, Cafe Tango, and Union Square Donuts, but I can't tell for sure.

The plans don't show any parking or loading areas at all, so I have no idea how the Post Office is going to run its fleet of delivery trucks out of this little storefront ETA: Looks like that's all moving to Chelsea?. Compared to the current Post Office building overlooking the end of Prospect Street, this place is tiny.

Russian typewriters and Somerville's reputation

[ron_newman]

A editorial in Thursday's Boston Globe whimsically(?) connects Russian intelligence agencies' decision to buy typewriters with our local "hispter" culture:

In Russia’s case, the typewriters are a security measure; according to the newspaper Izvestia, Kremlin officials decided that the only way to protect against American Internet snooping is to avoid computers entirely for sensitive communications. But perhaps we’re also finally seeing the fruits of the Cambridge-based Russian spy ring that was busted in 2010: Those agents may not have discovered the state secrets they wanted, but apparently they did discover Somerville.

If so, they would have returned with news of a hipster fascination with analog technology — manual typewriters, vinyl records, knitting — that’s been one of the more fascinating cultural backlashes of the 21st century. Chasing the latest vintage fad often looks like a form of status seeking, a way of keeping up with the Joneses for people who believe they’re above that sort of thing. More charitably, though, hoarding bygone technology may also reflect a modern yearning for a sense of connectedness with the material world that’s increasingly lost in a digital sea of ones and zeroes.

Rent for a one bedroom

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

What is the going rate for a one bedroom in the Davis Square/Ball Square area, with off-street parking, laundry in the basement, disposer, dishwasher and updated insulation/weather-stripping/double-pained windows (ie not drafty as hell)?

Looking around on the web, it seems that the average is $2,000 -- this seems crazy high to me, no?

Curb alert: kitchen cart and cookbook

[ceo]

Up for grabs at 80 Prichard Ave: solid-wood rolling kitchen cart with 1 drawer and extensible leaves. Unfinished and has been drawn on by small children. Kind of heavy, needs minor repair.
As a special bonus, includes a falling-apart copy of How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

( Picture behind cut.  )

Curb alert: kitchen cart and cookbook

[ceo]

Up for grabs at 80 Prichard Ave: solid-wood rolling kitchen cart with 1 drawer and extensible leaves. Unfinished and has been drawn on by small children. Kind of heavy, needs minor repair.
As a special bonus, includes a falling-apart copy of How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

( Picture behind cut.  )

Pressed wood chair, cracked seat

[redcolumbine.livejournal.com]

The seat is cracked front to back and will need to be glued, but otherwise nice. In front of 18 Thorndike Street.

picture

Come Audition for The Bully Plays!

[muffyjo]

Remember to Audition for Theatre@First's "The Bully Plays"

A reminder to sign up for your audition because time slots are filling fast!

Theatre@First asks you to come Audition for The Bully Plays!

With 10 plays from the collection, we hope to bring light to the dark places of bullying. Come be part of our production to be performed in October at The Somerville Theatre. T@F will be donating half the proceeds to Teen Empowerment to support their anti-bullying work locally.

RESERVATIONS: http://www.theatreatfirst.org/shows/bully_plays/auditions.shtml
WHEN: by appointment on Monday, August 12th & Tuesday, August 13th
WHERE: Unity Somerville in Davis Square

REQUIREMENTS

Audition Information Form and Sides are available at the website (http://www.theatreatfirst.org/shows/bully_plays/auditions.shtml )

No monologue required.

We want actors beefy & wee, old & young, to whomever the idea to audition speaks. If you can own the part and make the director believe it, it very possibly could be yours.

MORE ABOUT THE SHOW
Directed by Jeanne Callinan, The Bully Plays is an anthology written in response to the growing epidemic of bullying and the all-too-often tragic results. The journey is tragic, comedic, dramatic and always thought-provoking as we explore the subject of bullies and bullying on the grand stage at The Somerville Theater on October 23rd and 24th.

Chosen plays are:
Alex by José Casas
Blu by Gloria Bond Clunie
The Bully Pulpit by Dwayne Hartford
Bully There Be by Lisa Dillman
Bystander Blues by Trish Lindberg
Conundrum by Brett Neveu
Downhill by Eric Coble
Final Testimony of Henry Sampson by Y York
Nobody Nose by Barry Kornhauser
"Send" by Linda Daugherty

For more details visit our website at http://www.theatreatfirst.org/shows/bully_plays/auditions.shtml