Mobile farmer's market support

[mem-winterhill.livejournal.com]

I found out about this mobile market too late this season to check it out, but I was very pleased to hear that it was offering fresh produce in underserved areas. There's a lot of talk about how to get quality food to food deserts, this project is actually doing that.

This morning I learned they are raising some funds. If you are interested in supporting it you can check out the city's note here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=648078361911719&set=a.106724362713791.3870.106715832714644&type=1&theater

Or you can go straight to the donation site: http://www.citizinvestor.com/project/somerville-mobile-farmers-market . It took me a couple of minutes to figure out you have to enter a number and then the donate button. I just kept trying to click donate....

Handy tweet to re-tweet to your friends: https://twitter.com/SomervilleCity/status/403172349249613824

Cambridge Hubway stations to stay open through the winter

[sparr0.livejournal.com]

http://thehubway.com/news/2013/11/19/HubwayCambridgeWinterOperations

Almost all stations in Cambridge will remain operational throughout the winter, though the station at Lafayette Square/Main Street will be removed from the street for the season. The Lechmere station will be moved to the sidewalk just east of Lechmere Station. All station updates will be posted on the station map at www.thehubway.com/stations, www.hubwaytracker.com, and on the Spotcycle app for smart phones (www.spotcycle.net). Annual members may continue to use the Cambridge stations during the season at no additional cost. 24-hour, 3-day passes, and monthly passes will be available for purchase as usual.

As part of the pilot program, snow removal will become part of the daily responsibilities of the Hubway field team. The team, coordinated by Hubway’s dispatch office, is on the street from 6am to 10pm every day, and is stocked with equipment to keep stations clear of snow and ice.

Users should bear in mind that the regular seasonal closing of stations in Boston, Brookline, and Somerville city/town limits began on Monday, November 18th. Most stations will remain open through Wednesday, November 27th. Station closures are posted in advance on Hubway’s website at www.thehubway.com/news, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/hubway, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Hubway.

During extreme inclement weather conditions, Hubway may temporarily close the system, and public announcements will be made via social media and the Hubway website. Station alerts will also be emailed to annual and monthly Hubway members, and all riders can consult the Spotcycle app to learn whether or not bicycles are available. In the event of a system closing, riders will be able to return bikes to all stations securely, but will not be able to check bikes out.

Longfellow bridge closed, Red Line busing this weekend (November 23-24)

[ron_newman]

The Longfellow Bridge will be closed to all wheeled traffic except for MBTA buses this weekend, November 23-24. Shuttle buses will replace Red Line service between Kendall Square and Park Street. The north sidewalk will remain open for pedestrians. Bicyclists are asked to walk their bikes on the sidewalk.

Creative Economy Survey

[francescadavis.livejournal.com]

The Somerville Arts Council is conducting a survey on the city's creative community and they could use your help.  They're even sweetening the deal - complete the survey and you'll be entered to win one of four $50 Amazon gift cards. From the Somerville Arts Council: Much of our success at the Somerville Arts Council is contingent on our listening to the creative community in Somerville. Our programming seeks to reflect the rich cultural diversity of the City and the artists, designers, and performers who have made it home. Similarly the policies we push at the City level attempt to be responsive to the needs of local artists. As Somerville approaches a crossroads in terms of the type of change and development it expects, we need to develop surveys and reports to understand the needs of the creative community and identify points of leverage for policy intervention. Toward that goal, we are launching an asset survey and analysis with UMass Center for Policy Analysis. Although there is no clear definition of the creative economy, it essentially encompasses those businesses, organizations, and individuals who produce and distribute cultural goods, services, and intellectual property - from art, film, photography, and music to architecture, advertising, and jewelry design. Somerville is well-known for attracting and supporting artists; this report will make legible to others in the State how to serve the creative community. While economic impacts are an inherently crude measure of artistic expression, they are an important part of the larger narrative of how creative activity increases cultural and economic well-being. Please take the survey now. It is only 12 questions. All information, whether personal or financial, collected in the survey will be kept in strict confidence before being aggregated for the report. Thanks for your support. Take the survey.