The Alewife

Grafitti on Monday's city council agenda

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Rindge Aveune construction update

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley brought this from the city's DPW Web site to our attention:

[an excerpt]

Project updates

05/07/2008- The City's contractor, Aggregate Industries, has completed all sidewalk excavation, curb installation, and rough grading on Rindge Avenue. They are currently working with various utility companies to adjust the height of metal structures in the sidewalk, with the expectation that they will be in a position to fine grade, place forms, and place concrete once the structures have been adjusted. Concrete work could begin as early as next week, and will include a number of driveway aprons; impacted properties will be contacted directed to coordinate when driveways will be out of service to allow the placement and curing of concrete.

The City has been working to plant trees on both the public sidewalk and the private back of sidewalk (described in the 4/3 update posted below). Click here to view a map of locations that have been identified to date for tree planting [note that this map only shows Cambridge street trees, not park trees or trees on property owned by others].

New sightings at the Alewife Reservation

Seamus Palmer, a member of Friends of the Alewife Reservation, has posted photos of his May 7 hike through the reservation on a page on the organization's Web site.

Zing team to take over Falzone's

The team from Porter Square's Cafe Zing, the coffee bar inside Porter Square Books, will soon reopen Falzone's restaurant.

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Porter Square T flower shop closes

Kelley leaves CLF

Much Appreciation and Thanks to Karen Kelley

The CLF Steering Committee recently accepted the resignation of Karen Kelley as Executive Director. Karen made a major contribution to CLF and was single-handedly responsible for producing our first two Business Directories. She also played a big role to increase our membership from 90 to over 260.

Karen will still be around as an active member of CLF as part-owner of the Cambridge Artists Cooperative. We look forward to her continued great support and leadership. A big thank you to Karen, and we wish her all the best.

While we're in the process of looking for a new Executive Director, Laury Hammel will be the acting Executive Director.

City's Christian Science community hosts lecture

New birds sighted at Alewife Reservation

We saw that Mark Rosenstein posted on the Friends of Alewife Reservation Web site news of Spring:

I explored Alewife Reservation this morning from 7-9am. I got my first kingfisher of the year, and accidentally flushed a woodcock. At this time of year the underbrush isn't too bad, so I was able to get to Perch Pond. No wood ducks there, but it is where I saw the heron and sharp-shinned hawk.

-Mark

Location: Alewife Reservation
Observation date: 3/25/08
Number of species: 25

[Click below for the tally.]

City begins work on Rindge Ave.

The City’s contractor, Aggregate Industries, will reconstruct all pedestrian ramps, repair selected sections of sidewalk, and pave the roadway on Rindge Ave (from Alewife Brook Parkway to Middlesex St).  This project will create safe, accessible ramps and crossings along this section of Rindge Ave , which is heavily used by pedestrians because of amenities such as the school, library, pool, parks, and MBTA bus stops/ station.  Street paving is particularly needed on this section of Rindge Ave due to recent utility improvements.

Key Pedestrian Improvements

1) Curb extensions at the entrance to Russell Field and at Jefferson Park

a)   Create better sightlines and reducing crossing distances

b)   Provide an opportunity for additional green space at Russell Field

c)   Do not affect on-street parking, as these are existing no parking zones

2)   Curb extension at Clifton St

a) Creates additional sidewalk width needed to preserve the large, mature tree at 293 Rindge Ave while creating an accessible pedestrian route

b) Removes approximately 2 on-street parking spaces

3) Widened sidewalk adjacent to Cemetery (between Clay and Sherman streets)

a) five additional feet of sidewalk provides access for pedestrians and maintains the 4 large trees

b) Removes parking on the north side of Rindge Ave between Montgomery and Clay streets

Through the Rindge Ave improvements, gray rubber sidewalk panels will be installed adjacent to the four mature trees next to the Cemetery in order to reduce the amount of lifting by tree roots.  These panels—which have been used on similar locations in other cities— will be monitored to ensure they provide an acceptable walking surface in all types of weather, are durable enough to withstand weather conditions, and conform to growing roots in a desirable manner. 

Attention Property Owners on Rindge Ave ( Middlesex St to Alewife Brook Parkway )
You May Be Eligible to Have a Tree Planted on Your Property at No Cost to You

The City of Cambridge Department of Public Works is pleased to announce a new program to improve our urban forest through public/ private tree planting partnerships, which is being rolled out in coordination with upcoming improvements on Rindge Ave.   Through this program, the City will plant trees along the back-of-sidewalk (up to 20 feet off the public way) on the private properties of interested, eligible owners at no cost.

Why does the City want to plant trees on private property?

The City of Cambridge has historically focused on the maintenance, planting and preservation of its trees residing in the public right-of-way (sidewalk trees), and its parks and public spaces across the City; the ‘Back-of-Sidewalk’ program provides another means of planting trees in difficult areas with narrow sidewalks and/or overhead utilities.

How will the “Back-of-Sidewalk” Program help trees?

This program will allow us to plant trees in desirable growing conditions, making it likely they will survive and thrive.  A typical sidewalk tree faces harsher conditions along the curb (such as oil or salt from roadway runoff).  Soil conditions at the back-of-sidewalk are generally more suitable for plant growth (i.e. less soil compaction, more available nutrients, and better moisture content).  The improved environment of having a larger rooting area and less direct competition with overhead utilities will help to ensure a healthier tree canopy in Cambridge .

How will the “Back-of-Sidewalk” Program help pedestrians?

In order to maintain sidewalks that are accessible to all users, sidewalks must be a certain minimum width; the narrow nature of sidewalks in Cambridge makes it difficult to find appropriate places to plant new sidewalk trees. A growing tree not only crowds the sidewalk, but its root system can displace and damage sidewalks.  By planting more trees on private property, all pedestrians will be able to enjoy safer, more level sidewalks as well as the beauty and environmental benefits of more trees.

What are potential benefits to property owners who participate in this program?
Participants in this program will have to opportunity to receive a tree at no charge.  Trees species can be selected from an approved list in consultation with a professional landscape architect.  The trees planted within these areas allow us to promote different species more suited to smaller spaces— such as magnolia, koelreuteria, and dogwood— which will increase the diversity of species in Cambridge and help beautify properties.

What are the responsibilities of property owners who participate in this program?
Property owners who would like to participate in the “Back-of-Sidewalk” Tree Planting Program must sign the attached agreement.  DPW staff will provide training to help you care for the tree while it is getting established during the first five years; at the end of five years, you will officially assume ownership of the tree.

How can I learn more?
To learn more about this program, please contact David Lefcourt, City Arborist, at (617) 349-6433 or dlefcourt@cambridgema.gov. 

Lo Galluccio reads Friday at 'City Night'

The poetry editor of The Alewife Friday will be on the bill for the "City Night Readings" evening called: "A Presentation of Women's Work: Prose, Poetry & Music" at La Luna Caffé at 403 Massachusetts Avenue.

Joining Lo will be: Coleen T. Houlihan, Danielle L. Georges, Isabella Ruggerio Du Mond and Sole Nazaire.

Presented by: Jean-Dany Joachim Life is Good!

Vineyard to host Gospel, Jazz night Thursday

The neighborhood's Vineyard church will present Thursday a night of music and dance from the community's youth ministry, PZF, Ryze and performances from the recently released album "First Songs: Great Boston Vineyard, 1998-2007," original music by church members.

The door charge is a donation of non-perishable food items.

Kelley, Seidel & Maher file orders regarding neighborhood flooding

City Councillors Craig A. Kelley, Sam Seidel and David Maher have filed orders to mitigate the regulatory burdens proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency concerning the Alewife Brook foodplains.

The orders, 6, 9 and 10 from tonight's agenda are below:

Order 6.
COUNCILLOR SEIDEL/COUNCILLOR MAHER

WHEREAS: The Federal Emergency Management Agency is currently revising their Flood Insurance Rate Maps in the City of Cambridge; and
   
WHEREAS: Approximately 160 additional buildings are proposed to be included in the revised flood plan limits in the Alewife area; now therefore be it

ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to ensure that the City is actively working with the neighborhood to provide all necessary information, including any financial resources available to property owners to offset increased insurance costs and/or decreased property values resulting from the revised maps; and be it further
      
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate departments to review and approve the maps and report to the City Council before the maps are considered by that body. 

Order 9.
COUNCILLOR KELLEY

ORDERED:
That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to coordinate with relevant officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Resources (DCR) to organize and present a seminar in North Cambridge aimed specifically at Real Estate agents and Real Estate Insurance agents to make them conversant with the implications of the soon-to-be expanded high risk flood zone in various parts of Cambridge.

Order 10.
COUNCILLOR KELLEY

WHEREAS: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is in the process of redrawing the flood maps that impact Cambridge; and
    
WHEREAS: Much of the data used by FEMA was gathered by airplanes and, while accurate overall, may be very inaccurate for any particular property and improperly put that property in the high risk flood zone, with attendant expense insurance results for the property owner; and
   
WHEREAS: Homeowners may apply for a special exemption from their placement if they can prove FEMA's data was wrong and they should not be in the high risk flood zone; and
   
WHEREAS: It costs hundreds of dollars to get the property survey information to challenge the FEMA map; and
   
WHEREAS: If property owners had a better idea of how accurate the FEMA map elevation data was overall, they would better be able to judge whether it is worth the investment to survey their particular properties to determine whether they can challenge FEMA's placement of them in the high risk flood zone; now be it therefore
   
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to confer with relevant Department staff to have the City carry out a statistically valid validation program of FEMA's flood map data; and be it further
      
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.

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CSO plays at Vineyard Church tonight

The Cambridge Symphony Orchestra, led by Conductor Cynthia Woods will play a concert tonight at 7 p.m at the neighborhood's Vineyard Church. The orchestra will play along side with the Worcester Youth Orchestra with proceeds going to support Cambridge Cares about Aids.

'The Cambridge Campanion' plays the Brattle Theatre Friday

Film stars neighborhood's Smith

by Neil W. McCabe

The movie filmed by Ethan H. Goldhammer in the city and starring North Cambridge resident Lloyd Smith, "The Cambridge Campanion," will be shown Friday at Harvard Square's Brattle Theatre as part of the Boston Cinema Census.

Goldhammer said he made a shorter short called "The Governor of Cambridge" starring Alewife columnist Jacques Fleury, "The Haitian Firefly" that wil not be part of this showing because of time constraints.

The movie follows Smith as he campaigns as a 2007 write-in candidate for city council and interacts with other candidates and activists.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre

Police report shooting on Montgomery Street

Community Alert - North Cambridge Shooting Incident
Shooting on Montgomery Street
3/11/08, 1:48 am

During the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 11th at approximately 01:48 a.m., a report was received of gun shots being fired in the vicinity of Montgomery Street & Francis Place.  Subsequently to that report, a subject arrived at Cambridge Hospital with gun shot wounds to the arm and chest.  During the course of the investigation, it was learned that shooting took place at 22 Montgomery Street.

View Larger Map

Officers secured the scene until a search warrant could be obtained for the purposes of conducting a further investigation.  There is every indication at this stage of the investigation to believe that the shooting was an isolated incident, and that the victim was the intended target of the shooting.

Presently, the victim is in stable condition.  There is an active and aggressive investigation being conducted by the Cambridge Police Department.

Any information that you may have relative to this incident should be directed to the attention of Detective/Sergeant John Fulkerson.  Sergeant Fulkerson can be reached at (617) 349-3356 or by contacting the Emergency Communications Center at (617) 349-3300.

'On Broadway' regional theater run starts Friday

Film shot in North Cambridge features neighborhood's Lance Greene

WHAT: The made-in-Boston independent movie “On Broadway” has just finished a highly successful year on the film festival circuit, taking home high honors from American and European festivals. Now it is being released on five screens in Greater Boston. “On Broadway” is a true look at Boston’s Irish community with a cast and crew all with local ties to the city.

Many of the film’s stars are native Bostonians - Joey McIntyre, Eliza Dushku, Mike O’Malley, Amy Poehler, and Robert Wahlberg. Also, Writer/Director Dave McLaughlin is a West Roxbury native, cinematographer Terrence Fitzgerald Hayes is a son of Southie, and every member of the movie’s producing team hails from Massachusetts. The icing on “On Broadway’s” Boston cred is the movie’s score, composed by Buffalo Tom front man and Lexington resident Bill Janovitz, and recorded at Somerville’s Q Division studio.

This is a truly independent approach to filmmaking. Not only was the film financed and produced outside of the traditional studio system, it is now being distributed exclusively through independently owned theaters.

• Best First Feature Film, Galway Film Fleadh 2007
• Best Narrative Feature, Woods Hole FF 2007
• Grand Jury Prize, New Hampshire FF 2007
• Directors Choice Award, Magners Irish FF 2007

WHERE: At the following theaters:

• Cameo Theater 1 & 2
14 Columbian Square – South Weymouth, MA 02190 (781) 335.2777

• Dedham Community Theatre
580 High St – Dedham, MA 02026 (781) 326.0409

• Sharon Cinema 8
700 South Main St – Sharon, MA 02067 (781)784.9300

• Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square – Somerville, MA 02144 (617) 625.5700

• West Newton Cinema
1296 Washington St - West Newton, MA 02465 (617)964.6060

WHEN: In theaters March 14, 2008

WHO: “On Broadway” stars Joey McIntyre, Eliza Dushku, Mike O’Malley, Robert Wahlberg, Will Arnett, and Amy Poehler.

MORE INFO: Visit www.onbroadwaythemovie.com for showtimes and more information.

MEDIA CONTACT: Sam Mazzarelli (617) 375.9700 smazzarelli@marlomc.com

Lo Galluccio leads Cohen tribute concert March 13

Leonard Cohen Tribute Night: Songs of Love and Hate

Squawk Coffeehouse in the Harvard-Epworth Church

1555 Massachusetts Avenue, just outside Harvard Square

March 13th at 9pm $3- $5 donation

PERFORMERS INCLUDE:

Edrie of the Army of Broken Dolls/Ajda the Turkish Queen/Jme Caroline and his band/ Kevin O’Neil/James Christensen/Lo Galluccio/Lee Kidd/Portia Brockway/ Nathan Thompson/Ben Beckwith and others.

For pre-show sign up to perform one of Cohen’s songs, contact Lo at Lo747@hotmail.com. If you’d like to perform a poem from his works, including, “Spice box of the Earth” or “The Book of Longing” please come at 9 pm and sign up.

WE HOPE YOU’LL COME TO A SPECIAL SQUAWK EVENT TO HONOR THIS SEXY, MYSTICAL GENIUS OF LETTERS AND MUSIC.

Kelley: Neighborhood flood insurance meeting Tuesday

City Councillor Craig A. Kelley sent over this notice:

Folks:

If you live in and around the Alewife Brook area of North Cambridge (see the attached map), you may may have already received the notice from the Cambridge Dept. of Public Works about Tuesday's meeting to discuss changes to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps proposed by FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency). Even if you don't live in impacted areas, you may still be interested in how our flood plain is changing, as none of us are really that much higher than anyone else.

This email from DPW staff with additional information, links and email addresses should you want to investigate further on your own:

The DPW announcement noted that in the latest draft of the Flood Insurance Rate Maps, about 160 buildings will be added to the flood plain limits compared to the maps currently in effect. If you're one of those 160 buildings, you really want to pay attention to this. Additionally, there are a few other key points I think everyone might be interested in:

Many of the affected buildings will be required to have flood insurance if the property has a mortgage and will be in a high risk area (mostly in the area near the Arlington border).

Flood insurance is not part of standard homeowners insurance.

The estimated insurance for a single family home in the high risk areas is $2462 per year for $250,000 building coverage with standard contents coverage and deductible. (see floodsmart.gov for other estimates)

Renters may be affected because the landlord could offset the additional insurance cost by increasing the rent.

If flood insurance is purchased before the new maps are approved, the existing rates can be used for as long as the coverage is maintained, and the rate can be transferred to future owners. In the previous example, the rate outside the high risk area is estimated to be $1251, a savings of over $100 per month.

The property elevations (heights) used in the maps were taken by airplane. One neighbor had a certified survey showing different elevations than the proposed maps.

FEMA has a Community Rating System that gives insurance discounts of 5% to 45% depending on activities performed by the community. Cambridge does not currently participate, but is checking the requirements.

Representatives from FEMA, the state, and the city will attend the meeting to answer questions.

The meeting will be:

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

7pm - 9pm

Peabody (formerly Fitzgerald) School Auditorium

70 Rindge Avenue

Do You Need Flood Insurance?

If you live or own property in Cambridge , especially in North Cambridge, Cambridge Highlands , Strawberry Hill, West Cambridge or Neighborhood 9 you should be aware of the proposed revisions to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps proposed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Your property may be in the proposed new flood plain limits and you may be required to purchase flood insurance. FEMA is in the process of updating the flood maps for Cambridge and surrounding communities. This process will revise the limits of the flood plain, which in Cambridge is principally located in the Alewife area. Approximately 160 additional buildings are proposed to be included in the revised flood plain limits in Alewife.

Residents, businesses, and property owners are invited to a community meeting:

Tuesday, March 4, 2008
7pm – 9pm
Peabody School Auditorium
70 Rindge Avenue

The Cambridge Department of Public Works (DPW) is sponsoring this meeting to help residents and property owners understand the proposed changes to the flood plain limits, the schedule and process for the flood map changes, how this may affect your property, and the insurance options available to you. Representatives from FEMA and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) Flood Hazard Management Program will also be in attendance to answer your questions.

The City urges anyone who thinks they may be affected by the new flood maps or would like more information to attend this meeting.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Catherine Daly Woodbury, Cambridge DPW: 617-349-4818/ cwoodbury@cambridgema.gov,

David Mendelsohn, FEMA Region 1: 617-832-4713/ david.mendelsohn@dhs.gov , or

Richard Zingarelli, DCR: 617-626-1406/ richard.zingarelli@state.ma.us.

More information is also available online at http://www.cambridgema.gov/TheWorks/stormwater/fema.html.

Calling Progressives to call for Obama

Our friend City Councillor Sam Seidel sent this over:

Here's the latest schedule for the phone banks in Cambridge:

Monday 2/25: Kennedy School of Government, Littauer Building, Room L-330. 5-9 p.m.

Tuesday 2/26: Demissie and Associates, 929 Mass Ave, 6-9 p.m. RSVP

Wednesday 2/27 at Harvard Law School. Pound Hall Room 200 5-9 p.m.

Thursday 2/28: Demissie and Associates, 929 Mass Ave, 6-9 p.m. RSVP

Friday 2/29: Demissie and Associates, 929 Mass Ave, 6-9 p.m. RSVP

Monday 3/3: Kennedy School of Government, Littauer Building, Room L-330. 5-9 p.m.

Of course, you can always call from home.

When did Tom Brady leave us?

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Bullseye!

"The People's Ship" takes down rougue spy satellite

From the American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 20, 2008 – A network of land-, air-, sea- and spaced-based sensors confirms that the U.S. military intercepted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite which was in its final orbits before entering the earth's atmosphere, defense officials announced in a press release.

At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST today, a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, the USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force.

The objective was to rupture the fuel tank to dissipate the approximately 1,000 pounds (453 kg) of hydrazine, a hazardous fuel which could pose a danger to people on earth, before it entered into earth's atmosphere. Confirmation that the fuel tank has been fragmented should be available within 24 hours.

Due to the relatively low altitude of the satellite at the time of the engagement, debris will begin to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere immediately. Nearly all of the debris will burn up on reentry within 24-48 hours and the remaining debris should re-enter within 40 days.

DoD will conduct a press briefing at 7 a.m. EST to provide further information related to the operation. The briefing can be viewed live on www.Defenselink.com through the Pentagon Channel.

Watch video of the Missile Intercept:

The Weekly Donut weighs in on the space turkey shoot

Developing...

Senior Pentagoner briefs on satellite shoot

Complete transcript of Feb. 20 briefing

Excerpt:

Q Who is the person who makes the call, today’s go? And how long before the actual shot, before that seconds-long window, do you have to make that decision?

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: Command and control, as we refer to it, is always a challenge here. In the chain there are a series of no votes -- my words -- but people who can say stop because my criteria, weather, is not being met. There are very few yes votes, and the question is, where do you have that yes vote? The commander of U.S. Strategic Command will give the secretary of Defense a recommendation, and then the secretary of Defense will look at that recommendation, make a judgment based on it. He will have more than one opportunity during the day to do that because we keep re-looking at it through the day. So there are multiple opportunities. We'll have a point of no return, so to speak, that's down in the minutes area, and it will be based on whatever it is that has kept us potentially holding, if it were weather or something like that. But --

Q Minutes as in 60 minutes, or minutes as in five minutes?

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: It could go down. It just depends. It depends on what criteria it is that's holding us back, how serious that criteria is and what the expectation of maybe being able to clear that criteria is. If we're swapping missiles, if we're just worried about wave height -- not just, but each one of them will be different. But we'll have the opportunity. But we'll get down to a point of no return, where we turn it over to the ship to execute.

Q So on press, to be clear, you will not be putting out a notification that we've launched the missile and then an hour later a press release, or will it be just a press release an hour after the event?

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: That's correct.

Q So we could all be sitting here and you could have launched and we wouldn't know, necessarily, until the press release comes out.

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: That's correct.

Q Is there any way for us who are in the building to pick -- you know, pepper you guys on background, "Did it launch or did it not launch?" type of thing?

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: (Laughs.)

Q Well, it's a practical question.

Q There's a danger -- you know, we know that you'll try and keep this as clean as possible, but if it starts to filter out that there has been a shot and we're still having to wait an hour before we can even confirm there's been a shot, is there no way that you can just tell us first that you've taken a shot and that's all you can tell us, but at least that fact is out there?

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: Let me go back and work it. Okay.

Q The Navy said yesterday that on some of their missile tests there's a video camera in the warhead. Will there be one on this?

SR. MILITARY OFFICIAL: That's in the instrumentation of the SM-3 when we try to do test shots. Let me go find out, but generally there are two cameras. There's one on the booster -- for a test -- there's one on the booster, and you've seen these. NASA uses the same system, one that's looking down behind, so to speak, so you can see it departing, and one that's looking up. We wouldn't normally put that on a shot like this, but let me go see what they've done with this one.

Seidel hosts Wednesday morning office hours

City Councillor Sam Seidel will maintain Wednesday morning "office hours" at Central Square's Carberry's coffee shop at 74 Prospect St. from 8:30 to 9:30.

Seidel said he encourages citizens to stop by and express their concerns about the city to him. For those who cannot make it on Wednesday mornings, Seidel can be reached at (617) 547-1067 or sseidel@cambridgema.gov.

Window to open for satellite shoot-down, Gates to issue order

by Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19, 2008 - The anticipated landing tomorrow of the space shuttle Atlantis will open the window of opportunity for the U.S. military to shoot down a dying intelligence satellite headed toward Earth, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said today.

President Bush has authorized Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to give the shoot-down order, and the secretary received a briefing on the plan today, Morrell said. The secretary is prepared to make that call from the road, if necessary, during his nine-day, around-the-world trip that begins tomorrow, he said.

Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters last week the window of opportunity for shooting down the satellite would last seven or eight days.

"We have a pretty wide aperture with which to take this shot," Morrell said today. "I think the commanders that are evaluating this are looking at all the conditions that could impact this to make sure that when we do take this shot, it can be as successful as possible."

Cartwright, Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, and other experts across the military and U.S. government "are evaluating the situation and will advise the secretary when they have a shot to take," Morrell said.

Pentagon officials began studying the situation in early January when it become clear that a malfunctioning U.S. spy satellite could cause death or injury if it fell in a populated area. Of particular concern is that the satellite could release hydrazine, a toxic chemical used as a maneuvering fuel.

A Pentagon plan was put together to strike the incoming satellite just above the atmosphere, rupturing the hydrazine tank in the process.

Sasso prescience?

by Neil W. McCabe

In a Dec. 22 op-ed piece titlied, "Why Clinton will Survive" for The Boston Globe, John Sasso, a former political aide to Gerry Studds, Edward M. Kennedy, Geraldine Ferraro, Michael Dukakis, Mario Cuomo and John F. Kerry, wrote that Sen. Hillary Clinton is the best candidate for the Democrats to support because she is a known quantity and she has stood up to the attacks of Republicans.  Sasso was skeptical Obama's mettle:

Can Obama withstand that kind of barrage? Does he have the personal makeup to be as relentless as his opponents? Do past political positions leave him vulnerable? Because the risks are sky-high, these questions need to be reasonably raised and answered beforehand.

What he didn't say was that maybe Sen. Barak H. Obama had another possible problem, such at the plagarism charge that the Hillary Clinton campaign launched yesterday, through ABC News reporter Jake Tapper, Obama lifted words from Massachusetts Gov. Deval L. Patrick.

According to The Drudge Report, the Clinton campaign held a conference call , which featured the aide to the late congressman Joseph Moakley and current Massachusetts congressman Rep. James McGovern, to make the case that not only is the Obama candidacy built on words not actions, but that the words themselves are stolen.

Drudge reports that the Obama campaign claims the similiarities were deliberate.

While Patrick has been one of Obama's strongest supporters, Sasso's op-ed and McGovern's pariticipation in the conference call betray the governor's lack of control over the state's Democratic leadership class.  Such an attack is out of bounds seeing that for all intents and purposes, Obama is the party's nominee.  The charges are not based on policy, but rather strike to the man's character and are not the type of thing that can be wiped away by a happy unity breakfast.  Clinton is so afraid of losing to Obama she will blow up the ship taking everyone down with her. 

Did Sasso know this was coming?  If he didn't, at least he knows now that somebody is working his side of the street.

Ashley Alexandra Dupre

'The Race Card' by Richard Thompson Ford

This is from a Feb. 7 reading at Berkeley's Cody's Books

Richard Thompson Ford considers The Race Card: How Bluffing About Bias Makes Race Relations Worse. The George E. Osborne Professor of Law at Stanford Law School, Richard Thompson Ford has published regularly on civil rights, constitutional law, race relations, and antidiscrimination law. In his new book, he asks what Katrina victims waiting for federal disaster relief, millionaire rappers buying vintage champagne, Ivy League professors waiting for taxis, and ghetto hustlers trying to find steady work have in common, and answers that all have claimed to be victims of racism. Few people these days express openly racist beliefs or defend bigoted motives. So lots of people are victims of bigotry, but no one's a bigot? Ford considers whether a lot of people are lying about their true beliefs and motivations, or if a lot of people are jumping to unwarranted conclusions or just playing the race card. Ford brings sophisticated legal analysis, lively and eye-popping anecdotes, and plain old common sense to this heated topic, offering ways to separate valid claims from bellyaching, and calling for us to treat racism as a social problem that must be objectively understood and honestly evaluated - Cody's Books

Parker: 'Nigh' headline misleading, sensational

To the Editors:

You recently published an e-mail regarding the possible fate of the Pemberton Market site.  You added a headline to this e-mail stating, "Pemberton Market's end nigh"; and a sub-head stating, "Neighborhood landmark site to be gutted, rebuilt for multi-tenant format". I believe these statements are misleading and sensationalistic.  First, there is no mention of gutting; rather, the e-mail clearly states that the building is structurally sound and the renovations are primarily cosmetic. Second, declaring the end of the Pemberton Market is premature; the e-mail does not state, nor have the proprietors of Pemberton Market publicly indicated, that the market will close after the renovation. Further, the e-mail clearly states the owners of the building have given the market's proprietors "right of first refusal." Finally, although the owners are considering dividing the site into two spaces, the description of the proposed renovated space as a "multi-tenant format" is hyperbole.

Your statements have the potential to inflame a situation that appears to be resolving in a manner consistent with the neighborhood's preferences.  The neighborhood did not want a large condo complex built on the site and hoped that the site would remain a retail location.  This appears to be what will occur and for that we thank the owners.  The owners of the property, however, could never guarantee that the proprietors of the current market would continue to rent the space indefinitely. What we do know is that a building in need of renovation will be spruced up and that the site will remain commercial. To imply anything beyond that is speculation and serves no purpose other than to create unneeded anxiety. I hope that editors see fit to retract their misleading statements.

Sincerely,

Louise E. Parker
Co-Coordinator, Pemberton Neighbors

May mailing for Bush tax rebates

IRS Will Send Stimulus Payments Automatically Starting in May; Eligible Taxpayers Must File a 2007 Tax Return to Receive Rebate 

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today advised taxpayers that in most cases they will not have to do anything extra this year to get the economic stimulus payments beginning in May.

“If you are eligible for a payment, all you have to do is file a 2007 tax return and the IRS will do the rest,” said Acting IRS Commissioner Linda Stiff.

The IRS will use information on the 2007 tax return filed by the taxpayer to determine eligibility and calculate the amount of the stimulus payments.

The IRS will begin sending taxpayers their payments in early May after the current tax season concludes. Payments to more than 130 million taxpayers will continue over several weeks during the spring and summer. A payment schedule for taxpayers will be announced in the near future.

CAC Gallery features Lyman Feb. 25 to May 1

From Feb. 25 to May 30 the CAC Gallery will be transformed into the painting studio of artist Mela Lyman. Commissioned through the Cambridge Arts Council’s Public Art Program, Mela Lyman created a mural for Paine Park in 2001. Working with young children of the neighborhood, the artist incorporated their drawings into a “euphoric landscape,” physically attaching the drawings to the mural. Subsequent deterioration of the drawings and fading of colors has led the artist to re-imagine her mural for its renewal.