The Powderhouse

Somerville artists featured in 'War, Madness, and Delusion'

by Matthew Kaplan

Growing up, war imagery surrounded him, from green plastic toy army men and G.I. Joes to World War II movies, and that imagery infiltrated his art.

“A lot of my art has to do with the idea of war,” artist and Somerville resident Bob Stearns said. “I’ve been interested in it for a while now.”

The “War, Madness, and Delusion” art exhibit, which runs until April 15 at the Andover Newton Theological School in Newton, features artwork from Stearns and 32 other artists that deals with the ideas and imagery surrounding war.

Exhibit curator James Herbert said he came up with the idea for this art exhibit about four years ago, during the early stages of the Iraq War.

“It bothered me, the War in Iraq,” he said. “Delusionary people [are] leading our kids to die.”

About 67 artists, from Somerville to Australia, submitted pieces. Herbert, along with Rev. Karl Gustafson, pastor of the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, and two others helped select the featured pieces.

piece by Katherine Martin Widmer

“I’m looking for pieces with impact,” Herbert said. “There’s decorative art and then there’s declarative art. This is declarative art.”

The one work in the exhibit by Stearns, a painting entitled “Atomic Veteran,” uses mostly black and red to depict a crouched-over man in a green army helmet surrounded by mountains and an ‘apocalyptic’ red sky, he said.

“That piece came from a couple of dreams I had,” Stearns said.

At the time he created the piece, he said he was reading a book about nuclear testing conducted with soldiers during the 1950s.

In addition, the exhibit also features the work of fellow Somerville artist Katherine Martin Widmer.

Widmer’s featured piece, a painting she started about four years ago entitled ‘Imagine That,’ depicts a baby’s face painted blue with some of the lyrics of John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ transcribed over it.

Widmer said she was painting the piece one Saturday afternoon in the same room as some of her art students. She then asked one teenage pupil to print out the lyrics of the song. Instead, a tall quiet students of hers, a man named Oscar originally from Guatemala, stood up and began to sing the entire song, she said.

“At the end of it, everyone had tears in their eyes, including me,” Widmer said.

She said the theme of war is featured prominently in her work. Widmer said she first began to develop her current ideas about war during the late 1960s.

“Every night in the news, you would see body bags,” she said. “I [was] just completely changed from that.”

Since then, Widmer said she had been involved in numerous antiwar efforts, from marching in front of armed National Guardsmen during the 1968 Democratic Convention to creating anti-nuclear weapons pamphlets during the 1970s.

Two other pieces Widmer submitted for consideration for the exhibit featured images and themes relating to the first Gulf War and other violent events over the past 15 years.

“This is a subject with a long history in my heart,” she said.

Davis Sq. Task Force meets to discuss new condominiums

by Matthew Kaplan

Developers outlined their plans to build a condominium building at the old CARLI fence site at Newberne Street and Morrison Avenue at the Davis Square Task Force meeting Feb. 11in front of about 45 community members.

As of now, the developers, who purchased the site last May, plan on including 12 units, with six one-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units. The building will have three floors and a mezzanine level, with 20 parking spaces on the first floor.

Some residents raised concerns about the building’s parking spaces, as the current plan has the spaces next to a bike path.

The building’s initial plans included underground parking, along with 16 units, including lofts, and a different exterior design. When Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz first saw the initial designs, she said she voiced concerns over the building’s density and its exterior, which she said looked too industrial.

After the meeting about five weeks ago, the architect and developers redesigned the building to have fewer units and to make the building’s façade have a more contemporary feel.

“That’s the representative of the Ward; we’ll go back and make the [recommended] changes,” Nick Ianuzzi, the project’s attorney, said.

With four less units, the underground parking had to be scrapped as it was now not economically feasible.

“This is still a work in progress in terms of parking,” Ianuzzi said.

Some residents such as Ron Newman raised concerns that the above-street parking would take away from potential green space and provide an eyesore on the bicycle path, asking the developers to scale back the number of parking spaces.

“There’s an unfortunate byproduct to that [redesign] and that is parking by the bike path,” Gewirtz said. She said she had not seen the redesign before the Task Force meeting.

The developers can legally reduce the number of available spaces if the building is within 1000 feet of the Davis Square T station. However, other area residents such as James Campano said he wanted the building to include parking spaces to reduce the number of cars parked on surrounding streets.

Residents also raised concerns about the building’s environmental impact. The building’s architect said it is too early in the planning process to discuss ways to make the building more environmentally friendly, but construction could include pervious pavement that would allow water to seep into the soil, along with a potential drainage system on the roof that would slowly release rainwater into the soil.

In addition, developers plan on conducting shadow studies to determine the sun’s effect on the building in the near future.

Representatives with the site said they are still 12 to 24 months away from groundbreaking at the site.

After the developers spoke, Krista Kranyak, the owner of Ten Tables Restaurant in Jamaica Plain outlined her plan to purchase Antonia’s on Holland Street. She said the sale is mostly complete, but that she needs a wine and beer license to be profitable at the site.

While Antonia’s Restaurant had a wine and beer license, the license did not transfer in the sale. Instead, the license transferred back to the city.

“This deal is basically dead if I don’t get the license,” Kranyak said.

Ten Tables is one of seven restaurants vying for two licenses. The three-member license commission will decide how to distribute the licenses next week.

Afterwards, area resident Trish Blain, who purchased Sacco’s Bowl Haven, announced at the meeting that she will hold a community meeting Feb. 20 at the Dilboy VFW post to discuss her plans for the site.

Last chance to be a villen

by Matthew Kaplan

Nave Gallery will host a closing reception on Feb. 9 from 3 to 5PM for the “Be a Villen” exhibit, showcasing the work of 17 young local artists and writers dealing with adverse issues affecting Somerville youth.

Over 100 people visited the gallery on the exhibit’s first night, witnessing works addressing issues such as death, drugs and gentrification.

“The theme of this show is a little disturbing,” Wendy Weiser, Somerville Program Director for Teen Empowerment, said.

Teen Empowerment, along with ARTSomerville, helped coordinate the Villen exhibit.

Skateboard art by Zadak Rice

“I didn’t think [the works] would be so close to home,” Anna Rodriguez, a youth organizer with Teen Empowerment, said.

The exhibit was dedicated to Brian Liberatore, a Somerville resident who died last October. The exhibit featured multiple works dedicated to Brian, along with works done by Brian and his brother Scotty Liberatore.

“The whole thing is keeping his memory alive,” Danny McLaughlin, Teen Empowerment Program Coordinator, said.  McLaughlin had six photographs featured in the exhibit.

Brian Liberatore had two of his drawings displayed, including one in memorial of deceased Somerville resident Matty O’Brien.

Brian Liberatore came up with the idea of a Villen, a young person who grew up in and embodied Somerville, after seeing the “townie” shirts in Charlestown, where townie is Charlestown’s Villen equivalent, McLaughlin said.

About five years ago, Brian Liberatore designed a shirt that featured a stylized face and the word ‘Villen’ on it. After seeing the original shirt, Steven Morris, another featured artist, said he liked the original design and designed another shirt of the same design but with different colors with Brian, he said. The exhibit displayed the two original Villen shirts.

Zadak Rice, another featured artist who displayed his art on a skateboard, said Brian came up with the idea for the face on the villen shirts one time when he and Brian went out spray painting. He said the idea for the face drawn on the skateboard came from the same excursion.

In addition to the face, Rice included on the skateboard a coaster from a bar he used to frequent with Brian. He also wrote on the board a quote Brian once told him when they out job-hunting that stuck in his head.

“Skateboard’s not big enough for everything he told me,” Rice said.

The exhibit also featured an interactive piece, where people could write their thoughts on Brian and others on a section of the wall. The wall included a quote from a poem Mark McLaughlin wrote for Brian. A pair of Brian’s cowboy boots sat near the bottom of the interactive piece.

Piece by Steven Morris

“Brian just had a sneaker collection that was ridiculous,” Danny McLaughlin said.

In addition, the exhibit featured work on multiple issues besides death affecting Somerville youth. Scotty Liberatore said he wanted some of his photos to take a “stab at gentrification.”

One of Morris’s pieces, entitled “LIVE=EVIL,” deals with drug addiction.

“That’s such truth,” Rice said of the piece. “Kids are degenerating on drugs, especially in Somerville.”

ARTSomerville Director Susan Berstler and her neighbor, Scotty Liberatore, began planning the exhibit about two months ago, after a string of untimely deaths.

“They’ve seen a lot of death,” she said. The art serves as “their way of working through it.”

“They’ve seen a lot of death,” she said. The art serves as “their way of working through it.”

The largest piece at the exhibit is a photograph mural done by Morris and Scotty Liberatore that they submitted, but was not chosen, as part of the Davis Square T station mural competition. The mural included photos of people and landmarks around Somerville.

Clarence Bryan IV, a self-described amateur photographer who had two of his photographs displayed, said he liked the mural the best, but said that “it’s sad it took so many deaths to get people together. We’re all we have.” 

Super stakes for Super Tuesday

by Matthew Kaplan

Standing on a concrete pillar in Davis Square under gray skies, a Tufts freshman holds up a blue Barack Obama poster for passing traffic.

“I’ve gotten a lot of really enthusiastic honks,” Obama volunteer Chelsea Brown said.

Brown and Laura Hicks, a fellow Tufts freshman and Obama campaign volunteer, campaigned for Obama for about two hours in Davis Square, holding a sign and passing out five pounds worth of flyers, she said.

Tufts freshman Chelsea Brown

Later in the day at the same location, four women held up signs by Holland Street to support Hilary Clinton. Down the street, biomedical engineer Justin Klekota passed out flyers promoting his group’s campaign in Ward 7 for Democratic Ward Committee.

Klekota and others hit the streets to pique voter interest on Super Tuesday, Feb. 5, as Massachusetts, along with 23 other states, held its presidential primary. Due to the large number of states holding primaries and caucuses, election results from the Super Tuesday primaries could help establish frontrunners in each party for the upcoming presidential election.

“Everyone I know is talking about this,” voter Lydia Thornton said. “There’s a little more at stake. It’s not a foregone conclusion.” 

Election clerk John Alibrandi, who worked the polls at the Engine Six Fire Station in Teele Square, said the polling place had a steady stream of voters all day, with over 700 out of about 1500 registered voters in the precinct voting by 5:20 p.m.

“There are a lot of people who are making a point to vote,” he said.

Of the first 700 votes cast in Ward 7 Precinct 2, Alibrandi said he estimated that 600 of then were for the Democratic primary, with no ballots cast for the Green-Rainbow Party or the Working Families Party.

Despite early rain, election workers at the fire station said 300 voters had voted by 8 a.m.

“I think we’re getting a high percentage turnout,” election worker Jude Shabry said.

Voter Susan Maldonado said this primary has received more interest than past primaries, and that she plans on staying up late to find out about the election results. Voter Amy Checkoway said she also plans on staying up late to hear the results.

“People feel like it matters more,” she said.

As of Tuesday night, early results indicated that Hillary Clinton won Massachusetts’ Democratic primary and former Governor Mitt Romney won the Republican primary.

You CAN get there from here

by Mathew Kaplan

Two local authors held a themed reading of their works in front of about 31 people Dec. 12 at McIntyre &  Moore Booksellers in Davis Square.

The essays deal with “coming out on the other side of funny or difficult situations,” writer Judah Leblang said.

Judah Leblang

The event, entitled 'You CAN Get There From Here,' featured Leblang and writer Barbara Beckwith reading eight essays “dealing with life’s uncertainties,” Leblang said. Leblang and Beckwith switched off in between reading each of their four essays, with each essay tying in with the previous one.

“The pieces tend to relate to each other,” Leblang said. 

Of the four works he read from, Leblang said two of them have appeared in his 'Life in the Slow Lane' column he writes for Bay Windows, a New England-based GLBT newspaper. Of the other two, one appeared in an Ohio-based monthly magazine. The other, a story entitled 'jingle bells' about caroling in Medford Square, appears on his CD 'Snapshots.'

One of the essays Beckwith read at the event, about a walk to Harvard Square, is featured in anthology of local authors released Dec. 11 by Eden Waters Press entitled 'Home.'

“We want to honor all the local talent,” anthology editor Anne Brudevold said.

Leblang said he and Beckwith held a joint reading around this time last year in Medford, where Leblang currently resides, which drew around 30 people. The two writers initially met at a National Writers Union meeting eight years ago. After the success of last year’s reading, Leblang said he and Beckwith, a Cambridge resident, decided to hold another joint reading this year.

Mary Curtin, McIntyre & Moore’s program coordinator, said Leblang contacted her two months ago about holding the reading. Curtin said she knew Leblang from previous readings he had done at the bookstore, but this event marked Beckwith’s first time doing a reading at the store.

“It’s a nice place to read,” Beckwith said. “I love being surrounded by books.”

At the event, the essays ranged in topics from a Beckwith essay about the subtle difficulties she and her husband had speaking French in Paris to a Leblang essay about being paired with himself on an Internet dating site.

“Reading in front of a live audience is great because you get such a visceral response,” Beckwith said.

After the reading, the writers allowed the audience to ask questions, and both stayed after to speak with those in attendance.

Leblang said he enjoyed receiving comments about his work. “I don’t usually get in person feedback,” he said.

“Both writers show the pleasure of hearing the local voice,” event attendee Joel Alter said.

Starting April 3, Leblang and Beckwith will lead a workshop at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education on helping writers polish and submit their pieces.

Toys for Local Children held on Dec. 8

by Mathew Kaplan

The “Toys for Local Children” charity held its third annual fundraising event Dec. 8 at Good Time Emporium by Assembly Square.

The event aimed to raise money to provide toys for over 10,000 needy children in Middlesex and Essex counties for the holidays, Toys for Local Children Director Cindy Hickey said.

“Every child deserves the smiles of Christmas,” she said.

The charity hopes to collect $20,000 before Christmas. Hickey said she estimated that the about 150 people in attendance helped push the group to about $12,000.

At the beginning of the event, Alderman John M. “Jack” Connolly presented the charity with $3,000. The money came from the entrance fees for the Bill Rodgers Jingle Bell Run Dec. 16 in Davis Square. The event featured a live and silent auction, along with raffles.

The charity event, hosted by Jimmy Del Ponte of Oldies 103.3, included live music, a DJ and a dance number by Interstate Dance.

“[They’re] just saints as far as I’m concerned,” Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said of the charity. Curtatone facilitated the live auction at the event.    

Midnight madness shopping in Davis Square tonight

by Matthew Kaplan

Eight Davis Square retailers will stay all night Dec. 6 until midnight for the group’s fourth Midnight Madness.

Cibeline Sariano

To entice customers, participating stores will offer discounts, with some stores offering progressive discounts that become larger later at night, said Davis-Squared owner Melisa I. Christie.

Christie said her store will have a progressive discount on everything in the store, with a maximum of 20 percent off starting at 11 p.m.

Cibeline owner Cibeline Sariano said her business will also have a progressive discount. In addition, customers will have a chance to earn an extra discount.

Shoppers at Cibeline will pick pieces of paper from a hollow snowball kept in a basket at the store, she said. The paper will tell the shopper their prize, which could be an extra discount or a pair of earrings.

Restaurants are joining the stores with specials and some of the stores will also have free food, Christie said. Davis-Squared will provide food prepared by Gargoyles on the Square.

A mostly retail event, this Midnight Madness will feature two food stores, Dave’s Fresh Pasta and Kickass Cupcakes. Neither store has directly participated in Midnight Madness before.

Midnight Madness creates a unique hurdle for Dave’s Fresh Pasta, as the store has to stop selling wine by 11 p.m. because of state law, Dave’s manager Christina O. Theophanis said.

To help the customers take advantage of special discounts, shoppers can order wine at a discounted price after 11 o’clock and then pick up the wine later, she said.

Lafuente's loss recounted

by Matthew Kaplan

The incumbent alderman-at-large who in the Nov. 6 municipal election finished fourth in the race for four at-large seats survived the Dec. 1 recount the fifth place finisher requested.

Nicholas Salerno

Bruce M. Desmond officially defeated Tony Lafuente, the owner of East Somerville’s Flagraphics and a 2003 candidate for mayor, after a recount Dec. 1 at City Hall, said Nicholas Salerno, the city’s election commission’s chairman, who made the announcement at 4:47 p.m. Salerno had been keeping track of the changing vote totals on a large white board placed at the side of the Aldermanic Chamber.

The recount results remain unofficial until reviewed and certified by the Secretary of Commonwealth, he said.

“I’m happy to be around to do it for the next two years,” Desmond said after the announcement.

“This is a testament to the professionalism of the city’s election workers,” he said. “This was a classy room: everyone behaved well and worked well together I couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of the results.”

Lafuente asked for a recount after finishing 38 votes behind fourth place finisher Desmond in the Nov. 6 alderman at large election.

Salerno said the recount resulted in no change the order of finish for the six candidates. I n addition to   Desmond retaining his seat, he picked up 13 votes to increase his margin from 38 to 51 with a final total of 4,860. Lafuente also picked up votes, bringing his total vote from 4,796 to 4,809.

“I want to thank the election department for all of the work that they have done – nothing but professionalism from the moment we impounded the ballots on election night to the finish of today’s process,” said Lafuente, who made remarks at the end of the recount.

Lafuente said he had been concerned about ballots from his supporters incorrectly marked, such as with circles around his name instead of filled in circle next to his name.

Lafuente’s attorney Haskell A. Kassler said some of the confusion over the circle ballots could be accredited to a Lafuente campaign mailing showing a mock ballot with Lafuente’s name circled on it.
The one contested ballot in Ward 5 was the only circle ballot of the recount and it was awarded to Lafuente.

Besides potential issues with circle votes, Lafuente said decided to ask for a recount because the margin, a figure he cited as a thousandth of a percentage point, between he and Desmond made it worthwhile to try.

“When you’re this close, you owe it to everybody in the race, and everyone in the city, to go through this process – with all of its transparency and professionalism. I’m very proud of the work we put into this,” he said.

Out of 10,430 votes cast, recount observers only challenged three ballots. Election judges disqualified a ballot in Ward 2 after they found out a voter never showed proof of residence. The next two occurred in Ward 5. One ballot had the correct marking connecting the arrow, but the ballot also had an “X” in the same location. Recount officials awarded that ballot to Lafuente.

Kassler, Lafuente’s attorney, said the law allows any marking indicating voter intent to be counted.

Also in Ward 5, one voter had correctly filled out the ballot for the mayoral race but only circled
Lafuente’s name. Again, recount officials awarded the ballot to Lafuente.

“It has to be something significant,” Kassler said. “It’s a classic example of what the law allows. We all know it’s a good ballot.”

Most of the changed votes resulted from hand inspection of ballots previously machine counted as “write-in” or “blank. Only three ballots out of 10,430 cast were disputed by representatives of the Lafuente or Desmond campaign, Salerno said.

Desmond said before the recount he thought the 38-vote margin would stand.

Desmond beats Lafuente in recount

Bruce M. Desmond officially defeated Tony Lafuente after a recount Dec. 1 at City Hall, which Lafuente asked for a recount after finishing 38 votes behind fourth place finisher Desmond in the alderman-at-large race.

After the recount, Desmond finished with 4,860 votes and Lafuente had 4,809 votes. Out of the over 10,000 votes cast, recount observers only challenged three ballots.

Tony LaFuente

“I’m happy to be around to do it for the next two years,” Desmond said afterwards.

Lafuente said he has no animosity and thought the recount was “flawless” and added transparency and accuracy to the election.

For now, he said he plans on running again for alderman-at-large two years from now.

Haskell A. Kassler, Lafuente’s attorney, said the recount results will not be challenged in court. “There is the end of a ballgame.”

Get Matt Kaplan's full story in the Dec. 5 issue of The Powderhouse

SHS v. AHS for Thankgiving Day game

by Matthew Kaplan

After zero victories in his first season as football coach of the Highlanders, and last year’s   6-4 record, the team will have a winning season with a Thanksgiving victory.

“Back to back winning seasons is a rarity at this school,” Head Coach Harry Marchetti said. During Marchetti’s inaugural season as head coach in 2005, the Highlanders lost all 10 of their games. The team goes up against the 4-5 Arlington Spy Ponders,  with a 5-4 record.

The game is at Arlington with a 11 a.m. kickoff Thursday. Last year, Arlington beat Somerville 24-12.
“We’ve improved so much. We went from not winning any games to winning games,” freshman tackle Douglas M. Lazo said.

Starting this season, sophomore quarterback Guebels S. Diedonne said the team hoped to improve upon last season’s record.

This season started out promising as the Highlanders defeated North Quincy High School 28-14 in its season opener Sept. 7.

“With a season-opening win, the momentum has carried us well into the third week, when we will compete against Malden Catholic,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, a volunteer assistant coach. The team lost to Malden Catholic 6-0.

Despite the team’s winning start, the Highlanders did not fare well in its home opener and second game of the season against defending Greater Boston League champion Everett High School Sept. 14, a game Marchetti said was one of the most important.

The Crimson Tide scored its first touchdown with 10:49 remaining in the first quarter, and the Highlanders never caught up, losing the game at Dilboy Stadium 34-7.

“The Everett game was a little disconcerting,” Marchetti said. “We didn’t stop the big play.”

After losing two out of three games at the beginning of the season, Marchetti said the team’s athleticism paid off with two straight victories against Medford and Malden to start October.

The Medford and Malden games provided an indicator that the team is on the right track, he said.

Following the two straight victories, the Highlanders then lost their next game to Waltham, a game Marchetti said he used as a measuring stick for the program’s development, but said that the game showed that the team did not measure up against top-tier opponents.

However, even in defeat, Marchetti said he saw positive play and improvement on both sides of the ball. For example, even though the team lost its Nov. 2 game against Cambridge 14-0, Marchetti said the defense played well in limiting a Cambridge team that normally averages, according to his estimate, about 35 points a game to 14 points.

Marchetti said he tries to increase on-field performance by focusing on, amongst other things, conditioning and nutrition.