Opening Reception at New Porter Square Art Gallery

New Porter Square Art Gallery   There’s  a wonderful new art gallery in Porter Square – From Russia With Art.

Owners Olesya and Jerry Koenig recently opened the gallery at 1977 Mass Ave at the corner of Beech Street.  The Koenigs moved to Cambridge from Moscow earlier this year. Long-time art collectors, their gallery allows them to showcase their favorite Russian artists.

The two-level gallery is a light and beautiful space to display their collection.  Here you’ll find paintings, prints, sculptures and more from artists whose work has been difficult to find in the US before now.

From Russia With Art Owners - Jerry and Olesya Koenig

There’s a range of prices so you’re sure to discover a piece to add to your collection or the perfect gift for that special someone. 

The opening reception at From Russia With Art was a huge success this week.  The gallery is now open daily and special events are planned to give visitors the opportunity to meet some of the artists.  Check the From Russia With Art website for more information.

Stop by the new Porter Square art gallery – From Russia With Love – at 1977 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140.

A walk by the river is a cool way to spend some time on a hot day.  Stroll along the Charles River and take in the beautiful views of  Boston across the water.

On Sundays the walk along the Charles gets even better when Memorial Drive is closed to traffic. Rollerblade, bike, walk or run  -  the street is yours.  From the last Sunday in April to the second Sunday in November Memorial Drive between Western Ave and Mount Auburn Street is closed to traffic from 11 am to 7 pm.  

When it’s super hot you can always soak up the free air conditioning at the mall.  Head on over to the Cambridgeside Galleria on 1st Street in East Cambridge.

If you’d rather not shop, the Galleria is adjacent to the Lechmere Canal Park.  There are plenty of places to sit and catch a breeze over the water. Just watching the fountain makes it seem cooler.

From the park you can take a Charles River cruise with the Charles Riverboat Company.  Cruises depart several times a day from late May to the end of October.

Rather take a boat out yourself?  Charles River Canoe & Kayak rents boats by the hour in Kendall Square.

Summer’s the season to spend some time in the garden.  If you don’t have space at home,  perhaps you’ve secured a plot in one of Cambridge’s many community gardens.   Just want to look?  Visit the community garden on Sacramento Street and wander the paths or catch some rays in the adjacent field.

The good folks over at Sergi Farm in Belmont (just over the Cambridge line) have been toiling in the fields despite the heat. Head on over to the farmstand to pick up some fresh as can be produce.

Too hot to garden? I know that’s my excuse.  Instead, why not spend an afternoon at the Glass Flowers exhibit at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The collection includes over 3000 glass flower models created by father and son glass artisans, Leopold and Rudolph Blaschka from 1887 to 1936.

Another museum to check out on a hot day is the Longfellow House on Brattle Street. Home to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his family, the house also served as headquarters for George Washington during the Revolutionary War.

Just feel like play?  Many Cambridge parks have water features. Here’s a map to find the 26 Cambridge parks with waterplay facilities.

Need to get out with the dog?  Take a walk around Fresh Pond. The greenery and water views will take your mind off the heat and your dog will have plenty of canine companions to meet and greet.  Dogs registered in Cambridge can go off leash.

For a walk without the dog there isn’t a more beautiful setting than Mount Auburn Cemetery.  With more than 5000 trees, several ponds, and a hilltop observatory tower there’s plenty of shade and places to catch a breeze.  Bring some binoculars – it’s a great place to bird watch.

Movie theaters are typically air conditioned havens.  Check out the latest at the Kendall Square Cinema or the Brattle Theatre  (yes – it is air conditioned!)

The newly renovated Cambridge Public Library at 449 Broadway offers a cool spot to sit with a book or a magazine.

Hang out in Harvard Square.  On warm summer evenings the Square is always hopping. Street performers abound and there are plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops if you want a blast of A/C.  Try a game of chess in front of Au Bon Pain.  Trees provide some shade and the people watching opportunities are top notch if chess isn’t your game.

Outside dining opportunities abound in Cambridge. Whether it’s Christopher’s in Porter Square, the Harvest in Harvard Square, or the 1369 Coffee House in Central Square – plenty of Cambridge cafes and restaurants offer outside tables.

How about a morning tennis game? If you’re still up for exercising despite the heat then the public tennis courts on Pemberton Street are a fine place for a match.

Need to cool off afterwards?  Head down Rindge Ave to the public outdoor pool at 359 Rindge Ave or across town to the pool at Magazine Beach at 719 Memorial Drive. 

When all else fails duck into an ATM booth to soak up the cool.  The ATMs on Huron Ave have been icy cold oases this summer.

Stay cool!!  And if you have more ideas for things to do in Cambridge when it’s hot be sure to let us know.

New Solar Trash Compactor In Arlington

Solar Trash Cans In Arlington  Have you noticed the new trash cans in Arlington?

These are actually solar trash compactors.  As part of Arlington’s Green Communities designation, the town recieved five Big Big Belly solar trash compactors that have been placed around town.

The compactor is totally driven by solar power and is able to hold five times as much trash as a regular trash can – cutting truck pickups by as much as 80%.  The trash can is completely enclosed which will keep out pests – a valuable feature in an urban environment.

The solar compactors are also used in Newton, Boston and Somerville.  In Arlington the new trash cans can be found at the Jason Street entrance to Menotomy Rocks Park, at Robbins Farm Park on Eastern Ave, and on Mass Ave at Medford St, at Park Ave and near Dag’s Delicatessen.

Tree Branch Pickup In Arlington

Tree Branch Pickup In Arlington  

Last Sunday’s brief but intense storm on June 6th caused devastating damage to local trees. 

In East Arlington, near Spy Pond, 21 street trees were toppled.  Large branches were down everywhere you looked.

It’s always a challenge as a homeowner to get rid of large branches. Yard waste gets picked up but there are limits on the size of branches you can put out at the curb.

In response to this unusually destructive storm the Town of Arlington will remove downed branches that East Arlington homeowners bring to the curb until June 21, 2010.

The town will be picking up the branches that fell on public ways and in private yards.

The collection of downed branches will cover all of Arlington east of Medford Street and Pleasant Street (Route 60).

The DPW asks that homeowners do not block the sidewalks with branches.

Homeowners do not need to call for tree branch pickup. Public Works will be patrolling for collection through June 21st.

All Out of Water In Arlington

Don’t Drink the Water – unless you boil it first.  In case you haven’t heard – Centers and Squares territory is right in the middle of the area affected by today’s huge water main break.

A water main in Weston bringing water from the Quabbin Reservoir to MWRA customers developed a catastrophic leak this morning.  Over 8 million gallons of water per hour were going into the Charles River for much of the day.

Emergency supplies of water have been pulled into the system but this water is not treated for drinking. People in affected communities – thirty towns and cities east of Weston on the MWRA system including Boston - are advised to boil their drinking water.  Locally that includes Arlington, Belmont, Medford, Somerville and Watertown.  Cambridge has its own water system and is not affected.

I was out earlier this evening and it seems there’s been a run on bottled water.  Not that I was in the market – I was out in a last minute search of the weekly sales items I’d circled in last Sunday’s paper. The stores were bustling but the shelves were just about bare in the bottled water aisles.

I’m no fan of bottled water – I think it’s an atrocity in fact.  Paying for water has to be a measure of insanity and gullibility as far as I’m concerned.  Even in a situation like this one – boil it for cripes sake!  It’s not as if we’ve lost power.

It was just this morning that I was delighted to read in the Globe that Concord has voted to ban the sale of bottled water.  Hurrah!  Let’s hope that this is the beginning of a trend.  We’re fortunate enough to live in an area with delicious tap water – there is no excuse for paying soda pop prices for water in a plastic bottle that’s been shipped from who knows where.

We’ve got wonderful water in our neck of the woods and a disaster like this one makes the value of it all the more clear.  But for the timebeing - you’re advised to boil the water.

New Massachusetts Law Governs Homes Heated By Oil

New Law for Massachusetts Homes Heated By Oil  It’s not uncommon in Massachusetts for homes to be heated by oil.  In some areas or communities without gas lines most houses you’ll visit will have oil heat.

Everyone has their own preference, often based on what they’re accustomed to.  It shouldn’t be a matter of price since typically the price differential between oil and gas will vary over the years. I grew up with oil and like it as a fuel source – the oil company guys know what they’re doing – nothing like having somebody with experience show up when there’s a problem, the oil fuel companies compete so service tends to be better than that provided by a company with a monopoly, and I like the idea that oil doesn’t make a house blow up.

But oil can leak and an oil leak can be very expensive.  A new Massachusetts law covering homes heated by oil takes effect on July 1, 2010 and is intended to minimize the potential for oil leaks from the fuel line.

The law requires that an oil safety valve or a protective sleeve on the supply line be installed if not already in place. The law also requires that homeowner’s insurance policies offer coverage for oil leaks. The insurance coverage is not mandatory but must be made available to homeowners for purchase. 

More info is available at the MassDEP website or call your oil company.

I always wondered what kind of trees these are – they seem to be popular with the City and are planted all over town.  Turns out they’re Bradford Pears and they line both sides of Boston Avenue in the Medford Hillside neighborhood.

When the trees blossom in spring they form a corridor of white flowers against the blue sky.  Catch them before they’re gone!

White Flowering Trees on Boston Ave in Medford

Holi-day that is.  Opening day meant that you took off from work, tried to get some tickets outside the park or ended up watching the game at a bar near the park. 

During the day.

But this year it’s a little off. It is a holiday.  And a night game.  Doesn’t seem quite right.

But it’s the Yankees.  Nothing like starting the season off with a bang.

The Boys of Summer are back in town.  Go Sox!

Photo courtesy of optimal tweezers