Single stream recycling is a huge success

Mayor Michael J. McGlynn today announced results of the City’s new single-stream recycling program during the first five months of the program, November 1^st through March 31^st. The total diversion from the waste stream was 2,847 tons. The total saving is $248,494.

According to the Mayor, “Medford citizens are to be congratulated for their leadership with the single stream program. They have adapted extremely well despite the severe pressures put upon us from the 7^th most snow filled winter in recorded history! It was also one of our coldest winters, which prevented the snow from melting.”

March was Medford’s most successful month, with 823 tons of trash diverted from the waste stream and nearly tripling our division rate from last March. In 2010 it was 9%. This year it was 25%.

“Our projections are right in line with the result for a full year forecast of diverting 5500 tons from the waste stream and saving in the amount of $500 – $550,000…Go Green Medford!” said Mayor McGlynn.

Disturbed by Obama’s timidity on energy policy

RE “IT’S still oil and nuclear power for Obama’’ by Derrick Z. Jackson (Op-ed, April 2): The timidity of the Obama administration when it comes to the transformation of America’s energy economy is profoundly disturbing. The facts of climate change are firmly established, with only a few contrarians on the fringes of a global scientific consensus. The economics of renewable energy look more attractive every day, as do the geopolitical ramifications of meeting more of our national energy requirements from within our own borders.

The long-term costs of fossil fuels are harder and harder to hide, as we confront the health effects and environmental impacts of our profligate burning of oil and coal. Why, then, is the president so leery of taking a strong stand? The pusillanimity of the present administration only makes sense when viewed diagnostically: The extent to which our politics is paralyzed on this issue is a measure of the disproportionate influence of big oil and big coal on our nation’s governance.

Warren Senders
Medford

Published in Boston Globe, April 8

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2011/04/08/disturbed_by_obamas_timidity_on_energy_policy/

Arborists Wanted for Medford Riverbend Park, April 29 and beyond

Arbor Day is Friday, April 29th this year.

in 2010 the Massachusetts Arborists Association launched a new volunteer initiative called the Arbor Day of Service. This initiative was built on the success of the association’s traditional celebration, held for 30 years, by creating a statewide volunteer service day.

As part of the Arbor Day of Service this year, the City of Medford needs the assistance of qualified arborists to complete vista pruning and the removal of invasive species along the Mystic River in the City's Riverbend Park.

The park contains walkways used by the public for recreation, such as bicycling, walking, running, etc. Currently the area is extremely overgrown and the river is difficult to see from the walkways. The City would greatly benefit from 3-4 arborists working with the City's Tree Warden, Environmental Agent and local volunteers, such as Friends of the Mystic and Hormel/Mystic River Task Force, to identify and remove overgrown and invasive vegetation. The City could provide a chipper on site.

Anyone interested can contact Medford's Tree Warden, Aggie Tuden, at (781) 395-8695, or email her.

Or you can apply online to the Mass Arborists Association's Arbor Day of Service, at this website:

http://massarborday.com/component/option,com_rsform/Itemid,99999/formId,86/lang,en/

Medford and neighbors celebrate Mystic Community Earth Day, Sat April 30

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nick Cohen

April 2, 2011 781-322-4125 x 237

ncohen@tri-cap.org

Local organizations team up for second annual Mystic Community Earth Day

April 1, 2011 – Several organizations are joining together for the second year in a row to coordinate several events for Earth Day in the Lower Mystic River Watershed in Medford, Somerville, Malden, and Everett. Comprising the “Mystic Community Earth Day,” the events will take place on Saturday, April 30^th in honor of Earth Day (April 22^nd) and will focus on improving areas along the river, while drawing attention to the needs of the watershed as a whole. All events are free and open to the public. Volunteers are needed to complete this important work.

The Mystic River Watershed is the most urbanized and densely populated watershed in Massachusetts, with over half a million people living in its 76 square miles. Due to its long industrial history and antiquated sewer systems, the water quality of the river is severely degraded and access to the riverfront is limited. Despite these challenges, residents, community groups, and organizations are working to improve the Mystic River, its tributaries, and surrounding communities.

This year marks the 41^st Earth Day, which was first held on April 22, 1970, and featured rallies, protests, and clean-ups across the country with a strong college student presence. That day is often considered the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day 2011 will be observed nationwide on April 22 and will be marked by many of the same activities as the original event 41 years ago.

The Mystic Community Earth Day will include clean-ups, trail clearings, and plantings. For more information about any of the Mystic Community Earth Day events, please contact the respective coordinator from each organization (see below). Events will include the following:

Medford

Mystic River Cleanup: Friends of the Mystic River will hold its 16th annual Mystic River Spring Cleanup from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the vicinity of Mystic Riverbend Park, and MacDonald Park in the Mystic River Reservation. Meet in the parking lot at Hormel Stadium to sign in and pick up bags, gloves, pokers and instructions. For more information, visit www.fomr.org, call 781-391-2604 or e-mail Mystic02155@hotmail.com.

Medford Square Cleanup: Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts Center is partnering with Green Medford, Medford City Hall, and other community organizations to clean up litter and plant flowers in Medford Square from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Meet at the bus shelter on Riverside Avenue, next to the Salem Street Burial Ground. For more information, contact Anna Nguyen at Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts Center, 781.395.7131 or xtremeninja1@yahoo.com, or visit www.Green.Medford.org.

Somerville

Groundwork Somerville and the Mystic River Watershed Association are joining forces to clean the Mystic River in Somerville. Head to the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse, 32 Shore Drive, from 9:00am to 12:30pm to lend a hand. A limited number of canoes will be available for a river-based cleanup effort. Supplies will be provided, but additional tools and gloves are welcome. This co-sponsored cleanup is among several community events occurring at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse on April 30. For more information about these other events, please contact Groundwork Somerville. For more information, contact Brad Arndt, Groundwork Somerville Brad@GroundworkSomerville.org or Beth Meserve, Mystic River Watershed Association, Beth@MysticRiver.org, 781-316-3438.

The City of Somerville will also have a citywide clean-up from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM, culminating with a community barbeque and band concert at the Blessing of the Bay Boathouse from 12:00 – 2:00 PM.

Malden-Everett

Bike to the Sea is partnering with Groundwork Somerville, Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc. (Tri-CAP), and Cambridge Health Alliance to organize a trail clearing and clean-up around the proposed Northern Strand Community Trail between Medford Street in Malden and Prescott Street in Everett, as well as Cambridge Health Alliance’s adjacent Malden River Walk from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Supplies will be provided, but additional tools and gloves are welcome. Refreshments will be available for volunteers at a riverfront picnic around 1:00 PM. For more information contact Nick Cohen at ncohen@tri-cap.org or (781) 322-4125 X237.

Event Schedule:

9:00 AM – 12:30 PM Mystic River Clean-Up (Somerville)

9:30 AM – 2:00 PM Mystic River Clean-Up (Medford)

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM City of Somerville Clean-Up (Somerville)

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM Malden River Area Clean-Up (Malden/Everett)

12:00 PM – 2:00 PM City of Somerville Blessing of the Bay Boathouse Barbeque and Band Concert (Somerville)

2:30 PM – 5:00 PM Medford Square Clean-Up (Medford)

Medford City Council establishes tree committee, fund

From Roberta Cameron, who has championed this for literally years!

The City Council *unanimously* passed a motion last night to
1) establish a revolving account for tree planting
2) establish a committee to oversee expenditures from this fund, and
3) reiterate a previous statement that the city should cease posting signs on trees and remove all currently posted signs.

Councilor Lungo-Koehn initiated the motion, including only the first provision, and Councilors Camuso (? - I couldn't see clearly) and Marks suggested the additional provisions.

The revolving fund will enable residents and businesses to contribute funds to the city for the express purpose of tree planting and maintenance. It would also enable the city to implement a cost-sharing program in the future - a public-private partnership that would stretch the city's dollar and enhance private awareness/commitment to caring for our public resources.

The committee, as defined in this motion, will serve the "narrow" purpose of overseeing expenditures from the fund. But this gets the foot in the door. Planning for tree planting and maintenance is an important function that is not currently carried out in the city - which may encompass maintaining an inventory, establishing planting and maintenance guidelines, and prioritizing work that needs to be done, and fundraising through grants and promoting partnership programs. Moreover, this committee's functions can be expanded to fulfill the broader vision of a Tree Committee as we have been discussing with the Mayor and the Tree Warden.

The statement regarding posting of signs - unfortunately uneffective when it was last brought up a few years ago (as some Councilors pointed out), is to bring the city in compliance with Chapter 87, as well as to convey the message that the city cares for its trees. Implementation of this measure would depend on the commitment of the Public Works department to revise its practices, as well as budget being allocated to provide sign posts where they are currently missing.

Councilor Marks mentioned concerns about the drastic pruning by utilities last year. I pointed out that this concern, as well as the sign posting, are indicative of the need for staff capacity in the city's tree department to better manage these issues. This being beyond the scope of the motion passed last night, the Council should nevertheless be aware of the need for additional resources.

Medford Square Earth Day Clean-up, Sat April 30, 2:30-5:00 pm

Each spring, winter’s litter shows up as the snow melts, so…

on Saturday, April 30th, 2:30-5 pm

Join us for the Medford Square Earth Day Clean-up!

This Spring Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts Center is partnering with Green Medford and City Hall to clean up Medford Square. Please join us from 2:30pm to 5pm as we clean up litter and plant flowers. Kids can also participate in creating a recycled plastic bottle sculpture. (No sharp objects or cutting will be involved.)

• Mystic Coffee Roasters will provide coffee and drinks
• Greg Scapicchio from GS Music Center will provide live music.

Working together we will keep Medford clean, beautiful, and thriving!

Where to meet:

Medford Square Plaza (at the bus shelter on Riverside Ave)

Tired of Wasting Money on Home Energy Bills?

Stop wasting energy and money.

Sign Up for Your Free Home Energy Check now.

If you’re looking to cut back on your energy use and cost, the best way to start is by getting a free Home Energy Check. This will help you figure out the best ways to save energy, what rebates or incentives are available to you, and what the next steps are.

Am I eligible for a free home energy check?

If you haven’t had an energy assessment from Mass Save* within the last year, you are probably eligible. Both renters and owners are eligible for an assessment, but renters need their landlord’s permission before any major work is done.

What happens in the energy assessment?

The Energy Assessment usually consists of two visits. The screening visit will be used to identify saving opportunities and produce a plan of action for your home. The assessor will check things like your electric appliances, your heating and cooling equipment, and your water heater to figure out where energy is being wasted. The assessor may give you some instant savings measures, such as compact fluorescent lights to save electricity and efficient showerheads to save energy and water. The diagnostic visit includes a blower door test, which helps to identify air leaks in your home, and an infrared camera analysis, which locates parts of your home that may need additional insulation. Usually this visit also includes some free, cost-effective air sealing to help reduce drafts and heating costs.

After these two visits, you will already be saving energy! More importantly, however, you will receive a detailed report showing work done during these visits and a list of recommended actions. This list might include things like installing additional insulation, replacing a refrigerator, or tuning up your heating system. The report will also help you find additional rebates and incentives to make the recommended work even more affordable. This includes an instant rebate of up to $2,000 for recommended insulation and weatherization work, a federal tax credit of up to $500, and possibly other special offers. Following up on the recommended measures will reduce your energy use, and you will not waste as much money on electricity and heat.


How much can I save?

The short answer is, it depends. It depends on any steps you’ve already taken, and which of the recommended actions you undertake. At the end of the Energy Assessment, however, your report will include an estimate of how much energy and money each recommended measure might save you. Find out how much you might save signing up for the free energy assessment. The sooner you sign up, the sooner you can stop wasting energy and money.

What’s the hitch? Nothing’s free!

There is no hitch. Mass Save (http://www.masssave.com/residential/) is an initiative sponsored by the major gas and electric utility companies in Massachusetts to help you save energy. The Home Energy Assessment really is provided at no cost to you.

The Community Mobilization Campaign is a project of several community-based non-profit organizations in Massachusetts that are helping people to sign up for free energy assessments provided by Mass Save, and to take the recommended steps to waste less energy.

How do I sign up?

There are a few ways you can sign up for your free Home Energy Assessment:

You can sign up right now by filling out a quick form at this webpage: http://tinyurl.com/MCAN-HomeEnergyCheckSignup. Someone will get back to you within a week or so to schedule a home visit.

If you have questions, you can contact Green Medford at the contact information below. We are your neighbors, and we are hard at work helping our community to stop wasting energy and money. We are working on the Community Mobilization program, and we can help you sign up, or talk about questions you may have.

Contact Info for Green Medford:
Susan Altman
781-395-4664
781-526-4714 (cell)
susan.altman[at]comcast.net