Join Medford’s Walk/Ride Day on last Friday of the Month

Go car-free and celebrate Medford’s independent businesses!

Medford has many “hidden gems.” Here are some ideas to help you explore them on Friday, July 27^th and every last Friday.  All you need to do is walk, ride a bike, or take a bus to any of the Walk/Ride Day partners, and ask for your special reward.

Feel and look your best:

Start your day the serene way, with a free  6 am “slow-flow” yoga class, at Awakened Warrior Yoga (Riverside Ave).  And while you’re there, enter the raffle for a month of free lessons from Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts Center.

Get 10 percent off a trim, a new cut, or maybe even a color treatment at Hair’s Karen Salon, or get 20 percent off all products you choose.

Treat yourself to a free fitness evaluation and a free training session at Fitness Together on Salem Street.

Recenter yourself with a massage from Medford Muscular Therapy Centre, and add a free 15-minute treatment of your choice.

Get 10 percent off all services at Nancy’s Family Salon on Salem Street.

Improve your life going forward: make an appointment with Lions Share Coaching (online/phone only) and get entered into a six-week life and/or career coaching program, or get 15 percent off any coaching package. Email marie[at]lionssharecoaching.com  or call 617–803–1508 to sign up.

Food and drink:

Visit Mystic Coffee Roaster on Riverside Ave and order your free cup of fresh-roasted coffee. Don’t forget to get one of Janabee’s amazing cinnamon rolls or other pastry to go with your beverage.

Enjoy a free cup of amazing clam chowder (and treat yourself to some other yummy bites) at Depot Square Grill.

Get a yummy dinner or snack at Colleen’s Ice Cream and Sandwich Shop and sign the raffle entry for a gift card.

Stop in at Paul Revere Restaurant and get a free soda when you buy a club sandwich.

Shopping:

Start smack in the middle of Medford Square at Century Bank by opening a personal checking account, and get a free $50.00!

Just a few doors down Salem Street at Aggie’s Attic (women’s clothing and accessories): dress yourself up and get 10 percent off whatever you buy.

Squinting? Cross back over the major intersection and stop in at Medford Optical on High Street, for $100 off any complete pair of prescription eyewear.

Just a few doors away, at D’Errico-McGlynn Flowers, select $20 worth of flowers and get 10 percent off your purchase.

Need a gift? Or want to reward yourself? Ward’s Gifts has a huge selection, and you’ll get 15 percent off your purchase.

Online:

Go online and get 10 off a good book (or several) from Bestsellers Café: http://shop.bestsellers-cafe.com. The new store will be open soon!

If you commute car-free, check-in at http://greenstreets.mapc.org/ to be entered into a raffle.

Visit www.GoGreenStreets.org to find all the participating businesses and other partners in Walk/Ride Days.

More about Walk/Ride Days in Medford

Walk/Ride Days is looking for new retailers and schools to join the project. To participate, a business chooses an incentive that will help bring more customers to the business without driving. Then, on the last Friday of each month, the businesses reward the people who visited because of the program. Schools in the Walk/Ride project can participate in many ways, from Walking School Bus events to a Special Walk/Ride day for the whole community.

Walk/Ride Days is a project of the Green Streets Initiative, an international grassroots organization based in Cambridge, MA, that celebrates and promotes the use of sustainable and active transportation. Green Streets’ mission is to create safer, healthier, and quieter streets and more vibrant communities. More information at: http://www.gogreenstreets.org/.

Green Medford and the Medford partners of Mass in Motion are coordinating participation in Walk/Ride Days. To sign up or ask questions, call Susan at 781-526-4714, or email greenmedford[at]gmail.com.

Green Medford seeks to educate the Medford community to understand our environmental impact, and to empower members of our community to make more sustainable energy choices related to homes and businesses, transportation, and food. More information at: www.greenmedford.org and at our Facebook page (search for Green Medford).

Give a big cheer for Climate Summer!

The six Climate Summer members from the Massachusetts team should be arriving in Medford sometime tomorrow (Monday). They will be riding in from Waltham. Please give them a rousing welcome!

Here's a photo of the team, from their week in Hull:

They are (not in the order shown in the photo):

Murtaza Nek, Program Coordinator

Becky Palermo, Media Coordinator

Aaron Morales, New Media Coordinator

Emily Edgerly, Outreach Coordinator

Julia Barnes, Video Co-Coordinator

Andrew Nguyen, Video Co-Coordinator

You can read their interesting stories here: http://www.climatesummer.net/the-teams/massachusetts-team-2012/

They will be staying at Wesley United Methodist Church on Winthrop Street, where we will also hold the Green Medford meeting on Tuesday at 7 pm. Please come and meet them, and contribute your unique ideas for a greener Medford.

In case you missed the last email, here are some of the things the Climate Summer team will be doing during their week with us:

o   Bike Fest at the Medford Farmers Market, Thursday, July 19^th from 3-7 pm, Riverside Ave behind City Hall. The Bike Fest will include free tuneups, kids’ activities, test rides of electric bikes from Smooth Scooters, a raffle for a new bike helmet from Medford Saving Lives, as well as donations of used bikes and equipment to low-income individuals who need them though an organization called ROLL IT FORWARD. Bring your bike, your kids, your buddies, and your shopping bags to the Farmers Market and Bike Fest for a great event.

o   Circle the Square, Thursday, July 19^th from 3-7 pm, all around Medford Square. Enjoy all the beauty and bounty that Medford Square has to offer, on display for your pleasure! At this debut event, you can shop at the Farmers Market, listen to great live music, meet the Climate Summer team, and buy local art—all right in “the Square.”

 o   Outreach for Walk-Ride Days: The team will recruit businesses to join the growing Medford Walk-Ride Days program, which is designed to get people out of cars and onto the streets. Celebrated on the last Friday of each month, Walk-Ride Day businesses offer special incentives to people who ride a bike, walk, or take a bus. Find all the participating businesses and their offers here: http://gogreenstreets.org/city/medford-ma.

o   Pulling invasive water chestnuts from the Mystic River. The Mystic River Watershed Association is sponsoring a small team of boats on July 17^th. The riders will get off their bikes and onto the water for a few hours of effort on behalf of our river.

o    Making a film about sustainability and curbing our addiction to fossil fuels: Climate Summer members will be interviewing members of the Medford community for this video. Want to be on camera? Just look for the distinctive group of bikers with video cameras around Medford all week.

Climate Summer Bicyclists Coming to Medford July 16-22

Six young adults are spending the summer traveling exclusively by bike around Massachusetts to inspire communities to curb use of fossil fuels

Medford, MA, July 8 ~ New England Climate Summer will reprise their 2011 visit to Medford this coming July 16-22, helping to strengthen and inspire community groups, while actively addressing society’s addiction to fossil fuels by crafting local solutions that strengthen communities. The Climate Summer riders, who are college students and recent graduates, are spending their summer working with community leaders and residents to connect diverse constituencies and weave a powerful movement against fossil fuel use and climate change. Riders live their values—traveling exclusively by bike across New England.

The Medford team consists of three young women and three young men, who will visit six Massachusetts communities in addition to Medford (Lexington, Hull, Waltham, Northampton, Holyoke, and Worcester) by the end of summer. Their visit to Medford is sponsored by the City and by Green Medford. More information about the team members is posted on the Climate Summer website (http://www.climatesummer.net/the-teams/massachusetts-team-2012).

While they are in Medford, the Climate summer team plans to participate in many events on behalf of a better Medford. EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO JOIN THEM!

o   Bike Fest at the Medford Farmers Market, Thursday, July 19^th from 3-7 pm, Riverside Ave behind City Hall. The Bike Fest will include free tuneups, kids’ activities, test rides of electric bikes from Smooth Scooters, a raffle for a new bike helmet from Medford Saving Lives, as well as donations of used bikes and equipment to low-income individuals who need them though an organization called ROLL IT FORWARD. Bring your bike, your kids, your buddies, and your shopping bags to the Farmers Market and Bike Fest for a great event.

o   Circle the Square, Thursday, July 19^th from 3-7 pm, all around Medford Square. Enjoy all the beauty and bounty that Medford Square has to offer, on display for your pleasure! At this debut event, you can shop at the Farmers Market, listen to great live music, meet the Climate Summer team, and buy local art—all right in “the Square.”

o   Outreach for Walk-Ride Days: The team will recruit businesses to join the growing Medford Walk-Ride Days program, which is designed to get people out of cars and onto the streets. Celebrated on the last Friday of each month, Walk-Ride Day businesses offer special incentives to people who ride a bike, walk, or take a bus. Find all the participating businesses and their offers here: http://gogreenstreets.org/city/medford-ma.

o   Green Medford Planning Meeting, July 17, 7-9 pm. For location, email greenmedford@gmail.com.

o   Pulling invasive water chestnuts from the Mystic River. The Mystic River Watershed Association is sponsoring a small team of boats on July 17^th. The riders will get off their bikes and onto the water for a few hours of effort on behalf of our river.

o   A film about sustainability and curbing our addiction to fossil fuels: Climate Summer members will be interviewing members of the Medford community for this video. Want to be on camera? Just look for the distinctive group of bikers with video cameras around Medford all week.

New England Climate Summer (http://www.climatesummer.net) is a summer internship program for college students, graduate students, and recent graduates. Climate Summer riders travel exclusively by bicycle in small teams across New England, spending approximately one week in a community before biking on to the next. While in each town, riders connect with community leaders who are actively addressing society’s addiction to fossil fuels by crafting local solutions that strengthen communities. Riders bring with them a movement-building perspective, empowering those they meet and helping to highlight the important work of local organizations. In Medford Climate Summer is partnering with Green Medford and many organizations that are working to make Medford great in every way.

Green Medford (http://greenmedford.blogspot.com) is a grassroots group of residents. Some volunteer with other Medford-based organizations, while others are independent but want to help Medford be a more sustainable and enjoyable community. Green Medford also supports municipal efforts related to energy efficiency and climate change. We are a chapter of the Massachusetts Climate Action Network, which combines the forces of more than 70 communities across the state, all working to fight the impacts of climate change.

Contact:

Susan Altman, Green Medford, greenmedford@gmail.com, 781-526-4714

Invitation to Medford Starts with Me Workshop, June 11

The “Medford Starts with Me” campaign was recently launched to increase awareness and community pride about Medford. The goal of this campaign is to inspire people in our community to make it even greater. 

“Medford Starts With Me” is a message of community unity and pride, as well as a way to recognize those who take steps to improve our community. It’s also a rallying cry and a call to action— motivating people from all parts of the Medford community to do their unique part to make Medford the best it can be. It sends a simple message: “Medford is important to me, and I am important to Medford.”

We are planning an interactive workshop gathering from 7-9 pm on Monday, June 11, in Medford Square (ERA Andrew Realty), to discuss how to get this concept moving. We may also discuss the basic goals of the advisory board, and the qualifications that would be useful for advisory board members to have.  The tone of the meeting will be positive; we are focusing on a brighter future for all of Medford's community members.

If you would like to attend this meeting, please RSVP, as space is limited. To RSVP, send email to greenmedford[at]gmail.com, or call 781-526-4714 (Susan Altman).

Also, we welcome your suggestions about other people we could invite to this or other meetings to develop the concept of Medford Starts with Me.  We are very interested in hearing from people who reflect any of the many facets of Medford, including various:

 o   neighborhoods
o   ethnicities
o   ages
o   educational levels
o   religious views
o   organizations
o   businesses
o   etc.

Many thanks, and we look forward to seeing you at this gathering. 

Sincerely,

Susan Altman

781-526-4714

Jack McGoldrick

Brooks School Students Celebrate a Month of Walking on Walk/Ride Day

Fourth Grade, Fifth Grade, and Brooks School Receive “Golden Shoe” Awards

Medford, May 25, 2012 ~ All fourth and fifth graders at the Brooks Elementary School spent the past month improving their fitness and having fun, by participating in the month-long Brooks Walking Challenge. The students received free pedometers, provided by Medford Health Matters and Safe Routes to Schools, to keep track of their steps for a month.  They celebrated their achievement Friday morning, May 25^th. The Brooks Walking Challenge is part of Walk/Ride Days, a program that celebrates and promotes the use of sustainable, active transportation in Medford and other communities. Syrah McGivern, Community Transformation Grant Coordinator for the Medford Board of Health, emceed the event. 

Brooks School Principal Michael Simon accepted a “Golden Shoe” award on behalf of the school for its whole-hearted embrace of the Walking Challenge. Awards were also given to the fourth-grade and fifth-grade teachers for coordinating their classes. Watch a video of the event here, and see photos here.

McGivern introduced Janie Katz-Christy, the director of Green Streets Initiative, which founded the Walk/Ride Day program. Katz-Christie briefly described Walk/Ride Days and its long-term goal of creating safer, healthier, and quieter streets and more vibrant communities. She also gave a pop-quiz to the students about walking, which they participated in with great enthusiasm.

Long-distance running star Lindsay Willard (pictured at left) entranced the children by telling them about her initiation into running as a 12-year-old student. A Medford resident, Willard was the fifth American woman to cross the finish line at this year’s Boston Marathon, taking 17^th place among women overall. She crossed the finish line with a time of 2 hours, 55 minutes, and 53 seconds—the second-fastest time among Massachusetts women.

Other guests at the event included Samantha Fonseca-Moreira of Safe Routes to Schools, and Susan Altman of Green Medford, who coordinates Medford Walk/Ride Days.

McGivern told the audience that Brooks School students and teachers helped the program enormously by testing the Walking Challenge, which will be rolled out to all Medford schools this coming fall.

The Brooks Walking Challenge is a project of Medford Walk-Ride Days, which celebrates and promotes the use of sustainable and active transportation. This event was organized by the City of Medford, Safe Routes to School, and Green Medford.

 In addition to the Brooks School, fifteen retail businesses in Medford Square and elsewhere are participating in Walk-Ride Days, which occur on the last Friday of each month. All customers who go car-free to any of these retailers on that day will receive a special incentive. Also, residents who commute from Medford car-free on Walk/Ride Days can be entered into a monthly raffle by checking in at http://greenstreets.mapc.org/. Visit http://gogreenstreets.org/retailers/medford to find all the participating Medford businesses and other partners in Walk/Ride Days.

To join Walk/Ride Days or ask questions, call Susan at 781-526-4714, or email greenmedford[at]gmail.com. Green Medford seeks to educate the Medford community to understand our environmental impact, and to empower members of our community to make more sustainable energy choices related to homes and businesses, transportation, and food. More information at: www.greenmedford.org and on Facebook (search for Green Medford).

Medford Shone at April 28th CleanUps

Medford celebrated Earth Day by giving several areas of the city a major spring cleanup on Saturday, April 28^th.  Cleanups drew almost 150 people to Medford Square and Riverbend Park.

The Medford Square CleanUp brought together kids and adults who picked up trash and recycleables from the sides of Route 93, the banks of the Mystic River, and the entire business district of the Square.  A team of children from the Medford Boys & Girls Club painted a utility switchbox at the interaction of Clippership Drive and Riverside Avenue. Another team planted seven planters along Riverside Avenue with bright pansies and other ornamentals. A recycling game kept small children occupied for hours, and a free yoga class was offered at Clippership Park.

The CleanUp began at the lawn beside One City Hall Mall, just behind City Hall, where the Medford Farmers Market will be located this year. Mayor McGlynn and the Medford Energy Committee kicked off the CleanUp by announcing the Medford Green Awards, which will recognize businesses (including non-profits) and homeowners who are actively implementing energy efficiency and conservation measures, as well as environmentally friendly practices that promote sustainability.

The cleanup was organized by a small group of volunteers coordinated by Green Medford, Xtreme Ninja Martial Arts, and Awakened Warrior Yoga, as well as 15 other busnesses and groups: the Boys and Girls Clubs of Middlesex County, Friends of the Mystic River, G&S Music, Grace Church’s GreenUp CleanUp, the Medford Chamber of Commerce, City of Medford, Medford Farmers Market, Medford Health Matters, Mystic Coffee Roaster, Mystic Community Earth Day, Mystic River Watershed Association, Next Step Living, Tri-City Community Action Program (Tri-CAP), Tufts University, and West Medford Open Studios.  The extraordinary support of the City’s energy and Environment Office, Department of Public Works, Mayor’s Office, and Diversity Office were key to the success of the CleanUp.

See photos of the Cleanup here: https://plus.google.com/photos/115083778520887526342/albums/5737198424528198049?banner=pwa 

The Friends of the Mystic River also had their Spring Cleanup on Saturday as well, which this year focused on Riverbend Park—the home of ‘Windy’ the Medford wind turbine, and of the Andrews and McGlynn schools. More than 70 volunteers also participated in that cleanup. 

Applications for the Medford Green Awards can be completed by going to

• http://medford.org/Pages/MedfordMA_Energy/GreenAwards/nomination
• http://medford.org/Pages/MedfordMA_Energy/GreenAwards/Residential%20Nomination

Environmental Merits Awards bestowed on Medford!

A Medford-based organization and a Mystic River Watershed Association staffer are among 24 recipients of 2012 Environmental Merit Awards from the Environmental Protection Association, Region 1.

The merit awards, recognizing valuable contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving, are a unique way that EPA can recognize individuals and groups that are making significant impacts on environmental quality in distinct ways.

The Medford-related winners:


Patrick Herron
Mystic River Watershed Association, Arlington, Mass.

Patrick Herron (pictured at left center), Water Quality Monitoring Director for the Mystic River Watershed Association (www.mysticriver.org), has improved the lives of more than a half million residents living in Mystic River communities. The Mystic Monitoring Network, which uses volunteers to gather data, has been integral to the association's work for more than a decade. Patrick, a dedicated scientist, has used data collected through the network to raise awareness about discharges that pollute the Mystic River and other resources in its watershed. He drew attention to the problem of sanitary sewer overflows in the watershed because he believed that rain and snow were causing contamination of the river and neighboring waters. With help from university interns and dedicated volunteer monitors, Patrick monitored and calculated the impact of discharges on river ecology and water chemistry. He created an online sewer overflow reporting form that made data collected easily available. This information helped the association inform citizens and helped local officials identify overflow points. His conversations with local water and sewer officials influenced the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to study the pipe system and facilities in the Mystic River district to determine if they could prevent ongoing overflows. Patrick also created a Mystic River Herring Monitoring Network to be launched this spring, and advocated for installation of green infrastructure in the Mystic River Watershed. He has partnered with local officials, community organizations, environmental advocacy groups and a variety of academic partners in the watershed. Through these collaborations, he has brought hope and direction for the concerns of residents and decision-makers in the Mystic River watershed.

BizNGO
West Medford, Mass.

BizNGO (www.bizngo.org) is a non-profit environmental organization that works to protect consumers from toxic chemicals. Also known as the Business-NGO Working Group, this organization promotes creation and use of safer chemicals and sustainable materials in a way that supports a healthy economy, healthy environment, and healthy people. The organization released two important frameworks to help companies choose more sustainable plastics and safer chemicals for their products: 1) The Principles for Sustainable Plastics, and 2) Chemical Alternatives Assessment Protocol (v.1.0): How to Select Safer Alternatives to Chemicals of Concern to Human Health or the Environment. This represents the collective work of Mark Rossi, Chair and vital member of the New England Green Chemistry Initiative, and his colleagues. Together they are working to advance safer chemicals and materials in consumer products. These two documents are the result of dedication and an ability to help business to business communication and cooperation. BizNGO also runs annual two-day conferences at sites around New England. The assessment and evaluation tools provided by BizNGO will help companies identify hazardous chemicals along the entire supply chain and will guide them in choosing safer alternatives. This lifecycle approach encourages sustainability and contributes to the public health and environmental protection in an economically sustainable way.

More on the Environmental Merit Awards:

http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/0/77220647C76BF3C3852579EB006FE446