How Walkable is Where You Live?

Cambridge is ranked 1st in the state for pedestrians by WalkScore.com with a rating of 89. Somerville was ranked 2nd with a rating of 84. A community’s accessibility for pedestrians is rated by calculating how far each block is from schools, parks, and shopping, and averaging the distances.

My residence rated at 85. Not bad, but I prefer getting around by bike anyhow.

Source: Boston..com

Upcycling Twist Ties into Art

My sister and I visited the deCodova Museum last week and we both enjoyed the exhibit Rachel Perry Welty 24/7.

Rachel Perry Welty has been creating obsessive, repetitive, and process-based works about aspects of her own life for over a decade. . .Welty takes daily life as her subject, incorporating the mundane and the extraordinary in equal measure.

Lost in my Life (twist ties), 2009

One of those mundane objects are twist ties. You know, those twist ties found around fresh lettuce and other vegetables. You can help turn those twist ties into art by collecting them and submitting them to:

deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
attn: Curatorial Department
51 Sandy Pond Road
Lincoln, MA

Reduce Redux: Globe Direct

In a previous post, I worked on reducing the amount of paper spam coming through our snail-mailbox, particularly Valpack and Globe Direct. We’ve since moved and now are in the same dilemma.

Previously, I made a couple calls to the general number listed on the Globe Direct (now: 508-871-1910) and left a message with Jennifer Larson (617-871-1980) who I was referred to as the person in responsible for mail list removals. I never heard back from them, but it seemed to work as we stopped receiving them in the mail.

According to a couple posts on this thread:

Simply an e-mail to gddirect@globe.com will stop them.
Allow three weeks for the fliers to stop after sending your e-mail.
If you are a subscriber to the Boston Globe, you should be getting them with your newspaper. If you don’t subscribe, you will get them in the mail.
Please leave your complete address including ZIPCODE, and simply write “unsubscribe” in the subject line. Be brief and be nice! Rude comments will not be processed.

Another option is to contact (posted 2010/10):

Rich Dempsey (at the Boston Globe Direct) at 508-871-1929 (email is rdempsey@bostonglobe.com) to be removed.

The constant inserts in the Globe Direct mailings are supermarket circulars (Shaws, Stop & Shop, Johnny’s Foodmaster and Market Basket) and Rite-Aid. One can easily pick up a circular at whichever supermarket you shop (surely not all of them) or if you prefer reviewing them before you head to the market, you can easily find them online.

Shaws

Stop & Shop

Johnny’s Foodmaster

Market Basket

Local Benefit Program for Bikers

I recently stumbled across a benefit program for bikers (bicyclists, that is). For $5, members get a sticker to place on their bike helmet to receive discounts or rewards at local businesses.

Stickers can be purchased through participating businesses or through the Bicycle Benefits website.

In MA, the following towns have participating businesses: Boston (JP), Cambridge, Somerville, Allston/Brighton Brookline, and Watertown. Currently, the other states and Canadian provinces covered by this program include VT, NY, UT, CO, MT, WI, PA, KS, NH, OH, OR, WA, District of Columbia and British Columbia.

Giving Worn Athletic Shoes/Sneakers New Life

My tennis sneakers are dead. :(
Finding a renewed passion for tennis this summer, I wore a large hole through the sole within a few months. Luckily, I can give a new life by donating them to Nike’s Reuse-A-Shoe program. The program, Nike Grind, takes apart athletic shoes into three parts to integrate them into athletic and playground surfaces:

• outsole rubber – soccer pitch, running track, playground
• midsole foam – outdoor basketball courts, outdoor tennis courts, indoor synthetic basketball/volleyball courts
• upper fabric – indoor wood basketball court

Guidelines:

• Athletic shoes only (any brand ok)
• No metal (eyelets, cleats or spikes)
• No dress shoes, thongs, sandals, boots
• No hiking boots or shoes with lights
• No wet or muddy shoes

Shoes can be dropped off at various locations or mailed in. In the Boston area, go to the Niketown store at 200 Newbury Street or the Wrentham Factory Outlet store. Surfaces using the recycled shoe material can be found at the Josiah Quincy School’s playground in Chinatown and the Colonel Daniel Marr Boys and Girls Club’s outdoor basketball courts in Dorchester.

For more information about Nike Reuse-A-Shoe, go to nikereuseashoe.com or call 800-344-6453.

If your sneakers are still usable, check out Runner’s World list of organizations that accept shoe donations.