Newsletter #8

Spring is here and the Cambridge Brickwalk Conservancy (CBC) wants to highlight the unique beauty of Cambridge brick sidewalks now that they can be seen and appreciated out from under the record snow that fell this winter.

We hope to reach out to varied Cambridge communities with this purpose in mind -- and to alert Cantabridgians that they can no longer take this legacy for granted given a well-funded city program to radically reconfigure the sidewalks of Cambridge -- in many instances sacrificing brick sidewalks in the process.  

With this in mind, our first event will be to participate in the Harvard Square Business Association sponsored Make Music event on June 20.  If you are in the area stop by our table and say hello.  We will be taking part in more Cambridge events to meet as wide a variety of Cambridge residents as we can.

In other news, we have set up a partnership with Social Sponsoring.  You may go to CBC’s website, www.cbc-brick.org and click on the Sponsormeter Link on the How You Can Help Page to view all the webshops.  If you buy a product at one of these webshops, CBC will get a commission.  It will not cost you extra.  So you support CBC for free.  The shops have agreed to send a small percentage of the sale to CBC at no cost to the buyer.  So spend and help CBC as well.  You may also install the Social Sponsor Web App - (http://socialcheckpoint.org/webapp).  By using the app you will never forget to support CBC when you are webshopping.

Finally, I close with some notes for the ongoing logbook of assaults on our brickwalk legacy.  

Recently a representative of the DPW at a committee meeting reported that one of the raised brick crosswalks had not worked.  Apparently, a brick or bricks had become dislodged.Of course, proper design and installation would avoid that problem as it has in York, ME, Wellesley, MA, and Watertown, MA where brick has been used for crosswalks.  Painted crosswalks are a poor substitute but that is what the DPW representative was suggesting.  I have included some photos to show how those places successfully employ brick. Surely, Cambridge with its long experience with brick can make raised crosswalks work.

Regards,

Diane

Linden St. Wellesley, MA

Orchard St. Watertown, MA