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Cambridge Local First hopes that everyone had a wonderful
New Year and that 2008 is off to a great start! Cambridge
Local First accomplished most of our objectives in 2007 and
we have some ambitious goals set for 2008. We invite you to
work with CLF in the coming year to strengthen our
businesses, our local economy, and our communty.
Please read all of this newsletter, we know you'll find it a
good use of your time. There is a lot going on!
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2008 Directory
The 2008 2nd Edition Cambridge Local First Directory
is out! We are excited to have listed over 250 businesses
and had the pleasure of publishing twice the number of ads
as in our first directory. Most of the deliveries to
businesses has been accomplished. If you need more
directories, you can either let me know or go to TAGS
Hardware in Porter Square. The directories are in boxes in
the front of the store.
Click here to e-mail any
requests you may have regarding the directory.
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Directory Party Time!!!
 Mark
you calendar for Tuesday, March 11, 5:30 - 7:30 and plan to
celebrate the 2008 Directory. Our host will be Café
Olé and
we expect city officials, Think Local Be Local and other
members of the community to help us celebrate and network!
So, head on out to 11 Springfield Street, Inman Square
for a "Taste of Mexico" including hors d'oeuvres and a
cash bar. Parking is available. Please
click here to RSVP. We will be sending out
reminders, but join the party now!
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CLF just recently completed its initial `Think Local, Thank
Local' campaign where Cambridge businesses donated a
percentage of their sales during the week after Thanksgiving
to Food for Free. Over thirty CLF businesses raised over
$9,800 for this fine Cambridge nonprofit that gives free
food to needy people. This was a big success and plans are
already in place to make it an even more extensive program
next Thanksgiving.
The recent Think Local Thank Local
campaign of Cambridge Local First had a tremendous
impact on Food For Free as 2007 came to a close. Not
only did the effort in support of the work of Food For
Free exceed its fundraising goal by thousands of
dollars, but through the publicity generated by
Cambridge Local First more and more people became aware
of our daily work to help our neighbors in need. Food
For Free appreciates the support of Cambridge Local
First - and, as a local human service agency, we support
the businesses of Cambridge Local First.Thank you for
your help in putting the issue of hunger in Cambridge
first!
-David Leslie, Executive Director, Food For Free
Committee
We are now in the process of completing plans for 2008.
Keep an eye out because we are on the move and poised to
take on even more exciting new projects!
A huge thank you to all participating businesses that
made this project an overwhelming success.
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CENTRAL SQUARE
1369 COFFEE HOUSE
HARDING HOUSE
HARVEST CO-OP MARKET
TOSCANINI'S
UNIVERSITY STATIONERY
HARVARD SQUARE
A BED AND BREAKFAST
BRATTLE THEATRE
CARRIAGE HOUSE SALON
AND SPA
CLOTHWARE
COLONIAL DRUG
HARVARD BOOK STORE
IRVING HOUSE
LOOKS
MUSICA SACRA
THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY
VEGGIE PLANET
VISION HOUSE
HURON VILLAGE
EASY CHAIRS
FULL MOON RESTAURANT
HALLIE'S GARDEN
HENRY BEAR'S PARK
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INMAN
SQUARE
1369 COFFEE HOUSE
STELLABELLA TOYS
KENDALL
SQUARE
AMBIT PRESS
OBSERVATORY
HILL
DIDRIKS
NORTH
CAMBRIDGE
KATE'S MYSTERY
BOOKS
PORTER
SQUARE
CAMBRIDGE COMMON
CAMBRIDGE NATURALS
CHRISTOPHER'S
GREENWARD
JOIE DE VIVRE
PORTER SQUARE BOOKS
STELLABELLA TOYS
SUI GENERIS
TAGS HARDWARE
WEST SIDE LOUNGE
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Loyal Customers
Help Toscanini's Re-Open Its Doors
Some of you may know that a longtime Cambridge
institution, Toscanini's was recently temporarily forced
to close it's doors for late payment of state taxes.
This was a tough time for many of us in Cambridge who
have grown to know and love Toscanini's, and have become
addicted to it's fine ice cream.
This Central Square ice cream and coffee shop has been
an iconic presence in Cambridge for over 20 years, and
Gus Rancatore is the kind of colorful entrepreneur that
makes Cambridge such a special place to be. Whenever
the community has called, Gus has answered with
generosity and kindness.
Gus has acknowledged
that he has made mistakes in running his business and
offered the following explanation of events that
transpired in January:
"Toscanini's Ice Cream was closed because of a dispute
with the Mass. Department of Revenue over non-payment of
taxes. Most of the money due is interest and penalties
accrued from over six year's ago--we've paid our current
payroll taxes for six years now. Toscanini's was able
to reopen and negotiate an agreement to pay its tax
liabilities because of a global outpouring of support.
We raised more than $30,000 via the internet from
friends and customers, in Cambridge and far from the
Charles River. The cash was used as a downpayment that
enabled the store and the Mass. DOR to come to an
agreement.
This situation has been humiliating and embarrassing and
touching because of the generous support from all sorts
of people. I told one reporter that all I want to do is
"make ice cream and pay taxes in a timely manner."
Cambridge Local First encourages all businesses to keep
current on all taxes. However, local business owners
know how tough it is to do business in today's world,
and we congratulate Gus on pulling this one out of the
fire. Gus is now raising money to pay off the remainder
of the money due the state and to putting his company on
strong financial footing. Cambridge Local First is
dedicated to being a resource and to making doing
business easier in Cambridge; to encouraging purchasing
from local establishments; and in supporting
entrepreneurs in running their business in a fiscally
and socially responsible manner.
This is a good news story, which many of us have a lot
at stake in since there is no other place on earth that
sells burnt carmel ice cream! Hang in there Gus!
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 Cambridge
TriCycle Trucking Service Distributes CLF Directories
Cambridge Local First would like to
thank TriCycle
Trucking Service, which last month helped distribute our
2008 Directory. Using their tricycles, the drivers made
quick work of delivering to over 50 businesses in spite of
the snow and icy conditions.
The New Amsterdam Project is chartered in Massachusetts to
replace internal combustion vehicles with human-powered
vehicles - to build
stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant communities. For
mor information about TriCycle Trucking Service, a member of
Cambridge Local First, visit their website at
New Amsterdam Project, LLC.
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Cambridge Energy Alliance
Karen Kelley,
CLF Executive Director and Laury Hammel, CLF Clerk, recently
met with the Cambridge Energy Alliance and discussed ways in
which Cambridge Local first can be involved with this
organization and helping our local businesses "green" their
businesses. We will have more information on this project
as it progresses, but the hope is that CLF will be able
to offer the Sustainable Business Leader Program that our
parent organization, Sustainable Business Network (SBN)
is offering in the City of Boston. In the program
local businesses are supported through an assessment and
practical assistance in making their business not only
sustainable, but save $$ in energy costs and other
expenses. Please visit the
Cambridge Energy Alliance
website for an in-depth look at what the city is doing!
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Sixth International BALLE Conference Comes to Boston
University June 5-7
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Those of us in New England are in luck! We don't have
to travel far to attend one of the most exciting and
informative gatherings you'll find anywhere. If you're
into building strong local economies and vibrant
communities you owe it to yourself to attend this
inspiring event. CLF is a member of the Business
Alliance for Local Economies which is an alliance of
over 50 local business networks in the US and Canada
committed to building strong sustainable communities.
This conference will see hundreds of national local
business leaders and sustainability activists from all
over North America converging in Boston June 5-7 to
share and learn ways to grow stronger businesses and
build local living economies.
With a theme of `Growing Deep', there will be almost 100
speakers who will offer what they are doing on the
ground to build a more sustainable world. And even more
important, there will be over 700 business, nonprofit,
and government leaders in attendance committed to these
ideas and looking to network and learn from each other.
The energy is electric at these events and we encourage
you to register soon and save money. If you register by
February 10, you'll save $150. There are still rooms
availabe at BU, so if you want to stay at brand new
first class student housing, then register as soon as
possible.
If you've been following the presidential election,
you've heard the candidates speak about the importance
of change. You say you want to change the world, then
you can't miss this conference. We promise you it will
be life-changing for you personally as well. The BALLE
community is a spirited and affirmative statement of the
potential for our planet's future and the ripples
resulting from this profound pebble are immense.
Visit the
BALLE website for more
information and to register to attend.
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Business-to-Business
Spotlight Newsletter
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Its time for another Spotlight Newsletter!
Share the Wealth
Is your store or organization having a sale, do you
need to announce an event, a new product line or an
industry award? Tell us about it and we will spread
the word. We need to know what is happening with
each other so that we can make good on our
commitment to support each other
business-to-business. In addition, our general
interest e-mail list is just over 300 strong and
growing daily. That's 300 interested people we are
reaching out to and telling about your busi
How to Submit
A simple e-mail is all it takes!
E-mail Karen Kelley, our Executive Director, your
news (please include spotlight newsletter in the
subject line) and she will work with you to make
sure your message gets posted in the best light
possible.
Click here to submit your news now!
A simple message with the facts is all we need. If
you have an exciting link to your web-site, we can
include that as well.
Thank You and we hope you take advantage of this
opportunity to have your business in the spotlight! |
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