Access made really, really easy

Since the advent of cable television, Brookline's fabled political junkies could get their municipal meeting fixes by switching on the TV set. But now there's even less reason to leave the house. Since the launch this summer of Brookline Access Television's new website, anyone with a computer and broadband connection can watch deliberations of the selectmen, School Committee, and more. And they can do it live or later, as the station has added video-on-demand. Access TV director Peter Zawadski has also automated the process - a computer program uploads and indexes meetings immediately after broadcast. "It's a model," said Will Slotnick, president of the access channel's board. "People from cable stations around the country are calling to see how we do it." To start viewing now, visit batv.org.

The school budget stands to save $600,000 this winter by switching all its buildings to natural gas heat. Most buildings were already set up for dual-fuel, meaning that they could burn either gas or oil to heat. But this summer's increase in contracted heating oil prices from $1.92 to $4.27 per gallon clinched the deal: the three schools that had gas burners but no gas lines - the high school and Baker and Devotion elementary schools - got them. Charlie Simmons, director of public buildings, explained that after years of talks, the gas company this year offered to provide the supply lines for free, saving Brookline $300,000. The town spent $1.1 million to heat its schools last fiscal year, which ended in June. "My goal is to keep energy usage low," Simmons told the School Committee on Oct. 2.

There's not much buildable land left in semi-urban Brookline, but 4.8 acres have just become available for a qualified and talented developer. An outline of what neighbors and residents would accept for the much-debated Fisher Hill Reservoir site - the town-owned side, which can be built upon - is available at the Planning Department for those willing to develop a mixed-income community complete with underground parking, single-family and condo options, and landscaping to buffer particularly affected neighbors. The issuance of this so-called request for proposals is a landmark, the result of years of heated discussion between residents of the historic neighborhood and advocates for affordable housing. Details at 617-730-2195.

Got a news item for Brookline? E-mail Andreae Downs at andreaedowns@yahoo.com

If you weren't already planning on attending Oktoberfest in Harvard Square today for the annual festival of international food and multiple-stage live entertainment, consider a visit to see the world's largest sofa. Designed by BoConcepts and reaching a record-breaking length of 213 feet, this red monstrosity is making its American debut on Church Street at Mass. Ave. Alternatively, the sitting-averse can participate in the HONK! Festival Parade (leaving Davis Square at noon) and walk to Harvard Square among more than 30 marching bands.

In a seemingly ever-increasing effort to go green, the Cambridge City Council is seeking to create a youth "Green Corps." In support of teaching green job skills, children and young adults will be placed in the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program, City Sprouts, and other programs to support the initiative. The Office of Workforce Development will oversee the program. Also on the environmentally friendly front, Mayor Denise Simmons and City Councilor Henrietta Davis are seeking a method to require all property owners or managers of affordable housing in Cambridge to install energy-efficient light bulbs in all their units as of January.

Before the Inner Belt threat hung over Cambridgeport, Brookline Street was a nice-looking place. Even though Interstate 695 never came to fruition, remnants of the canceled project remained. Now, with a reconstruction and beautification project underway on Brookline Street, the neglect is being addressed. At its meeting Monday, the Cambridge City Council unanimously voted to "initiate an inventory of parking and vacant lots" in an effort to make parking more efficient and "restore the street to its former vitality," according to the policy resolution. According to the Department of Cambridge Community Development, "The focus of the reconstruction of Brookline Street is to emphasize the residential nature of the street and to reduce the speed of traffic while also providing a safe space for walking and bicycling."

Got a news item for Cambridge? E-mail Jennifer Schwartz at jensch72@gmail.com.

The Police Department took another step forward in its community policing plan Monday when it opened a new substation in East Somerville. The location will "bring the delivery of services a little closer to the people in the neighborhood," said Paul Upton, the department's spokesman. (He's also, with Michael Cabral, a new acting deputy chief.) Officers will meet with residents, write reports, and park their cruisers at the site. It's already proven useful: when a man went into cardiac arrest across the street, Upton said, "The district captain was there within 30 seconds." The West Somerville substation in Teele Square should open in about a month.

And while you're in the neighborhood, why restrain your photographic flair to social networking websites and cellphones? Both experienced and novice artists can enter the East Somerville Main Streets "Interpreting East Somerville" exhibition. A jury will choose among photographs that represent the neighborhood for a show next month at City Hall. "One of the goals is to get people to take a fresh look at East Somerville," said Main Streets executive director Carrie Dancy. "The good, the beautiful, the bad - just whatever's out there." The organization recently received a Massachusetts Cultural Council planning grant, she said, and is focusing on the arts as "a powerful engine of economic development." The deadline for submissions is Oct. 20. Learn more at interpretingeso.blogspot.com.

Despite youth advocacy, the city's renovation plans for Albion Park, unveiled at a meeting Oct. 2, do not include a skate park. However, hope is by no means gone, according to Adam Rich of Save Our Somerville. At an Oct. 1 meeting to review the city's nearly finished five-year open space plan, "The skate park was really given the spotlight," he wrote in an e-mail. He added that support came from young people, local adults, and Aldermen Jack Connolly and Tom Taylor. The public has until Thursday to comment on the four alternative designs for Albion Park, which are on the city's website. E-mail eschneider@somervillema.gov for details.

Got a news item for Somerville? E-mail Danielle Dreilinger at djdreilinger@comcast.net.