The Somerville News

City officials ask residents for budget input

By Matthew McLaughlin

There is a limited amount of city dollars to go around, and not everyone can be satisfied, according to city officials. That is why Mayor Joe Curtatone, Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz and other city officials held a neighborhood meeting Monday at the TAB building on Holland Street.

 
The purpose of the meeting was to inform Davis Square area residents on how the city creates its budget and to give residents a chance to give input on how the city should prioritize staff time and money for the next fiscal year. 

Community event examines immigration raids

By Jack Nicas

Local organizations dedicated to strengthening the rights of all immigrants combined efforts last week to discuss how community members can respond to federal immigration raids.

Centro Presente, Voices of Immigrants in Somerville, the city's Human Rights Commission, and the Somerville Community Corporation met with more than 50 city residents on Thursday at the Capuano School and unveiled plans for an Immigrant Support Network.

Condo ordinance could come back

By George P. Hassett

A proposal that caused hundreds of homeowners to pack City Hall in protest two years ago is coming back.

The condominium conversion ordinance proposed by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone was sent packing to a working group headed by Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz after it was roundly criticized by residents and the real estate community as “de-facto rent control.”

Somerville Hospital to lose ICU, transitional care and off hours surgery

By George P. Hassett

The city's only hospital is closing its intensive and transitional care units and shifting all off-hours emergency surgeries to Cambridge Hospital. However, at a meeting with aldermen on Monday, Cambridge Health Alliance officials maintained the cutbacks at Somerville Hospital - which will save CHA $4.9 million a year, will have no effect on the quality of care they provide.

“We do not feel we are abandoning our patients,” said Cambridge Health Alliance CEO Dennis Keefe at the meeting. 

Newstalk for Wednesday May 14th 2008

One of Somerville’s nicest, most personable bankers recently semi-retired - Sylvia Daikos - of Century Bank on Fellsway West. After starting out at the Old Middlesex County bank on the corner of School and Broadway in a man’s world, Sylvia worked hard to climb the ladder in the banking world here. A lot of customers will miss her humor and her ability to always seem to have answers for any customer coming into the bank. We think she is a one of a kind lady and we wish her well.

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Last week we mentioned how former Somerville Police officer Mike Murphy is now assigned to the Attorney General’s office as a State Trooper. Well another well-known local Somerville Police officer we hear will be leaving us to join the FBI - Officer John Oliveira, who is a nice guy and we wish him much success in his move.

Strengthen the GI bill now

By Matt McLaughlin

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

“… the members of the armed forces have been compelled to make greater economic sacrifice and every other kind of sacrifice than the rest of us, and they are entitled to definite action to help take care of their special problems.”

- Franklin Roosevelt at the signing of the original G.I. Bill, June 22, 1944.

Roosevelt must be grateful he didn't live to see one of his greatest contributions to American society torn apart by the very people who now claim to hold a monopoly on patriotism.

Attention shoppers: Local First launches in Somerville

By Mia Lamar

The Somerville Local First coalition officially set up shop last Thursday, hosting a launch party at Johnny D's Uptown Restaurant and Music Club in Davis Square attended by dozens of enthusiastic business owners, residents and city officials.

Somerville Local First joins more than 60 'Local First' campaigns formed around the United States and Canada and united under the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies network (BALLE), according to Steven Jones-D'agostino, Executive Director for the Sustainable Business Network of Boston (SBN).

The Charter Advisory Committee: A chance to participate in meaningful change

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Over the past four-and-a- half years, Somerville residents have seen their government become more open, more accountable and more participatory. Through 311, through the ResiStat program, through the mystery shopper program, through service on appointed boards and commissions and through participation in project advisory committees on a wide range of development proposals, Somerville residents are steadily becoming more engaged in their government.

One of the best features of this increased level of civic engagement is that it hasn't come solely from the same old sources: many recent arrivals (or folks who had just never been interested in the past) are now making their voices heard and pitching in to help improve the performance and the management of our city and its government.

Wisdom comes from strange places in Hoffman’s poetry

Gold Star Road by Richard Hoffman. (Barrow Street  PO BOX 1831  Murray Hill Station  NY 10156) $25.

Review by Doug Holder

There damn well should be a poem for a doorman, a poem that celebrates in-your-face blue-collar wisdom, and a poem that sings for the many unsung Gold Star Roads.

(designated roads where soldiers killed in the line of duty lived and are memorialized), in far flung communities across the country.

As food prices skyrocket, owner of Winter Hill icon tries to hold on

By George P. Hassett

When Tony Masci increased the price of a loaf of bread by 24 cents at Maria's Cold Cuts on Broadway, he heard about it from his customers.

“There were a lot of complaints in broken English and Italian lingo” from the older customers, he said.

A decade of open studios

By Mia Lamar

Somerville artists opened their studios once again this year for the Somerville Open Studios, an annual citywide showcase of artists that celebrated its 10th anniversary last weekend.

Formed 10 years ago as a non-profit organization dedicated to "broadening public exposure" to Somerville's dense artistic community, the first Somerville Open Studios showed less than 100 artists. Ten years later, that number has more than tripled, and visitors tour personal studios, gallery centers and local businesses to view art of all mediums. Open studios stretched from Teele Square to the Brickbottom Artists buildings on Fitchburg Street. Everywhere in between, orange balloons twirled in the wind, marking homes with an open door and open studio.

Next stop…“Meffa”

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Having the Red Line extend to Davis Square was a great achievement - the stop has become a huge asset to commuters as well as businesses. Too bad it wasn't there when I was going to Emerson College - taking a bus to Harvard Square and then changing to the train at Charles Street.

Anyway, Somerville recently received approval and funding to build that new “Orange Line” stop at Assembly Square - which is soon to be multi-developed - but what I am really excited about is that Somerville has recently secured the addition of six new “Green Line” passenger train stops through the city - all the way into Medford.

The View From Prospect Hill

There is always, always two sides to every story - in just about any circumstance in life, be it personal or business or whatever - the only exception being when it comes to the health and safety of our children - there's little room for error and no allowance for risk.

There has been quite the controversy and finger pointing over the City of Somerville and the School Department's involvement in the decision to not issue a permit for the “Hip Hop Concert for Justice” organized by Centro Presente this past week. The finger pointing indirectly insinuates that the decision was made arbitrarily by a community that just didn't want them in their city and that we influenced Cambridge to do the same thing.

Local art added to your commute

By George P. Hassett

With the roar of passing trains in the background, officials from the city and Tufts University came together inside the Davis Square T station on Tuesday morning to celebrate the unveiling of nine original works of art on the train platform.

The previously displayed art pieces were generic and gloomy with no connection to the community surrounding the station, said Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz who led the replacement efforts.

“In my view this is a historic day for Davis Square and Somerville,” she said in between the rumbling sounds of arriving and departing trains. “We now have a new gateway to our city that 10,00 people will see everyday.”

Alternative comedy is not an alternative to comedy

By George P. Hassett

Brian Joyce was at a comedy show in Dublin but he was thinking of Davis Square. Joyce, who grew up on Pearson Avenue and went to St. Clement's elementary school in the city, said the “independent, boutique-style comedy festivals” he performed at and attended in Ireland inspired him to put on this weekend's Alternative Comedy Festival at the Somerville Theater.

“The festivals overseas are in small towns and villages and I always thought a Davis Square venue would fit perfectly [for such a festival]. It's a more intimate setting, there is less to separate the performer from the audience,” he said.

Mayor hesitates to sign sewer contract

By George P. Hassett

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone is “taking a harder look at the contract” of a sewer and water company that has been working with the city for more than 70 years, according to a city spokeswoman.

Lesley Delaney Hawkins said PT Kelly was the only bidder to handle Somerville's water and sewer work but Curtatone has not yet agreed to hire them for another year.

No justice concert for youth group

By George P. Hassett

A hip hop concert promoting unity, justice and peace was cancelled twice last week - once in Somerville and, after organizers had secured a new venue, once in Cambridge.

Centro Presente, a youth and immigrants rights group, had organized the concert as a way to unite black and Latino youth in the area, promote positive hip-hop and call attention to a new campaign supporting immigrant rights, said Wil Renderos a Centro Presente organizer. But that goal was thwarted by city officials who cancelled Friday's event and then pressured Cambridge officials, who had agreed to host the event on short notice, to cancel again, he said.

'Prime developable land' may be lost to Green Line

By George P. Hassett

The Green Line is coming to Somerville but it may bring with it a 10-acre maintenance facility that could strangle commercial development in a part of the city with great potential for commercial development.

At a Monday meeting, state officials unveiled a plan to run seven Green Line stations through Somerville - with stops by the Brickbottom artist studios, in Gilman Square at Medford Street, on Lowell Street on the eastern side of the MaxPak property -- and in Medford by Ball Square, on Boston Avenue and on Medford Hillside.

Newstalk for Wednesday May 7th 2008

A lot of construction around the city lately - in particular we find what’s going on over on Rogers and Kidder avenues…seems the contractor had the streets torn up Friday and on Monday when they returned to work, they found that about 20 of the new sewer rings and manhole covers along with all new water covers missing. The economy must really be in the tank for someone to actually steal those things – and there must have been more then one person to lift them out and into a truck - all those heavy covers and no one saw anything?

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The PT Kelley contract last week - seems to be a lot of speculation around the city about what happened, and we heard a lot of different stories. It’s hard to believe that so many different angles were being spread around through the Somerville rumor mill but we think the one about the city simply deciding to see what or who else is out there is probably the right one. PT Kelley has been doing the city contracts for way over 50 years now.                                                             

475 pound heist on Josephine Avenue

By George P. Hassett

Someone stole 475 pounds of cast iron metal off the new pavement of Josephine Avenue Sunday night, according to police, and no one saw a thing.

The suspect traveled along Josephine Avenue, from Kidder to Broadway, and stole 20 manhole and 15 water gate covers, police said.

The manhole covers weigh at least 20 pounds and the water gate covers weigh five pounds, said Somerville Police Captain Paul Upton. They had been taken from the street and stacked on top of one another as work crews repaved the road and replaced sewer infrastructure, according to city spokeswoman Lesley Delaney Hawkins.

Did we forget?

By William C. Shelton (The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.) In gratitude for all those who…gave their last full measure of devotion, lest we forget. - Honor Roll,   City Hall Concourse We can't forget. - Vietnam Memorial,   City Hall Concourse Every marine, soldier, sailor, and airman takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Six monuments on the Concourse that runs between City Hall and the Public Library commemorate Somervillians who gave their lives to uphold that oath-78 in World War II, 31 in Korea, and 33 in Vietnam.

Somerville philosopher examines what's behind the 'Veil'

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

For a year or so Ajume H. Wingo and I sat across from each other at the Sherman Café in Union Square. We would nod politely to each other and then resume our respective reading. We never really talked. Of course I wondered about this tall, and distinguished African man who seemed to have a scholarly bent. But as fate had it, on a rainy April evening we found ourselves walking together just outside Harvard Yard and started to chew the fat.

A few days later we met at Sherman's to converse some more. Wingo is an associate professor of Philosophy at UMass-Boston, a senior fellow at the McCormack Graduate School of Public Policy for Democracy and Development, and also a fellow at Harvard's Du Bois Institute.

Police: Fatal crash on Beacon Street

By George P. Hassett

A Hyde Park man died today after he struck a Beacon Street building early this morning, according to police.
Marc Filsaime, 59, was the driver and only occupant of a Boston taxi that struck the building at 260 Beacon Street shortly after 2 a.m., police said. He was the owner of the cab. He was rushed to Somerville Hospital where he later died.
The crash is being investigated by the Somerville Police Crash Reconstruction Unit and the Massachusetts State Police.

Down with tattoos

By Mario Barros
of Lenguaviva

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not neccesarily reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News)

Don't anybody get the wrong message here: I hate tattoos! I don't want anything to do with inked body art, ok? And I hate tattoos even more since I found out that the beautifully famous (or famously beautiful) Angelina Jolie has no less than fifteen of those on her voluptuous body (plus another seven that she has either erased or modified). Somebody please tell me, what is she smoking? As hot as she is, what's the point of becoming a human billboard? Where is the logic in suffering through hundreds of painful little jabs and carrying more ink in the skin that the amount needed to print this paper? What were last night's lottery numbers...? (Oops! Sorry.)

Hey, isn't that what's his name?

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

If you drive in Somerville, or any place in the greater Boston area for that matter, I have the consummate cure for road rage. Do not roll your window down and shout an expletive and do not flash any sign language out the window. Why you ask? Because it is not polite and the guy might be a nut and come after you? Nope. Because chances are the person in the other car is someone you know from Somerville or someone who knows you, just saying hi. My conditioning has been hear a beep, flash the bird and then check it out.

The View From Prospect Hill

Enough is enough - over the past few years, there has been talk here and there in this office about changing the web site from a weblog-based format to a more enriched, user friendly and functional environment.

One of the reasons we held off for so long is because we have spent a vast amount of time, energy and most importantly - money - fostering the creative end of the newspaper and not focusing so much on the day to day rigors of operating it as a business. Another reason we held off was because we didn't quite know how the online readership would take a new environment - we want to keep the people we have, attract newcomers and bridge the gap that exists with most community newspapers between their print and online audiences.

No more 'No place for hate'

By Mia Lamar

The city of Somerville suspended its relationship with the Anti-Defamation League's “No Place for Hate” anti-prejudice program last Thursday, in protest of the ADL's failure to “unequivocally” recognize the Armenian genocide, according to a city spokeswoman, Lesley Delaney Hawkins. Hawkins added that the city specifically chose to make its announcement on the annual day of remembrance for the genocide, April 24, a message Hawkins called “significant.”

Where will SCAT go?

City plans to sell local station's home

By George P. Hassett

The city's cable access television station, the oldest in the state, is facing an uncertain future as city officials plan to sell off the station's building in Union Square.

At the April 25 Somerville News contributors meeting, Somerville Community Access Television Executive Director Wendy Blom said the station has a temporary contract to remain in the old Union Square fire station free of charge until June. She said city officials assure her they will not displace SCAT but will not agree to anything in writing.