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.                                                             

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Register of Probate John Buonomo had a large crowd at the Montvale Plaza last week - hundreds of lawyers in one room…imagine the thoughts going through the minds of the non-lawyers there? Word is that John once again topped over $100k at the once a year event.

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Speaking of events Sheriff DiPaola held his annual Cinco De Mayo party at the Montvale Plaza Friday night - in attendance was a large contingent of Somerville faithful in the standing-room-only crowd, we’re told.

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In four years since State Representative Carl (a PDSer) has been in office, he has NEVER once mailed or dropped one piece of literature in his district until last Thursday. From his State House stationery it appears he’s taking credit for Mayor Joe’s once a year  “Somerville Clean-Up Day”, which was held on May 3. The letter clearly is an invite to “neighbors” to come out and have fun and clean up. This would be great except it’s clearly Mayor Joe and the City of Somerville’s event - on the flyer that Carl had inserted into the envelope it clearly states that it’s sponsored by the City of Somerville and Groundworks Somerville - the event has been held now for several years - going back to before Prince Carl was elected. Try as we might we just couldn’t see his name or any other Somerville legislators names on the City Flyer. We think he is shamelessly trying to hi-jack the Mayor’s event just like he’s trying to take sole credit for the Green Line coming to Somerville - all by himself. Funny how having an opponent makes you do things that you wouldn’t have ordinarily done before, imagine he has to now be accountable to the voters – oh the horror! Next he’ll try and take credit for the new Trum Field grandstand! We bet he wishes now he was at the Patriots Day event at Foss Park, but then maybe he thought he wasn’t going to have an opponent at that time? Watch the events he shows up now for - better yet, from his non-existence track record we bet he takes credit for everything good in this city until Election Day. 

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While we’re on the subject, in his haste to send out his letter on State House stationery, Rep. Carl (the PDSer), doesn’t have to wonder why no one calls him – because the number that’s listed on it is the WRONG NUMBER! Okay, so let’s recap - he sits in two coffee shops in Medford Hillside and Teele Square, sends out a letter trying to hi-jack the Mayor’s event and has the wrong telephone number on it – oh we just bet you he has a legion of volunteers that don’t even live in the district!

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Community members are sought after for a Blue Ribbon Commission on Web Use – the Somerville Public Schools District is convening a Blue Ribbon Commission on Web Use, which will make recommendations to the district on improving the functionality of the SPS website as a tool for communication and a resource for learning and teaching.  Community members who are interested in serving on the commission are invited to send a short email to Gretchen Kinder (gkinder@k12.somerville.ma.us) explaining how they believe they can contribute to this work, and detailing their availability.

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Nice to see one of our own favorite former police officers doing great after leaving the ‘Ville and moving onto the State Police - Trooper Mike Murphy has been assigned to the  Attorney General’s Office and he said he still loves cruising through the streets of Somerville to lend a hand! We wish him well.

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Meanwhile, back at the Traffic and Parking Dept - it seems we have a very loyal patriotic meter person. On Patriots Day, April 21, she got to work at the usual time in the wee hours of the holiday morning and proceeded to ticket over 93 cars in the Beacon Street area - the only problem is the city doesn’t give tickets out on Sundays and holidays. In the end we heard she got written up for the mistake!

 

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Alderman at Large Dennis Sullivan is starting his patented “Neighborhood/Mobile Office Hours” on the May 10 out in front of the Soleil Café at 10 a.m. at the corner of Holland and Broadway. At 11 a.m. he will move to the heart of Davis Square in front of the Somerville Theater for one hour the same day. John Caruso, Affirmative Action Officer of the City Democratic Committee, will be joining him with applications to have people to register to vote. Dennis said: “For me, spring doesn’t officially start ‘till I dust off my table and take the office on the road - I once again look forward to making stops across the city and talking to residents about the issues that matter to them.”   

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At the Somerville City Club on Friday June 13 from 7 p.m. to midnight a benefit will be held for Richard Papa, III, who is battling leukemia - for more information contact Michelle 978-423-2351 or Dawn 781-581-8341. Donations can be made to Richard’s Rally c/o Winter Hill Bank at 342 Broadway 02145. This is a good cause - we hope a lot of people turn out to show support for Richard and his family.

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If you hurry, the SHS Foundation is having its annual fundraising raffle this Friday May 9 at the Culinary Arts Dining Room at the High School. It starts at 7 p.m. with the drawing at 8 p.m. – the grand prize is $10,000 - only 250 tickets will be sold at $100 each.   

                                                      

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The Statewide Track Meet is this coming Friday and Saturday to Somerville – Friday at 3:30 p.m., the pole vault competition will be held at the Tufts University Track and the main events will start at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at Dilboy Field.

Comments

[nobody]

I don't support much of Carl's ideology, but I don't see anything wrong with him helping spread the word about the cleanup. I don't think that this means he was trying to take credit for it anymore than I was when I invited my roommate to volunteer with me. Also, from the news reporting I can gather, Carl actually has been a strong ally of the green line. He didn't do everything, its been a group effort, but he was very helpful in making sure that the funding bill got past committee, introduced etc.

[thenoseknows]

hey nobody, ya your right. the mayor works his behind off for a guy no one ever heard off,practically hand him the city of somerville on election day (not just a part of the city)joe is on the governors transition team at the state house,.the governor shows up at joes kickoff event at the hoiday inn.the green line has been in the works since carl lived who knows where,the mayor has been elected since 1995 as an at large alderman. yet it was carl? if there was ever a case of a huge political pay back for a monster favor it was the governor thanking joe for all his help. what do you know and how long have you lived here?

[34th middlesex]

Carl doesn't "hang out" in coffee shops- he has frequent office hours. (Just like you always praise Dennis Sullivan for having- the difference is that Carl does it monthly instead of yearly) The whole time Vinny Ciampa was my rep he only once had office hours- and NEVER returned a phone call or letter from me. Carl always gets back to me.

I live in the district, and have received several mailings and flyers from Carl- so I think you are just making all of this up to make him look bad.

I think he's been a great rep- just heard he got money in the budget for SCM last week! I'll be voting for him.

[Imux]

Carl does not return calls / emails unless you're a card carrying member of the "party" (PDS). It's a fact. Anyone that says "Carl always gets back to me" is admitting that he must have an inapproriate relationship with Carl - as those are the only valls Carl returns.

What constitutes a GOOD state representative? How about someone who takes care of the folks (residents and business owners) that live IN HIS/HER district (in this case the 34th Middlesex). This goof, Carl, nevers does a thing for anyone but his cronies within the PDS or his pet causes. Hey, I'm all for helping free Tibet, saving the friggin' whales and so on, but - right now - I got other pressing issues that a good state representative should be attentative to.

This election it's time that we toss the PDS out of Somerville and get representatives that represent us and not just the elitists pushing their far out "ideals". We need change and a new direction from the politics of old that the PDS represents.

[34th Middlesex]

How is getting funding for elderly housing and elderly transportation not helping people in the district?

Also, just for the record, I am NOT in PDS.

[The Mole]

If you have been watching Channel 5 lately you would have seen a subliminal message flash across your screen during the commercials. There was just enough nano seconds to see who was watching.

The Mole

[Stinky]

Funny you should mention the Cleanup last weekend. We hear Sciortino was at Foss park for the whole thing helping clean. We're glad to see he's still committed to the park that he got $100,000 for in the budget a few years back. It's really improved since he took office, and we know that he's garnered the appreciation and support of the Foss Park Neighborhood Association. We also hear that the Traniac was a bit late to the cleanup after-party. He must have gotten tipped off that Sciortino was there. As usual, he made a big spectacle of himself when he arrived but no one really seemed to pay much attention to him.

[My Cousin Vinny (Ciampa)]

The Rep. from Medford does not return calls or do any constituent work. I should know, I never did any either. Glad to see he's following in my footsteps!

[T & P $$$]

How about our T & P department? That JK sure runs a tight ship! Maybe that wayward meter person should go to his house and mow his lawn or prune his trees to make up for her mistake (since it's no longer snow removal season).

Instead of writing up someone else's mistakes, how about finding that missing CASH from T & P???

[Where is everybody?]

Where the f*** is everybody? Is this place dead or what?

[Diogenes]

It's misleading to single Joe Curtatone out as influencing the Green Line. Mystic View Task Force started this work ten years ago. When fools and opportunists attacked them because of their position on Assembly Square (which proved out to be right) STEP formed and became the group out in front of the effort. The worked effectively and consistently.

Pat Jehlen, Charlie Shannon, Jared Barrios, and more recently Carl Sciorintino and Denise Provost quietly did th work at the state level to move it along.

Joe Curtatone jumped in when he saw a chance to grandstand. He'll support anything positive that he can take credit for. Mark Horan, (who Joe later squeezed out) wrote some excellent speeches for Joe to give on the Green Line, and Joe grabbed the limelight.

Yes, it was nice to have Joe on board, but because of everyone else's work, the Green Line commitment would have happened without him. There are things for which Joe deserves credit and appreciation. this wasn't one of them.

I don't live in Carl's district, and I don't know much about him. But the cheap shots that this newspaper aims at him make me sympathetic. And Foss Park isn't in his district either. He just pitched in and helped.

[Diogenes]

I forgot to mention Tim Toomey, who also worked with the delegation on the Green Line.

[straightshot]

Hey Diogenes
Where do you read that Joe Curtatone is taking credit for the Green Line? are you reading the same as everyone else or are you smoking funny things.
Another Progressive making stupid remarks and can't read, is there a Progressive 101 class?? read what you only want to read, say what you want to say and f@@X everyone else, please your an embarrassement. See you at the coffee shop Prince Carl, next time say hi when someone says hi to you.

[j]

JN, your attacks on Carl don't make any sense. It's good that Carl can partner with other politicians to help our community. Also, he's never claimed to be solely responsible for the Green Line, not even close to that, but rightfully shares in the credit, as do many people.

Your nonsense would be more convincing if you at least found quotes from Carl to take out of context to support your paranoid conspiracy theories.

Also, you are seriously overestimating PDS's influence over our local political figures. PDS is not the center of the progressive universe.

[James Norton]

Okay time to set a few things straight here, again, for anyone who only bothers to pay attention when it suits them...

J -

I don't write Newstalk. Period. Other than writing The View from Prospect Hill a good amount of the time (and typically at the direction of the collective body of people associated with this newspaper I might add - not my personal opinion alone), I typically only write things with my name attached to them. Let me reiterate for you clearly - I DO NOT WRITE NEWSTALK.

So it's not MY nonsense at all. By the way, I have never given the PDS the credit of being the progressive center of the political universe locally - in fact, I have a few friends that are members of it AND I have very publicly said that I only have a problem with a FEW members of the PDS. Oh and Ken Brociner too - he needs his head checked.

I also have a small problem with them not even inviting me to talk about the issues as an elected member of the School Committee - I think they'd be shocked and not know what to think about my answers (hint - I am a bit of a progressive).

Other than what I have clarified, what exactly is your problem with me specifically? I love it - every time someone stands up and says "oh you guys are too tough on the progressives in this city" they conveniently forget the Somerville Community News (the farce that it was), the people behind it - and how grossly over the top it was to label The Somerville News and everyone associated with it as McCarthyists. How unfair was that?

So please - take the finger pointing and run along to the "new web site devoted to non-defamatory discussions" and come back when they're closed up in two months. Until then, disagree, that's fine - but don't point a finger at me specifically unless you have some proof that I have hidden behind a fake name or written something that I have not willingly admitted to writing that might in any way shape or form not be true.

On another note, for those that saw it - some jackass posted a link to a foreclosure web site with flawed information and I unpublished it because that particular web site posts completely innacurate and misleading information and the media as a whole does a good enough job at sustaining the lie that the marketplace is completely in the tank - the last thing we need is someone who reads something and considers it to be the end-all be-all definitive information source and then posting it here.

Anyone else want to dance tonight?

JN

[Ron Newman]

JN, I saw that link. Not sure if it's accurate or not, but the Boston Globe has an article on MA foreclosures. Anybody can check the numbers. I hope it's OK to post the link to the article, since it's relevant. My apologies if it isn't.

[James Norton]

Ron -

Actually, I am not trying to be a jerk, but that is exactly the kind of silly-ass media whore that I can't personally stand (meaning the guy they quote and attribute their information to in the article you linked). That guy's website is loaded with completely inaccurate and misleading information on it, there is not other way to say it.

I am leaving your link in, only with my explanation as follows: anyone who links to it, please understand that there is an enormous difference between "initiating" action and "proceeding" action in the foreclosure end of the industry. Also, while that article isn't as blatantly misleading (as his web site or the earlier post here that I unpublished) because it does state that there is only an increase in this type of action, this particular person has NO business commenting as he does in the article about the reasons for the increased activity.

Notice that there is a link to his web site, where you can conveniently sign up for newsletters, purchase books and data, etc - hmmm how convenient for him. The whole "we can help" stuff seems a little fishy to me too - almost Amway-ish in the sense of referring "professionals" in the field who can supposedly help.

JN

[Ron Newman]

JN, I did not post the comment that you just replied to! I was in a Central Square bar at 10:59 pm and nowhere near a computer.

[j]

JN, not to change the subject that these attacks on Carl are a bit weird and are based on no actual quotes, but if you are not writing Newstalk, then who is?

Whoever is writing Newstalk apparently knows that any news event can be spun negatively by simply assigning secret motives to those involved. You can't prove it either way, so it makes for easy cheap shots.

I'm sure plenty of readers are getting tired of the cheap shots, even though they do appreciate the news service you provide.

[Sammy]

I am curious to know how Mr. Sciortino can take credit for the development at Capen Court. I was a resident at Capen for years and I attended every meeting held about the new buildings. I do not recall seeing Carl at a single meeting. I believe we had over twenty.

I know Bob Trane was at every single one.When we were not being kept informed Bob would call a meeting and invite all the people involved. He even sat with me and helped me with paper work that I needed to get done for housing. Bob would also drop in from time to time and sit out on our porches just to check in. No problem was to small for Bob. We had a dumpster issue and we told him. A few days later we had a new dumpster. Outdoor lights was out and a call to Bob and it was fixed. I will vote for him

[kevin]

Yes Trane did support that monstrosity that is the VNA at the Conwell site. Meetings were held and nothing that the neighbors said mattered. This was forced down our throat. He can't see it from his house so what does Trane care. Putting a 40'-60' tall building within a few feet from existing houses without any concern. It blocks the sun. His answer was "we need more senior housing". This city has more senior housing than any city or town in the area. It was the last thing we needed. Now we have a drain on city services coupled with angry neighbors. What a joke. I hope Trane gets what he deserves a drubbing in the election. He should resign from his alderman position as well. He has done nothing for Ward 7 since the position was handed to him.

[Otis]

Alderman Sullivan hanging out in elitist Teele Square!?!? At the same spot as Carl Sciortino!?!? OK - who's planning on taking him down in the next election?

Does anyone know when the Capen Court project will be done? I live right near there and from the picture I've seen on the billboard in front of the site - the place is going to be real nice! I think it's a great thing for the city. Also - I've noticed that the lights in the old buildings are on all day there. I think this might be a safety thing - but sometimes I think about calling the city and letting them know in case they're wasting precious dollars on electricity there.