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Op-Ed from State Representative Denise Provost Many people were shocked last week to read media reports that the state proposes scaling back the Green Line extension. Most of us in Somerville were feeling fairly confident about our hard-won commitment to build this long overdue project. It wasn't just the Green Line, either. The state, through its Executive office of Transportation (EOT) also proposes to cut Somerville (and Medford) from the Urban Ring project, and to delay construction of the Community Path. Although EOT says that it is still "committed" to building the Green Line extension to Route 16, its official plans call for a scaled-back project, and is conditioned on federal grant funding. Other communities have seen their projects cut, both transit and highway. What could have happened? Were these grim headlines just another sign of the world wide economic collapse? The answer is that transportation funding in Massachusetts has been in a long, slow collapse of its own, that long predates the current crisis in the wider economy. It's a story that goes back for decades. For the sake of simplicity, I'll start telling this tale from the beginning of a recent chapter. 2007: The Sad State of Transportation Finance in Massachusetts In January 2007, Massachusetts greeted a new Democratic Governor into office. Many had high hopes for fundamental changes in state policies and priorities. Those concerned about the state's transportation system looked for action on the new administration's theme of "fixing what was broken" in our Commonwealth. The Governor had inherited a transportation system which was, by 2007, in a sorry state. Most investment in public transit had gone for years into expanding commuter rail service, at great expense, to a relatively low number of riders. The soaring cost of the Central Artery Tunnel project (CA/T or "Big Dig") absorbed most available federal highway funding; the state covered its growing share of Big Dig costs by issuing debt in the form of bonds. The state did have a strategy for repaying principal and interest (the latter is called "debt service") on the billions it was borrowing. Part of its plan was to use future federal grants as a revenue stream - a kind of collateral - to repay this debt. As Secretary of Administration and Finance for Governor Paul Cellucci, Charlie Baker - now a Republican candidate for governor - promised to forego $1.5 billion in federal transportation funds which Massachusetts had not yet received, an obligation of about $150 million a year until 2015 [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/17/bakers_role_in_big_dig_financing_may_test_for_his_campaign/] Another state tactic for avoiding Big Dig costs was to transfer this debt to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (MTA) and to the MBTA. In refinancing its CA/T debt, the MTA in 2001 entered into an unfortunate "credit default swap" agreement with the firm UBS. The collapse of that deal reduced the Turnpike Authority's bonds almost to "junk bond" status, putting the Authority into precarious financial condition. The MBTA, by the start of FY 2007, was bearing $8.1 billion in debt, $2.9 billion in interest alone. Much of this amount was Central Artery debt transferred by the state to the MBTA. The MBTA's debt service costs for 2009 consequently reached $436 million, requiring MBTA to spend a higher proportion of its operating budget for debt service than does any other transit authority in the nation http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/17/bakers_role_in_big_dig_financing_may_test_for_his_campaign/. Complicating the picture, the Governor had made a campaign promise to bring a new rail line to New Bedford and Fall River. He had also taken a position against increasing the gasoline tax. The administration clearly had challenges ahead. | |||
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« June 2009 | Main | August 2009 »
July 31, 2009
July 30, 2009
Barking up a new tree
An interesting mixture of dog-lovers, concerned citizens, the heads of SOM/DOG, multiple Aldermen and the like gathered at the Ralph and Jenny Center at 9 New Washington St. last Thursday night, July 23rd. The group came to hear and discuss the makings of a new and impressive Community and Off-Leash Park at 0 New Washington St.. Presently this property is vacant, full of garbage and an array of unhealthy and unsafe materials and landscape flaws, but one of the reasons behind the new park is to clean and re-vamp this otherwise sketchy parcel of urban disaster. According to Carlene Campbell, this project has been in the works for about two years. Arn Franzen, the Director of Parks and Open Space for the City of Somerville explained that this project wants to succeed in turning this abandoned property into an asset to the community. Franzen also stated that this project with hopefully begin construction late this fall, with a target opening in the late spring or early summer of 2010. Among the project spearheads of the project was the man who is controlling the design itself, as well as presenting great options for the utilities that will fill the park. Andrew Leonard of Leonard Design Associates in Arlington is running the landscape development aspect of this project. According to Leonard the bulk of this park will be the off-leash dog area. In the Schematic Plan that the heads of this meeting had laid out, the community space will be located to the far eastern corner of the long strip shaped park, and will be filled with tables, garbage disposals, and the like. Also, a big mission is to make this area as green as possible with extensive tree-plantings and other botany enrichment. Some of the greener options this team is looking at are very new and improved to the other community dog parks around Somerville like the newest at Nunziato Field. Of course, nothing is certain yet because of the constant battle to make the budget, but some of the gadgets being looked at are solar powered LED light posts and Big Belly solar powered garbage disposal units. The off-leash area of the park will be composed of stone-dust, much like the grounds of Nunziato Field. This arose some concern amongst not only the dog owners in attendance, but the citizens of Cobble Hill as well. One of the major complaints of Nunziato Field is just how dusty it gets after not too long of a time. Franzen and Campbell explained how because it is a long and thin layout, instead of the big open space that is Nunziato Field, this dust would be much easier to keep in check. For one, there will be sprinkler systems to contain it along the sides of the park, as well as a different drainage system then that of Nunziato Field. They also illustrated that the DPW will be frequenting this park to keep it replenished of plastic bags, the garbage disposals empty, landscaping and keeping the grounds in good shape. Another move that the city is taking to prevent another major concern, the traffic on New Washington St., as well as Washington St., is to make the entire city permitted parking starting on August 1st. That is, only residents of Somerville will be able to attend this park. This didn't seem to sell certain Cobble Hill residents that were in attendance, who were not only worried about the traffic itself, but also the noise and the like that would come with a new park. 'Cut-through' was also brought up, but Somerville's finest, as well as the heads of this project assured the Cobble Hill residents that they would be taking multiple measures to prevent these problems. One of Somerville's finest explained his concern about the crosswalks around the area, and that there would be no way that an increased pedestrian-on-foot population attempting to cross certain roads like Washington St. would be impossible. This also raises the safety concern that seemed apparent in multiple people at this meeting. Discussions of high-speed UPS trucks and even bigger trucks going even faster hung around the room for a while. Once again though, Mr. Franzen, Ms. Campbell and Mr. Leonard assured the attendees that these concerns would all be addressed to the city, and solved one way or another before the park opens. For anymore information on this topic contact city hall at 311, or visit www.somdog.org to keep up with this project as well as others. | ||||
July 29, 2009
Newstalk for July 29
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The View From Prospect Hill for July 29
Was it because Professor Gates is an old friend? Was it a racially motivated? Was it a momentary lapse of rational thinking and just meant to be a snippy little comment thrown towards the city where he had to pay his parking tickets - 17 years later - before he could run for President? In an unabashed act of pure self-promotion, let's remind everyone of who broke that story: The Somerville News. Typically, when a politician does something so silly, it is to purposely distract people and the press from another topic of discussion. That's an old trick in politics. Unfortunately for the President, he definitely did not want to distract anyone from his universal healthcare initiative. You could see the uneasiness in his eyes and hear it in his voice when he made that ridiculous statement about how he should have done a better job "calibrating" his words more carefully. President Obama - you would have regained more respect back from the people you insulted, had you just said "I never should have said anything, I am sorry." So now there will be silly debate over such topics as: "well, he showed he is human," "the Presidential Office is bigger than a common arrest," "he was speaking for every oppressed person of color," and so on, and so on, and so on. The bottom line is simple: he should have kept his mouth shut - it had nothing to do with him on any level. | |||
The Green Line Extension conversation comes to Union Square
| By Chelsea Whyte | ||||
Community involvement has played a large role in bringing the Green Line to Somerville. The proposal to extend the Green Line came after the state of Massachusetts settled a lawsuit with the Conservation Law Foundation by promising to offset the effects of pollution brought on by the Big Dig. With help from local groups, including the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP), the Green Line Extension was written into legislation in 2006. STEP has joined forces with Groundwork Somerville, the Somerville Community Corporation, and the Somerville Community Health Agenda to form the Community Corridor Planning (CCP) group. CCP is providing the opportunity for continued community involvement in the planning stages by organizing seven meetings in Somerville neighborhoods with proposed stops on the Green Line Extension. Meredith Levy, Director of Community Power and Resources at the Somerville Community Corporation, says the CCP is committed to involving community members in projects that will have an impact on daily life for years to come. The hope is that these meetings will engage people in the planning process who may not normally be involved. The Green Line Extension, planned to open in 2014, includes a branch that will connect Union Square with a newly designed Lechmere station. Saturday saw the fifth of the seven meetings, this one to discuss the Union Square stop and its impact on the community. Representatives from Save Our Somerville, Tufts University, STEP, and residents from Union Square and neighboring areas of Somerville came together to discuss what this change will mean for Union Square. A thoughtful, if small, group discussed hopes for positive impact from the Green Line Expansion and concerns that ranged from public safety to increases in property taxes. The meeting included those new to the Union Square area, and some residents who have lived nearby for over 40 years. The group's ideal outcome of the Green Line Extension included a vision of Union Square as a diverse center for residents and a variety of businesses thriving, creating access to better jobs for people of all income levels. Residents also expressed concerns about the possibility of increased taxes, displacement of residents and local businesses, and public safety and security around a new transit hub. Overall, the vision encompassed an idea of reduced vehicle traffic and improved access to the proposed location of the Union Square stop, including coordination with buses, access to bike lanes and walking paths, and accommodations for seniors and people with disabilities. Wig Zamore, an active member of STEP, talked about the environmental benefits of the Green Line Extension with regard to traffic reduction. Currently, Zamore says, Somerville has the highest vehicular traffic of any city in the state. Three highways run through Somerville, carrying 200 to 250 thousand cars a day and there are 6 diesel rail lines that carry 200 trains through Somerville each day. Somerville shoulders much of the burden of air pollution due to commuter traffic, but receives little of the benefit of transit with only one T stop in Somerville in Davis Square. Levy states that many of the themes coming up in discussion at the Corridor Planning meetings resonate throughout the community, regardless of the neighborhood in which the meeting is held. Residents value many of the same things, including maintaining the diversity of Somerville. And the organizations behind the Community Corridor Planning Project aim to represent the many Somerville voices in an effort to achieve responsible and equitable transit development that can be used as a model for the state or cities around the country. | ||||
Happy Birthday to me!
Yesterday was my birthday, but I am writing this on Monday night. So tomorrow is actually my birthday. I hope I had fun. I also hope I survived, or this article is posthumous, or post humorless, or something like that. I can't believe I will celebrate birthday number 56. My birthday used to be an excuse to over-celebrate and make an ass of myself. One year my good friend planned a surprise party for me. A lot of people were waiting at his house, and his girlfriend was supposed to bring me over later. Neither of us ever made it to the party. Me and my friends' girlfriend decided to have our own party. I blamed it on the booze. Thankfully I don't partake anymore. Now when I make an ass of myself, I have nothing to blame it on. When we were kids, mom would make a Betty Crocker cake and a few friends and cousins would sit at the kitchen table and party hearty with cone shaped hats on. Remember the pain in the neck you got when those elastics snapped? I have some photos up on my Facebook page of some of those pre-1960 parties. When mom made the cake, I used to love to lick the beater blades. It was more enjoyable when the beater was off. There would be the smell of birthday candle smoke in the kitchen, and Winston cigarettes in the parlor. I remember some of the cool stuff I got for my birthday. One year I got a Mr. Machine - it was a walking, six or seven inch robot whose gears were visible. It made weird sounds as it walked into walls. It was made by Ideal. They now fetch at least a hundred bucks on eBay. Another year, I got a Mattel Fanner Fifty cowboy pistol that used "greenie stick-em caps." I still have that toy gun, and it's a good eBay item also. If I could have the perfect fantasy birthday it would be something like this - I would pick up Michelle Pfeiffer in my 1992 Camaro Convertible (that I had to trade in when the kids came along). We would drive around Somerville honking the horn so everyone would see me with her. We would have lunch at the Venice Café and go to Friendly's on Cedar and Highland and share a sundae. Then I would do a set at the Embassy Lounge with my band so I could show off in front of Michelle. Okay, Earth to Jimmy, come back to reality. My cell phone rang on Sunday and it was my aunt Molly (my mother's sister) who is a spry 94 years old. She said she would have mailed my card, but she walked and walked and couldn't find a mailbox. For some reason there are now fewer mailboxes in the Somerville Avenue area these days. She told me she missed me and I told her I missed her, so I headed over to her house. She had a nice religious card for me and a very thoughtful gift. We had a nice little visit. I also saw my cousins Tom and Bonnie and Mike who live upstairs from auntie. It was great seeing them, because we don't get together as much as we would like to. I also got a card from my aunt Olga. That one made me teary. The front read "You stole my heart as a little guy, you've won my admiration as a man." The message on the inside said, "You'll always be the nephew I love like a son." I feel the same way about her. My cousin Carol sent me a card that made me laugh like a nut. It said "One of us remembered your birthday...and the other one just kinda lives in the house and doesn't know what's going on." Too funny! I am so lucky to have my aunts and cousins (and one uncle left) in my life. Very, very lucky. I will start my birthday at 9am with the kids from Project STAR. We are rehearsing my original mini-musical, "Back In The 'Ville." Don't forget (free plug) to come on Wednesday August 12th at 7pm in the Somerville High School auditorium. It's free and it's going to be great! A special thanks to the many friends who wished me happy birthday on Facebook. Tennessee Ernie Ford sang "16 tons and what do you get, another year older and deeper in debt." I don't care about my ever-increasing debt, I just care about staying here and having as many birthdays as possible. My awesomely, wonderful Sunsetters will perform in front of my house (yesterday) and then we will have a party. I am pretty healthy, my kids are great, and I love what I am doing so that's all the gift I need. I wish my parents, brother and sister were here to celebrate with me, but Michelle Pfeiffer will have to do. | |||
Wheel Questions in Davis Square
It looks, from a distance, like a bulletin board. Its creator has likened it to a prayer wheel. Aficionados of the wheel compare it to the web-site, Post-Secret, or a blog. What is it? It is Wheel Questions, a black, cylindrical structure about eight feet tall tented by colored awning and hung with 238 small, squarish pieces of paper, each one bearing a handwritten question. People ask: "Why am I here? What should I do with the rest of my life? Why isn't Santa Claus real? Turn the paper over to read the answer penned by John Monsarrat, the project's founder. The Wheel has been on display in front of the Tedeschi Food Shop at Davis Square since July 3 and will stay there until the end of the month. At the Wheel, signs instruct visitors to note their questions on blank sheets of paper and leave them in a wooden dropbox. Monsarrat, later picks up the questions, answers them by hand, photographs all of the questions and answers and posts all of them on his website, www.wheelquestions.org. He then posts selected questions on the Wheel itself. Since it opened in Davis Square on July 3, John Monsarrat's installation has been very popular. Visitors to the Wheel have posted an average of 127 questions per day, with a high of 268 and a low of 15 questions. The questions address themes of love and life, and the same ones arise again and again, proving how universal people's questions are. Visitors find the Wheel a refreshing alternative to on-line forums, such as blogs. John Monsarrat started the Wheel, formerly called the Abyss, in his yard at 123 Elm Street in June of 2008. It was so popular that he built a new structure and took it on tour to Harvard and Davis Squares this summer. Wheel Questions was at Harvard from June 14 to July 2 and has been at Davis since July 3, where it will stay through the end of the month. In August, the Wheel will be based at Harvard Square. Monsarrat says the Wheel will stay open until the money runs out (according to him it nearly has) or until he "goes insane" (also according to him he nearly has). He is currently seeking corporate sponsors for the project. A common question for John Monsarrat is "Who are you?" and it's one that many readers may have. John Monsarrat is about 40 years old with an undergraduate computer engineering degree and an MBA from MIT. He currently is currently CEO of the company Hard Data Factory, a data mining service, and is the founder and former head of the computer game company, Triton. But mostly, he is the guy who spends 6 hours a day collecting, answering, and posting questions and answers.. To the question "Why are you doing this?" Monsarrat replies: "I genuinely like to help people. I'm desperate to escape an ordinary life." He doesn't claim to have all the answers, and admits that things are easier said than done. When people ask what authority he has to answer these questions, Monsarrat replies: "I've made a lot of mistakes and I like to think I've learned something." So what are people asking? A few questions are political ("Will Iran be free?"), some trivial ("Snickers, Charleston Chew, or Heath bars?"). Most questions, though, relate to universal and timeless themes, asking about love ("Is Kevin in love with me?"), death ("What happens when we die?") sexuality ("When should I come out to my parents?"), religion ("Is there a God?") and the meaning of life ("Why am I here?"). Monsarrat's answers are both blunt and optimistic. To the question "Why am I here?" he replies, "I'm sorry, but there's no reason," and "There's no hidden purpose." He continues to say, "Thank goodness we get to decide our purpose for ourselves." He advises people searching for a path in life to get together with a friend and make a list of the experiences that they find most meaningful and satisfying, then set some related goals, and go after them. Submitting an average of 127 questions daily, people certainly value the Wheel. Daniel Fireside, of Teele Square, commented that, "People sure seem to have a lot of questions, so it seems like a good idea to solicit, to find out what's on people's minds." In fact, people seem to value the chance to ask anonymous questions and air their thoughts even more than they value Monsarrat's answers. Jennifer Bellingham, a recent Emerson graduate caught perusing the Wheel at Davis on a recent evening, has submitted many questions to the Wheel, yet has never gone to the website to see the answers. Another visitor to the Wheel, Marsha Walters, compared it to Frank Warren's website of anonymous postcards, Post-Secret. She called Post-Secret, "A way to get your secret out. And this is a way to get your questions out." Unlike Post-Secret, where postings are displayed but not answered, at the Wheel, every question gets an answer. People have mixed opinions of Monsarrat's answers. Daniel Fireside liked the project but was "a little disappointed that the answers weren't funnier." Bellingham appreciates the answers, but cautions that "nobody should think of it as, you know, the word, but I think it's a good opinion." Many people submit questions such as as "What makes you think you have the right answers? Are omniscient?" and seem to consider Monsarrat a know-it-all. Also in contrast to Post-Secret, the Wheel is not an on-line forum but a physical structure. As Bellingham neatly put it: "It takes the anonymity of the internet and puts it in the outdoors." Like a blog, the Wheel is open for anyone to read, and postings are anonymous. It changes daily, so people return again and again to see the latest posts. Unlike a blog, the Wheel is a physical structure with a defined location, and the only way to ask a question is to go to the Wheel, write it down, and drop it in the box. Fireside commented that, "It's kind of nice, in this electronic age, to have people write things down on actual pieces of paper." | ||||
Planning Somerville's Future
If you don't know where you're going, any path will take you there. That was too often the case in the past, when city officials did not set clear goals for the city's future guided by an agreed-upon vision for the future. They approved developments that generate relatively low city revenues on land that could support higher-value uses. They approved conversions of commercial properties with high tax rates and low municipal costs, to residential uses with low tax rates and high costs. The result was a structural fiscal deficit. Now, the mayor wants to set destinations and define the paths that will take us to them, and he wants to involve as many Somerville residents as possible in doing so. Leading the effort are staff from his Strategic Office of Planning and Community Development (SOPCD). Keith Craig, who is guiding the effort, explains that a provision in Massachusetts General Law authorizes municipalities that wish to, to prepare a comprehensive plan. It's comprehensive because it includes plans for economic development, housing, open space, city services, recreation, and transportation; and because it must account for how each of those elements interacts; and because it must anticipate future trends. Imagine the nested Chinese boxes or carved Russian dolls that are sold in gift shops. You open one to find another. You open the next to find yet another, and so on through a dozen boxes. Now imagine that Somerville is the middle box. Within it are boxes that represent the elements being planned for and conditions shaping them within the city. Surrounding it, boxes range outward, from regional dynamics to global economic forces. Finally, imagine that each box is in a state of continual change, affecting and sometimes transforming the boxes around and within it. Understanding those dynamics is quite a challenge in itself. And the comprehensive plan must provide clear guidance for future decision makers while allowing sufficient flexibility for trends and events that cannot now be foreseen. Two events that can be foreseen are the arrival of the Orange and Green Lines. There is a finite amount of time in which to make plans that will maximize the opportunities they bring, while minimizing such risks as gentrification. What with conducting the comprehensive planning process at the same time, SOPCD staff are busier that a one-legged planner in an ass-kicking contest. That planning process begins, as it should, with exhaustively collecting and rigorously analyzing those data that describe Somerville's economic, housing, population, and transportation trends. Accurately understanding how they brought us to this moment, while combining this information with regional and national trends, creates a baseline for understanding where we are going. While our city faces the same challenges confronting many cities, we are only 4.2 square miles in scale. So as Keith Craig explains, "Somerville is a microcosm of all the challenges going on the in the world, but in a manageable space." SOPCD staff are conducting a series of open meetings to inform residents of their research findings and solicit insights regarding their meaning. In the next step residents will work together to set a vision for the city's future. Much of the visioning will occur in large public forums in which the price of admission is participation. SOPCD Executive Director Monica Lamboy anticipates that different participants will inevitably be passionate about different issues. She hopes to conduct a productive conversation-bounded by the finite realities defined in SOPCD's real-world data analysis-through which participants can understand how their issue fits into the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. The forums' results will go to a 56-member steering committee composed of representatives appointed by the mayor, aldermen, superintendent of education, school committee, key departments, and community organizations. They will prepare drafts of what they've heard and how it has influenced their thinking. The drafts will go back to the public participants and form the basis of a dialogue between them and the steering committee, from which the committee will draft goals, policies, and action plans. Once finished, the plan will guide creation of an updated General (land use) Plan, which has not been revised since 1989. It will attract investment to the city by giving developers and commercial tenants comfort about what they can expect within the districts in which they might locate. And it will sensitize and position public and private city leaders to take advantage of future opportunities. This is a rare moment when it is possible to shape Somerville's future for generations to come. Everyone, who cares about our city should participate. You can learn more, review research produced to date, and find out about participation opportunities at the Comprehensive Plan's website. Go to www.somervillema.gov/, click on "City Departments," and then link to SOPCD. On the right side of the page will be the comprehensive plan link. You can send questions and suggestions to Mr. Craig at kcraig@somervillema.gov. | |||
Somerville revisioning meeting draws interested and concerned crowd
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A small but eager crowd of 30, mostly comprised of concerned Somerville residents, and many of them regular attendees of Somerville town meetings, participated in a cooperative, and sometimes contentious discussion regarding Parking permits, water drainage, public green space and transportation issues at the Somerville Revisioning Meeting at the Michael E. Capuano Early Childhood Development Center last week. The participants had plenty to be concerned about. Urban Planners from the city of Somerville provided statistics and data about the swelling transportation needs of Somerville residents and addressed many of the challenges that the city is facing or anticipates facing in the next several years. Data was also provided about transportation history and infrastructure, roads, bridges, the recently completed public tree inventory, sewers, and water use. Perhaps the most staggering statistic provided throughout the two hour meeting was that Somerville currently has 11,674 registered cars per square mile, more than double the amount of registered vehicles in Boston, Cambridge or any of the major surrounding communities. Somerville also has more land devoted to roads than any other community in Middlesex County. Data also showed that average commute times of Somerville residents, regardless of mode of transportation, has increased significantly over the last twenty years. The Davis Square T Stop is the 12th busiest of the 63 stops on the MBTA subway lines due to the number of boarders each day, and nearly 37,000 people ride buses in Somerville each day. The topic of parking, which elicited boos from the audience when the subject was mentioned, is another area of concern particularly with the impending Green Line expansion on the horizon and the increased need for parking that will result from it. Several possible solutions were suggested, including the creation of a Somerville Parking Pass, however city planners were unable to provide information about the city's parking, such as the number of legal parking spaces and the number of meters in the city as well as the number of homes with and without off street parking. Toward the end of the presentation and discussion about the myriad of collected data, an audience member pointed out that none of the information provided information about land use in Somerville, which will ultimately be an enormous factor in future planning for the city. Monica Lamboy, the head of the City of Somerville's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development quickly addressed this concern by stating that the city has been and is currently still taking "careful inventory of the city's land use over the last two years," and will provide that cumulative information as the "last piece of the city inventory" in order to begin discussing what steps will be taken in the future. Lamboy also explained that the revisioning process will start to take place in the fall, and any suggestions, comments and ideas are welcomed by the city. Bill Shelton, chair of the Mystic View Task Force, commented on the importance of taking the future needs of Somerville residents into consideration during the revisioning process in terms of water and energy conservation, and that we can make our lives easier tomorrow by thinking about those needs today. | ||||
Local restaurant owner's recession-proof meals
"I think if you have a friendly place with good food and a friendly atmosphere you're good" says John Sapochetti, the owner of Supreme Kitchen on Highland Ave., when asked to describe his diner to The Somerville News. Mr. Sapochetti's diner is open daily for breakfast and lunch. Sapochetti tried serving dinner at his restaurant in 2007 for six months but soon went back to the normal diner hours of 7 am to 3 pm, saying "It's very difficult to run a place that you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner - and do it well." Supreme Kitchen has been a staple of Somerville since April 2001. Before that, Sapochetti tells us he was the owner of a small grocery store near City Hall called Portabella's, but decided to close it some years ago and "do something different." With the current national and state-wide recession going on, Mr. Sapochetti admits this financial crisis is hurting his business, "It's definitely hurt...other than McDonald's, I don't know many restaurants that have done well through the recession." However to help his restaurant and hurting Somervillians too, Sapochetti has added so-called recession specials; for $4.50 one can order, for example, two eggs, home fries, bacon, toast and coffee. When asked if these new additions sell well, Sapochetti is pleased to say they do. "You can have two people come in for $10 and get two big breakfasts," he says. The recession specials are currently only available weekdays, Monday through Friday. Supreme Kitchen prides itself on its Eggs Benedict, Sapochetti says, telling us, "Not a lot of places do Eggs Benedict." They have a Mexican and a Southwestern Eggs Benedict, which come with chili and salsa, and reportedly sell very well. Customers who want to eat healthier, Sapochetti, says "...could do an egg white omelet," but admits his restaurant is not geared toward the health-conscious crowd, saying "Bacon's bacon." While there is a menu written up, Sapochetti is flexible with custom orders, saying, "Whatever we have, you can have." Supreme Kitchen is mainly a breakfast joint but the diner also does "a pretty good lunch," Sapochetti adds, with chicken, soups, salads and hamburgers. Somerville Hospital is directly opposite of Supreme Kitchen and on the weekends, customers can park in the hospital's lot for free. During the week, there are few 30-minute parking spaces right outside the restaurant, but most of the clientèle, Sapochetti tells us, are Somerville natives and repeat customers who can simply walk to his restaurant. Sapochetti's diner atmosphere is welcoming and low-key; he knows most of his customers orders before they come inside the door. "You know their names, you become friends with them." Hanging from the diner walls, in two spots, are abstract paintings from a local artist and fellow restaurateur, Lola Riveras, who runs Café Lola, also on Highland Ave. Sapochetti continually hangs up new paintings, photographs or artwork to give his place a new and different feel. "I had a whole wall up here of U2 stuff, because that's my favorite band," he comments. Supreme Kitchen recently reopened its doors last November after a being closed for four months in 2008 due to a traffic accident; a van accidentally backed into the restaurant but as Sapochetti tells us, no one was hurt; however it took a while to be able to start everything up again. The diner is located on 233 Highland Avenue, is open every day from 7 am - 3 pm, and accepts cash only. | ||||
July 28, 2009
Somerville Police Canine Finds Drugs and Cash
Within days of graduating from the Middlesex County Sheriff's Drug Detection School, K-9 Max, Somerville's new Police Dog has started to show what he has learned. On Friday, July 24th, Narcotics Officers arrested Jamil Taban of 1366 Broadway after observing him selling drugs to a cooperating source near the Clarendon Hill Towers apartment complex. After completing the transaction, Taban left the area in his rented vehicle. Narcotics officers, who were working with the Somerville Police Gang-Anti-Crime Unit, stopped the car on Broadway and called for K-9 Max to assist them on Broadway near Clarendon Hill Towers. K-9 Max and his partner, Officer John Tam, searched to car that the suspects were driving and found narcotics and cash hidden in the car. The seizure consisted of 39 grams of Crack Cocaine and 2.5 oz. of marijuana, plus $735.00 cash. | |||
July 27, 2009
Police Offer Tips to Prevent Home Break-Ins
The Police Department is reminding residents to take some simple precautions that will reduce your chances of becoming a victim of a home burglary. How are homes targeted? Simple selection process Choose an unoccupied home with easy access, the greatest amount of cover and the best escape routes. Homeowners often make this selection process easy for thieves by failing to take simple precautions. What can you do to prevent becoming a victim? Harden the Target Burglars will usually bypass a house if it requires too much effort or more skills or tools than they possess. Most breaks are through front or back doors. Unlocked outer doors to common hallways give thieves a chance to break in through inner doors while remaining out of sight of neighbors and police. Keep outside doors locked Doors and Locks Use a solid core or metal door at entrance points. Use a heavy-duty deadbolt with a one inch throw bolt. Use a quality knob-in-lock set with dead latch mechanism. Use a heavy duty strike plate with 3 inch screws into the frame Use a wide angle peephole When you move into a new house or apartment, change the door locks Breaks through doors Most common method of forced entry is simply to kick in the door. The weakest point is usually the lock strike plate. You should upgrade to a heavy-duty strike plate. Sliding Glass Doors This type of door is usually secured by latches only. They are vulnerable to attack. Security can be increased by inserting a wooden dowel or stick into the door track to prevent movement. There are also metal track blockers / locks available. Windows (the most frequent point of entry during warm weather months) Windows are left unlocked at a much higher rate than doors. An open window that is visible from the street may be the sole reason that a house is targeted. An open window with only a locked window screen is particularly inviting to thieves. Access is quick, easy and silent. Windows have latches, not locks; they should have secondary locking devices. Wooden sticks/dowels work well with horizontal sliding windows. Windows For vertical windows, through the frame pins work well. For ventilation, leave no more than a 4 - 6 inch window opening. Make sure that opening is not large enough to allow someone to reach through to unlock the door or remove window lock. Be A Good NeighborHow are homes targeted? Get to know your neighbors. Agree to watch each other's home. While on vacation, pick up mail, newspapers, packages and flyers; put out their trash on trash day (and return empty barrels). Offer to park your car in their driveway. Water flowers, grass and plants. Communicate with each other. Lighting Interior lighting is necessary to show signs of activity inside. Use timers (lights, radios and televisions). Make the home appear occupied. Exterior lighting is very important. Lights in front of the home should be on a timer. Use timers or motion sensors for other exterior lighting, especially at the rear of the house. Alarm Systems Increase the potential of burglar being caught. Burglars will usually bypass a home that they believe has a burglar alarm. An audible horn or siren must be part of the system. Alarm systems be professionally installed and maintained. Alarm systems should reset within three minutes so as not to disturb the neighborhood. Leave a key to your house and alarm system with a trusted neighbor who is usually there when you are not home. Alarm systems can also monitor fire sensors and panic buttons. Operation Identification Engrave your driver's license number (and state) on televisions, stereos, computers and small electronic appliances. Photograph your valuables, especially jewelry and electronics. Make a list of make, model, serial numbers and value of important items. Give a copy of this list to a relative or close friend. Register your valuable electronics with WRAP or JustStolen.net What if you see something of someone acting suspicious???? If you see anyone acting suspicious around your house or a neighbor's house, call 911 immediately. If your house is broken into, call police immediately. Don't touch anything that the criminal may have touched. Wait outside for police to arrive. Write down plate numbers of suspicious vehicles. Not all break-ins will be stopped, regardless of the precautions that you take. Talk to your insurance agent to make sure that your valuables will be covered in the event of a theft. | |||
July 25, 2009
PJ Ryan's owner rides for cancer research
On August 1st, Connor Brennan, the owner of Teele Square establishment, P.J. Ryans, will set off from Sturbridge on his racing bike alongside over 5,000 other riders. The next day, assuming all goes as planned, he will arrive in Provincetown, 190 miles down the road and up the arm of Cape Cod. He has been training for months but has never participated in a race of this length. He and his fellow riders won't be racing each other, but instead riding in the face of cancer, a disease that has touched Brennan throughout his life, as part of the Pan Mass Challenge. Having lost both of his grandmothers to cancer-related illness, Brennan wanted to contribute to the fight against its devastating effects. "Cancer is such a huge part of people's everyday lives," he said. "I thought that it was time to just get on the bike and try to do something myself." With every dollar going directly to the Jimmy Fund, Brennan is trying to raise at least $4,200 for the cause. Currently, he has raised $1,200 but will be hosting a fundraising party this Sunday, July 26th, at PJ Ryans. There will be a pig roast, with a small contribution for plates, as well as a raffle drawing for Red Sox tickets and for cases of wine. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Pan Mass Challenge, which has raised phenomenal amounts of money for the Dana Farber Institute. Last year alone, the PMC raised $35 million, or half of the Jimmy Fund's annual revenue. While Brennan recognizes the current economic woes that curb donations to charities such as the PMC, he stressed the importance of the cause. "It's true that times are tough, but cancer directly affects people regardless of the economy." Though he has minimal experience in long-distance riding, the Dubliner is unfazed by the challenge. "The adrenaline will get me through it. But I'm not looking forward to getting up Sunday morning." It will hurt much less knowing that he reached his goal of $4,200. To make a tax-exempt online donation starting at $1, visit. | |||
July 24, 2009
Community organizers learn how to forge radical change during workshop
There was the proposal to do what residents did in Dudley Square, Roxbury, when they organically came up with their own development plan. There was also the idea to apply more pressure on politicians during a campaign season to really follow through on their platforms. And, additionally, to see how people can work together to change the time lines for the legal process in allowing people to stay in their homes. These are just a few brainstorms generated Sunday night to see how we can "radically" organize our community in areas that sorely need addressing. The venue: the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) office at 66-70 Union Square. The event: The first of three workshops entitled "Radical Organizing Methods." Led by Steve Meacham, the director of housing organizing at City Life/Vida Urbana (CLVU) in Jamaica Plain, the workshops are part of the "ROC (Radical Organizing Methods) Summer Institute," which teaches people how to influence policy. CLVU is a grassroots community organization that promotes racial, social, and economic justice and gender equality through direct action, coalition building, education and advocacy. The next two workshops will be held Sunday, July 26 and Sunday August 2 at the CAAS center. (Call CAAS community organizer Rachel Bedick at 617-623-1392 Ext.141 for more information). "We need to think how the system works and where do you want to go with your struggles," Meacham said. "Our ideal of radical organization is to approach it by taking lots of viewpoints and how to link them, which stops problems from happening again." For example, City Life organized a Bank Tenant Association two summers ago to organize against foreclosure evictions. Since then CLVU has stopped 95% of the evictions that have come to them, according to Meacham. "Radical organization is about how to help a person here and now, rather than sticking a finger in the dike or waiting for some legislation to pass in a few years," Meacham added. About 25 people from Somerville and the Boston area attended Sunday's workshop, most of who claimed that they wanted to learn more about how to be an organizer. There was a pot potpourri of activists from non-profits, volunteers, public health advocates to interested residents. The first order of business entailed defining "radical organizing" and what makes it difficult to talk about. People were asked to identify the barriers associated with radical organizing. "Our definition is vague; there are lots of interpretations," Meacham said. In a nutshell, people agreed that radical organizing is a psychological transformation. Typically people default to what they know, especially when they have their own idea of society. But radical organization is about taking many viewpoints to make change. People broke into workshops to talk about particular issues, including health care and education. They were asked to compile responses covering services, advocacy, community development, electoral/legislative and organizing. In addition to throwing out proposals for more political accountability and eviction, people tossed out rent control, the need for community clinics and charter schools. Upcoming workshops will cover world view and leadership development and the dilemmas and tensions we face. "Forums like this are great to get lots of community responses," said Jon Phoenix, 20, of Boston, a City Life volunteer who was active with the foreclosure effort. "No one person has the answers. And working on efforts like this makes me think that when the world goes crazy, at least I can tell my grandchildren that I tried to make a difference." What struck Liz Manlin, 26, of Cambridge, a synagogue organizer, is the spirit of peer education. "We all have experience to contribute to a vibrant conversation about people, organizations, and communities building power," she said. "There are lots of creative ways to do that. Tonight has been really inspirational." You can visit http://citylifevidaurbana.blogspot.com for more information on the ROC Summer Institute, which will also offer programs covering the greening of our economy, cutting the military budget and funding communities and spirituality and social justice, to name a few. | ||||
July 23, 2009
Lowell stop area residents express optimism, tinged with concern
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A small group of about 25 gathered at 259 Lowell Street on Thursday, voicing their opinions on the T-stop that, if all goes according to plan, will land around the corner in 2014. This was the fourth of seven Community Corridor Planning (CCP) meetings, one for each planned Green Line Extension stop, aimed at involving the surrounding community in the process of the extension. "Usually, a lot of it happens behind closed doors and the community doesn't see it until it is 80 or 90 percent done," said co-facilitator Lisa Brukilacchio, who directs the Somerville Community Health Agenda, one of four partners that comprise CCP. The other co-facilitator was Lisa Gimbel of the Somerville Community Corporation, who led the group through a series of exercises aimed at bringing out the group's collective knowledge of Somerville. It was an knowledgeable group indeed, each attendee having spent an average of about to about 15 to 20 years in Somerville, ranging from 2 to 50 years. As they worked through the exercises, the attendees struck a tensely ambivalent tone at times, expressing both their optimism regarding the project's potential benefit to the community, and their fears of the kinds of negative change that a T stop might engender. As for their hopes for the project, the group expressed univocal support for the implementation of green infrastructure surrounding the stop, including increased access for bikers and pedestrians. Current plans include a bike and pedestrian path leading behind the Visiting Nurses Association, where the meeting was held, and attendees hoped that its residents would have safe access to the pedestrian route. They also wanted a minimal impact on the community, which perhaps comes as no surprise given the lengthy Somerville tenures of those in attendance. Fears of resident displacement, particularly the elderly living off of fixed incomes, were pervasive. Other worries included disruptive noise and light caused by the trains, more cars vying for limited parking spots, the bulldozing of residences, and higher property taxes. "Will there be a plan for resident issues to be addressed?" asked one attendee, indicating the larger concern that local residents will lose their voice in the project after this initial phase, and have to stew in their grievances. Attendees agreed that they wanted to keep the character of the community intact, but had a hard time identifying what their ideal growth model looked like. "Smart and sensible growth" was proposed by the group, but Lisa Gimbel pointed out the subjectivity of such statements, saying "what might be sensible to me may not be sensible to you". "If there is a greater commercial tax base, then there is less pressure on raising housing taxes," said one resident, Dave, in favor of developing more commercial property. He wondered what effect more condo development would have on the area, especially considering that the plan to turn the nearby MaxPak site into more than 100 condos was just approved last month. "Is there room in our schools? Enough Parking? Will more residents strain our resources?" he wondered. Other residents weren't as fond of the idea of zoning more property for commercial purposes, and one resident said he hoped to keep commercial properties contained to the area's two main business areas in Magoun Square and Highland Ave. Ultimately, the group seemed a bit unsure of how the balance of commercial versus residential development nearby would grow or diminish the tax base, and how it would be possible to keep the area affordable for longtime residents who might not be able to afford increased rents or property taxes. When asked by a facilitator how they could do this, the group grew quiet. With no solutions yet on the table, one crowd member yelled facetiously, "restrain the natural economic forces!" Wig Zamore, founder of the partnering Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP), suggested that people look at models other cities have used when moving toward increased access to public transportation. He cited the example of Arlington, Virginia, that was in a similar situation with the extension of the D.C. Metro in the 1970's. Ultimately, Arlington rezoned a corridor surrounding the station stops for mixed-use development, allowing property taxes to remain among the lowest in the nation. | ||||
Summer in Somerville: News on Assembly Square, the Green Line and even on Cable TV
(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.) June was one of the most challenging months that anybody around here can remember. Between, on the one hand, the state's fiscal crisis and some very hard local budget choices and, on the other hand, taking Somerville home to victory in the All America City competition down in Tampa, you might think that the City was ready for a little down time. But while the weather may be cooler than normal, this has been a hot summer for governmental news and action. On July 20th, Governor Patrick, Senator Kerry, Congressman Capuano and state Economic Development Secretary Gregory Bialecki all came to Somerville to announce that Assembly Square will be receiving a total of $65 million in state and federal money to underwrite fast-track construction of the public roadway, water and sewer infrastructure that must precede the next phase of privately-funded construction. $50 million of that amount will come from the state's Infrastructure Investment Incentive (I-Cubed) program, with the other $15 million coming direct from the federal government's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Highway Transportation Fund. Assembly Square has been moving along steadily despite the economic downturn, but this timely infusion of public dollars will accelerate activity at the site and allow the private developers to put their private dollars to work on the actual retail, housing and office development that will transform the Mystic waterfront into Somerville's newest neighborhood. In the short term, that means hundreds, and even thousands, of construction jobs and a boost for local property values. In the long run, it means thousands of permanent jobs and an increased commercial tax base to help ease the squeeze on Somerville's hard-pressed residential property taxpayers. The news didn't come as a complete surprise. The Governor has been saying for some time that he wants to support Smart Growth, transit-oriented, sustainable projects like Assembly Square - and a when he visited Assembly Square back in February, Senator Kerry pointed out that this project is more than "shovel-ready;" it's shovel-active. Besides, with Congressman Capuano working effectively to secure $25 million in federal funding for a new Assembly Square Orange Line Station, all the moving parts of this project were falling into place, making it the perfect location to get the most bang for the stimulus buck. Until yesterday, however, we had no idea how generous the state and federal support would be. This level of backing at this crucial time is incredibly valuable to our city and our entire region, and we have every reason to be thankful - and hopeful - as Assembly Square moves forward. When it comes to keeping this project on track to realize its full potential for our city and region, it's impossible to overstate the roles played by Governor Patrick, Senator Kerry and Congressman Capuano. Not only have they grasped the value of what we're doing along the Mystic riverfront, but they have invested their vision, clout and political capital in helping make it happen. In this, as in so many other ways, they have earned our thanks and our support - as have the members of our statehouse delegation and our energetic Board of Aldermen. The news on Assembly Square isn't the only reminder that Somerville enjoys the strong support of effective allies at every level of government: A story in the July 21st issue of the Boston Globe raises questions about the state's ability to finance the next generation of regional transit improvements - including the Green Line Extension. But if you look past the misleading headline ("Green Line extension funding in question"), what you learn is that the Green Line from Lechmere to Tufts at College Ave may be the only major new transit project that the state remains firmly committed to building on schedule. True, there are rumblings that the state might be slow in finishing the final leg of the project - from Tufts to Route 16. But nobody is talking about curtailing Somerville's stretch of the Green Line - even at a time when, according to the Globe, "the Urban Ring, the Silver Line bus tunnel, and the Blue Line extension to Lynn [may all be] excluded from the group of projects eligible for federal funding." Somerville has earned a reputation as a dynamic, forward-looking and creative city that knows how to plan and is worth investing in. As we continue our efforts to emerge even stronger and better from a down economy, we're going to depend on that reputation, and we're going to need all the support we can muster - but the signs are good that we have the key backing we need on Beacon Hill and Capitol Hill. And, speaking of Beacon Hill, there's a legislative hearing this week on the latest bill to help Verizon undermine local cable franchising and gain an unfair advantage over its competitors. A statewide coalition of local governments, cable access groups and just plain folks beat down the first version of this legislation back in 2007, but it's back again for another go. We have said publicly that the City would be happy to work with Verizon to bring its FiOS cable and data service to Somerville residents. But it's wrong to create an unequal playing field in which Verizon gets to enter new markets under terms that are very different than those applied to the current cable providers. It's also wrong to take away the authority of local communities to enforce basic license requirements, such as mandating that cable providers serve the whole community or help pay the cost of public access and educational programming. That's why, as chairman of the Massachusetts Mayors Association's Telecommunications Task Force, I have led my colleagues in opposing this type of legislation in the past - and why I continue to oppose it now. Will the pace ever wind down at city hall this summer? The answer is "Probably not." But that's part of the fun of living and working in a truly exciting community like Somerville. I wouldn't want it any other way. | |||
July 22, 2009
Assembly Square vision more clearly revealed in press conference Monday
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