Newstalk for the week February 1

Newstalk for the week February 1

Sorry bloggers, this is the abridged version of Newstalk. To read your favorite column in its entirety, you will have to pick up the print edition on the streets tomorrow morning.

We thought you’d want to know that your cell phone numbers are going public this week. All cell numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls. You will be charged for these calls as well, telemarketers will eat up your minutes with the cost going to you. So you need to call 888-382-1222, the National Do Not Call list, taking up a minute of your time but saving you a lot of money. This will block them from calling you for 5 years. We thought you should know if you didn’t already.
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Seems like there is an uprising all around the city regarding the meter increases and the aggressive behavior of the meter Nazi’s. It almost seems like they are stalking people around the city giving them tickets the second the meter is up. Did you notice the ticket for expired meter has gone to $20.00 as well? Apparently all prices went up, we’re not surprised. All along Somerville Avenue seems like the businesses want meters installed so as to block out-of-towner’s from parking there and heading into town. A lot of the businesses are upset over these cars being left there all day. This should be good news for the administration and an easy fix, take the meters out of the squares and install them along Somerville Avenue.   
One alderman this week said the mayor will be making an announcement concerning the new parking meter fees very soon. The alderman added that the announcement should please the business community and the customers they serve. We hope the mayor has listened to the numerous complaints lodged against the new fees and rolls the price of parking in Somerville back.

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We can’t confirm this one but we heard this as another means of taxation being talked about at City Hall, we heard it was mentioned and quickly shot down. Apparently someone has given the idea that the city can impose a fee on citizens that call the 911 for a police cruiser and tie up that officers time in any way especially for a motor vehicle violation (blocked intersection, blocked driveways, etc., etc.)    Will have to pay a service fee to the city for services rendered, so were glad it was shot down (we heard it was) but you can’t be sure it won’t be brought up again in the future.
       
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We also hear that there are definitely plans to move the police station to the old Powerhouse School site, with two sub stations at other locations in the city. Our question is what happened to the school being used by the city as a City Hall annex? The city was hoping to sell off the building on Evergreen Ave. and also get out of the expensive lease for their building on Holland Street, all of that was supposed to happen last September we thought.
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Lots of activity on our Web Site – www.thesomervillenews.com. It seemed like there was going to be the revelation of who the mole was this week. At first it was thought it might be one individual but it could be more then one person, each with different writing styles, meant to throw off any suspicious investigators.  Maybe Ms. McCarthy is more then one person. Wow and she’s probably the best character on the web site. We maintain hope she’s just one person.   
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Marine Corps 1st Lt. Joseph F. Monahan son of William J. Monahan, from Somerville recently reported for duty with Marine Aviation Training Support Group 53, Naval Air Station  Whidbey Island, Oak Harbor, Washington. Monahan is a graduate of Matignon High School and joined the Marine Corps in July 1999.   He is a 2003 graduate of US Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.  With a BS degree.
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We would like to congratulate the poet laureate of the Somerville News  -- Doug Holder – on his inclusion in the nationally released book “Inside the Outside – An Anthology of Avant-Garde American Poets.” Doug’s weekly poetry column is a very popular aspect of our paper and we are glad to have him be among the many talented individuals involved with The Somerville News. Congratulations Doug.
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At this week's Board of Aldermen meeting, Sen. Jarrett Barrios presented his new Anti-Gang bill to the city. The bill is designed to attack the causes and consequences of gang activity in Massachusetts and seems to be a well balanced approach to keeping citizens safe. It also proves that, despite having little experience as a prosecutor, Barrios is dedicated to public safety, something he will surely tout during his campaign for Middlesex District Attorney.

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There are rumblings coming out of the powers that be in Medford, that a candidate will be opposing state Senator Pat Jehlen in the next election. We have not been told who it could be, only that it is someone with a strong, city-wide base.

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Ray Trant is stepping down from his post as the chairman of the city’s Licensing Board this week. Anyone who ever dealt with Ray, knows how much he will be missed. We hope his replacement will be as fair and thoughtful as he was.

Comments

[Ron Newman]

I believe that your item about cellphones and telemarketers is incorrect. Take a look at these pages:

A 'Do Not Call' List for Cell Phone Users? (Urban Legends and Folklore)

Cell Phones and Telemarketing (Snopes.com)

[James Norton]

First of all, not everyone needs to go off half cocked about this thing. Second, Newstalk is not a "News" reporting section of the paper, so relax about that as well.

I have seen many emails regarding the Cell Phone Do Not Call List. The information regarding the phone number to call for the DNC Registry was found through an older email, but I did have a conversation with two people regarding this, and I got a "yes and no" answer from both people, who then went on to explain that yes, starting this month, depending on the cell carrier you have and the type of service you have, you can be called by telemarketers because of some loophole in the Opt-In something or other in some service providers contracts.

It was posted in Newstalk just to throw it out there, not to start a heated debate, because it wasn't worth making into a "News" story to begin with. I guess my bigger beef was with Ron for having a comment not once but twice today alone with links in them.

If the cell phone thing doesn't apply to anyone here, then who cares? It doesn't cost anything to log onto the website or give a call - and put the number on there regardless. You never know if you'll be taking your cell number and going to another carrier with different provisions in the service contract or maybe converting to a hard line now that you can take a number with you.

I figured it would be worth mentioning - so enough with the fighting over it. Thanks.

JN

[chill]

Hey JN, calm down. Ron's post on "this" particular subject does not seem unreasonable. I don't think it calls for you to be offended or get defensive.

[Mrs. McCarthy]

Random Thoughts from the Madwoman of Cambriville

Sorry I'm late today but it took me quite awhile to notify every telemarketer in North America of Ron Newman's cell phone number. With that pleasant piece of business accomplished and my nightly meds fully ingested, here goes some randomness...........

Remember when you were a kid and someone would want to do something and there was always one in the crowd who had a better idea..."Na, let's do this instead. It'll be much better I promise." Magoun Square, Powderhouse School, Police Chief, Assembly Square, Union Square. All re-do's by Mayor"I have a better idea"Curtatone. Is anything getting done in this freakin city?

Bad news about Trant leaving the Booze Board. I know the family well and Ray is one honest civil servant. Too bad the good ones are leaving service to our city. Wait and see who this administration puts on there now. God have mercy on us all.........

Parking rates and the "Speedy Meter Readers"? These people have to be stopped. My good friend Alice K. was ticketed on Saturday at the Brooks in Davis Square. She was'nt even driving. All she did was stop in front of a meter with her Lark mobile scooter, and liketty-split they ticketed the poor dear. No problem, Alice. One call to SOD and he'll have his bro make that baby disappear just as fast...........

As for the 911 fees? No doubt brought to you by the same crew of Alderman and others that thought nobody would notice the fee hikes for parking meters. Talk about stupid. Well stupid is as stupid does.....

All this recent chest thumping over the Mole's identity really gave me a god-damn freakin headache. I'm glad it's all over and Stan Koty has finally fessed up. Koty is the Mole...............

And as for me, there is one and only one Mrs. Mary McCarthy of Cambriville and don't any of you slugs forget it.............

With Love and Toasty Toes.......

Mrs.McCarthy
Little Sisters of the Poor
Cambriville, Massachusetts

[Kenneth]

"I figured it would be worth mentioning - so enough with the fighting over it."

What an irresponsible attitude for a journalist. You printed an unsubstantiated internet rumor and then tell readers to relax.

I recently moved to Somerville, and I've been considering whether to get a local paper. I've been checking out the Somerville News and Somerville Journal online in order to decide. This entry alone is enough to tell me that I can dispense with reading your website.

[so the answer is...]

so the answer, when people prove you wrong JN is censorship!? some newspaper this is...what, does freedom of speech only go as far as the speech you like (or likes you)? you know what i'm talking about... you deleted something like four or five comments just because they proved you were flat wrong.

oh, and even you basically admit now that Ron was correct. the only reason you deleted and raised such a fuss about his comments is because you can't stand that he showed you up. you're like the big fat bully in elementary school who picks on the twerpy kids just because you hate yourself so much.

you should just divest from this paper and go pack to selling luxury condos and pricing average folks out of somerville.

[Ron Newman]

Well, my intent was neither to "show JN up" nor to embarrass him, just to point out a factual error. Any newspaper can make an error. I figure that's why a newspaper blog has a comments section in the first place, so that people can correct and add to the news that is reported by the editorial staff.

And I don't understand JN's dislike for links. This is the web, and a web is made up of links. I've linked to the Somerville news blog from other places, and so have other folks. That helps bring people here. Why shouldn't we also link from here to relevant sites such as the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance? It's not like I'm posting spam links to video poker and porn ...

[Calm down]

Quit bickering. Here's the FTC explanation:

http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2005/04/dnc.htm

Using autodialing for cell phones remains illegal, and no telemarketer who makes any money has people sitting there dialing you up by hand.

Seriously, do you people printing this trust everything you get in e-mail? This is such old, debunked non-news. Catch up to 2005 at the very least, please.

[Jelly Belly]

I heard you can go to http://unsub.us and you will stop getting spam emails too!!!

I saw it in an email, so it must be true.

[Doug Holder]

Thanks for the plug about "Inside the Outside," the new avant-garde poetry collection I'm in. I love writing for the News, and I am very pleased they give so much space to the Arts, as does the city of Somerville. No wonder they call our fair burg the "Paris of New England." Also: I like the moniker "poet laureate" of the somerville news, it will make mom proud!

[Cambriville News]

CAMBRIVILLE NEWS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2006

AG Reilly May Tap Curtatone for Lt.Gov. Spot

The Cambriville News has learned that the Reilly campaign is in secret talks with Mayor Joe as a possible running mate for Lt. Governor. Curtatone could not be reached for comment. The Mayor it seems is on a campaign fund raising swing through Italy.

The Reilly campaign issued this statement concerning the rumors. "The Mayor is the only elected official in the state who returned our call. We look forward to hearing from him upon his return to the country."

In other News.....................

The ward caucuses will be held across the City tomorrow to select delegates to the Democrats convention in July. Turnout across the city is expected to reach 29 - 35 party faithful said Helen "Doby" Corrigan.

In Related News................

Seems some party faithful were confused about the day of the caucuses after observing at least 6 Alderman and other appointed city officials gathered in front of the H&R Block Tax Services office in Davis Square yesterday. Traffic was backed up for two hours in the square due to the many vans driven by DPW workers delivering cardboard boxes to the tax services office.

And One More For The Road...............

A temporary power outage hit Central Hill late yesterday. A spokesperson for NSTAR had this to say. "There had to have been 400 shredders going at once in City Hall to have caused that kind of drain on the system." Power was restored at 8:00PM.

At the Somerville Theater Tonight..........

Dr. Bill Shelton will discuss (again) the powerful documentary "Our Changing Bodies".

Green Tea and Bill's Brownies will be served.