News Talk for the week of June 28

News Talk for the week of June 28

News Talk hears former Ward 6 Alderman Jack Connolly is pondering a return to politics. Alderman-at-Large and state Rep. Denise Provost has said she’s not going to seek re-election to the board in the 2007 municipal elections. The progressives are reportedly clearing the way for Marty Martinez to be the heir apparent, but Jack has expressed interest in the seat and we’d like to see him give it a shot.

Different folks throughout the city are encouraging popular Alderman-at-Large Bill White to run for mayor in ’07. The police are reportedly big fans of Bill, and News Talk hears they would support him the minute he declared his candidacy. Bill works hard (he has never missed an alderman’s meeting since he was elected in ’99), is unfailingly honest and can always be counted on to make a fair, independent decision.
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So the war on fluffernutter is finally over. Sen. Jarrett Barrios has decided to call a truce with the marshmallowey, tasty treat after initially proposing an amendment that would specifically ban fluffernutter sandwiches from schools. We hear he was embarrassed it was getting so much attention and just wanted to put the fluff fiasco of 2006 behind him. We like fluff not only because it tastes good but also because it was invented right here in Somerville -- Union Square to be exact – by Archibald Query in 1917. And why can legislators outlaw certain foods? You know it’s just going to make the kids want it more. What’s next, an amendment against playing with your food at the dinner table?   
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Don’t forget the city’s fireworks at Trum Field this Thursday, and Family Fun Day on Saturday. The city always puts on a good show for the small kids and the teenagers alike. This year, as in the past few years, donations from corporations were given to offset the cost. Mayor Joe is right about bringing back a good feeling, giving us something that use to be around every holiday but hadn’t gone on in a long time. Say thanks to the mayor and his staff for a job well done next time you see him.
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Monday night at the Masonic building on Highland Avenue Somerville Lodge honored long time Dickerson Street resident Arthur G. Costa for his many years of service to the lodge both as Past Master and as Secretary. A large crowd of Somerville residents were on hand to witness the Somerville Lodge, the Grand Lodge, and Arthur’s other lodge -- King Solomon’s – recognize him for all of his work. Arthur was very pleased to see the large turnout and was very moved.   
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Congratulations to Alex and his wife Serita on the recent new arrival to their family, a new baby boy. Alessandro Capobianco was born Friday June 23rd. The mayor’s new son, Patrick John Curtatone, has a new cousin in Alessandro. Congratulations to both families. 
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Still no conclusion to the missing money at the Traffic & Parking Dept, we keep hoping to hear something, anything? But nothing. Is the investigation almost complete?    
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Speaking of  Traffic & Parking, the Acting Director Larry Murphy was recently installed as King Lion at the Somerville Lions installation this past weekend, we wish him the best in his postion.
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Seen in Somerville recently was David Ortiz. “Big Pappy” was dinning with friends this past weekend, trying to keep a low profile in his huge Black Hummer, but News Talk saw him. News Talk sees everything.
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All quiet on the Water Department front? Well, we still hear some grunts and groans but then again, we hear everything. Maybe our writing about the Water Department made them buckle down and do their jobs.
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We hear aldermen are being inundated with frantic phone calls and e-mails from constituents worried about the mayor’s proposal to limit condominium conversions in the city. Residents were alarmed by a mailing from the Small Property Owners Association  that said the plan was rent control in disguise. Now, besieged aldermen are spending their time re-assuring constituents that nothing will happen with the ordinance until after Labor Day.

Comments

[Damn]

I thought you were going to say that Provost was not running for State Representative as well. She has to be the oddest person alive. She walks around the State House with her head down. She is a social misfit. A great quality for a State Rep.

[Pete]

It's not "Big Pappy," it's "Big Papi." He isn't Popeye's father, for chrissakes.

The little details matter in your business. Study up next time.

[Whatever]

And I'm guessing (since I didn't see him) Big Papi was eating ("dining"), not making a racket ("dinning"). Or, maybe his black Hummer (why is "black" capitalized?) was making a lot of noise -- I didn't hear him either.

[Solh Zendeh]

Speaking of details matter... I'm pretty sure that Barrios wanted the Fluffernutter to be limited *as an official lunch meal* to once per week instead of every day. Not, as you say, to eliminate it entirely.

It kind of pisses me off to see people be so glib about something that is going to cost *billions* of tax dollars supporting the more and more people who get (type 2) diabetes every year simply because they eat crap and don't move if they can possibly help it.

I think the least our public schools can do is not actively encourage the a terrible diet.

[Somerville Voter]

Alderwoman or State Rep. provost do us all a favor and step down as alderwoman. there's no need of you collecting 2 salaries one from the city of somerville and the house of represenatives.
Somerville Voter

[Somerville Voter]

Alderwoman or State Rep. provost do us all a favor and step down as alderwoman. there's no need of you collecting 2 salaries one from the city of somerville and the house of represenatives.
Somerville Voter

[OldSchool]

You know, maybe if we allowed teachers to discipline kids and set standards of conduct these kids wouldn't eat this garbage. I went to a Catholic School and if you were caught at lunch eating candy, you would be getting your head slap up side by Father. HMM, maybe we can bring discipline back to schools and teach these kids that you always don't get what you want, the parents sure as hell aren't, they are more concerned with their own careers to deal with their kids. These days we let the kids run wild and you wonder why they are pregnant by 15, doing drugs by 16, and shot dead in gang violence by 17. In my day, if you got out of line Father would slap you so silly that you would not be messing around anymore. Alas, schools these days are breeding the next generation of messed up kids. Anyways I doubt this will happen, we can't punish a kid for being a brat, we need to reward him so his self esteem won't be hurt. I can't wait to see all the negative comments I get by mentioning the C (catholic) word, i forgot we are considered the enemy these days.

[Dr. Mrs. McCarthy]

Old School,

You certainly won't get any critical remarks from this old Catholic dame. I too went to school run by the good sisters and I'm all the better for it.(although there are some that would argue that) But dear, if my memory serves me right, the school I went to fed us sugar by the boatload at 10:15am morning candy break and again at the 2:00pm afternoon candy break. Remember the boxes of Hershey's, Nestle Crunch and Reeses kept in the back locked closet???? And they only cost a nickel? No? Maybe you just had a more strict order of nuns at the school you spent your miserable, er, impressionable years.

I myself never bought candy. I would donate my nickle to Little Black Sambo. Remember him? The statue of the African child with outstretched palms, with a slot in the hands just big enough to accept the nickel, dime or quarter? This money went to the "little brown babies in Africa". Or so Sister Mary LuLu told us. Now don't go getting all sanctimonious on me. There really was such a statue and his name really was Sambo.

Anyway, where was I? Oh ya. The fireworks were excellent tonight. No sarcasm, no flip remarks, just a great big thank you to the City and the sponsors.

Great show. Great time.

Gotta go take some Pepto. Too much fried dough...........................

And the Rockets Red Glare,

Dr. Mrs. McCarthy

[REMEMBER SAMSO?]

DR. MRS. MCCARTHY
I DO REMEMBER SAMBO, WE MUST HAVE GONE TO THE SAME SCHOOL, ST. ANNE'S! YOU COULD NOT BUY ANY CANDY UNLESS YOU DONATED TO THE POOR CHILDREN IN PERU. THEY MADE YOU FEEL GUILTY UNTIL YOU GAVE YOUR MONEY TO SAMBO!

I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT SOME OF US ARE STILL AROUND. HAVE A GOOD DAY, YOU'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, DR. MRS. MCCARTHY

[The Mole]

Dear Dr. Mrs. McCarthy, I too remember the days at Catechism when we would be reading along with a recorded voice and then you heard the “Ding” which meant to flip the page. Boy that brings back the good ole days. Back then too were the days we would get a slap on the wrist with a ruler or the beads of the Nuns. They didn’t take any chit from anyone.

The candy was always pushed on us also during our Sunday School Days. Those of us that went to Public Schools had to go to Sunday School to make up for the lack of Jesus in us. We were to buy candy galore every Sunday after the 9 AM Mass. During Mass when they passed the collection box around I would always fake dropping the coins in the basket only to use those coins to buy the candy an hour later.

Those were the days….

The Mole

[thenoseknows]

st annes r u kidding me. my father wants to sue them for the dental bills they caused with all that candy.only problem is....they have no more money. so anyways im done goood night and good memories