Last Tuesday night when the mayor submitted his budget to the aldermen, Alderman Bob Trane asked him what was the state aid increase and the Mayor said it was less than 1 percent. Our state delegation headed by Senator (Queen of the Progressives) Jehlen and others had a press release stating there was a 9 percent increase. Who is right?
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Someone owes someone an apology apparently. Last week after a budget meeting up at City Hall, a well-known Somerville activist and an alderman had some words. It all started when the budget meeting had ended and one of the aldermen who was present invited the activist to stay and have bite of food that was spread out on a table in the conference room adjacent to the Chambers. As the activist was serving himself some food, he asked another alderman if he minded that he join in on some food, the alderman’s response was very nasty and then asked to have the activist removed from the room. Those budget meetings can be very stressful.
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Ruth Ryan, longtime Howe Street resident and widow of the late Somerville Police Lt. Bobby Ryan, recently passed away at her home in Action, Maine. We extend our sympathies to her six children and many of her extended family and friends here in Somerville, who remember her fondly.
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Our condolences go out to the family of Maryanne LaRosa who passed on last weekend. Maryanne was like a big sister to some of us here at The Somerville News and to her two sons, Steven and Michael, as well as her husband Al and the entire LaRosa family we express our deepest sympathy. Also, condolences to the family of Sandra DiGiovani who passed away last week as well. Sandra and her husband Gerry DiGiovani were the owners of the Embassy Lounge and the Glendore Café. She will be missed by many.
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Wow, last week we reported that congratulations were in order for former Mayor Dorothy Kelley Gay and her husband - who we thought celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary, we quickly got a call from Bert correcting us; it is actually the 40th anniversary of coming to America, legally.
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Congratulations to Tim O’Malley, who will be installed this Friday night as the Somerville Lions Club’s King Lion! Tim is and always has been a devoted member of the Somerville Lions and will lead the Lion’s Club into another successful year. Good luck Tim…. can’t you hear them roaring now?
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Last week one of our Newstalkers was approached by a lovely group of ladies from Cambridge who tell us that they constantly travel to Somerville every week just to get a copy of The News! They also requested to us that we turn the heat up a bit on Newstalk! Ladies, it is what it is - some of our findings need to be toned down a bit sometimes, but like we said it is what it is and what we find sometimes gets too hot on its own! Thanks for your loyalty as valued readers of the Somerville News.
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Congratulations to Clerk Magistrate Bob Tomisoni of the Somerville District Court, who was recognized for his many years of service at an annual event in the North End of Boston earlier this week, which was thrown in his honor. A lot of comrades got a chance to spend a quality evening together! The room was packed with many friends and family to help celebrate this joyous occasion.
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Well it’s all over at the Secretary of State’s hearing on the validity of the Bob Trane’s signatures. Prince Carl’s neighbor, who filed a petition to challenge Bob Trane’s signatures, was trying to change the rules - but it appears that all his appeals and options are now closed. Apparently the Secretary of State’s Office dismissed the case. We hear that Carl was just outside on the sidewalk - getting updates and calls regarding the hearing. All the while, Bob is walking the district and is getting a great welcome by many of the residents and voters - especially in South Medford and on Somerville’s Ward 4 line.
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Congratulations to two local Somerville Attorneys - Steven Glines and Frank Olivera - who both received awards and recognition last week for their “pro bono” free attorney work in the Family Law Department at the Middlesex Probate Court in Cambridge. Both attorneys donated countless hours to help and advise those people who couldn’t afford an attorney when they needed one during their probate matters.
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Somerville resident Jessica Oliveira recently graduated with Honors from Lasell College she graduated Magna Cum Laude at Lasell College earning a Bachelor of Science degree. Congratulations Jessica.
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Congratulations to Melissa Ohearn, a 2004 graduate of Somerville High, for graduating from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. During the six weeks of training, Ohearn studied the Air Force mission, organization, and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training
exercises, and special training in human relations. In addition, she earned credits toward an associate degree through the Community College of the Air Force. She is the daughter of Charles and Annette Ohearn of Miner Street.
The internet is a funny thing. It allows one to quickly look up facts. Like if you visit the informational web site set up by Somerville's legislative delegation (just google it, since I know JN doesn't like links to things like facts here), you'll find a graph showing that local aid has increased 9 percent between FY2004-2008, and you'll see that no one is claiming a 9 percent increase in the last year. Must be frustrating to try and spread lies when the facts are so easy to find.
Posted by: Stinky | June 18, 2008 at 08:05 AM
Just an FYI Stinky. Rep. Sciortino is claiming that there was an increase in state aid of 9% THIS YEAR. (Of course he is running for re-election). I really don't think you looked at the right graph. Go to the State's Department of Revenue page and no matter how you slice it Somerville's aid has not increased 9%. Also, the increase (any increase) is a shady number. We also need to look at the amount of Assessments on the City. From last fiscal year to this one the overall aid to the city increased .73%. The local aid increased 1.23% but the assessments increased 3.42%!! From FY 2004 (which you mention in your email) local aid has increased 3.65% overall. The local aid increased JUST 4.13% and the beautiful assessments rose a whopping 6.21%!!!!!! The biggest sign of what the assessments did to Somerville and the fact that our delegation seems to want to ignore it is this... From the cuts of 2003 our overall aid is down 23% and our assessments are up 103%!!! From 2008 to 2009 we only picked up 1/2 a % point on overall local aid but we lost 6.7% on assessments. They can keep lying to us because everyone keeps believing it - Right Stinky!
Posted by: Honest Aid Numbers | June 18, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Stinky, don't worry, it has been proven that 92.773% of people believe that statistics lie. Honest Aid Numbers, I've told you a million times not to exagerate.
Posted by: Statisticians | June 18, 2008 at 10:30 AM
What exageration? Look up the "Cherry Sheets" on the Massachusetts Department of Revenue web site. The numbers are there and they don't lie.
Posted by: Honest Aid Numbers | June 18, 2008 at 10:41 AM
It seems that the facts get in the way of the delegations story in this case. Either they ignored the numbers or they purposely misled the citizens of the city. I checked the figures and the numbers the city are using are correct.
Posted by: truthBTold | June 18, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Wasn't Bert Gay dodging the INS because of an illeagle imigration issue at one time for a while?
Posted by: sandy | June 18, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Hey, what's up with the "Skipper"? First he is happy with his $10,000 raise, now all of a sudden he wants to return to the Union position, and hands in his resignation. Then he is talked out of it and is back in the "BIG HOUSE".
What did Hog do to get him back in the graces? Give him a free slip at the Homans' building for the "Naughty Lady"? Get his wiggers back for his constable position? Give him the forth "SMART" car?"
Posted by: City Hall Nose | June 18, 2008 at 04:49 PM
So was the food any good? if it is like the city lunch food like we got at school. i say take it and shove it. FOOD FIGHT
Posted by: Ward 3 Voter | June 18, 2008 at 07:06 PM
City hall nose, You got a problem with the skipper take it up with the skipper. Dont be a pussy and hide behind your computer. People like you make me sick. You obviously have something to hide if you feel the need to divert attention away from yourself. Or are you just jealous of him? Whatever the case, get some balls and confront him if you have a problem. I dare you!
Posted by: Zoolander | June 18, 2008 at 08:00 PM
Hey Mikie, thanks for the confirmation. I have no beef with the "Skipper". He's a great guy from what I hear. I just wanted to see if what I had heard was true. Now I am wondering the deal he may have made to stay. No more, no less.
Posted by: City Hall Nose | June 18, 2008 at 08:20 PM
PORK CHOPS AND APPLESAUCE
Posted by: Ward 3 Voter | June 18, 2008 at 09:13 PM
You know what I love best about this blog? People say whatever they want and when they are proven wrong they do not have the guts to post again. Stinky you were pretty strong in your defense of the delegation and once it was proven that our lovely delegation are liars you dissappear. I would like a response please. I would love a response from someone in the delegation but I KNOW they don't ever back up their lies.
Posted by: Oh Stinky where are you? | June 19, 2008 at 09:11 AM
Gosh, I'm sorry - I don't have all day to spend tracking the comments here like some people seem to.
I still have seen no evidence that ANYONE from the state delegation (Provost, Sciortino, Jehlen, Toomey, or even Galluccio) claimed a 9% increase THIS YEAR. Newstalk claims a press release, but since the News rarely publishes anything positive about our legislators, I certainly haven't seen it here. I haven't seen it on the Farm Team site either.
The one place I see them claiming 9% is on the delegation web site (which was covered by the Farm Team, but not the News) where they say that there's been a 9% increase between FY2004-2008.
So who's lying? You show me their claim that there was a 9% increase this year, and I'll take it all back. Otherwise this is all just more Somerville News Smear BS.
Posted by: stinky | June 19, 2008 at 10:40 AM
Interesting to see no name was given for the crabby alderman vs. the hungry activist battle above, one can only assume it was one of the establishment: was it Sean O'Donovan taking issue with Joe Lynch, or Bob Trane yelling at (fill in the blank)?
Because if it was Rebecca Gewirtz yelling at, well, um, whoever, it would have been front-page news here. But if it's (possibly) a candidate for state office (just speculating here) losing his (guessing) temper again, hey, no fuss, he's one of us.
Posted by: Tricky | June 19, 2008 at 12:31 PM
City hall nose just proved what a pussy he is.
Posted by: Zoolander | June 19, 2008 at 10:35 PM
wow, the skipper gets everything, the worker nothing! why? HOW?
Posted by: WONDERING | June 21, 2008 at 12:52 AM
Tricky your so wrong again. I hear from people that were at the Hall when this happened that is was the Ward 4 alderman
Posted by: truthBTold | June 21, 2008 at 09:12 AM
Hey, whatever. My points were that if it had been Gewirtz blowing her stack at someone (but I'm having trouble an activist she wouldn't like), Newstalk would have named her -
- but also, that if you had to lay some hard cash down on one specific alderman getting P.O.'ed at an "activist" (an important distinction to be made in this case), you can't tell me you wouldn't be putting your money on the gentleman from Ward Seven.
ANYHOW - What "activist" would the Ward 4 alderman get so P.O.'ed at? Wig Zamore? Maybe he was just hungry, and thought the guy was cutting in line...
Posted by: Tricky | June 24, 2008 at 12:55 PM