Lyrical Somerville for October 12

In Davis Square, in our fair city, there are any number of java joints where we can contemplate the dark waters in our ceramic cups. Poet Camille Marie Garcia gazes into her cup, and sees a submerged part of herself bubbling to the surface. To have your work considered for the "Lyrical," send it to: dougholder@post.harvard.edu
Doug Holder 25 School St. Somerville, Mass. 02143

The Dreaded Cup of Coffee
Mesmerized by its tangy complexion
The sipping oval-shaped container sat
It lured my tongue to brush its border
And spat straight into the cup
As I removed my mouth and tilted backwards
I sensed the heat of its tension
The humidity of its pore in my nose
Like a slap across my eyes
A sudden tear burning in fear
Spouted quietly
In a sweet escape
Past the darkness of its base
The fire rose in its inner core
The bubbles reaching the surface
Popping in disgust
Subsequently, a taste of cooling down
A comfort found in the calm surface
No longer dark
No more pain
Just a taste of desire
Calm swirls within
A laid back pleasure
Caused by this once dreaded cup of coffee

— Camille Marie Garcia

Doug Holder

Magoun Square revitalization funds dropped

The money set aside to fund various revitalization projects in Magoun Square has been canceled.

A total of $540,000 was primarily designated for handicapped accessibility and streetscape improvements but on Aug. 9 the money was dropped from the Transportation Enhancement Program.

Developing…

The View From Prospect Hill for October 5

Patronage has suddenly become a naughty word in this city. It detracts from the growth of Somerville, places unqualified political hacks in leadership positions and lines the pockets of undeserving citizens. At least that is what people say when you dare to utter the dreaded nine letter word.
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has repeatedly been criticized for handing over the reins of Assembly Square development to the people who ran his first mayoral campaign. Critics say such patronage is holding the city back from becoming a world class destination. 
But this new movement to discredit the so-called spoils system is the mist which rises skyward before one’s eyes and while it may become thick enough to make a cloud and look scarlet and silver and gilt edged in the sunlight, it will yet be the cloud to blind good political vision.
That means the observer who says patronage has no place in politics is a Jonah, or an abandoned dog without parents which will cry for a while and then die. It means we count ourselves too smart to associate with ’em.
Honest we’d rather be the minor league branch of a mediocre newspaper company – put that on record! – than associate with anyone who doesn’t understand the virtues and goodwill that make up the foundations of patronage. We strain to understand the citizen who chooses to stand for nothing but a dream, a regular dewy mist.
Rise above the mist and look for the earth. You can see it but keep on looking. The sun comes out and drives the mist away and you see the solid bedrock of Democracy and the sands of patronage sticking close to the ground. That’s where you will see us, with feet firmly planted to the earth waving away the clouds of the dreamers.   

Newstalk for October 5th 2005

Congrats to Pat Jehlen for winning the late Charlie Shannon’s Senate seat, Pat will finish out the present term and will have to run again next year for reelection to a full term of office.  We know she’s excited about being elected.  We hope for our sakes that she can bring home the money and services from the State to help Somerville and the rest of the district.  We know she must be really excited, because on Saturday evening she thought she was attending Alderman Tom Taylor’s fundraiser at the Dante Club (Tom has had functions there before, so it was an honest mistake), but she quickly realized when she entered the building that it was a wedding reception for the Skipper and his new bride.  We heard from various people in attendance that she looked around the room, saw the crowd that was there and got out of there real quick.  We hope she wished the Bride and Groom well on their big day.

The rumors are flying about the open State Rep seat with plenty of names being thrown around.  We have heard long time political activist Liz Maroney’s name, Alderman Sean O’Donovan (depending on his local election result), Alderwoman Denise Provost – we even heard former Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay’s name – and no, it wasn’t from our buddy Cathy either.  It would be nice to see Joe Mackey in that race and there are plenty of others mulling it over, we are sure.  Secretary of State Bill Galvin will announce the special election timeframe for that seat soon.

The Alderman at Large race is in full swing for Alderman Bill White – we have seen his signs going up in place of the senate race signs – and we wish him the best.  We have also seen a lot of activity from Alderman Bruce Desmond and Alderman Dennis Sullivan.  All three of them are looking good to retain their seats along with Alderwoman Denise Provost.  From the “outsiders”, expect a very strong showing, if not an upset, from candidates Steve Glines and Manny Martinez – both candidates have been working hard getting their messages out to the public every day.  Oh yeah, candidate Kim Foster-Hirsh and her father Herbie are also out there running hard.  Hey, we are trying to stay positive here and not get nasty – because we know how upset certain people get when we start with what we hear on the street.  There’s still plenty of time to spin those nasty rumors out there that keep popping up all over the city.  Just remember that this is a small city and hard to keep things quiet for very long.

Reality Bites by James Norton for October 5

If you live life in a bubble, does that mean you always have safe sex?

Some who know me are about to moan and groan, but I really don’t give a damn.  State Senator-Elect Pat Jehlen will do, I am sure, a decent job for our district and will undoubtedly be hounded by pundits the whole way through.  I personally would have liked to have seen Bill White win, but it is what it is – good luck Pat – work hard for us all.  You know something, the weirdest part about what I just wrote isn’t that I’ll be given a ration of crap by people I know just for saying what should be said regardless – it’s that she probably won’t even think I was giving her a compliment – oh well.

Somerville’s Changing Politics:  The Diaspora

Part 2 in a Series By William C. Shelton

The attraction of Somerville’s affordable housing, Irish and Italian enclaves, and thriving industrial economy made it the most densely populated American city in the middle of the last century.  Its 170 manufacturing plants provided wages sufficient to support a family, often with only one parent working.

Employees walked to their jobs or took the streetcar.  They and their families maintained a rich fabric of community based on neighborhoods, relationship networks, and scores of nongovernmental organizations.