The Nov.
5 hearing, held jointly by the Board of Aldermen Land Use Committee and
the Somerville Planning Board, saw six residents speak in favor of the
proposal that would revitalize Broadway.

The plan prepared by
the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will expand
zoning policy in the hope of attracting new commercial development to
help revitalize the Winter Hill and Sullivan Square areas.

"It
is not financially feasible to redevelop under the current zoning
ordinances," said Rob May, Somerville's director of Economic
Development.

The plan will allow businesses to expand the
square area of their property through an increase in the allowable
height and density of buildings along the Broadway corridor. Depending
upon the particular district, the maximum allowable height of a
commercial building will increase anywhere from five to 20 feet
compared to current zoning standards.

Comments from both officials and residents focused on Winter Hill, expressing the need to bring new business to the area.

"Winter
Hill is struggling," said Monica Lamboy, executive director of OSPCD.
"The truth is, people just aren't shopping there anymore."

"Winter Hill has a very tired look," Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero added.
"It needs revitalization, it needs this kind of zoning to bring in new
activity. With the Green Line coming, I think the rezoning will add
great residential and commercial developments to the area and be a
value to the larger community here in Somerville."

Carrie
Dancy, executive director of non-profit East Somerville Main Streets,
said the new zoning guidelines would help create a walkable corridor
that is more community centric.

"There is no continuity to
Broadway," Dancy said. "We are really only a destination district right
now. People come, they get what they need, and they get back in their
car and leave. In order to create the vibrancy that we are looking for,
we need more continuity."

Other residents said the need to
bring in different kinds of businesses to the area, especially after
the closing of the Star Market.

"You only need so many sub shops," Erika Tarlin said. "We need a new market and we really need to give the area a little kick."

The
OSPCD's plan will also coincide with a finalized "streetscaping"
program set to begin soon. Funding has been allocated to the Broadway
corridor to create single lanes, "aesthetic" medians, and more
pedestrian-friendly sidewalks.

"Great streets are not just
about businesses, but also about the community space next to it,"
Lamboy said. "By having great buildings with pedestrian oriented
details, you get the sense of a great street."

Among the
concerns raised was the Board's warning that the OSPCD balance the
"utopic" and the "practical" aspects of initiatives – specifically,
ensuring enough parking spaces in any new development. The OSPCD plans
to give new businesses the option of payment in lieu of mandatory
parking spaces, with the money going into a fund for municipal parking
spaces.

With the public hearing process now closed, the
Planning Board will give its recommendation on the rezoning plans to
the Board of Aldermen in early 2010.

The requirements
for consideration of the Tina DeLellis Distinguished Service Award
include the reasons for its inception — "to keep the memory of Tina
DeLellis alive and to thank someone who embodies Tina's spirit and
values of straight-shooting, honesty and fairness." said Mark
Alston-Follansbee, Executive Director of the Somerville Homeless
Coalition.

Rosemary Nolan of Sillari Realty recently received
the first award, which was presented by Gene Brune, Register of Deeds
and former Mayor of Somerville. "Nolan was the first person willing to
take a chance on renting the Somerville Homeless Coalition an apartment
for one of our clients. She always told us the truth [and] told us if
she thought we were making a mistake — but she is always fair and
willing to work with us."

The process of how DeLellis and Johnny
D's became involved is interesting. "There used to be a wild bar in the
space where Orleans is now. They had a beer run to raise money for the
coalition, but then they got shut down. Johnny D's knew we needed that
money and decided to take over the race," he said.

However, "80
percent of our funding comes from public sources like HUD, the state
and the City of Somerville." Then, the coalition must raise the
remaining funds. Johnny D's is the chief sponsor of the annual Road
Race, which brings in some revenue for the organization.

Initially,
the coalition began in the 1980s, with their "Adult Shelter for
individual adults." Located in the College Avenue United Methodist
Church basement. That was soon followed by the opening a Family
Shelter, which is located in the Hispanic Seventh Day Adventist Church.

In
the mid 90s, Project SOUP "joined the Coalition" and was the first
community meal program in New England, according to Alston-Follansbee.
In the following year, 1997, "We received our first federal grant to
provide case management to any homeless person, family or individual in
Somerville." A few years later the coalition's initial permanent
housing program began.

Since 2007, funds from the United Way
have become available "to prevent people from becoming homeless or to
get them re-housed ASAP, if they are homeless," he said.

Currently,
the coalition aids 125 families and individuals — all of whom inhabit
80 apartments. Beyond the City of Somerville, the communities to which
the organization's services extend include: Arlington, Medford, Belmont
and Winchester.

However, the coalition "just received word
from the state that the administration may cut our Adult Shelter budget
by 15 percent, which would be disastrous and be a loss of over $34,000
a year," said Alston-Follansbee.

Baldasaro told two convenience store owners he was
investigating false currency that had been passed through the business.
He ordered them to turn over large amounts of cash for authentication.

Under
a plea agreement with prosecutors, Baldasaro pleaded guilty to two
felony counts of theft by deception. In exchange two counts of
kidnapping and one count of robbery were dismissed.

Bladasaro is
also accused of posing as a federal agent in Somerville and Cambridge
and stealing thousands of dollars in a fraudulent car sales scheme. He
is alleged to have carried a handgun during his impersonations of
police officers and federal agents.

In all of his schemes,
prosecutors say Baldasaro used intimidation and his impersonated
authority to get his victims to comply with his orders.

Baldasaro was apprehended in New York City in May after fleeing New England to avoid capture.

He
could also face trial in Maine and Vermont in addition to possible
federal charges, including armed robbery, kidnapping and parole
violations. He was previously convicted of robbery in Vermont and was
released in 2008 after serving 12 years.

Deputy U.S. Marshal Jeffrey White said in a statement he is pleased that a lengthy sentence was handed down.

In
my election eve auto-call, I said that every election is important –
and I meant it. Through good economic times and bad, in crisis or in
calm, every voter has a major impact on the quality of the life, the
health, the opportunity and the future of the entire community and
everyone in it.

While my phone call to Somerville voters was
political – I was running unopposed but I still wanted to ask for your
vote – it was also intended to get everyone to the polls. Voting is the
most fundamental expression of citizenship in a democracy. I don't
agree with the old saying, "If you don't vote, you can't complain"
(everyone complains anyway, and most office-holders still listen), but
it's undeniable that voters get the final word on the direction of
public policy..

So what conclusions can we draw from this
election? Well, turnout of just over 18 percent of registered voters is
pretty low, and reflects the continuing long-term decline in voter
participation in non-presidential elections in Somerville. There's
really no excuse for this: our local government is about as open and
accessible as it gets, yet fewer people are choosing to run and fewer
people are choosing to vote. It shouldn't be that way. Our city's
population is getting better educated and more affluent. We're seeing
gratifying numbers of residents participate in ResiStat and volunteer
for community events and projects of all kinds. Yet none of that has
translated into direct participation in our most basic act of
self-government.

I have also heard it said that there may be
another factor at work here: in hard economic times, when difficult
choices have to be made at every level of government, fewer people want
the job of elected official. That troubles me, because at no time are
the stakes higher and the need for leadership greater than when we face
an economic or social crisis.

But that brings me to the
positive side of interpreting these election results. Our Board of
Aldermen and School Committee have both had to make some hard decisions
over the past two years, and they have shown real courage and resolve.
The fact that many aldermen and school committee members were unopposed
– and that, with one notable exception, those who faced opposition
handily defeated their opponents – suggests to me that Somerville is
generally satisfied with the quality of leadership it is receiving from
its elected officials.

In the one close race this year – for the
Ward 4 School Committee seat – there were two strong candidates. Both
worked hard, with the challenger, Christine Rafal, winning a narrow but
convincing victory over my friend, incumbent Jamie Norton. Both
candidates can be proud of the level of interest they generated, and
there can be no doubt that Christine is a well-qualified and energetic
candidate. The day after the election, Jamie wrote on Facebook that he
was "sure Christine Rafal will do an excellent job representing Ward 4
on the School Committee." I echo his sentiments.

As for my own
re-election, I am humbled and honored that – despite the fact that I
was unopposed – fully 80 percent of those who cast a ballot last
Tuesday took the time to vote for me. The last time I ran unopposed, in
2005, only 70 percent of the participating voters formally affirmed
their support for me. It's nice to know that, even when they disagree
with me about specific issues, Somerville's voters still have my back.
Believe me, I don't take that support for granted, and will continue to
do my very best to honor the trust placed in me as mayor.

I look
forward to working closely with the Board of Aldermen and the School
Committee as we face two more challenging and busy years. With the
continuing pressures on local budgets, it won't be easy to maintain the
progress we've made in improving our schools, expanding city services,
and promoting long-term transit and economic development projects like
Assembly Square, but we have to try – and I am grateful to be able to
work with such a strong, seasoned and courageous group of elected
officials.

I also want to offer a word of appreciation to the
unsuccessful candidates who showed their commitment to our city by
standing for office. While they may not have been voted into office,
their willingness to serve and their concern for their fellow residents
make all of them winners.

Last Wednesday night at the annual
Chamber of Commerce dinner (a big success, by the way), keynote speaker
Darnell Williams, President of the Urban League of Eastern
Massachusetts, quoted Theodore Roosevelt's famous observation that "It
is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong
man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . . who
does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the
great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best
knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst,
if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place
shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory
nor defeat."

"It's
more practical for tenants if they negotiate, rather than foreclose,
but many people don't know that," said Tchen, a Melrose resident.

It's also a pretty complicated process that a lot of people don't understand, said CAAS intern Emma Dillon.

CAAS
and the Cambridge & Somerville Legal Services (CSLS) Sunday went
door-to-door for a foreclosure outreach campaign to talk to tenants and
owners on the foreclosure list about their rights and how it may be
possible for them to stay in their homes. About a dozen volunteers
appeared for the information and training session before heading out
armed with the list of homeowners who CAAS and CSLS identified as being
in one of the stages of foreclosure. The list came from public records
that were printed in local newspapers.

There are 161
properties in Somerville in the various stages of foreclosure, said
April Kuehnhoff, an attorney-to-be (she just passed the bar exam) for
CSLS. Of those, 17 are bank owned, 17 have been resold to private
individuals, 37 have had foreclosure auctions scheduled and 90 have had
orders sent of the intent to foreclose (with no further process) sent
to them.

CAAS has been tracking evictions for about 15 years,
and typically they see about one or two this year, said Melissa
McWhinney, the CAAS director of outreach. To see 161 homes pop up on
the foreclosure schedule list was alarming, which led CAAS and CSLS to
reach out to tenants.

Somerville is faring better than many
other communities, such as Chelsea, Dorchester, Lynn, Lowell, and other
parts of Boston, McWhinney said. Somerville property values have been
fairly stable during this past year's housing crisis. When homes are
sold at inflated prices, but valued at less than what they are bought
for, that is when communities get into trouble, she said. Somerville
has not seen those fluctuations.

The foreclosure process is
complicated, and takes a long time. That is why volunteers were
instructed to tell people that CAAS and CSLS will hold a meeting on
Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the CAAS office at 66-70 Union Square to answer
questions. Lawyers will also be present. It takes about a year from
when a person first misses a mortgage payment to when they receive an
eviction notice, though it really varies due to the numerous stages
that occur (see sidebar below).

Rachel Bedick, CAAS' outreach
organizer, said it's nerve wracking when first knocking on doors. Some
owners may not even know their homes are being foreclosed, even after
it's published.

Volunteers were armed with flyers in four
languages-English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. They also
had language booklets with key phrases and to help them identify what
languages people might be speaking if they were unsure.

The
residents were told to relay how CAAS and CSLS can help people stay in
their homes, find rental assistance, seek advice, or refer them to
another source who could help them. The volunteers also stressed that
the foreclosure process is lengthy, and that no one would be kicked out
of their home in the near future.

Ari Daniel Shapiro lives
around the corner from the CAAS office. He showed up on Sunday to knock
on doors to support his community and gain a better understanding of
the diversity that exists outside his doorstep.

"It's a big issue," he said. "I just wanted to be a part of it."

You can reach CAAS at (617)-623-1392 or rbedick@caasomerville.org.

1.
Missed payment-Usually the mortgage payment is due the first of the
month. A late fee is assessed after the 15th day of the month.

2.
Demand letter- After the 60 days of missed payments a demand letter is
sent to the homeowner in attempts to collect and giving them 30 days to
resolve the delinquent amount.

3. Notice of default- After 90
days of missed payment, the loan is transferred to the foreclosure
department. The notice of default is then recorded with the county the
property is located in and mailed out to the homeowner within ten days
the default is recorded. The homeowner is given 90 days from the
recorded date to resolve the default.

4. Notice of Sale- If
after 90 days from the recorded date, the default is not resolved then
a notice of sale will be recorded. This notice states that the lender
will sell the property in 21 days. The copy of the notice will be sent
to the homeowner, posted in the county paper for three consecutive
weeks and at the county courthouse.

5. Trustee Sale- After 21 to 25 days of the notice of sale, the property is sold at a foreclosure sale or auction.

6. Real Estate Owned- when a property is not sold at auction, then the lender lists the property with an REO broker.

7. Eviction- if the property is sold to the highest bidder, then the eviction process starts for the foreclosed owners.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kayla_Hoang

We celebrate Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, but I found a place where it's Veterans Day, every day.

I
spent about an hour at Tony Matarazzo's Barber shop at 294 Broadway the
other day, but I didn't get a haircut. What I did get was a refreshed
feeling of patriotism and pride, and a renewed appreciation for the
courageous veterans that fought to keep us free. On a table in Tony's
Barber shop is what is known as the Armed Forces Honor Roll book. It is
a neatly assembled collection of photographs, newspaper clippings,
discharge papers, family shots, and even Western Union telegrams, all
telling a the story of the brave veterans from the Winter Hill
neighborhood. Phil Vozella, who is also a barber at Tony's explained
why the book was started and why it is so important. "These are
neighborhood guys, customers, and friends who answered the call of duty
and served their nation. There are photos of veterans from World War I,
World War ll, Korea, Viet Nam, Desert Storm, and even Afghanistan and
Iraq. Bob Quinn, a Korean War Vet, just did the whole book over. The
plastic sleeves and easy to read text make it an extremely interesting
and easy to read collection.

One of the most prestigious entries
is that of retired four-star Gen. John Sheehan from Putnam Rd in the
Ten Hills Area. He was one of 13 children and his dad drove a truck for
First National foods. The General's father was known as "The Irish
Whip" because of his softball pitching talent. The General used to cut
the hedges at St Polycarp Church. You can hear many more stories at the
barber shop.

Tony Matarazzo himself volunteered for the Navy
when he was just 16 years old. Tony tells stories of his fellow
veterans like they just happened yesterday.

There is a section
showing the Wilson brothers, who all served in Korea and returned
safely to Somerville. There was Fredrick, Woodrow, Walter and William
who I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with at the barber shop.
William turned out to be an old friend who I hadn't seen in about 30
years. "Willie" is a four- time commander of Post 299 in Cambridge.

There
is a wonderful picture the five Shea brothers — John, Richard, Edward,
Robert and Albert. Fred Solberg's story is pretty exciting, he escaped
from a POW camp twice. He ran Fred's Hardware on Marshall Street and
Broadway for years.

As Phil says, "It is a book to tell the
story of our local boys who served their country in time of need." The
book is a testimonial that serves as a reminder of the bravery and
unselfish dedication of the servicemen from the Winter Hill area.

You can see a great photo of Vic Leone in the book. Yes, the same Vic Leone from Leones Sub and Pizza!

Some
of the names and photos in the book are: Tony and Nick Cortese, Emilio
Caizzi, Joe Vigliotti, Arthur Harrington, Vito Capello, John S. Hayes,
Bob Haley and Retired Full Colonel Joseph W. Mercuri of the Nation
Guard.

Phil tells this story , which is one of the most exciting
I heard during my visit. On their landing craft heading to the invasion
of Okinawa, John "Hard Rock" Burns, along with many other somber
servicemen were quiet. Also on board was Corpsman George Doherty.
"Hardrock" say, "Hey, I'm the only one who thought ahead and brought
his own funeral director!" The funny line eased the tension of the
moment. George Doherty of course went on to run the Funeral Home in
Power House Square.

It is Phil and Tony's wish that the people
of the neighborhood, especially the younger generation, look at the
book and understand the sacrifices that their fellow citizens made for
their country. Phil Vozella is a human encyclopedia on Somerville
Veterans history. It was a pleasure and an honor spending an hour with
them.

I walked out of Tony Matarazzo's barber shop with a
feeling of deep appreciation for what our brave veterans did for our
nation. Go to Tony's and check out the Armed Forces Honor Roll Book. If
you get a haircut there you will look great on the outside and feel
even better on the inside .

Let's not forget to keep in our
hearts and prayers, the many dedicated and brave servicemen and women,
who are serving our country and preserving our freedom right now.

There are three different Veteran's events for the month of November:

Street
dedication: Joseph Duffy, father of Patrolman Paul Duffy, Saturday Nov.
7th 11 a.m. corner of Powderhouse Blvd. and Dow St.

Annual
dinner honoring police and firefighters of the year: Tuesday, Nov. 10th
7 p.m. American Legion Post #19 124 Highland Ave. (names have been
submitted for citations)

Annual Veterans Day ceremony: Wednesday, Nov. 11 10 a.m. VFW George Dilboy Post #529 371 Summer St.

During
a forum to solicit feedback on the work of the Lower Mystic River
Corridor Strategy project last Wednesday night, Metropolitan Area
Planning Council (MAPC) planners unveiled Phase 2 of the project that
began in 2007. The purpose of the project, planned for the cities of
Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Medford, and Somerville, is to bring
the neglected waterway that encompasses 76 square miles of watershed
(though the project is restricted to the six-city area) from the Lower
Mystic Lake all the way up to East Boston.

"This area has not
realized its full potential," said Mayor Joseph Curtatone, before
introducing MAPC planners. "We have a river that we can use as a
regional asset. It's exciting to undergo this study."

Thus
far, the project's steering committee has met six times, and last
unveiled it's progress during a public form in Everett last January.
This meeting outlined the six strategies that the steering committee
has come up with since then. A synopsis of some key points are as
follows:

1. Acquire, protect, enhance, and link regionally
significant open space parcels-While the Mystic River Reservation is
fairly complete in Medford, there is much less open space in the lower
reaches of the river. The steering committee identified ten parcels,
including the Assembly Square area (1.5 acres of DCR-owned upland
currently used only seasonally for boat storage) and the Sullivan
Square connector trail (a new pedestrian link between Draw 7 Park and
the Route 99 Bridge).

2. Enhance and encourage sustainable
development and redevelopment along the corridor-Development along the
Mystic River has historically been industrial. The six cities have
identified important developments currently underway, such as the
Assembly Square mixed-use plan and the Rivers Edge project in Everett,
Medford and Malden. These projects should use green building, native
landscaping, and trail construction. MAPC should also provide an
analysis of Brownfield priorities.

3. Improve access to and
along the river through the development of water transportation, public
transit, roadway improvements, and bicycle and pedestrian
accommodations-Priority transportation projects include the Green Line
Extension to Route 16, the I-93/Mystic Avenue Interchange, and the
Orange Line station at Assembly Square.

4. Work with regional
partners to influence policy and ensure that agencies and organizations
have sufficient resources to effect change on the Mystic River-Elements
of this strategy include asking the MAPC to work with the Environmental
Protection Agency (as the EPA recently began a new Mystic River
Initiative in April 2008), asking the MAPC and six cities to work with
the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and with the
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to work on eliminating combined
sewer overflows.

5. Develop and advocate for a strong
legislative response to Mystic River needs-The state Legislature is a
critical partner to revitalize the lower Mystic River. MAPC and the six
cities can work to create a Mystic River Water Quality Commission that
includes full city representation (originally House Bill 841 in the
2007-2008 Legislative session). The bill has been refiled for the
2009-2010 session and pending a final bill number.

6. Develop
and maintain an information clearinghouse-Although many agencies
involved in the Mystic River issues maintain Web sites, information
must collaboratively reach the public.

Visit www.mapc.org to
access a PDF of this report, which describes the above in detail, and
also contains various maps of the region. Look to the "Smart Growth"
tab on the left of the home page, and scroll down to the Mystic River
project, and the array of PDFs.

Part of initiative number six
has already been completed. MAPC recently developed a "dynamic" map of
the lower Mystic, also located at www.mapc.org. In addition, MAPC
recently updated its Web page to make it more user-friendly, and has
been working on a more robust email list, said Joan Blaustein, MAPC's
project manager.

The MAPC is proud of its interactive map, which
people can zoom into, move around, and zoom out to see how the Mystic
River project relates to surrounding neighborhoods. Blaustein asked the
audience to play around with the map, and contact her if there are any
suggestions to improve it. The map also contains links to other ongoing
projects, such as the Green Line Extension.

Marc Draisen, the
MAPC executive director, said that two lessons learned thus far come to
mind. First, cities and towns must work together to figure out what
will work for the major corridors, which includes the riverway.

"The
Charles River received a good amount of attention, but we haven't paid
attention to this riverway," Draisen said. "I know that money is tight,
and that we can't fund everything right away, but we can use this time
to prioritize."

Second, people need to focus on the future
needs, he said, again, stressing prioritizing. "Planning is only as
good as the implementation that follows it," he said, adding that this
night was the kick off for the implementation phase.

People in
the audience mainly asked about land acquisition issues-including
whether land could be taken to revert it back to its natural
habitat-and toxic waste, pollution, and water run-off issues.

Blaustein
said that the MAPC is working with the Mystic River Watershed
Association to assess water quality data and zeroing in on any "hot
spots." The MAPC has looked at a host of land acquisition issues and
prioritized where they can make the most progress. They are open to
hearing from people about other acquisition possibilities, Blaustein
aid.

"It is easy for us to prioritize open space," Draisen
said. "If our map can help us find critical Brownfields, if a site
appears to be useful, then we prioritize it. We can clean it up and use
it in a more recreational way. It is difficult to get listings of
Brownfield sites, because such a list, unfortunately, does not exist."