Coplan has played the piano since age 8. Photo courtesy of Lauren Manocchia

By Cathleen Twardzik

In
early February, Stephanie Coplan, a senior at Tufts University, began a
program called the Broadway2Broadway Initiative at the West Somerville
Neighborhood School (WSNS) which takes place after school. It delves
into "musical theater, through the lens of history and geography," said
Coplan.

"This program helps fill in the gaps by exposing
students to singing, acting, dancing, songwriting and improvising,"
said Coplan. "It also bolsters their existing social studies curriculum
by discussing the politics, geography and culture of countries like
Austria, England and China."

The new program meets two to three
Wednesdays each month from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. "The West Somerville
Neighborhood School has a fair amount of half-days on Wednesdays," she
said. Therefore, "Our program can only take place on full Wednesdays.
However, we try to make up for the "missing" Wednesdays by hosting
extra events, like taking all the students to a play or hosting an
acting workshop at Tufts."

So far, three sessions have been
held, although more would have taken place, had fewer snow or half days
occurred. Although, she "would absolutely love to continue it during
the summer, most Tufts students won't be around."

All sixth,
seventh and eighth grade students at WSNS may participate in this
program. Students range in age from 11 to 15 years of age. "We started
out with five people and have grown to nine," said Coplan. Fewer than
100 students are enrolled at the school. Therefore, approximately 10
percent of the student body, in that age bracket, currently benefits
from the program.

Broadway2Broadway was funded by Tufts Civic
Engagement Institute at the Tisch College of Citizenship and Public
Service, The Civic Engagement Fund, "provides support for students who
want to create projects that help the community," said Coplan.

"For
a two week period in October 2008, she wrote letters to individuals in
the Drama Department, Education Department, History Department and
Child Development, all of whom provided additional assistance. "People
could tell that it was a good idea, and that it had realistic,
manageable goals," she said. Coplan submitted her application on
October 31. Approximately a month later, she received word that
Broadway2Broadway "had been granted every dollar I asked for."

"Tufts'
student-run musical theater organization Torn Ticket II has donated
tickets to their Spring show, Into the Woods, so that the WSNS students
can see their first musical," she said.

WSNS, does not possess
ample resources "to offer a strong performing arts program. These kids
are suddenly being encouraged to let their inner actor/singer/dancer
shine," said Coplan. "No one has nurtured these talents in a
professional way before."

She discovered that this particular
school was in dire need of a better arts department. According to
Coplan, she selected WSNS because the location of the school is ideal,
as it lies "around the corner from Tufts." Therefore, the school is
within walking distance for Tufts students.

Students with various backgrounds participate. "We've got quite a diverse group of people," she said.

Many
of the students in Broadway2Broadway play instruments in their music
classes. However, acting, dancing and singing in-school opportunities
are lacking.

Participants exhibit a wide-range of acting, singing and dancing ability. Some excel in all three areas.

"We
have a sixth grader who likes to sing opera, an eighth grade boy who
can do amazing impressions – even one of Britney Spears, and an eighth
grade girl who can play every instrument and wants to go to Berklee for
music production," said Coplan.

"The way the sessions work is
that we bring in a different Tufts student each week to "lead" the
session for the day, focusing on a different musical each week," she
said. "For instance, we recently did a session on My Fair Lady in
connection with England. Two students, Michelle Wilson ('12) and
Carolyn Berliner ('11) came to WSNS and showed clips from the Audrey
Hepburn film and discussed the socio-economic breakdown of London. That
was the social studies portion."

That session began with diction
exercises, analogous to those in My Fair Lady. That stressed the
importance of enunciation in acting. Tea time followed. Besides tea,
biscuits, jam and butter were available to devour. Choreography from "I
Could Have Danced All Night" filled out the day. Therefore, "By not
focusing on one thing for two and a half hours, everyone gets a little
taste of something different," said Coplan.

At present,
student plays are not in the works for Broadway2Broadway. However,
Coplan anticipates that the program will reach that goal in the future.
"For right now, we're trying to build basic skills," she said.

She
hopes that this program will become a permanent after-school fixture at
WSNS, and she would be thrilled if other area schools in Somerville and
the surrounding area could partake in similar programs. However, that
would require additional funding. Since the program's inception, the
number of students has virtually doubled.

Surprisingly, Coplan is not a theater major, but a Philosophy major.

"I
have very little background in theater…I starred in a few school
plays, but I'm mostly just a musical theater buff," she said. "I
started taking [piano] lessons when I was eight, and I've played for
dozens of musicals in orchestra pits, as well as jazz bands."

"I'm
the only organizer, in the sense that I'm the only one keeping track of
when our sessions are, what paperwork needs to be done, what reports
need to be sent to Tisch College," she said.

"Leaders" are
rotated each week and really take control of their own session. There
is no lesson plan for the volunteer-based program.

To date, four
individuals have served as session leaders, all of whom possess "a
background in theater and music." Samantha Tempchin, ('10,) Carolyn
Berliner, ('11,) Michelle Wilson, ('12,) and Stephanie Kreutz ('09)
have all filled the role.

Although, "We're going to have a
member of Tisch College, Anthony DeMatteo, [who has a background in
film] run the next one on April 1," said Coplan.

 

 
Winter Hill Community School held an interactive forum Monday night on healthy eating habits, "Nutrition and Your Child"

Martin Levenson

At
the Winter Hill Community School on Monday night, an interactive forum
on healthy eating habits, dubbed "Nutrition and Your Child" was
presented. This was the second of what will be four in a health series
held in the school's fourth floor library. This was made possible by a
grant the school's PTA received from a local non-profit – the
Somerville Health Foundation – which is under the governance of
Cambridge Health Alliance. Steve Tuccelli, the principal, was very
satisfied with Monday night's presentation; the only lingering concern
was its low attendance. "I thought it was fantastic, but I'd love to
have more parents here."

The presentation was lead by two
experts, Dr. Dawn Peters, a pediatrician at Somerville Pediatrics, and
Reem Jabr, a registered dietitian who does work for Somerville
Pediatrics and other Cambridge Health Alliance run organizations. Each
had a PowerPoint presentation; Dr. Peters began the talk using a map of
the US to show our country's rising trend of obesity, which by 2005 had
risen to the extent that many states were considered one-third obese.
Obesity, as she explains, is any Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30.
Some have larger frames or are naturally bigger people and she admits
that "BMI is helpful, but it is only one factor." When asked if
children should be on diets, Dr. Peters insists that if the child is
eating poorly, his or her caloric intake must be monitored, saying
"Don't focus on losing weight, but maintaining a healthy weight." An
easy way to start your child on good eating habits, Dr. Peters tells
the crowd, is to have at least four family meals a week, in which the
parents will model good eating habits for their children. "It could be
breakfast one day, or before practice [the next]."

Reem Jabr,
the registered dietitian began her talk by showing the parents and
teachers the food pyramid model, consisting of five categories from
grains to meat. When discussing meat, Jabr told the audience that
turkey was a healthy substitute for red meats like beef. "Turkey is a
good idea throughout the year," she says. Turkey can be made into
meatballs and burgers which will have much less fat than normal beef
ones. Americans' biggest problem with diet is too much fat and not
enough fiber, according to Jabr, who says, "Most Americans consume 11
[grams of fiber] a day," when the recommended daily amount of fiber is
more than double that. Jabr informed the crowd that while healthy food
is generally more expensive, you can always find deals. She says frozen
or canned vegetables are cheap and generally nutritious since they were
packaged at the time of the harvest. An easy way to monitor your and
your child's eating habits, Jabr states, is to "eat in" rather than
"eat out". When you are home, cooking your own food, there is no
mystery of what it may contain or how healthy it is.

"A lot of
it I already knew. It's good for a refresher, though," Alison Faeth, a
parent of a 5th grader at Winter Hill, told us. Ms. Faeth is looking
forward to the next two in the health series, held at the school, which
will be on physical and mental changes.

 

Presentation at State House highlights poor health care issues

On March 19, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff

MA resident, Rep Provost, and Amy Slemmer (Executive Director, Health Care For All). ~ Photo by Kuong Ly of Healthcare for All.

Melissa Woods

In
observation of National Patient Safety Awareness Week, Health Care For
All and the Consumer Health Quality Council held a presentation at the
State House this past Thursday, March 12th. It began with a video
featuring four stories of council members affected personally by poor
quality health care.

John McCormack lost his thirteen-month-old
daughter, Taylor, when a shunt (a valve regulating the flow of
cerebrospinal fluid to and from the brain) placed in her head at birth
failed, and upon admittance to the emergency room, was given less than
proper treatment, largely because of neglect and carelessness by
doctors on call. Taylor died the next day, without once being seen by a
fully licensed physician.

Jen Tosca's son, Brian, was left
permanently disfigured when several surgeries to correct an
inward-turning eye resulted in the loss of the eye altogether. When
questioned, doctors said that Brian's eye "just gave up" and that there
was nothing she could do.

Robena Reid's mother, Marie, was
diagnosed with mesothelioma, a rare form of lung cancer. While in the
hospital, Marie contracted a "common hospital-acquired infection,"

MRSA
(a type of staph infection). The time it took for her to recover from
this infection interfered with her cancer treatment, and she passed
away shortly thereafter.

Lucilia and Joe Prates' father,
Antonio, also died in part from a hospital-acquired MRSA infection. He
had been admitted for kidney stone removal, but a MRSA infection and a
"medical adverse event" during surgery led to his death just eight
months later.

Quality healthcare can truly change lives. In
these cases, mistakes made during treatment resulted in death or
disfigurement. It is important for patients and their families to know
their rights, and to insist on second opinions and alternative methods
of treatment. The aim of both doctor and patient is to minimize any
chance of error. While this responsibility is and should be legally on
the doctors, patients can protect themselves by being informed and
involved in their own healthcare. In the worst cases, doctors keep the
whole truth from their patients when something begins to go wrong, for
fear of a malpractice suit. Doctors are advised never to admit direct
culpability, so while a doctor may regret having made a poor decision,
patients and their families often do not get the comfort and closure of
a simple apology. The result is lawsuits after the fact, and a deep
distrust of medical professionals.

The focus of the Consumer
Quality Health Council is to encourage a cooperative rather than
hostile doctor-patient relationship. The Council, made up of people
like these presenters who have all been directly affected by poor
healthcare, are galvanized to put legislation in place that will
tighten up the healthcare system and minimize the frequency of such
occurrences. In partnership with Healthcare For All, they are working
to pass four bills that will improve healthcare, two of which are
modeled after similar bills that have proven effective when passed in
other states. The first seeks to reduce medical errors and infections
in hospitals through the use of "checklists of care," a series of steps
to be regularly taken by teams of healthcare providers to decrease
patient harm for given procedures. The second, similarly, would have
healthcare facilities screen high-risk patients for MRSA and take
certain precautions if they test positive. Such an act was particularly
successful in Chicago-area hospitals, where MRSA infection rates were
reduced by 60 percent. The third would establish an expert panel to
determine the prevalence of medication errors in the Commonwealth, and
suggest ways to reduce them. The fourth supports the keeping of health
records electronically, and aims to clarify and enhance privacy
protections within the proposed new system.

Despite all the
presenters have been through, they work for change through the Council
in hopes of improving the healthcare system that failed them and their
loved ones. The consequences of neglect in this area are absolutely
real, as the Council members know too well.

 

Newstalk for March 18

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff


The
U2 concert last week by all accounts was a huge success for the city;
all the publicity that the city got was good, except those that insist
on calling us Boston. The Mayor had tickets to disperse and it appears
that all were happy except one that was called later in the day to say
they couldn't get him a ticket. Chief Anthony Holloway did a great job
on behalf of the city's Police Department, congratulations to all for a
smooth and successful event.

***************

Seems Mike
Buckley, former top aide to Mayor Joe Curtatone, has gone off to
greener pastures but not far. He is now Chief of Staff to Mayor Carlo
DeMaria, Jr. of Everett; we wish him the best of luck in his new job.
He did a good job here in Somerville and will be missed, but
Somerville's loss is Everett's gain in this loyal worker.

***************

A
big get well soon goes out to the Ward 6 Community Police officer Neil
Collins who is recuperating at the MGH after being treated for blood
clots. Neil is a great guy and we wish a speedy recovery.

***************

A
very quiet St. Patrick's day here in Somerville, but the day was
interrupted when a manhole exploded on Medford Street near Central
Street. The Police and Fire Departments soon put the situation under
control.

***************

Condolences go out to the family
of Brian Cohn who sadly passed away this past Sunday; Brian grew up in
Somerville and graduated from SHS. He was a Junior at Coastal Carolina
University in South Carolina, where he was a member of the Phi Beta
Kappa Fraternity. Brian was a 10-year member of the Shriners, a great
guy, and will be greatly missed.

***************

Happy
Anniversary to Victor and Rosa over at Victor's Deli – in business here
in Somerville now 27 years and popular as ever – the lunch crowd is
still huge and daughter Nancy is running the evening dinner crowds
later in the week. If you haven't been to Victor's Deli in Ball Square,
you should and everyone wish them another 27 years plus.

***************

Speaking
of Anniversaries, The Somerville News is celebrating 40 years of
Community Service here in Somerville, the only locally owned and
operated and staffed paper here in Somerville. We don't have to stand
behind anyone and listen in on conversations to get news like some
others we know; we bring you only Somerville News – fresh news.

***************

Seems
that a so called regular columnist over at the Farm Team keeps calling
out one of the Publishers here at the News – this guy, even by the
standards of some of the progressives in this city, is whacked when he
opens his mouth. We want to thank KB for the free press, he thinks that
PDSers make up a majority here in Somerville, and they don't. For the
umpteenth time KB – this is a rumor column – we know you don't like it
when we say stuff about the PDSers, here but guess what, we will call
out anyone including the PDSers every time they do something stupid or
lame. Heck, we can't make up some of this stuff. For a guy that doesn't
like name-calling he sure can be creative with the names he uses
himself. But then we're not surprised they (PDSers) say one thing and
do another, you know they're not interested in working out solutions,
only in taking over – even if it means climbing over the backs of their
own supporters. Just ask Jack Connolly and the many others they have
used.

***************

The Somerville Fire Department won
an 11-4 victory over the Somerville Police in the annual Guns and Hoses
Hockey Tournament this past Saturday night – they raised over $5,000.00
for Somerville Youth Hockey. Lots of fun and action and in the end
everyone wins in this annual tournament.

***************

Over
4,200 runners wearing the Green on Sunday for the 6th Annual Ras na
hEireann road race here in Somerville, it has become a classic and much
anticipated event here – the money raised is estimated to be around
$25K, which will go to various local charities and scholarship programs
here in Somerville.

***************

You know those big
green solar trashcans in and around here in Somerville? Appears we have
about 50 of them with a cost of about $3K each – they are supposed to
be environmentally good for Somerville. We noticed a lot of them were
broken down, there was an interesting article in the New York Times on
the 17th regarding their use in Somerville.

***************

After
a year of cosmetic repairs, the McGrath Highway overpass seems to be
falling apart from the inside out – if you take a good look at the side
of the aging bridge by standing next to the intersection of Somerville
Avenue and Medford Streets, you can see the main support steel beams
rotted all the way through. Maybe this is a good spot to start dumping
some of that stimulus cash before it gets eaten up as well.

***************

The
Little Sisters of the Poor are holding a Fundraising Rummage Sale on
Friday, March 20th and Saturday, March 21st from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
each day. The Little Sisters is located at the Jeanne Jugan Residence,
186 Highland Avenue. All proceeds benefit the low-income elderly of the
Little Sisters of the Poor. Arts & Crafts, Clothes, Housewares,
Furniture and more – everything must go!

***************

The
Somerville Arts Council's Spring Community Meeting will be on
Wednesday, March 25th at 7 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland
Ave. Come out and hear they're up to – talk to the staff and the board
about your projects, provide them with your feedback and share your
ideas. See the fantastic, newly opened Arts at the Armory building and
learn more about the programming and the various calls issued for
ArtBeat and ArtsUnion. Perhaps you want to apply or you have specific
programming ideas for this year's ArtBeat Festival (our theme:
Somerville…of the Future!) Also, learn more about proposed revisions
to LCC grant applications – there will be two separate applications,
one for fellowships and one for project/education proposals. For
questions, call 617-625-6600 x. 2985.

 

U2 plays the Somerville Theatre

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff

Irish super group U2 played the Somerville Theatre last Wednesday night – the last night of their 3 Nights Live! Tour. The tour was comprised of three concerts three nights in a row. The tour began on Monday night with U2 playing in Hollywood, followed by Chicago on Tuesday and finally Somerville on Wednesday night.U2-1 

(Photos courtesy of Leo Gozbekian Photography,
 DJ Twitch,Donald Norton and Jackie Rossetti)
U2-2
U2-3
U2-4
U2-5
U2-6
U2-7

 

Budgeting for the Long Term

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The
opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News
belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect
the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

In
my January 28th opinion piece ("Budget Situation: Tough but
Survivable"), I reported that I'd received some criticism for being too
optimistic about the City's fiscal situation.

I'm guilty as
charged, especially when it comes to our short-term budgeting. Let me
add a note of caution, however, by being more specific: FY2009 –
current budget year that ends June 30th – is going to be tight, but I
am confident we can cope without major structural adjustments. On the
other hand, FY2010 will require some very tough choices and a
willingness to embrace creative solutions, both one-time and permanent.
Our goal will continue to be avoiding cuts in core services. Over the
past five years, we've made real progress in improving service quality
and delivery, and it would be a shame to undercut that those
achievements by rolling back programs and personnel, especially in
public safety, education, public works or parks.

But, between
now and June 30th, we have to absorb nearly $3 million in state aid
cuts while coping with the added costs of a heavier-than-average winter
storm season and escalating health insurance costs. But the steps we
have already put in place – leaving some positions vacant; freezing
salaries; saving money where we can on energy and materials; delaying
or deferring some capital projects – will allow use to close the gap. I
want make special note of the fact that we have been working closely
with the School Committee and Superintendent Pierantozzi to put
together a similar austerity program for the School budget. I also want
to thank the Board of Aldermen for taking a proactive and collaborative
approach to revising this year's budget: they've paid close attention
to the details and helped make possible a year without layoffs,
furloughs or other major disruptions.

In fact, if we were
facing just one bad year, we'd be fine, which is more than you can say
for many other communities in Massachusetts. Some cities and towns have
already begun to lay off personnel and close facilities. If it seems as
if Somerville has been slower to take similarly harsh action, it's
because we really don't have to in this fiscal year. One big reason is
that we're careful to use conservative fiscal assumptions. So far in
FY2009, our revenues have been running two percent higher than
projected; and we have underspent our budget to date by two percent.
That gives us a little more room to maneuver than is available to many
cities and towns.

But as we start the planning process for the
new budget that will go into place on July 1, 2009, we are facing a
much more challenging situation. In addition to more local aid cuts,
the state budget will see reductions in other areas of spending that
directly support cities and towns, including library aid, police career
incentive salary supports, and more. To help compensate for the added
strain that all these changes will put on municipal budgets, Governor
Patrick has proposed local-option hotel and meal taxes, as well as the
closure of the 1913 telecommunications property tax loophole. The state
estimates that these changes could bring Somerville another $3.4
million per year – but these proposals have not yet been approved by
the legislature and, even if they become law, they will take time to
implement. Cities and towns will not see the added revenue until well
after the new fiscal year is underway.

And then there is the
problem of escalating health care costs. We are working hard to control
our health care expenditures, but restrictive state rules require us to
negotiate changes in plan design and co-pays with our collective
bargaining units. If current trends remain unchanged, the result will
be that, in FY2010, our projected increase in health care costs ($3.1
million) will – for the first time in our history – exceed the total
projected increase of our property tax revenues as allowed by
Proposition 2¬Ω ($2.3 million).

Even with added local option
revenues from the state, it's likely that we'll have to come up with
over $8.5 million in combined cuts and new revenues for FY2010. That's
equivalent to over seven percent of the city's non-School budget. $8.5
million is more than half the combined personnel budgets for our police
and firefighters: it's too much of a hit to be absorbed by cuts alone.

Of
course, budget cuts will be part of the solution, but a gap of that
size means that everything else is on the table. We'll need both to cut
costs and enhance revenues if we want to maintain our core services.

On
the cost-cutting side, we have to be ready to look at layoffs, wage
freezes, furloughs, hiring and overtime restrictions, added health care
contributions from union workers (non-union workers already pay 20
percent). It will also mean reducing consumption of energy and
materials, and any additional savings we can wring out of pooled or
restricted purchasing policies. And it will require us to look at our
work practices to become ever more efficient and cost-effective.

On
the revenue side, it means looking at every fee and fine in our books
to see if there's a better way to enforce and collect the charges we
impose – and whether or not any of them need to be increased.

The
budget discussion this year will be very public and very open, and we
will be seeking input not only from our Board of Aldermen, but from
residents and fiscal experts alike. Over the next few weeks, I will be
bringing a budget presentation to local ResiStat meetings, and we will
be setting up an online budget form to take comments and suggestions
from the public.

Can we get through FY2010 without major cuts to
core services? I continue to believe that the answer is "yes," – but
we'll need the help of the legislature, the cooperation of our unions,
at least some stabilization of the regional economy – and a
disciplined, unified approach to managing our finances. And – as my
critics will tell you – I'm an optimist. So stay tuned.


FY2010 – the fiscal year that starts on July 1st – will require structural change in the City's budget.

 

The View From Prospect Hill

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff

Davis
Square was turned upside down for the secret-until-the-last-minute U2
event last Wednesday. A cleverly orchestrated plan was put in motion
and it went off without one arrest – a testament to the coordinated
effort of the Somerville Police Department, the band and the Somerville
Theatre.

While it was tremendous publicity for Somerville, it
might have been better if it hadn't been so secret – there still would
have probably been the same preparation, probably the same amount of
people hoping to catch a glimpse of the band, probably no serious
incidents, probably a lot of the same things would have gone the way
they did. Probably.

One thing that would have most definitely
been better – local media and radio and VJ Sway might have been able to
remember the event was in Somerville and not Boston. That would have
been nice.

The day came and went so fast, if you spent any
amount of time outside the city in the last week, you probably got a
couple of "why would U2 play in Somerville?" questions from people when
the subject came up – and quite frankly, that is the only regrettable
byproduct of the whole thing.

 

Seasons Changed and So Did I

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff


Jimmy Del Ponte
On The Silly Side

(The
opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News
belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect
the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

"When
I was a kid," used to be the beginning of statements made by our
parents, but I hear it coming out of my own mouth more and more lately.
I can't believe that I now qualify to talk about "the good old days."
When did that happen?

A recent reckoning came to me thanks to
Facebook – I got a chance to see old photos up close as I posted them
to the popular time consuming online site. I look at these photos and
say to myself "what the Hell happened to the last 30 years?" Well, it
went by in a flash. As David Bowie said: "Turn and face the strange, ch
ch changes!" I'm turning, and facing, and boy are they strange.

I
am in an okay place, despite watching every cent for the first time in
my life, but I am reminiscing a lot more lately for some reason. I know
I am not mellowing out, because I am still a hot headed big mouth blow
hard (sometimes). I am just doing a lot of looking back lately, and
here's what I see – I am almost 56 years old and I am basically a kid
stuck in an aging body. I think that goes for lot of my Somerville
friends as well. We are still kids at heart.

Growing up in
Somerville was a blast and we will always carry that sense of youthful
humor. We laugh over the same silly things that have been amusing us
for decades. We gather every so often and talk about our high school
days, the cool cars we drove, and tell the same funny stories that we
now have down to an art. We drive our kids to kung fu, hockey,
basketball and the mall.

Sometimes our kids roll their eyes when
we start talking about the old days, but I notice they also enjoy some
of the crazy tales. We limit the time they spend on the computer, but
increase our own surfing time. We see our bills going up and our cash
flow going down. And finally, we have officially become our parents.
And if I have become my father, I have the right to voice my opinion,
just like he did.

I now make silly comments to the cashiers at
Johnnie's and Shaw's about the amount my food purchase comes to. I say
dumb stuff like "Jeez, these kids have to eat EVERY day?" The cost of
eating is eating my heart out. They look at me like I am a deranged old
coot, which may not be too far fetched! If you've seen me lately, you
will agree that I am definitely not starving, so I am finding a way to
continue eating my share at least. I constantly have to watch my ch ch
changing…waistline. I wish that when I shop I could get back more ch
ch change!

I may have to call up the "boys" and see if anyone
wants to put the old band back together and go out and do some gigs for
some extra cash. I am pretty sure I can still rock, although I may have
to keep a chair and some ben-gay close to my piano. I have also
considered dusting off my real estate license and trying to do some
rentals. I was pretty good at that when I worked with Jackie Veri. I
even sold a condo! I have always lived beyond my means, and now I am in
the same flimsy mortgage boat that many of us are in.

Some
changes I don't like so much are out of state drivers on cell phones
speeding through pedestrian crosswalks, while said pedestrian is half
way across. Seems to be more of these banana heads all the time. And if
you beep at them to show your displeasure at their careless disregard
for law and safety, they usually flip you half a peace sign.

Another
not so wonderful change that has occurred is that my new mustache is
very grey. I wonder why it doesn't match my hair? I look like a cross
between Don Amece (Cocoon, Trading Places) and Tony Orlando (before he
went on the Slim Fast diet). But with the changing of the season, I
have vowed to take longer walks with the dog, hit the gym more and eat
less (ok, and try not to lie as much).

I wish we didn't have to
wait so long for the weekend. Thankfully Spring is right around the
corner, bringing with it a fresh new start, full of hope. As a matter
of fact, I'm full of it right now.

I guess I just want to be a
kid again – with no responsibilities, no bills, with parents who used
to fix everything for me. Yes, I have changed into my parents, and I am
quite happy about that. I am half mom and half dad. Today I will pay
bills, dust and cook a boiled dinner – later on I will slap on some Old
Spice, eat the boiled dinner and then watch TV. You can email Jimmy
directly with comments at jimmydel@rcn.com.

 

Lynch guided Highlanders to new heights on the ice

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff


Cam
Lynch (left) trades jabs with a Latin Academy player during a
non-league game earlier in the year. Lynch served as a key asset as the
Highlanders assistant captain on and off the ice and was an
inspirational athlete to his coaches and peers. ~Photo by Mike Rubin

By Mike Rubin

Off
the ice, Cam Lynch is calm, cool and composed, but on it, he emerged as
one of the fiercest competitors to have ever donned the Somerville High
hockey sweater. And despite injuries, illnesses and adversities, this
senior defenseman finished out his fine career as a Highlander in fine
fashion.

"It's hard to believe that it's all over," said Lynch
in reflecting on his successful high school hockey career. "I've had a
lot of great memories here on the team, and I've made a lot of friends
that I'm sure I'll have for the rest of my life. When I look back, I'll
have a lot of great memories I had with my coaches and teammates."

A
lifelong Somerville native, Lynch's passion for the sport developed at
the tender age of three where he would often watch various family
members compete at both the high school and collegiate levels.

"I
remember seeing my cousin and my dad skate around and play in leagues,"
said Lynch. "I just knew that playing hockey was just something I
always wanted to do. As soon as I started walking, I was anxious to
pick up some skates and hit the ice."

Only three years old,
Lynch's family enrolled him in a Learn to Skate Program, where he
slowly developed into a budding prospect. Following intense practices
with family and fellow friends, Lynch participated in the city's youth
hockey program, where he slowly emerged through the ranks and developed
into a solid forward.

Toiling through the Midgets, Mites and Pee
Wees, Lynch also learned valuable experience throughout his elementary
and middle school years as a member of various travel teams.

"It
was a lot of fun because I learned a lot from playing under my
coaches,' said Lynch "I made a ton of friends, and really experienced a
lot. It was just so much fun, and I just continued to fall in love with
hockey. It's something I did almost every day and I stuck with it, and
just tried to get better each and every day."

After completing
his middle school years, Lynch was faced with a decision to venture off
to preparatory and private schools. Following days of agonizing
uncertainty, Lynch decided to continue his high school education at
Somerville High, a move he hasn't regretted one bit.

"It was
tough because I had some offers from other local schools to play
hockey," said Lynch. "I probably could've played at either Matignon or
Malden Catholic, but I decided to stay here at Somerville and be with
all the friends I grew up and played hockey with. I'm happy I decided
to stay here at Somerville, and I never really thought twice about it."

During
his freshman season, Lynch saw limited action on the ice rotating
between forward and defense. As Lynch adapted to performing at the high
school level, the Highlanders struggled through a three-win season.

"It
was tough because we were losing a lot of games, and I was making some
adjustments between playing forward and defense," recalled Lynch. "We
had trouble clicking at times, and we went up against some tough teams
that season."

As a sophomore Lynch didn't see a lot of action, as the Highlanders continued to struggle through a six-win campaign.

"It's
tough sitting on the bench," said Lynch. "We had a lot of older guys on
the team, so all I could do is continue to work hard and learn from
them. There were times where I could've just walked away and quit the
team, but I just continued to hang in there because I loved the sport
and wanted to be with my teammates."

After experiencing a pair
of rough seasons, the Highlanders hired Mike Bertoni and the atmosphere
quickly changed on the ice and in the locker room.

"We knew that
when he (Bertoni) came on to coach us, there was just a different
feeling in the air," said Lynch. "He's (Bertoni) really motivated
everyone and brought out the best in the team. We just knew that things
were going to turn around and they did.

Led by goaltender Billy
Weiand, the Highlanders roared off to a 10-1-1 start before finishing
the season with an impressive 12-4-4 mark. Lynch was also shifted from
forward to defense, where he registered 12 points (2-10-12).

"I
just wanted to do anything to help the team win," said Lynch. "We all
bought into his (Bertoni's) philosophy and he was trying to experiment
with different things, and thought I would be a good fit on defense. It
was a lot of fun playing defense and I definitely enjoyed it."

Despite
posting a successful regular season, the Highlanders suffered a tough
1-0 shutout loss to Oliver Ames in the first round of the Division 2
South tournament.

"It was tough because we thought we could win
a couple of games and go pretty deep," said Lynch. "But we ran into a
hot goaltender, and we just couldn't find a way to get the puck by him."

While
the Highlanders finished the regular season off strong, Lynch suffered
the scare of his life when he was hospitalized at Children's Hospital
with double pneumonia for 18 days. For nearly three weeks, he was
incapacitated and breathing through a tube as doctors didn't think he
would be able to pull through.

"I had this cold and I was just
fighting through it,' said Lynch. "Then one day, I had these awful
pains in my chest and I almost collapsed. I was rushed to the hospital
and put through all these tubes. They (doctors) didn't think I was
going to make it, but I got a lot of support from my family, friends
and coaches. They came up to check on me almost every day, and I even
got a call from Cam Neely."

Even as Lynch missed the tournament, he managed to place all things in perspective.

"It
was a real scary experience and it really forced me to realize how
fortunate I am to have great family and friends and coaches," said
Lynch. "I'm just very grateful to be alive and be playing hockey again."

After
six weeks of rehabilitation, Lynch returned to school and was cleared
to play athletics, where he played the last four games of the baseball
season.

"I really didn't think I was going to play again,"
said Lynch. "After all I went through; to go back out and play sports
again was just a victory in itself. I just tried to enjoy every minute
of it while I was out there."

Despite losing an abundance of
seniors to the cap and gown from last year's hockey squad, the
Highlanders remained upbeat regarding their return to the tournament.
After winning the Greater Boston League holiday tournament, the
Highlanders were on course for another bid to the playoffs. Instead
injuries and other issues led to a losing streak midway through the
season.

Needing to win three out of their final four games to
qualify for the tournament, the Highlanders' bid for a return fell just
short after a 4-2 loss to Melrose in the first round of the Winthrop
tournament.

"It's tough to come that close to the tournament,
and to fall just short," said Lynch. "I was hoping we would be able to
qualify in my senior year and have that experience, but we just
couldn't."

A three sport athlete, Lynch served as a valuable
member of the golf team, earning league all-star status and is also
slated to be penciled in as the Highlanders starting second baseman
come this spring.

"I'm definitely looking forward to be playing
baseball in the spring," said Lynch. "We've been practicing the past
few weeks in the gym, just trying to get loose and get ready for the
season when it starts."

As for future plans, Lynch is uncertain,
but intends on continuing his hockey career at some level, either in
juniors in college or at post graduate school.

"It's really all
going to come down to the economics," said Lynch. "I'd definitely like
to play hockey in college, but we'll see what happens. Hopefully it'll
all work out."

 

Arrest Log for the week of March 9-March 15

On March 18, 2009, in Uncategorized, by The News Staff


Monday, Mar 9

At
8:01 pm, Antonio Ferreira, 38, of 43 Hewlett St., Roslindale, was
arrested and charged with operating a motor vehicle with a suspended
license, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked registration and
operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

Tuesday, Mar 10

At
9:17 am, Timothy Donahue, 19, of 81A 13th St., Charlestown, was
arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

At
12:49 pm, Jason Andrade, 21, of 105 Puritan Rd, was arrested and
charged with possession of drugs with intent to distribute and
violating drug laws in a school zone.

At 3:16 pm, Henry Martinez, 18, of 35 Michigan Ave., was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

At 6:03 pm, Nathaniel Foston, 26, of 2464 Liberty Ave., Brooklyn NY, was arrested and charged with sexual conduct for a fee.

Wednesday, Mar 11

At
5:09 pm, a juvenile, address not disclosed, was arrested and charged
with two counts of assault and battery and attempting to commit a crime.

At
5:09 pm, a second juvenile, address not disclosed, was arrested and
charged with two counts of assault and battery and attempting to commit
a crime.

At 5:09 pm, a third juvenile, address not disclosed,
was arrested and charged with three counts of assault and battery,
attempting to commit a crime and assault with a dangerous weapon.

At
5:09 pm, a fourth juvenile, address not disclosed, was arrested and
charged with two counts of assault and battery, attempting to commit a
crime and possession of a dangerous weapon.

At 5:09 pm, Devon
Pearson, 17, of 42 Everett Ave., was arrested and charged with two
counts of assault and battery and attempting to commit a crime.

Thursday, Mar 12

At 2:36 pm, a juvenile, address not disclosed, was arrested and charged with affray.

At 2:36 pm, Rosario Diaz, 20, of 20 River Rd., was arrested and charged with affray.

At 2:36 pm, Ian King, 18, of 5 River Rd., was arrested and charged with affray.

At
4:10 pm, Felix Candelario, 22, of 25 River Rd., was arrested and
charged with possession of a class d drug, possession of drugs with
intent to distribute and violation of drug laws in a school zone.

At
3:21 pm, Ramon Fonseca, 40, address not disclosed, was arrested and
charged with possession of a class d drug, possession of drugs with
intent to distribute, conspiracy to violate drug laws, violating drug
laws in a school zone and also charged with having outstanding warrants
related to a charge of disorderly conduct.

At 3:21 pm, Javier Gonzalez, 30, of 88 Hawthorn St., Chelsea, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to violate drug laws.

At
3:21 pm, William Daley, 49, of 49 Highland Rd., was arrested and
charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute,
conspiracy to violate drug laws and violating drug laws in a school
zone.

At 5:45 pm, Michelle Megan, 39, of 3 Quincy St., was
arrested and charged with two counts of felony breaking and entering in
the daytime.

At 6:38 pm, Nelson Martinez, 19, of 551 Broadway,
was arrested and charged with having outstanding warrants relative to
charges of assault and battery on a public employee and assault and
battery with a dangerous weapon.

Saturday, Mar 14

At
12:34 am, Michael Niedzwiecki, 38, of 17 Clark St., was arrested and
charged with larceny over $250, two counts of assault and battery on a
police officer, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, resisting
arrest, destruction of property over $250 and also charged with
outstanding warrants relative to a charge of larceny from a person over
62 years of age and larceny from a building.

At 1:18 pm, Ericka McLaughlin, 32, of 199 Pearl St., was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property over $250.

At 4:19 pm, Mohamed Mohamed, 20, of 117 Albion St., was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

At
4:19 pm, Joseph Frejuste, 17, of 8 Flint St., was arrested and charged
with destruction of property under $250, assault with a dangerous
weapon and disorderly conduct.

At 5:28 pm, Ile Licks, 43, of 315
Charger St., Revere, was arrested and charged with outstanding warrants
relative to a charge of failure to stop and unlicensed operation of a
motor vehicle.

At 11:55 pm, Rubens Desouza, 42, of 8 Lord Bell
Park Ln., Burlington, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct
and an outstanding warrant relative to a charge of unlicensed operation
of a motor vehicle.

Sunday, Mar 15

At 3:12 pm, Edward Robinson, 28, address not disclosed, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.