Ian Coffey has a very interesting new job.

By David R. Smith

Ian Coffey is on the road to having one of the more interesting resumes around.

Coffey, 26, currently serves as New York State Senate desk clerk. Beginning next month, though, he will begin his new job as “master model builder” for Legoland Discovery Center Boston following a two-day competition, during which he beat out more than 60 contestants over three rounds of construction challenges during “Brick Factor” at the Boston Public Library this past weekend.

Portions of Somerville High School that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in 2012 will be getting much needed repairs following the BOA’s unanimous decision to allocate $2.6M for the renovations.

By Ariana Mackey

Aldermen unanimously approved the Finance Committee’s request during the BOA’s Jan. 23 meeting to appropriate $2.6 million towards the repair of the Somerville High School auditorium, kitchen and cafeteria.

The bond amount includes paying for architectural and engineering services to repair the damage to the school from Superstorm Sandy in October 2012. The auditorium has not been fit for use since then, and the lunches for the students have been prepared at the Winter Hill Community School and then shipped to the high school out of necessity.

If you haven’t already heard (and if you have, don’t forget), the Board of Aldermen Finance Committee headed by Tony Lafuente is holding a public hearing on the recent tax revaluation that has affected commercial property owners anywhere, in some cases, with increases ranging from 50 to 100 percent. The public is invited to City Hall from 6 to 9 p.m. this coming Tuesday, Feb. 6. This is your chance to be heard and to ask why such a huge increase all at once. Many commercial owners throughout the city got huge bills, and they rent to local businesses, so everyone on the way down the ladder will be affected by these increases.

Addresses double-digit increases
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Chief assessor Marc Levye explained the city’s process for assessing properties to attendees at a public informational session last Thursday.

By David R. Smith

The reports of 50-percent-plus tax increases have been greatly exaggerated, according to the city’s chief assessor, Marc Levye.

And while that may be true, he did not dispute that property owners have experienced varying degrees of sticker shock following the recent state-mandated triennial revaluation of property in Somerville. What he offered to a small group of residents at the West Somerville Community School last week in the way of guidance was an explanation of the appeals process open to property owners and an overview of how the assessments were determined and how those current figures compare to recent history.

Grant to fund innovative job and skills training program for lower-income 18-24-year-olds that uses mobile app and Level Up incentives to drive traditional skills development

Somerville is one of six Massachusetts cities to receive a grant as part of the Working Cities Challenge (WCC), a program designed to fund proposals that will significantly impact the lives of lower-income residents. One of twenty submissions, Somerville’s project aims to support out-of-school “youth” aged 18 to 24 through workforce development training that pairs innovative mobile technology and unique partnerships with the local business community with traditional skills development. A one-year seed award of $100,000 will help the city and its partners get this program off the ground.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to an Endicott Ave. residence Friday evening on reports of a possible break-in in progress.

The female resident had reportedly been woken by a cracking sound coming from a window at the rear of her home. As she phoned and spoke with police, she reportedly continued hearing the cracking sound.

If you’re a property owner in Somerville, make an hour to sit down and watch the video on YouTube of last week’s first of two info sessions on how property taxes assessments were reached during the city’s recent triennial revaluation (search “Somerville City TV”).

Wednesday, Jan 29

Somerville High Junior Varsity played against O’Bryant at Somerville on Saturday, Jan 25. Somerville won 46 to 43 in a very close game. – Photos by Claudia Ferro

Indoor Track: Boys Varsity Meet Malden @ Salemwood School, Malden MA – 3:30 p.m.

Indoor Track: Girls Varsity Meet Malden @ Salemwood School, Malden MA – 3:30 p.m.

Swim: Varsity Meet (Rescheduled from 01-22-14) vs. East Boston @ Kennedy – 3:30 p.m.

Matthew McCosco by his own description is a private person, and being interviewed is not his favorite pastime.  However he agreed to be my subject after I was introduced to his work by Gil Barbosa, owner of The Book Shop in Ball Square—right across from the office of The Somerville Times. In Barbosa’s fine, independent bookstore I noticed the usual eclectic collection of books, but also accomplished pencil sketches (That McCosco recently framed) of such noted authors as Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allen Poe, and Mark Twain.

We all have memories of our parents both good and bad. I can remember  vividly my father having me on his knee and singing an old Vaudeville ditty:”Ladies and Gentleman/take my advice/pull down your pants/and  slide on the ice.” Here poet Lyn Lifshin remembers a lovely respite with her mother in between domestic turmoil.