Eagle Feathers #47 – Somerville: For Hire

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Not too long ago, many newspapers agreed that Boston’s answer to James Bond was Spenser.  Spenser was a character born out of the brilliant and prolific mind of the late author, Robert B. Parker, who generated dozens of Spenser mystery novels and created the Jesse Stone Series (starring Tom Selleck). The Spenser stories were then developed into the well-known 1980’s television series, Spencer: For Hire.

Raise your hand (metaphorically, at least; it would look strange to do so while reading the paper in print or online with others around you) if you’ve had to do the bowlegged John Wayne walk this very long winter trying to traverse over patches of sidewalk covered with ice and snow from homeowners or businesses that either made a half-hearted (to use a polite phrase) effort at shoveling or who just hoped global warming would do the work for them.

Girls basketball

The Saint Clement High School girls basketball team had a great season, finishing with a 12-8 record and qualifying for the state tournament for the second year in a row. The Lady Anchors were led by third-year head coach Alyssa Jann and sophomore standout Katie Monestime.

Somerville resident Daniel Gewertz made a living as a Boston-based freelance journalist for 28 years, writing largely about music, theater and movies. From 1995 to 2005, he wrote a weekly Boston Herald column on folk and blues music. Over the years, Gewertz has written for periodicals ranging from Harvard Magazine, Boston Globe Magazine and  New York Times, to the Cambridge Chronicle and The Tab.

From the Poetry Foundation website: “An enduring presence in American poetry, Maxine Kumin’s career  spanned over half a century. She was the recipient of prestigious awards such as the Pulitzer Prize, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, and an  American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters Award. She was the  poetry consultant for the Library of Congress in 1981-1982, and taught  at many of the country’s most prestigious universities, including MIT,  Princeton, and Columbia.”

Arrests:
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Paul Tancredi, 35, of 179 Governors Ave., Medford, February 24, 3:37 p.m., arrested at 175 Fellsway on warrant charges of assault and battery, abuse prevention order violation, witness intimidation, and attempted murder.

The following is Detective Mario Oliveira’s Retirement Letter he sent to the Somerville Police Department  thanking them and others for their support.

S.P.D.,

I hope this email finds you well.  I am sending you this letter to thank you all and to make you aware that I will be officially retired as of March 1, 2014 with special legislation.

National School Boards Association President David Pickler presents the Shannon Award for Excellence to MA Association of School Committees 2014 President Ann Marie Cugno of Medford (left) and MA Association of School Committees 2014 President Mary Jo Rossetti of Somerville (right).

Mary Jo Rossetti, who was elected to the Somerville Board of Alderman in November 2013 but who previously served seven terms on the city’s School Committee, met earlier this month in Washington DC with Massachusetts Congressional leaders including Representatives Katherine Clark and William Keating as well as the education aides to Representative Michael Capuano and Senator Edward Markey. The focus of her discussions with the legislators and their aides concerned the financial realities confronting Massachusetts school districts and the need for increased federal K-12 education dollars if districts are to succeed in raising student achievement. The meetings, which took place in Congressional offices, were held in conjunction with a six-day School Leadership/ Advocacy summit presented by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and attended by over 800 school board members from across the country.  Mrs. Rossetti was among a ten-person delegation representing the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) of which she concluded her term as President this past December and is currently serving as Immediate Past President.

New alternate drop-off zone Walk to School program promotes safe, active start to the school day

Starting Monday, March 3, 2014 parents/guardians and students at the Brown School will have the option of taking advantage of a new Walk to School program to support their student’s active participation in the city’s “Safe Routes to School” initiative. The Brown School is partnering with Shape Up Somerville, the Somerville Police Department, and Somerville Traffic and Parking to promote a new daily “Walk to School” pilot program that encourages parents and guardians to walk with their students to school to help their children develop healthy habits early in life. The new drop-off zone will be near the intersection of Morrison and Willow Avenues. Students and parents/guardians can then walk the three blocks to school.