Picture the scene: members of a local homeowner association taking action against a resident who would have the nerve to mar the orderly image of their neighborhood by brazenly hanging wet laundry outdoors for all the town to see. The day is saved, however, by the valiant efforts of the politicians who step in and prevent the overbearing antagonists from denying the “right to dry” to the downtrodden victims.

Sound familiar? Is it an old Ma and Pa Kettle movie? Maybe an episode of The Beverly Hillbillies? No, the Clampets have not hit town, and the above-described scenario is not fictional. Our own state legislature is currently studying a proposed measure that would indeed prohibit such homeowner associations and similar bodies from restricting a resident’s right to put up and use a clothesline.

By Jim Clark

An assault victim reported to police that he had been struck with a guitar while walking to work on Kent Court last Thursday.

The victim stated that a man confronted him and yelled for him to get off of “his” street and then allegedly twice struck the man with a guitar. The victim reportedly fell to the ground, dropping his cell phone, which was then picked up by the assailant, who then left the scene, police said.

(L-R): Team “Big O” Winners Matt Buckley, Jason Grossfield, Frank Wright, Lori Massa, Melisa Tintocalis, Bob Collins, Brad Rawson, David Shapiro, Orazio DeLuca, and Angela Allen with Mayor Joe Curtatone.

Mayor Curtatone announced the winners of the 2011 Mayor’s Fitness Challenge last week. The Top 6 Individual Winners are: 1 – Nahomi Carlisle; 2 – Orazio DeLuca; 3 – Bob Collins; 4 – Michael Meehan; 5 – Andy Metzger; 6 – John Harding. The Team Winner was Team “Big O,” comprised of City of Somerville employees from Law, OSPCD, and Purchasing.

Rose Mary Gartland, several months before her passing, holding an animated sunflower which plays You are My Sunshine, a song of which she was fond of.

By Cathleen Twardzik

Somerville resident Chris Gartland is the devoted son of Rose Mary Gartland, as well as Shelter Coordinator of Maple Arms Shelter, Harbor Homes, Inc. in Nashua NH.  He has worked there for over 11 years – “throughout my mother’s illness.”

On May 7, 2011, Gartland’s mother passed away at home. “Around 9 a.m., my brother Joey had stopped by to visit my mom – not the usual day he would visit.  And I went over to kiss her good morning and tell her how much I loved her, as I would do every morning. I knew she was getting closer to death, but didn’t expect it would be right way,” said Gartland.

New York City poet Linda Lerner visited me recently in Somerville to appear on my Somerville Community Access TV show  Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer. Linda has a new poetry collection out from New York Quarterly Books  Takes Guts and Years Sometimes. The front cover is beautifully illustrated by area artists Angela Mark and Michael Shores. Since we are nearly in July I decided to use The Persistence of Memory from her new collection in this week’s LYRICAL.

Family Fun Day, Fireworks Light up Trum Field next Week; Live Entertainment, Activities, Food Included in Two-Day Summer Celebrations

The city’s annual Family Fun Day and 4th of July Fireworks Events are set for Saturday, June 25 and Thursday, June 30, respectively, and are anticipated to draw more than 10,000 attendees between the two.  The first of two events, Family Fun Day, will be held from noon – 5:00 p.m. at Trum Field this Saturday, (with a rain date of June 26) and will include free children’s activities, BBQ, watermelon eating contests, face painting, a Curious Creatures demonstration,  music and more.  Then, on Thursday, June 30, (rain date of July 7) please join Mayor Curtatone and the City of Somerville for the annual 4th of July Fireworks, with live entertainment beginning at 6:00 p.m. 

Arrests:
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Carolina Ortega-Vijil, 35, of 86 Wheaton St., June 13, 6:46 a.m., arrested at home on various warrant charges.

Michael Coneeny, 29, June 15, 10:48 a.m., arrested at 145 Hudson St. on a charge of abuse prevention order violation.

Rousseau Alfred, 45, of 367 McGrath Hwy., June 16, 12:00 a.m., arrested at home on a charge of assault and battery.

Paul McGarry, 34, of 43 Kent St., June 16, 10:09 a.m., arrested at Kent St. on charges of larceny and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Day-long workshop to explore area,
discuss vision for neighborhood
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An innovative public meeting – called a “Walkshop,” with participants taking photographs and discussing the results of their photography – will take place on Saturday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Focused on the Inner Belt/Brickbottom area,  the subject of a major new planning initiative undertaken by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), the “Walkshop” will kick off from the Holiday Inn on Washington Street, and give participants the ability to identify and capture opportunities for change throughout Inner Belt, Brickbottom, and along the southern edge of Washington Street (including New Washington Street).  Photo documentation during the walk will serve as the basis for small- and large-group discussion on issues such as walkability, urban design, transportation, and a range of other issues of concern to participants.

(L to R) Medford Mayor Mike McGlynn, Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Father Thomas Keys of Saint Francis of Medford and WHYC Commodore Bill Rogers of Somerville. Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

On Saturday the Winter Hill Yacht Club (WHYC) of Somerville along with the Mystic Wellington and Riverside Yacht Clubs of Medford, invited Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone and Medford Mayor Micheal McGlynn to be part of the Blessing of the Bay on The Mystic River for it’s 2011 boating season.

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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.)

I saw him go from dark brown hair to sparse white hair. I remember when he got a wiffle when my little brother and I had them. He became a scoutmaster and came to summer camp with the troop. It was a good feeling having dad along, especially since he could sign my merit badge requirements. Dad spent a few years doing the collection box at St. Clements church on Sunday.  After mass he would have breakfast in the Rectory with the priests. He was the one who got a truck and moved the piano out of the Convent and into the second floor of our house. The nuns said any one who can move it can have it. Dad got it, and my brother, myself, and my two sons learned to play on that old piano. He stopped helping out at the church when he became a Mason. He rose to illustrious heights within that organization. I’ll never forget the look of pride on his face when I became a Mason too.