The MaxPak site is located on
the corner of Clyde and Warwick streets (56 and 61 Clyde Street). It
was the site of an old plastics factory that is now empty and
condemned. Despite its state of disrepair, this has not deterred people
from entering the property. This is a great concern for many residents
since most of those who have entered illegally are children. KSS Realty
Partners which currently owns the 5.5 acre site has taken the necessary
steps to have the buildings demolished.

The utilities for the
site are scheduled to be shut off on Wednesday, December 2nd. The
presence of asbestos in the buildings was a contributing factor why the
utilities had not been shut off previously. According to Sal Querusio,
the general contractor in charge of the demolition, the power was not
shut off because of the ongoing presence of asbestos. Querusio went on
to tell the committee that the water was not shut off because it was
needed to keep dust particles under control and the telephone remained
on because it is hooked into the fire alarm system which is connected
to the sprinkler system that is connected to the water and sewer system.

The
Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) authorized the removal of
asbestos which began on November 16th. The committee reported that 100%
of the asbestos was removed from 56 Clyde Street and that removal for
61 Clyde Street was 50% complete.

Once the utilities are shut
off, a demolition permit will be issued to start the demolition of the
two buildings. The reason for the delay in issuing the permit was due
in part to the size of the buildings and ongoing safety concerns. There
will be a 24-hour fire watch once the demolition begins. The demolition
site has a six-foot fence around it to prevent people from wandering on
to the site.

The demolition is expected to take about four to
five weeks which includes about five to seven days of crushing bricks.
The crushing machines are very loud therefore crushing will only be
conducted between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. All that will be
left after the demolition will be the slab foundation.

Ted Tobin
of KSS Realty who is the site developer does not anticipate any
problems with the demolition. Tobin said that the project was
undertaken due to safety reasons. The development of the land after the
demolition however is still up in the air. Tobin said that due to
current economic factors it is difficult to get the financing required
to start construction of the 199 condominiums which will also include
an MBTA green line stop.

"Somerville has retained its value,"
Tobin told the committee. "Once the MaxPak site has been developed it
should be another boon for Somerville."

The school committee called a public hearing on Monday night at the high school library to float a proposal to charge parents an estimated $16 per day for SMILE or the Early Childhood Intervention Program (ECIP), or $2,880 per year.

Afterschool care is available until 5:30 p.m. to preschool students at a rate of $25 per day. If you add the new $16 per day fee, the proposed total then would reach $41 per day for those children who are in school nine hours a day.

The city would receive $259,200 in revenue from 90 full-pay students ($2,800 each) or about $129,600 if there was a sliding scale option.

The proposal will go before the school committee this Monday night for a final vote.

"We talk about core values of the schools, and being able to offer free preschool is one of our core values," said Adam Sweeting, Ward 3 school committee member. "We should continue to do this with a pride of which we should embrace."

The city has worked hard for it's good reputation for offering early childhood education, he added.

Ward 6 Committee member Paul Bockelman agreed. Preschool, more than any other level of education, has the most impact on children, he said. But he acknowledged that the city faces a troubled economic future.

"If we are looking at increasing class size or more layoffs, I hope that we don't regret that we could have raised a quarter of a million dollars by adding a fee for preschool," he said. Then, addressing Mayor Joseph Curtatone, "When it comes to budget time, we will remember your impassioned speech."

Curtatone, who spoke up as a parent and not the mayor, said he has a child in the SMILE program. He added the programs are not in financial jeopardy and the city has worked hard to cut costs to keep programs like this free to parents. He questioned whether a sliding scale was equitable, what other increased costs the city faces, and what if a family has to cut back on healthy food choices or sports program just so that they could afford preschool?

"This is also a value statement," Curtatone said. "Our job is to improve the quality of life for people. I want to keep families here in the city and I want them to go to our public schools."

Curtatone added that he is proud to say that the city has not charged-like many other Boston area cities-for preschool. The tax players have stepped up to the plate on this one.

Kelly Demers, whose children went through the SMILE program, said that she opposes the fee for three reasons. Offering free preschool sends the positive message that the city is progressive-minded. Second, she supports socioeconomic diversity in the public schools. And third, she is concerned that the cost of monitoring and negotiating a sliding scale fee would supersede any financial benefits the city would receive.

It's also hard for parents to negotiate the system, what with all the acronyms and names of various programs, said Suzanne Bremer, another parent. Parents of preschool students are the most likely to be confused about choice and controlled choice, she said. Sliding fees invites more confusion.

"In the past, Somerville has charged for extra curricular activities and I heard the results were dismal," Bremer said. "The perils of these times is to pit one group against another."

Alan Ball has a three-year-old and is just talking about long-term schooling options. If Somerville incurs a fee for preschool, he would reconsider whether he wanted to put his child into this school system.

Ball's comment invoked some passion about keeping parents and their children in Somerville.

"I don't want anyone to tell me that they are thinking of Somerville," said Teresa Cardoso, Ward 2 school committee member.

Ward 7 School Committee Member Mary Jo Rossetti said that she first raised the fee proposal during last year's budget meetings, considering the school budget comprises a third of the city's overall budget.

"We have not charged for anything in a long time," Rossetti said.

The preschool program cost the city a total of $1.9 million (of which includes $732,000 for ECIP, $735,000 for SMILE, $396,000 for administrative and programs, and $38,000 for supplies). The program is funded through IDEA grants ($412,000), Title I grants ($530,000), and local appropriations ($958,000).

The per-child cost is $8,700 for ECIP and $5,600 for SMILE, according to Tony Pierantozzi, Somerville's school superintendent.

There are 39 students in the ECIP special education, 36 in the regular education, and 143 in the SMILE program. Seventy students are eligible for free lunch, and another 20 for reduced lunch. That would leave a balance of 90 students who would face a tuition charge.

Part of the funding problem rests with Title I monies, he said. Title I used to pay for the bulk of preschool programs, but things have changed. Title I Federal funds target low income children and those students in grades one through eight who need remedial services. So the city has been shifting Title I funding away from early childhood programs and will continue to do so, he said.

The city must then lean more on local appropriations to fund preschool, Pierantozzi said, as it has been doing over the past few years.

"Poll numbers have never shown me favorably, ever,"
Capuano said during a recent visit to The Somerville News office. "I've
always run my campaigns the same way. I am who I am, and I tell people
who I am."

Capuano is running for the seat left vacant after the
death of Senator Ted Kennedy in August. He is in second place in a Nov.
24 Rasmussen poll, trailing Attorney General Martha Coakley by 15
points.

He has grown accustomed to the role of the underdog. He
was first elected mayor of Somerville after a highly-contested race in
1989 against the recently imprisoned former Alderman John Buonomo. He
went on to defeat former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn in 1998 for the U.S.
House of Representatives seat vacated by Joe Kennedy, where he has
served since.

Capuano said that since his first city-wide race,
he has faced the same questions about his ability to understand issues
that affect diverse constituencies.

"Western Mass. expresses
repeatedly that they feel forgotten by a lot of people in statewide
politics," Capuano said of his experience hosting "Open Mike:" sessions
across the state. "I explained to them: my whole life I've represented
people who feel forgotten.

"I tell them the story of the first
time I ran city-wide. The first questions I got were from people in
East Somerville, asking, 'How could you possibly represent us? You come
all the way from Winter Hill.'"

Ultimately, however, Capuano
stressed that the issues at play on Capitol Hill affect all residents
of Massachusetts in largely the same way.

"The only real reason
for me to go to the Senate is that in a smaller body, an individual
member has greater opportunity to impact the issues that they care
about," he said. "The issues are the same."

His local base –
which encompasses three-quarters of Boston along with Cambridge,
Somerville, and Chelsea – may be his biggest disadvantage in the Senate
race, said Maurice Cunningham, an assistant professor of political
science at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

"Coakley has
a state-wide base," Cunningham said. "Capuano has a base of a tenth of
the state. In a short race like this, it's quite hard to overcome that."

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

Speaking of which, last week
all the papers got a press release from the Martha Coakley for Senate
campaign, which was somewhat misrepresenting and distorted over her
endorsements from "Somerville Leaders" they included former Senator Sal
Albano who was thrown out of office in 1990 by then Republican and long
time Senator Charlie Shannon (Albano hasn't lived here in Somerville
since early 1991). Then there was Dot Gay, former Mayor, another one
that was tossed out of office in a primary election because she
couldn't muster enough support to win – who conveniently forgot about
the pictures she took with Mike Capuano when she was running. Then
there is State Representative Carl Sciortino – who lives in Medford,
and only 30% of his district is in Somerville, if that. Finally, the
only really credible name of the four – former Mayor and current
Middlesex County Register of Deeds Gene Brune – who is arguably the
most popular of the four and certainly the ONLY currently elected
"local leader" from Somerville. So the heading on the press release
would lead anyone outside of the city to believe that these 4 represent
Somerville as our leaders. Notice that the Farm Team over there
probably, like other publications, didn't recognize some of the names
and just printed the press release as it was sent. That just goes to
prove our point that we are the only real source for local news – at
least we know who lives here and represents us. No surprise that at
election time all sorts of misquotes and distortions happen, don't
they?

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

Somerville Maple Syrup Fundraiser at the Independent this Saturday, December 5th from 11am to 4pm in Union Square.

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

Lyndells
in Ball Square is celebrating 122 years in business this Wednesday,
December 2nd, giving away free cupcakes – go and get one and wish them
many more years.

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

Lots of speculation
centered around Somerville Police Chief Anthony Holloway and the
burning question – will he go or will he stay? Be realistic, would you
spend your days in the cold northeast snowstorms all winter long
freezing to the bone, walking across the street to Union Square in
three feet of snow, dodging big snow plows and buses that always tend
to splash pedestrians with cold wet slush while just trying to cross
the intersection to get a coffee at DD's – or would you prefer to walk
to the corner outdoor café in short sleeves and sunglasses in the
sunshine state with 80 degree sunny weather dodging palm trees and
still get paid a chief's pay? It's a no brainer…

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

Have
you noticed the accumulating number of bicyclist accidents that have
occurred around the city lately? They are either crashing into moving
cars or just plain wiping out on their own. New bicycle and auto rules
must be enforced, before someone gets seriously hurt.

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

Who
put those concrete barriers in the foundation hole and also who paid
for the freshly paved side street on the property located at 73 Cross
Street? That project is up for sale now that everyone in the
neighborhood is upset over the loss of parking spaces and the horrible
condition it looks like. We know who the owner is – an appointed
official of the ZBA board and the bank who fronted the money is clearly
on the sign – Winter Hill Bank funded the failed project. We hear there
are 8 permits to go with the project. Hopefully the neighbors will see
improvements soon.

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

The Annual City Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony is this Thursday, December 3rd at City Hall concourse.

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

Toys
for Local Children are a volunteer non-profit organization – providing
toys and funding to over 8,000 children who have been victims of
violence, displacement or poverty. While you're in the Square, please
don't forget to visit the Salvation Army's Red Kettle Campaign from 4pm
to 8pm in the heart of the Square and DARBI's annual Midnight Madness –
that includes exclusive sales 6pm to midnight on December 3rd.

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

The
annual toy drive and fundraiser down at the Somerville Housing
Authority is happening once again this year, severing all the needy
families in the project. Call 617 625-1152 to donate and help out.

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

Have
you noticed our new Somerville News and Cambridge News "Mobile/On the
Scene" unit vehicles? They are out there in full force bringing you
more daily local coverage of news and events as they happen in our
community. You can reach the new Cambridge News Weekly site here in
Somerville through our own web site. Watch for huge new developments
and things to come real shortly – this is only the beginning.

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

Sure, you could claim that we are biased for the hometown
guy, and quite frankly you would be right – but not for the obvious
reasons you might think. The reason we and most people outside
Somerville should like Mike hearken back to his days as an Alderman and
later Mayor of Somerville, where he "cut his teeth" so to speak.

Back
then, Capuano became an expert at constituent services and overcame his
ability to rub people the wrong way with his brash, in your face style
of passion he brought to bear as an elected official. That passion made
you either love him or hate him – but either way – you came to respect
him.

When the fabled 8th Congressional seat opened up – after
Joe Kennedy decided to leave the political arena – Capuano ran and won
with a promise to stand true to his political style. He arguably
delivered on that promise and caught the eye of the Democratic
leadership, specifically Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Standing
out in a body of 441 members is no simple task, but in the 8th
District, voters have come to expect greatness from those they have
elected – including former President John F. Kennedy, former Speaker of
the House Tip O'Neil and Joe Kennedy.

Proof positive that Mike
has never lost his fiery temper and willingness to call a spade and
spade – his February 11th explosion on several bankers testifying
before the House Financial Services Committee. He went ballistic on
them – and asked what everyone else has been wanting to ask – why they
weren't up against criminal charges. That's Mike for you – and now he
can add "YouTube legend" to his list of accomplishments.

His
only problem is Martha Coakley has been preparing to run for this seat
a whole year in advance. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure
out something is up when the Attorney General's office, which normally
issues a press release once every other week, opens the flood gates and
unleashes several per day for no apparent reason – wink, wink.

At
the end of the day, standing shoulder to shoulder with the other
candidates in this race, it is clear that they all have good
intentions, but none of them can match up with Mike Capuano when it
comes to proven experience in dealing with national and international
issues – experience you can only get by serving in Congress. That is an
inarguable fact and possibly the most advantageous attribute of anyone
seeking to be elected to the Senate, period.

Don't let low voter
turnout keep the right candidate from winning on Tuesday, December 8th
– make sure you, your family and every person you know – votes for Mike
Capuano for Senate.