The
police will soon have six Ford Crown Victorias, four Ford Taurus
detective cars, a Ford Expedition for the traffic bureau and new
prisoner and animal control vans.

Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah
Gewirtz asked Holloway at the Board's Nov. 12 meeting if the department
had considered hybrid vehicles or sharing cars. The chief said neither
is a viable option since hybrids aren't certified for use with police
equipment and officers need to be able to split up at a moment's notice.

"I don't want them sitting in the station saying 'I can't go out because Tony Holloway has my car'" Holloway said.

"We're working right now at the bare minimum," he added.

Holloway
said the new vehicles, which will cost 40 percent of the city's
Capitalization fund, are meant to last 10 years. The old vehicles will
be sold at auction for an estimated $5,000 each.

The fire department also slated to receive new vehicles, with three Toyota Priuses and a new $500,000 pump truck on the way.

The issue of whether to vote
for a new five-year contract came up at the Nov. 12 Board of Aldermen
meeting, where Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston said a decision was
necessary in order to keep the company's $10.9 million bid.

"I believe if we don't make decisions tonight, we'll have to go back to the drawing board," Heuston said.

Russell
principal, Kevin Douglas, who is a regular campaign contributor to
several Board members, came in at $1 million lower than the two other
companies considered.

Capitol Waste Services submitted a $11.9
million bid, while Waste Management submitted a bid for $12.7 million.
Cities are not required to take the lowest bid, which Gewirtz said
could be tied with the fact that it's a non-union operation.

Gewirtz
said she wanted answers about allegations of worker mistreatment,
including an attempt at union busting. In December 2007, a riot broke
out during an attempt to unionize the workers.

"Any finding that
goes against a contractor, we would immediately terminate our
relationship," Curtatone told the Board. "We would not do so on
innuendo and rumors."

Gewirtz maintained that while she doesn't
trust the company enough to approve a full five-year deal, she is
willing to withhold judgment until learning more about Russell's labor
practices.

"I'm willing to give them the benefit of a doubt," she said.

The
Board voted unanimously to remain with Russell for the next year, with
Gewirtz the sole dissenter on a 9-1 vote to renew the contract for five
additional years.

That's why the city of Somerville just entered into
a Sister Cities Civic Participation and Leadership Initiative with
Tiznit, Moracco; a cultural and professional exchange that entails
inviting 30 participants to travel there in December. The group said
while there are already several teachers and city officials attending
they are looking for artists to join the entourage.

"Somerville
and Tiznit are very similar; there are lots of artists and influences,"
said Omar Boukili, a Moroccan native and office administrator for the
University of the Middle East (UME), the Somerville-based organization
that promotes educational leadership and civic engagement through
cross-cultural understanding. "Tiznit is more progressive, and a very
special town, like Somerville."

Located near the Moroccan
Atlantic coast and the Tachila and Ouarzemimene mountains, Tiznit is
known for its handcrafted silver jewelry. More recently, Tiznit
(population of 55,000) has undergone an influx of both Moroccan and
international artists who have settled on the hills surrounding the
city in search of serenity and inspiration, Boukili said.

UME
brought the sister city partnership proposal to Mayor Joseph Curtatone
last summer. Curtatone and some of his staff will be travelling to
Tiznit. UME wants a cross-section of Somerville residents to attend,
which also includes doctors and public health experts, non-profit
administrators, city planners, and business owners, said Ray Matsumiya,
UME's executive director.

The sister city exchange is
facilitated by UME, which will provide the translation, and logistical
and cultural advisory services. The five-day professional development
and cultural experience is designed to set the stage for a productive
sister cities partnership, he added.

UME has a long-standing
relationship with Morocco. For the past 12 years, the UME has sought to
empower the most motivated and progressive secondary school teachers of
the Middle East, North Africa, and the US through professional
development and exchange programs that equip teachers with the skills
and knowledge to broaden their perspectives and horizons.

It
was six Moroccan teachers who came up with the sister cities idea and
to form a partnership with Somerville, with the hopes that this will be
an ongoing relationship, Matsumiya said.

Last summer, teachers
from Tiznit visited Somerville and came to the high school to spend
some time with teachers. From there, Somerville became interested in
gathering a group of teachers to go to Tiznit, said Dr. Vincent McKay,
the assistant superintendent of schools. It was a natural fit, he said.

Ten teachers from various schools in Somerville will attend in December.

"It's
about opening our doors to the world," McKay said. "Learning about
other cultures makes them better teachers who are sensitive to
diversity."

Talmadge Nardi, who teachers English at the Academy
of the Pacific Rim in Hyde Park, participated in a UME trip to Lebanon
last year. She said the trip opened her eyes in more ways than she ever
dreamed. For example, she worked on a collage project with Lebanese
teachers that looked at their life experiences. Their collages were
deeply influenced by political repression and conflict resolution,
while Nardi's was more "hearts and stars," she said.

"I thought I would learn about other cultures, but also ended up learning a lot about myself," she said.

The
trip's agenda includes a luncheon with the mayor of Tiznit, tour of the
city, presentations, cross-cultural community building activities, site
visits to schools and other applicable organizations, and group
discussions. The cost of the program is $1,150, which includes all
accommodations, food, and trip activities. It does not include air
travel. Those interested in traveling to Tiznit can download an
application at http://ume.org/programs/open-applications or call (617)
440-1636.

The Somerville Health
Department had to postpone public flu clinics after vaccine shipments
fell short of expectations. Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, in
Davis Square, told a similar story. This vaccine shortage comes to the
distress of parents with young children, who are particularly
susceptible to the H1N1.

There have been 1555 confirmed cases
of H1N1 in Massachusetts since April, when it was first detected in the
U.S. Of those cases, 13 people have died, according to a report by the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH). According to the
Centers for Disease Control, H1N1 is now widespread in 48 states, which
has not been the case during typical flu seasons.

People lack
immunity to H1N1 flu, according to the Paulette Renault-Caragianes,
director of the Somerville Health Department, because H1N1 is a "novel"
virus.

"Part of that newness is there's a significant part of
our population that's probably never been exposed to this type of
influenza," she said, adding that the seasonal flu changes only
slightly each year.

H1N1 also differs from seasonal flu in the populations it hits hardest.

"90
percent of deaths you see from seasonal flu are from people over 65,"
Renault-Caragianes said. "In H1N1, 90 percent of the deaths we've seen
are people under 65, and more than half of the hospitalizations have
been people under 25-years-old."

'Vast majority'of flu cases will be H1N1

Dr.
Benjamin Kruskal, pediatrician and Director of Infection Control at
Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, described the severity of H1N1 in
Somerville as being "similar to that with seasonal flu."

"Because
we're seeing more people sick, we are expecting to see more people who
are severely ill," Kruskal added. "We're now seeing levels of flu
illness that are typical of the very peak of a typical flu season
[February]. We normally see very little flu at this time of year."

The
Weekly Influenza Report released by MDPH showed the same trend, noting
that of the 75 influenza-positive specimens tested in Massachusetts
this October, 74 were H1N1, and the other was influenza B – not
seasonal flu. Kruskal says that based on that data, doctors could
assume the "the vast majority" of flu cases this fall are H1N1.

Along
with increased numbers of flu cases has been a vaccine shortage in
Somerville and across the country. According to Renault-Cariaganes, the
city originally planned to hold H1N1 clinics in the fall, but in
October it had received only "a very small amount" of the vaccine.

MDPH
and the CDC has advised the city that it "should wait until November
(and) until the supply that everyone has is sufficient for a
larger-scale offering of H1N1 vaccine clinics," she said.

Renault-Caragianes
blames the shortage on the fact that the same pharmaceutical companies
have contracted with the federal government to produce both seasonal
and H1N1 flu vaccines in the same year. As widely reported in the
media, manufacturers have also faced technical difficulties growing
virus for the H1N1 vaccine.

Even when the Somerville Health
Department does receive vaccine, it will not be immediately available
to everyone who wants it. Instead, the department will provide the
vaccine first to priority groups and even sub-groups outlined by the
CDC.

Renault-Caragianes said the priority groups include
pregnant women, caregivers of infants under six months, people 24 and
under, people 25 to 64 with underlying health conditions and healthcare
workers. After going through each group, the city may hold clinics.

'An Odd Loophole'

On
Nov. 2, the Somerville Health Department received a shipment of 400
doses of H1N1 vaccine and began inoculating children at Somerville
schools. Most of the vaccine they received is in a formulation called
FluMist, a nasal spray that contains a live virus which triggers the
body's immune system without causing an infection.

Renault-Caragianes
said that the vaccine is "limited in its use." Two high-priority
groups, pregnant women and those with underlying health problems,
cannot use the FluMist formulation, and the vaccine has only been
approved for people aged 2 through 49.

The school flu clinics
will start by vaccinating students only, and if vaccine supplies allow,
they will move on to teachers and staff. The clinics are not open to
the general public.

On Nov. 9, Renault-Caragianes said more
vaccines had been received by the city and that pregnant women would be
allowed to make an appointment to receive doses. She said there may be
enough vaccine for more general distribution in December.

The
shortage of vaccine and triage for available doses is a familiar
problem for Somerville parents Sue and Vince, who did not give their
last names. The couple has been struggling to get H1N1 vaccinations for
themselves in order to protect their daughter. At 3 months, she is too
young to receive the H1N1 vaccine.

In Sue's words, they "fall in an odd loophole in priority."

"We're
not young children, we're not infants, we're not pregnant, but we're in
that twilight zone where we care for a very young child," she said.

The couple tried to get vaccinated at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, but were told they could not get it.

"They
had some, which they gave out to children under 2 who already had
doctor's appointments and pregnant women," Sue explained. "But I wasn't
considered high priority in the first round."

Somerville
resident Liz Sylvan has had similar frustrations finding the H1N1
vaccine. Like Sue and Vince, Sylvan and her husband tried "a couple of
different ways" to find an H1Ni vaccine for their 2-year-old daughter,
Misha but have been unsuccessful.

"Nobody that we interact
with has it yet," Sylvan said. " Our pediatrician's office doesn't have
it, and I am worried about it, because she's little, she's 2."

Pointing
to her son, she continued, "And he's under 6 months, so he doesn't even
get to [receive the vaccine] yet, and so I am very concerned about it."

More information about H1N1 vaccine availability can be found at www.flu.gov.

But a closer look reveals a greater
variety of options: the small store attracts clientele from other areas
of the city, and beyond, for its selection of fresh produce and diverse
imports – from Indian and Irish tea to crumpets and mango chutney.

Romy
Sehli, who has owned the store for 18 years, said he started offering
international goods five years ago to satisfy the "huge demand of
international customers."

"Whoever doesn't change with the times loses out," Sehli said.

After
turning away up to ten people looking to buy alcohol each day, Sehli
decided to apply for a liquor license transfer from a business that had
stopped using it, hoping to offer Indian wine and Irish beer for the
"convenience of my customers."

Within days, Sehli said close
to 400 people signed a petition in favor of the license. Yet almost
four months later, Sehli and his customers are still waiting. The
decision rests with the Licensing Commission, a three-person panel
which administers all liquor licenses in Somerville.

'Common Good'

The
number of available licenses is capped by the state according to
population. Somerville currently holds 84 restaurant and club licenses,
and 20 package store licenses, said Jenneen Pagliaro, who works for the
Licensing Commission from City Hall.

The Commission must weigh a
myriad of factors in approving an application and deciding which store,
restaurant, or area deserves a license, and which one does not.

All
factors can be grouped into two main categories: the character and
fitness of the applicant, and the "public need" or "common good," said
Andrew Upton, the chairman of the Licensing Commission.

The
first category is relatively straightforward: the Commission looks at
the applicant's experience with the business and makes sure he does not
have a criminal record.

Alderman-at-Large Dennis Sullivan, who
testified in favor of Farmer's Bounty's application at one of the
Commission's monthly meetings, called Sehli a responsible business
owner with a "proven track record."

Yet it is the second category, that of "the common good," that poses more difficulty.

Commissioners
must consider everything: the number of other liquor licenses in the
area, noise and traffic levels, population density, proximity to
churches or schools, as well as testimonies from the community ¬- from
aldermen, customers, neighbors, and city officials.

In listening
to "the public," each voice must be weighed against every other,
business needs considered along with complaints of neighbors.

The
Commission must factor in the eight Farmer's Bounty customers who came
to the commission's last hearing in support of the store's application.

But
they must also consider the testimony of Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah
Gewirtz, who argued earlier that Farmer's Bounty patrons could simply
buy their liquor across the street, from Downtown Wine and Spirits.

"I represent the residents and the neighborhood," Gewirtz said. "And I maintain that this license is not necessary."

Commissioner Vito Vaccaro said that "economic development" is the Commission's number one priority.

"Has
it enhanced, or will it enhance, the dining experience in the city of
Somerville? Will it help the city of Somerville?" Vaccaro asks for each
license application. "That's the bottom line."

Liquor licenses
can be used by the city to bring greater business to underdeveloped
areas, such as Winter Hill. The Commission has also set aside ten
licenses for Assembly Square, anticipating a proliferation of
restaurants and hotels in the area over the next few years.

Somerville has become a "dining destination" in recent years, said Upton, the Commission's chairman.

However, until recently, there were not enough liquor licenses available for new restaurants.

"It's
hard to have a successful restaurant without at least serving beer and
wine," Upton said. "Sometimes people won't even come to your place for
food unless they can also order a glass of wine."

No New Licenses?

To
boost the appeal of the city's dining scene, Somerville submitted a
home rule petition to the state legislature through the office of State
Senator Pat Jehlen, asking for more liquor licenses for restaurants.
Twenty full liquor licenses were granted in 2008, said Robert
FitzPatrick, Jehlen's chief of staff.

Full liquor licenses can
be used for package stores, restaurants, or bars and clubs, but
FitzPatrick said he expects the city to use most of the licenses for
restaurants, not for liquor stores.

"Somerville's done a good
job of attracting really nice restaurants," FitzPatrick said. "Now it's
up to the city to use these [new] full liquor licenses in the right
way."

While the city plans to use the new liquor licenses to
attract people to Somerville's restaurants and clubs, there are no new
licenses available for liquor stores or "packies," Vaccaro said. Stores
that want to obtain a liquor license must buy a transfer license from
someone else, and the city must approve the transaction.

"We
have only 4.2 square miles in Somerville," he said. "Everything you do
affects the neighbors. We have to think, how are we going to affect the
neighborhood?

"I personally don't want to walk down the street and see a bunch of liquor stores."

Upton
agreed, stating that while restaurants draw people from all over the
Boston area, "people don't come from all over the place to buy a
six-pack of Buds."

"I don't believe the city, the commission, or anyone, think Somerville should have more liquor stores."

Rob
May, from the Mayor's Office of Strategic Planning and Community
Development (OSPCD), represented the city's position on the Farmer's
Bounty case at the last hearing.

May suggested a compromise:
Farmer's Bounty should submit a floor plan on where it plans to place
its beer and wine, in order to ensure that it does not become a full
liquor store.

As of August, May and the OSPCD have been working
with the Commission to create a set of guidelines and criteria for the
city's liquor licenses.

The OSPCD wants to formalize a licensing
process that has long relied more on consensus and Commissioner
experience than on the new technology, and statistical and mapping
tools now favored by city governments across the country.

Somerville's
existing guidelines for liquor licenses are simply taken from those
used state-wide. However, May said that it is important to consider
local needs.

By December, May said he hopes to present the
Commission with several options for possible changes to licensing
guidelines ¬- which may require liquor stores to limit the number of
signs on the storefront, or install exterior lighting or live-feed TV.

However, eschewing the high-tech, Farmer's Bounty may do well to follow the example of David Jick, owner of Dave's Fresh Pasta.

When
Jick decided to apply for a liquor license to supplement the other
options in his specialy food store, he took the time to talk to
neighbors and fellow businessowners "to make sure people were okay with
the idea."

Although the process took over a year, Jick said he has had his current license for three years without any problems.

Jick's
neighborly approach was much appreciated by Dan Parsons, the general
manager of Downtown Wine and Spirits, which lies across the street from
Farmer's Bounty.