The
measure first received Board approval in July 2008 but failed to get
the required State House vote before the legislative session ended.
Police Captains Michael Cabral and Paul Upton have served as acting
deputy chiefs since last September.

Cabral reviewed the
reasoning for putting the positions in the hands of the police chief at
the board's Sept. 24 meeting, noting it is an essential part of the
department's reorganization.

Under the plan, any senior officer
at the police department would be eligible for Police Chief Anthony
Holloway to recommend for the one-year position. After approval from
the Board of Aldermen, the position would be up for renewal.

The
same arguments were lodged for and against the measure, with Ward 6
Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz expressing concern about politicizing the
positions by taking them out of civil service.

"I'm very
concerned that as we move towards a trend of removing positions from
civil service we open ourselves up to a situation where we might have
people being put into positions in the future who might not be
qualified for the job," Gewirtz said.

Cabral countered that the
civil service system, which relies on tests to determine whether an
officer is qualified a position, the Board would have a voice in the
process.

"You evaluate us for our entire careers," Cabral said. "We didn't just come up here as deputy chiefs … You know us."

Also responding to Gewirtz, Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero said the Board should not tell the department how to manage itself.

"For
us to think that we can manage the police department with a plan that
we would propose as opposed to the one they brought to us, I think it's
just simply wrong," Pero said.

The plan passed 9-1, with Gewirtz voting against the measure.

Last
Thursday evening, I led a seminar at the Ash Institute for Democratic
Governance and Innovation at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. I
spoke about Somerville's growing reputation for innovation in municipal
government, and about how mayors and other elected leaders can foster
and drive innovations that improve services, save money and make the
best use of new technologies.

Somerville has developed a close
relationship with the Kennedy School over the past several years. The
City has benefited from what amounts to free labor and advice from
Kennedy School students and faculty. K-School grads work in a number of
city departments, including our Police Department and the Office of
Strategic Planning and Community Development. I've even been taking
some courses there myself – and it's been a valuable experience.

With
all of that in mind, I was more than willing to develop a presentation
that covered SomerStat, 311, ResiStat, Shape Up Somerville, the ACE
(Accurate, Courteous, Easy) customer service initiative, our
comprehensive police reorganization and all of the other programs and
policies that have brought Somerville so much national and regional
attention – and played a major role in winning us recognition by the
National Civic League as a 2009 All America City.

Even though
I only had enough time to touch on the highlights, laying out our
record for a Kennedy School audience was still a valuable experience:
just like the inaugural and mid-term addresses I've given every January
for the past five years, the evening provided an opportunity to reflect
on how much we have accomplished – and how much more we need to do to
fulfill this city's terrific promise and potential.

As I talked
about the ways we've adopted and adapted best practices from all over
the country, I was reminded how quickly something that was once new and
exciting becomes a matter of routine. 2004 isn't that long ago, but
it's amazing how many changes we've been able to make in technical
systems and procedures that make Somerville's government more
accountable, transparent and cost-effective.

It's also amazing
how much you can get done just by paying attention to what's going on
outside your own community. As I told my fellow students, you don't
need to be an inventor to be an innovator – but you do need to be an
adaptor. Somerville has often been the first community in Massachusetts
or New England to adopt a new idea, but only because we were the first
to figure out a way to do it gradually and inexpensively. We're willing
to start out with a basic version of a program like SomerStat or 311,
and then expand it gradually by adding new features, more departments
or other enhancements until it compares very favorably to fancier and
more elaborate versions that come with a much higher price tag.

But
as my good friend, Mike Shea, likes to say, "In politics, the question
is never 'What have you done?' It's always, 'What are you doing now?'
And that's just as it should be. As proud as I am of the way we have
upgraded our city systems, I am committed to doing even better. We need
to get even more data onto our website, and we will. We need to bring
even more new technology into play to improve our response time on
service and information requests – and we will. We need to do much more
to reduce our carbon footprint through more efficient energy usage –
and we will. We need to upgrade and rebuild even more of our aging
infrastructure, and we will do that, too.

Of course, "doing even
better" was made much harder by the current state and national fiscal
crisis. We've already absorbed the deepest cuts to local aid that
anyone can remember, and we may well have to endure another round of
cuts in the current fiscal year. It's not going to be pretty.

On
the other hand, the systems we have already put in place have created
efficiencies and savings that have helped us expand services in the
past, and will help us preserve services going forward. Combined with
the growth in our commercial tax base that is coming with the continued
development of Assembly Square, the enhancements to Union and Magoun
Squares and to the East Somerville section of Broadway, and – at long
last – the construction of the Green Line Extension, our best practices
in governmental operations will help us weather these tough economic
times and bounce back stronger and faster.

Current trends
suggest that the national recession is ending, and that Massachusetts
will emerge more quickly than in most other parts of the nation. When
that happens, look for Somerville to be one of the communities that
leads the way – not because we have more wealth or a bigger industrial
base than other Massachusetts cities and towns, but because we've been
willing to embrace the new ideas and technologies that help us use our
resources more efficiently. You can see it every day – in where we've
been and in where we're going.

The Sept. 27 tour, sponsored by the Somerville
Historic Preservation Commission, was led by Ed Gordon, president of
the New England chapter of the Victorian Society of America.

The
two-hour program, titled "From Powder House Pickles to Ball Square
Brickyards," covered Nathan Tufts Park and historic houses on Broadway,
Powder House Terrace, Kidder Avenue, and Ball Square.

Gordon
began the tour at the park's Field House. Built in 1935, it was
commissioned to give work to unemployed construction workers. Their
design referenced the much older Powder House, sitting on the hill
directly above.

The Powder House was originally a windmill,
later purchased by the colonial Massachusetts government to store
gunpowder because its location was ideal for defending against an
attack. British troops seized the munitions in 1774 – a dress rehearsal
for the march to Lexington and Concord just seven months later.

After
leaving the Field House, tour goers braved the rain and the traffic to
cross the rotary at Powder House Square. Looking down Bromfield and up
Broadway, Ed Gordon tells them, "Somerville has what is probably the
finest collection of two-family houses."

Some of the grandest
of these are located on Broadway, which was known as the Road to Mystic
in the mid-1600s and served as a route out of town. With the expansion
of the electric trolley at the turn of the 20th century, Somerville's
population doubled and its landscape changed drastically as home were
built to keep up.

The next stop was 771 Broadway, which sits
on the original Tufts family homestead. Built in 1899, the home is one
of many built to meet the housing demand. Bill MacDonald, the owner and
renovator of the property, greeted the tour goers. MacDonald and his
wife purchased the house in 2003 and completely renovated it, currently
using the home as a clinic for patients suffering from eating
disorders.

Inside, MacDonald's handiwork is visible at every
turn. The exterior, including the front porch running the length of the
house, was updated with granite and composite flooring that will help
the renovation outlast the weather.

The efforts have not gone
unnoticed. The home received a preservation award from the Somerville
Historic Preservation Commission, which uses historic homes as learning
tools for students. Among its current projects is a showcase of
Somerville High School students' artwork featuring 11 historic homes at
the Center for Arts at the Armory, itself among the city's most
prominent historic structures.

A large tent
has also been erected overnight to screen and sign up local extras that
want to be in the movie and put them up on the silver screen.

*********

We
also hear that former Mayor Dot Gay, who was defeated this time 6 years ago, is
backing Martha Coakley – at a recent event here in the city, her husband was
heard telling people that the Gay's would be with Coakley. Apparently more then
one person overheard that, but we were shocked when we were told. Wasn't it Mike
Capuano who gave a picture of him standing with Dot supporting her for
re-election, the year she lost to Joe? One thing everyone knows about Mike is
that he's loyal, and if this rumor is true, he might not be happy. But then
again, the Gay's know what the word "loyalty" means…or do they?

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

Alderwomen Rebekah Gewirtz is having her
fundraiser tonight at Redbones in Davis Square – we hear the place is going to
be packed and it starts at 5:30pm.

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

Now we hear
that Alderman Bob Trane has been amongst the missing lately, nobody has seen him
or heard from him, appears that Trane is off the track somewhere, so to speak.
We're sending out a search party – hoping he's ok and everything is fine…he's
properly working those streets up there in Ward
7.

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

Rumor has it that Marty Martinez, the man about
town, which has lived in all parts of Somerville – is or will be moving to Ward
7 again. The gossip grape vine is abuzz that he has moved again back to Ward 7.
What makes this more interesting was a little well placed rumor around that
State Rep. Carl Sciortino is seeking an appointment from our Governor and if he
gets it he will resign. Marty would be right in the district to run for his seat
then…again, it's a rumor, but wouldn't it be funny if it was true? Those
PDSers are so transparent, aren't they?

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

Our own
Ward 4 School Committeeman Jamie Norton will host a fundraiser at the "On The
Hill Tavern" (499 Broadway – Magoun Square) this coming Monday night, the 28th
starting at 6 pm. Tickets are $50.00pp (suggested donation). Many of Jamie's
friends and family will be there and it should be an interesting evening.

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

What the Fluff is this Saturday in Union Square,
from 4 pm to 7 pm on the Union Square Plaza. Somerville, in particular Union
Square, is the home of the invention of Fluff – by Archibald Query in 1917.
Every year lately Union Square has been celebrated with games, musical and
theatrical performers, inventors, culinary wizards and humorists – enough stuff
to fluff out and for every one in the family to enjoy.

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

We mentioned a couple of weeks ago the passing of
our friend Barry Parsons from East Somerville, a life long resident. His wife
Emily and family are having a celebration of life and remembrance of Barry on
Sunday September 27th at 2 pm at the Knights of Columbus hall at 570 North
Avenue, Wakefield. For further information, contact Koleary70@hotmail.com –
Barry was a nice guy and is already missed.

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

Boring election year here, but in traveling
around to the various other cities and towns nearby, you can see by the signs
that some of their elections might be more interesting. We have no primary and
only 3 ward elections in November and there will be an Alderman at Large race as
well with 5 candidates and only 4 to be re-elected. So it might be interesting
to see the various Alderman at Large candidates working wards 4, 5 & 6 –
where the races are. Already one candidate, challenger Morales, sent out a large
mailing. We're still trying to figure out who the PDSers and Somerville
Community Corp are tying to vote out of office amongst the Aldermen at Large –
it's very apparent that both groups support Morales.

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

Congratulations to Jose Jorge for being installed
as the new Master of King Solomon's Masonic Lodge here in Somerville, he was
installed by the Kilwinning Club of Boston in full Scottish regalia and bagpipes
this past Saturday. King Solomon's Lodge, which is heading into its 226th year
of existence, is having another Open House on Saturday October 17th, at 125
Highland Ave (rear building). The public is invited to come and ask questions
and see what a Masonic Lodge looks like – check out all the history and maybe
just come and talk about the latest by Dan Brown, who has been writing about the
Mysteries that Masonry is all about. There are several hundred Masons here in
Somerville, and tens of thousands statewide, which is a charitable organization.
Come meet Wor. Jose, the first Portuguese-born Master of that lodge here and
some of your neighbors who are from Somerville. A website is in progress and
will be online with full pictures of all the Paul Revere jewels and ancient
historic papers from the lodge here in
Somerville.

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

Looking for Senior Housing? Know
someone who is? The Somerville Home on Summer Street is having and informative
meeting at the Somerville Public Library's main branch on Highland & Walnut,
Thursday September 24th from
6:30-7:30p.m.

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

We're just reminding you that the
2nd Annual Fireworks on the banks of the Mystic at Assembly Square will be on
Saturday, October 3rd from 4 to 8 pm with the fireworks at 8 pm. It will be a
great time – there was a large crowd last year and best of all brought to you by
the folks at Federal Realty and Mayor Joe Curtatone. Mark it down in your
calendars – there will be plenty of
parking.

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

Community Baptist Church at 31 College
Avenue is having a Rummage Sale – Flea Market this coming Friday the 18th and
Saturday the 19th from 10 am to 2 pm each day. Many tables with lots of stuff
and best of all fresh baked homemade food. Sponsored by the Jolly
Elders.

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

Somerville High School class of 1949 will
be having their 60th Reunion coming up shortly; cost is $55.00pp, for info email
neilruth2468@yahoo.com

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

Happy Birthdays go out to
Emily (Mama) Tauro, Emily is the mother and matriarch of the Tauro Family and
she's a great lady to boot. Happy Birthday also to Mary Murphy of the TF Murphy
Florist family, and mother of popular Tom Murphy Jr. well known in the business
community here in Somerville – Happy Birthday to both ladies and many
more.

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

On the movie scene, we hear Ben Affleck will
be filming a movie about a Wells Fargo Bank heist here on the Somerville /
Cambridge line at the Twin Cities Mall sometime next week – stay tuned – we'll
get the word what day…the movie name is supposed to be "The Town." Also don't
forget this Monday with Cameron Diaz filming her movie 480 Columbia
(Nissenbaum's Auto) Keep watching online for all your local movie film
information here first and only in Newstalk.

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

In
the works and coming shortly to all the Cambridge residents a new paper framed
after our own News – by request throughout Cambridge and in the local
neighborhoods another paper…We found out how popular The News is in Cambridge
by attending a City Council meeting not to long ago and we spotted some our of
papers over there. We're going to be looking for writers over in Cambridge and
especially in the neighborhoods which have long been ignored by the Farm Team
over there.

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

Appears the big boys in Boston are
reading our column here and getting their ideas from us and putting them on
their local sites – claiming to be the "local guys." We have news for them, you
can't be local if you're not even living and/or working here and you just copy
our stories and the Farm Team stories and then try and tell people you're more
local. It doesn't work that way, we're more local because everyone here at The
News lives/works here in Somerville and some for many, many years – What's
local? We are.

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

The Somerville Lions Club and King
Lion – our own Billy Tauro – again raised a lot of money this past Saturday
night with the poker games and cigar night, only thing was smoking outside, not
in…

Okay, so we are a political city. Most of us,
whether old-timers or new-comers, have some kind of political experience in our
blood. So we know better. Or do we?

The natural inclination is to think
that since Mike Capuano is now in the race, it's a done deal. Well, that's
awesome in theory, but it won't happen merely because we all "like
Mike."

Mike Capuano, albeit late the to table, will most likely win the
race to fill Teddy's shoes in the Senate. If and when he does, it will be all
because of him, not his name (he's not a Kennedy), not because he already holds
statewide office (he doesn't) and certainly not because all the unions are
running scared to support him (like they are running face first into Coakley's
backside).

Mike Capuano is a "what you see is what you get" kind of
politician. Sure, he might not be as polished as other, seasoned, veteran
Congressmen or Senators, but who cares? Ted Kennedy wasn't a saint, and he got
the job done, for his state and for the ideals he stood for.

Mike might
have been caught up in the Pelosi tidalwave for a while there in the Congress –
hey, it's not easy to be a standout kind of Representative when you are up
against 434 other screaming voices every day – but that's okay, Mike. You run
because you believe in what you stand for, you believe in the idea that you
don't have to be popular, as long as you stand for the right reasons, you know
what loyalty and constituent services mean. Those are the reasons why we like
you Mike. Why we liked you when you were Mayor. And why you will be a great
United States Senator.

Now get out there – and raise more money, and show
this state how real Somerville politician's campaign across this great
Commonwealth of ours. Win the seat, and make us proud.

Saintville's friends rushed back to Good Times Emporium, where
they knew a police officer would be present. He was rushed to and later
pronounced dead at Massachusetts General Hospital. After an autopsy, the State
Medical Examiner ruled the death as a result of a homicide from one gunshot
wound.

According to the District Attorney Gerard Leone's office, the
authorities were able to track the van back to a residence in Charlestown after
an initial investigation. This led to the arrest of Marquis Williams, 20, of
Randolph, later that same day. Randolph was arraigned on April 23rd in
Somerville District Court as an accessory to murder.

The ensuing
investigation led to another arrest, this one of the believed shooter in the
squabble, David Cole, who at the time was 19 and from Boston. He was later
arraigned for first-degree murder on May 27th, 2007 in the Somerville District
Court. Judge Maurice R. Flynn ordered Cole to be held without bail.

District Attorney Gerard Leone's office cited that Jones was a key
witness in the case. Jones not only refused to give information that he had to a
Grand Jury, but also that he attempted to influence others to provide false
information.

Jones was originally arraigned on May 25th, 2007, on counts
of perjury and suborning to perjury. Judge Dominic Paratore than ordered that
Jones be held on $7,500 cash bail.

In a press release on September 16th,
2009, District Attorney Leone stated that: "By pleading guilty today, the
defendant admits his responsibility for purposefully seeking to frustrate the
police investigation and, therefore, manipulate the process of investigating a
homicide." Also, that "In order to protect our communities, we need the
cooperation and accurate testimony of witnesses. If a witness is fearful of
retribution, we will work with them, but if they purposefully choose to obstruct
and impede an investigation by giving false testimony, we will prosecute them
fully. This conviction should send that message very clearly."

The
District Attorney's office also cited that the investigation was a team effort
by multiple law enforcement agencies. These included the Massachusetts State
Police assigned to the District Attorney's office, State Police VFA's, STOP and
Canine Units, Chelsea Police, Harbor Point Housing Police and the United States
Marshall's Service.

As District Attorney Leone stated, this guilty plea
by Jones should make a statement to witnesses of murder cases that providing
false information, or refusing to provide any information at all, is against the
law and will put them at risk of a harsh sentencing.

What was unclear,
however, was if the case would be re-started, and what would happen to the men
in custody. Furthermore, if this man did provide false witness, then would the
case thus far be a mistrial, or was the evidence against them strong enough
without Jones' testimony? Surely there will be some more answers in the coming
months.

Line dancing enthusiasts also
turned out to learn a few new steps to add to their repertoire, taught by the
volunteers from the Gays for Patsy organization. A Boston-based non-profit
group, Gays for Patsy supports a variety of local groups by fundraising through
dance and events.

"I think they are wonderful", said country music fan
Rebecca Haley. "They seem to really enjoy dancing and performing. It's nice to
learn that they are supporting a larger cause and are doing it in a unique way
by thinking outside of the box."

As the afternoon progressed, various
country music acts took the stage to serenade the crowd. Musical groups included
DJ Brother Cleve, Lucky 57, and the Tin Panhandlers.

A well known Boston
based band, Three Day Threshold, was also in the lineup. They hyped the crowd up
as they performed their popular songs that mix genres of Bluegrass, Country,
Celtic and Punk into one unique sound. Currently promoting their latest album,
"Lost in Belgium" this band has toured through Europe and their music has also
been featured in music and television shows.

Adding to the spirit of the
afternoon were local vendors selling their unique handmade art and crafts. On
hand was Amy The from Pinecone and Chickadee selling eco-friendly, artwork and
apparel. The work of Closer to the Ocean was also a popular seller as they sold
various image transferred pieces.

Passing through the vendor tables,
concert goers were able to relax and try something very unique and far different
from the line dancing and country ballads in the background. They were allowed a
free trial of old Chinese medicine, thanks to Union Square Acupuncture. If the
sight of sterile needles caused some to tense up, they were in luck and received
free 10 minute massages by Dell Fisher, an Asian bodywork therapist who
specializes in Zen Shiatsu, Tui Na, and Thai Bodywork to name a few.

This event was successful due to the hard work of the Somerville Arts
Council and Aliza Shapiro of Truth Serum. The Somerville Arts Council works
tirelessly in development of events promoting culture and art. Urban Country
Fair 2009 is part of the ArtsUnion project series developed to promote community
and art development in Union Square while boosting local businesses. Don't miss
out on the next Somerville Arts Council event on September 26th in Union Square.
Attend the annual, "What the Fluff" which celebrates the invention of Fluff by
Archibald Query in 1917.

An original plan for Magoun
Square was actually created a few years ago, but involved only aesthetic
improvements and landscape beautification. The final plan introduced on
Wednesday has been amended over the past 2 years and is much more grand in terms
of scope and financing. The approved design now involves major safety and
operational traffic improvements–changes that local residents and officials
found to be necessary. Mayor Curtatone referred to the initial design as "window
dressing that didn't address the problem" of safety concerns that currently
exist at the massive intersection in Magoun Square. "We stayed committed to the
best project," said Mayor Curtatone, "the top project that will improve safety,
improve traffic flow, and will unlock some economic opportunity." The project is
primarily state sponsored, but things have been able to move quickly due to the
recent allocation of federal stimulus dollars that will help support the
redevelopment.

The current design will improve pedestrian safety by
adding more crosswalks, refurbishing and shortening current crosswalks that will
comply with the American Disabilities Act, and will add brick walkways similar
to Davis Square. The plan also calls for major aesthetic upgrades that include
landscaping, streetscaping, street lighting, and bicycle accommodation. The city
will install 4 bike racks, add 8 additional trash bins, and will plant 16 new
trees in the Magoun Square area. They will also purchase and install ornamental
street lights, ornamental traffic signals, metal benches, and will create a
brick façade around all landscaped features. The redevelopment will also take
into account the issue of traffic in the Magoun Square area by synchronizing two
sets of lights in an attempt to redesign the flow of traffic and ease
congestion.

The plans for construction have already gone out to bid and
are due back from contractors on September 29th at 2 pm. The redevelopment has
been scheduled as a 535 day contract and will begin in the Spring of 2010 with
an option to do some potential layout work in the Fall of 2009. David Giagrande
assured residents that all businesses and residences will remain accessible
during the construction and doubted that there would be a need to temporary
shut-down any major utilities in the neighborhood. With new mandated safety
regulations, Giagrande did admit that there is a possibility of losing a few
parking spaces in the Magoun Square area.

Some residents took issue with
the choice of brick walkways due to their propensity to shift over time,
referencing the current problems at Davis Square. All designs were signed off on
prior to this final community meeting and no fundamental changes are to be made.
Another resident questioned the steep crossing ramp at the Medford/Broadway
intersection, but Giagrande stated that, due to the natural grade of the street,
few improvements can be made.

Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan was grateful
for the Mayor's support and feels that this project is a necessary improvement
to the area. "Magoun Square is an area that is not at all pedestrian friendly
and vehicular-wise has issues that need to be addressed," said O'Donovan. "The
original plan was more of a beautification project that, in our view, did not
address the public safety concerns that we as elected officials had discussed
with our constituents."

Updates on the upcoming construction schedule
will be available on the city website or by calling 311.