Harrington and Lane have each
worked for the Recreation Department for over twenty years, working
with multiple generations of Somerville kids in a variety of
after-school programs including girls athletics. Several former
students came back to Somerville to help support the pair. "I grew up
in Somerville–she was always a part of my life," said Vicky Palmacci
speaking of Karen Harrington. "She got me playing basketball, got me
coaching basketball, and, as I got older, helped me get a job, helped
me start my life, and helped me direct myself toward college. In
another situation, that wouldn't have happened."

After entering
the Aldermen's Committee Room, the present and former Somerville
students in attendance had to patiently wait for their opportunity to
state their case. Sitting through the latter half of next year's school
budget meeting and the potential cutbacks in that arena set a difficult
stage for 12 year old Jennifer Leone and her friends as they delivered
their speeches to the Aldermen. Leone reminded the group that the
impending layoffs would effect more than the two people directly
involved. "When you people were looking to layoff," said Leone, "I
don't think you people were looking at how many little kids, preteens,
and teenagers you were cutting programs for. What would you rather see
kids do, paint, play sports, or be in their house or maybe even getting
into trouble outside? These programs are very important and people love
to go because of Karen and Carol. Everyone would hate to see them go.
They are a part of Somerville."

Some parents and students admit
that they understand the need for cuts, but are confused on the why
Karen Harrington and Carol Lane were the ones to be layed off. "I
understand that there are cuts and layoffs," said one resident before
the march, "but there are other people that are [in that department]
that make more money that haven't been there as long. If you are going
to do it by money, then do it by money. If you are going to do it by
seniority, then do it by seniority. We just want it to be fair."
Organizers of the march passed out pamphlets that showed the years of
service and the 2008 salary information of all Recreation employees
making over $50,000 a year.

The Board of Aldermen seemed
genuinely moved by the show of support and were equally inspired by the
youth of Somerville participating so actively in the democratic
process. Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz and Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane
were among those commending the kids and supporting their cause. "There
are a lot of programs that they run that the kids just love," said
Alderman Trane in a separate interview. "I think that it is very
important to have a staff on hand, and, to me, Karen is a critical part
of that mission."

The impending difficulty for those who support
Harrington and Lane is that the Board of Aldermen does not have the
power to reverse a budgetary decision. "Some people think we can
restore funding," said Alderman Trane. "Unfortunately we can't If we
cut money out, we can make a recommendation of what we think we can do
with that money, but that is the Mayor's decision. It goes back to the
Mayor."

As speeches were cut short on Thursday, supporters of
Harrington and Lane returned on Monday during the Board of Aldermen's
public forum to continue their fight. As of yet, no budgetary decisions
have been made pertaining to the Recreation Department.

Unless
there are problems, most people take transportation for granted. When
it works we do not think about the importance of being able to move
from place to place for our personal and work lives as well as our
economy. Today, news about transportation in Somerville reflects both
the best of times and the worst of times. It is the best of times
because after over 20 years of increasing traffic on local streets and
highways, and no improvements in transit services Somerville is on the
brink of securing greatly improved public transportation with the
extension of the Green Line that will connect East and West Somerville
and a new Orange Line station at Assembly Square.

In 2013
Somervillians will be able to get out of their cars and hop on the
Green Line to get to places within the city and in the metro area.
Among the changes that will come about will be high school students
taking the Green Line to school; reducing the traffic jams around the
high school and make transferring from buses to the Green Line at
Lechmere a thing of the past. When completed, these projects will mean
that 85% of Somerville residents will be within ¬Ω mile of the Red,
Green or Orange Line.

A series of neighborhood station area
meetings are getting underway for people living near the proposed Green
Line station. The meetings are being held to enable Somerville
residents to talk about their vision of how the Green Line can and will
change their use of public transportation, green space and open space
and the station design and amenities. There will be opportunities to
talk about making sure that the Green Line is accessible for people of
all ages and levels of mobility. The meetings are being sponsored by
the Community Corridor Planning Project, a collaborative effort by
Groundwork Somerville, the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership
(STEP), the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) and the Somerville
Health Agenda (SHA). [ See table below or http://www.somervillecdc.org/GetInvolved/takeaction.html or www.somervillestep.org for the schedule and meeting locations].

For
most of the proposed Green Line stations the character of the
neighborhoods will not change. However, for Inner Belt, Brickbottom and
Boynton Yards, the Union Square and Lowell Line Green Line extensions
will provide the city with opportunities for economic development that
could improve the local economy, bring jobs to the city, increase the
city's commercial tax revenue and reduce the city's dependence on
property taxes and local aid from the state.

It takes many years
and the involvement of community residents working with the city to
plan and construct transit improvements as the people who lived through
the construction of the Davis Square T station can attest. Their
involvement throughout the process was critical in making the project a
success. The Davis Square experience of greater than expected use of
the Community Path for West Somerville and Cambridge residents to get
to the T has made the extension of the community path a high priority
in planning the Green Line extensions.

The Somerville Bicycle
Committee, the Friends of the Community Path, STEP and the City have
collaborated to secure the commitment from the Executive Office of
Transportation to include the engineering design of the extension of
the Community Path from Lowell Street all the way into Boston alongside
the Green Line because we know in Somerville that the large numbers of
people will use the community path to access Green Line stations. While
all this is in the planning phase, work is underway to extend the path
from Cedar Street to Lowell St.

All of these upcoming
improvements are important and exciting developments for the city but
reflecting the worst of times they are dependent on the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts coming up with a reliable revenue stream to fund
infrastructure maintenance and finance the transit improvements
promised to the city. Our own legislative delegation has been fighting
to ensure that the state addresses these revenue needs for transit
improvements and infrastructure maintenance, but their efforts have not
been supported by fellow legislators. Everyone complains about the
lousy roads, potholes, and slow MBTA service but paying to make
improvements is very unpopular. If this situation is not resolved by
the end of September the state stands to lose its federal share (80%)
of funding for transportation improvements unless it finds the funding
to pay for the 20% state share for project costs.

Despite the
lack of willingness to pay for it there is strong demand for Investing
in maintaining and improving transportation infrastructure in
Massachusetts, as well as across the country. New light rail systems
are opening in Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, Seattle, Los Angeles, and
Charlotte – all late in embracing investment in public transportation.
These communities are moving ahead strategically, investing in
transportation that will serve their residents for the next 100 years
by building light rail systems to support a strategy of transit
oriented development.

We in metro Boston region have been
fortunate to have an extensive network of public transportation that
has served the region well for many years. Yet, with the exception of
expanding commuter rail to suburban and ex-urban communities, there
have been very limited improvements made to the MBTA system since the
opening of the Red Line station in Davis Square in the 1980's.

Somerville
stands to benefit substantially when the state finally meets its 1991
legal obligation under the federal Clean Air Act to extend the Green
Line through the city and build Orange Line station at Assembly Square.
This is a decisive time for our city and involvement in planning for
these improvements and supporting transportation financing critically
needed.

Sonja
Darai, Director of the Commission, is very excited to have the new
co-chairs as part of the SWC. "I've enjoyed working with both Nancy and
Correen. We have an energetic group of commissioners who are setting a
very active schedule of activities and programming. Its quite
exciting."

Guests of the family owned restaurant, were treated
to live music by the Knuckledusters and were also able to meet the
Women's Commission members. "I've been involved with SWC for less than
a year, but I'm very excited, and I think we're going to bring a lot of
energy, ideas and really help get the SWC more exposure to the
community" said Correen Demers.

The mixer also raised money for
the SWC programs including TADA, Teens Against Dating Abuse, at
Somerville High School. A youth inspired program, TADA has just
finished its sixth year. "The goal is to take an often silent problem,
and give it a powerful voice in the high school. Students can join and
learn about what dating violence is, what to do, and how to help
others. Funding is important, with more money we can grow this program
so we can have assemblies and educate more students," said Sonja. TADA
has a very flexible approach to educating students by always trying
different methods to reach students. Peer-to-peer teaching is an
important aspect of the program as students can present the information
they learned in TADA during health classes.

The Somerville
Women's Commission is a citizen group, dedicated to enriching women's
lives by advocating for equality in all facets including education,
health and politics working closely with local agencies and law
enforcement. Comprised entirely of volunteers, the Commissioners are
appointed by the mayor for three-year terms. To become involved with
the Somerville Women's Commission attend one of the meetings held every
third Wednesday of the Month at 7 p.m. at the City Hall Annex.

A short
time later, two Boston police detectives on detail in Charlestown
observed the suspect vehicle and stopped it. Two of the suspects were
placed into custody while the third suspect fled on foot. After a short
foot chase the third suspect was also arrested. Recovered in the
vehicle were the masks used in the robbery.

The suspects are
identified as a James Rigano, d.o.b. 7/13/66 of Malden, Eric Leonard,
d.o.b. 7/4/88 of Everett, and Terrence Dunnells, d.o.b: 7/21/79 of
Cambridge, New York. The suspects were transported to Somerville Police
station where they were booked on the charge of armed robbery while
masked and later interviewed. The gun and clothing used in the robbery
were recovered from a trash barrel in Cambridge by Somerville
Detectives and agents from the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force. Two of
the suspects have made incriminating statements in connection with
today's robbery and two other recent bank robberies. Additional charges
will be filed by the appropriate jurisdictions in those incidents. All
three suspects will be arraigned tomorrow in Somerville District Court.

Chief Anthony Holloway noted that this crime was brought to a
quick solution by the keen observations of witnesses who gave police
the plate number and description of the get away car and the prompt
notification of surrounding police agencies. The quick work by two
Boston Police officers on detail brought this crime spree to an abrupt
halt without anyone getting hurt. The investigation is continuing in
cooperation with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force.

The total approved budget
for the city is $160,032,473, down from the proposed $160,272,078 after
a marathon session of line item cuts that followed a week of department
presentations.

During the Finance Committee meeting that began
June 29, a total of $239,605 in cuts were made during five and a half
hours of deliberation. A public hearing, which saw a capacity audience,
saw two speak in favor of the budget and eight against.

Mayor Joseph Curtatone's administration said the budget is $4.98 million less than in Fiscal Year 2009 and reflects a 22 percent cut in state aid. Gov. Deval Patrick signed the state budget earlier on June 29, indicating proposals for local meals and hotel taxes could go forward.

Curtatone said he would have those taxes ready for Board approval at their July 9 meeting.

Until the final moments before the budget vote on Monday, aldermen argued about budget
issues ranging from overtime spending to whether the mayor's office had
kept them in the dark about litigation payouts – a topic which required
a closed-door session.

Ward 7 Alderman Bob Trane and Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz eventually voted against the budget, citing their disappointment in Youth and Recreation Department cuts. Alderman Tom Taylor was absent for the vote.

The Public Speaks Out

A
group of children opposed to the layoffs of two Youth and Recreation
Department employees spoke during the public hearing portion of the
Board's Finance Committee meeting. They were also sponsored at the
Board's June 25 meeting.

A group of around 80 also marched to
City Hall June 25 to protest the layoffs of Karen Harrington and Carol
Lane, two long-time rec department employees. A petition to keep them
had gathered 160 signatures.

The two who spoke in favor two spoke in favor of the budget
at the June 29 hearing were parents of rising sixth graders at the
Brown school, which at one point faced the sixth grade being cut.

The debate around the school was one of many issues that aldermen debated during a week of budget
presentations from city departments. At the Board's June 25 meeting,
Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche asked if the city had considered whether the
school could be closed altogether.

Trane left the chambers after
Committee Chairman Maryann Heuston refused to let him ask a follow up
question on the school, telling him to "take a walk" as he got up.

"Unfortunately
the Alderman from Ward 2 likes to stifle debate, because she's so in
line with what the administration wants," Trane said before rejoining
the meeting.

Cuts All Around

As the June 30 deadline for approving the budget approached, aldermen continued to suggest cuts they had lobbied for throughout budget
review process. No cut was too small, and some city officials spoke to
the merits of some items after they had been struck – prompting Heuston
to chastise them for being too slow.

Roche found $11,129 in
unnecessary salary payments. Gewirtz and others questioned the amounts
being spent on police and fire department overtime but ultimately lost
the battle.

Trane won a fight for a roughly 10 percent cut in
natural gas spending for the Public Works Department after the measure
was voted down twice in earlier forms.

At around 11 p.m.,
Alderman-at-Large Bill White asked why the Board was being asked to
approve $112,500 in line item form for a legal settlement for a
discrimination case in the police department without any explanation
from the city solicitor beforehand.

Gannon said that while the
city felt the suit had no merit, it decided to settle with the
plaintiff. White pointed out any claim more than $5,000 needs to go
before the board for approval on an individual case basis.

White
threatened to cut the line item down to $0 prior to going into
executive session, with Police Chief Anthony Holloway in attendance.
The item was later approved.

White had earlier challenged City
Solicitor John Gannon to explain whether the city would move forward
with a lawsuit against the Federal Aviation Administration challenging
excessive airplane noise if they lost the current case.

The
city spent $77,000 more than the allotted $100,000 for outside legal
counsel in FY09, mostly on the suit, which has cost the city $158,000
so far.

"We're in this to win," Gannon said.

The Parking Battle Continues

During the earlier public hearing portion of the final budget
meeting, resident Bob grilled the Board on letting the Traffic and
Parking Commission force the changes through without public input.

"That's
the biggest joke I ever heard in my life," one senior resident said of
the proposed citywide permit parking requirement. "What do you do when
you have a large family, ration them out? This is a joke. Why force it
down everyone's throat whether they want it or not?"

The parking
changes proposed to take effect August 1 were dealt with mostly at the
Board's June 25 meeting. The aldermen rejected a resolution 5-6 that
would have asked the Parking and Traffic Commission to reconsider
citywide permit parking and extend meter hours in Davis and Magoun
Squares.

Sean O'Donovan, Tom Taylor, Dennis Sullivan, White and
Gewirtz voted to send the resolution to the commission. Bruce Desmond,
Jack Connolly, Walter Pero, Roche and Heuston voted against it.

The changes, Heuston said, were a major factor in determining the budget
and that the potential revenue had already been worked in. Gewirtz said
the recommendations of a recently convened parking task force will be
released by mid-July.

The Vote

As the clock struck midnight, the Aldermen approached the final vote on the budget, with all weighing in on the cuts being a "shared sacrifice" except for Trane and Gewirtz.

Both
said the 21 percent cut to the Youth and Recreation Department was
unfair, with Gewirtz stressing it could lead to an increase in youth
violence – which White said was unlikely. Gewirtz also pointed out the
two top administrators in the department, James Halloran and George
Scarpelli, are earning $70,000 a year.

"I mean no disrespect
to my colleagues on the Board," Gewirtz said. "I'm going to do this
because of the kids coming up every night. As a form of protest I'm
voting 'no' this evening."

She also pointed out that the mayor's
proposal to put $3 million in a "rainy day" fund went against the
current cuts the Board had just issued.

"It's raining now," Gewirtz said.

"I'm
a little confused," Roche said in response. "Nobody likes cuts, nobody
likes layoffs. There's nobody around this board that's happy. What if
we all voted no? What would that do? The city wouldn't have a budget. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

After the 8-2 vote, with Trane and Gewirtz voting against the budget, Gewirtz was the lone vote against the $3 million rainy day fund allocation.

At
the end of the meeting, Heuston noted that the state will likely make
cuts to its local aid in the middle of the fiscal year, in January,
when that $3 million may be needed.

"I would submit that this is as fair and balanced a budget as it can be," Heuston said.

The budget took effect July 1.

Investing in a programmable thermostat can save a family on average, $180 a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency; it also helps fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A programmable thermostat allows families to change the temperature in their homes at selected times. For example, it can be programmed to lower the heat or cold air when the family is away during the day and you can program it to raise or lower the temperature when people begin returning home. Programmable thermostats are simple to install and prices can start as low as $30 depending on the thermostat you choose.

Many desktops are not created energy efficient, so take a minute to utilize the power management setting on your desktop, which can save you $40 to $80 each year. You can increase you money savings by choosing an idol time of a few minutes to automate when your computer enters an energy saving mode.

Replace floodlights with motion sensor lights that turn off automatically. Floodlights left on all night not only increase your electricity bill, but also can negatively impact local wildlife. If your neighborhood squirrels aren't enough to convince you, motion sensor lights can also increase the security around your home by pouring light in the area when the sensors go off.

Going green isn't only about saving electricity around your house. Water is another commodity that is often wasted. By installing low-flow water fixtures, you will see a drop in your monthly water bill. Many older toilets use 5 gallons of water per flush. Try replacing it with a low-flow model toilet that uses less than a gallon of water. Shower fixtures also come with low-flow options and start as low as $10. Remember that leaky faucets and pipes can drip over 3 gallons of water per day, which can add up when your water bill comes. It's worth taking the time to fix it your self, or calling in a local professional plumber to solve it.

Recycling has hit an all time money saving high with the non-profit grass roots network called, FreeCycle. Made up of over 7 million members across the globe this group is made of people looking to give and receive free stuff in their own towns. From coffee grinders to winter coats to a full size metal headboard, all the items that would have otherwise been thrown out are here looking for new homes. Instead of tossing your old patio set, post it on the website and check if another Somerville resident could give it a second life. Not only does this reduce trash removal but it also supports the local community by offering free stuff for neighbors. Visit the Somerville group page at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreeCycle-Somerville-MA/.

Water your plants and yard in the morning before the sun evaporates most of the water. If you have a garden that you water frequently purchase a chic rain barrel from your local garden store that will collect rain. You can then use the fresh rainwater to fill up your watering can. Remember to empty the barrel frequently, as stagnant water can be a breeding ground for insects such as mosquitoes.

Traditional cleaning techniques are becoming an eco-friendly staple, which may mean doing things how your grandmother does them. Somerville resident Eda Lasser, who turns seventy-six next month, explained, "I have always washed my clothes with baking soda, vinegar and a little elbow grease. I have done it all these years because the chemicals in the soaps burn my hands and they smell awful." Laughing Mrs. Lasser went on to say, "Now a days these kids think it's a hip, tree hugging thing to do! If they only knew I've been doing it for sixty years and how much money I save. So yes, I suppose I'm a little green myself. Guess you can never be to old or young to be green." There are also manufactured eco-friendly cleaning products that are not has harmful as chemical based cleaning products so it greatly reduces the risk of harmful exposure to children or pets.

Going green is about being smart and deciding how thrifty you want to be. Local resident Vanessa Williams explained, "What surprises me are the different ways to go green that actually save money, and yet we still don't take enough advantage of them. In this current economy, I think going green is the best thing we can do for ourselves, our wallets, and our world."

Once you start making changes to be more eco-friendly, you will notice that you are not alone in your efforts. Being green saves money but it also reduces waste, pollution and saves natural resources that are limited. "I try to be as sustainable and green as possible by unplugging or turning off appliances that are not in use, utilizing a water filter and using a reusable water bottle instead of disposable bottles," said Heather Brigham, a resident of Somerville. "I also recycle, and take public transportation instead of driving. It's easy and important to have a sustainable lifestyle that is environmentally friendly and often budget friendly too!"

Being eco-savvy is easier than you think:

Always shut off unused lights

Unplug chargers that are not being used since they continue to use energy when they are plugged in

Shut the faucet off when you brush your teeth

Wash your laundry in cold water then line dry clothes since automatic dryers use about 6% of household energy according to the EPA

Use the dishwasher only when it is completely full

Use dishtowels instead of paper towels

Save gas by making sure your tires are properly inflated

Print on both sides of paper

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! If you need a recycling bin visit the Department of Public Works between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. with proof of residency

Always dispose of old paint, chemicals and oil properly. Remember that if you have left over paint, ask local community groups or neighbors if they could use the paint. You could also try posting it on FreeCycle.

Dr. Doug Brugge of Tufts University School of Medicine is excited about finally starting a study which he has been preparing for since 2008. On Monday morning at Mt. Vernon Restaurant, he announced data-collection would commence shortly. "Our current goal is to start in early to mid July," he tells a small gathering of concerned residents. "This is the start. We're going to be in Somerville conducting this study for a year. We'll be knocking on doors; we'll have air-monitoring vans driving on the streets," he says. Dr. Brugge has named his study CAFEH, Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure and Health; it has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, an arm of the National Institutes of Health. Two other neighborhoods are slated to be identically tested after Somerville: Chinatown in Boston and South Boston, both near major traffic routes.

Mayor Curtatone was present at Monday's kick-off festivities at Mt. Vernon Restaurant. Saying of the study, "I'm here to support the effort…to build awareness to the overall health of the community." And Mayor Curtatone was able to inject some hometown pride, saying that working together is "…going to start undoing the mistakes of the past, and that's really what makes us an All American city."

John Durant, Associate Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at Tufts held short, informal tours in of one of the vans that will be driving around East Somerville neighborhoods collecting air quality data. The van it outfitted with computers and gadgets all designed to better interpret and collect pollutants in the air. "Our goal is to cover a swath of Somerville on either side of 93" says Durant. This swath translates to 400 meters on either side of I-93 and intersecting roadways.

The people "knocking on doors" are concerned Somerville residents who volunteered. There are two parts to the "knocking on doors" portion of the study: one, the questionnaire, which asks about diet, exercise, smoking history, and general health. The second part of it, though, is thought to be considerably more important because it involves a blood sample. If those randomly selected do the first part but neglect to do the second part – giving blood – it may invalidate their contribution. "Without the blood we can't really get a clear picture of the study," adds Don Meglio, an administrator at Tufts School of Medicine and the organizer of the kick-off Monday morning at Mt. Vernon. A $20 gift card to a local supermarket is the reward for finishing the questionnaire. More money, in the way of a gift card, will be rewarded for giving a blood sample, informs Dr. Brugge. When asked what he really wishes to gain from this study, Dr. Brugge says, "…that it can be one piece which can affect national policy – that is our goal."

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

It
appears that the "Farm Team" ace reporter (so called) almost got
herself handed a big fat motor vehicle moving violation ticket last
week at the Somerville High Graduation ceremony at Dilboy Field.
Apparently one of the State Troopers doing the detail at the graduation
stopped the reporter in a "Do Not Enter/Off Limits/Restricted" area and
told her to leave…but not until she snapped the trooper's photo and
throwing it on their blog criticizing him for doing his job, then
calling him "grouchy." Well it only proves that nobody is above the
law, not even the Farm Team – especially after that.

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

Speaking
of the Farm Team, just when people got used to another person not
familiar with the lay of the land in Somerville, she gets promoted –
and we wish her the best. A new Editor is coming to town and Gatehouse
continues to be the brand known as the "Farm Team" paper. We wish Kat
Powers good luck up there in the corporate world and her replacement
good luck here in Somerville – and hope that she doesn't rely on the
Assistant Editor too much – she's still learning how to spell
correctly. The two staffers over there better get Visitor Permit
Parking passes, tickets can be expensive here in Somerville.

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

Happy
Birthday to our own Cam Toner, who celebrated her birthday on Tuesday,
she's a great lady and is the "go to" person at The News when we need
something. Cam not only runs the office over at College Avenue, but is
Ms. Olio as well – every week she gets calls from many here in
Somerville asking where she gets this stuff. She is closed-lipped to us
as well. Happy Birthday Cam, we love you!

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

Our
own Somerville Holiday Inn recently hosted a benefit for the Mass Badge
Association's fund-raiser to support Cancer Research and Autism
Language Program for the Children's Hospital, which was a complete
success – lots of money was raised for a great cause, and the Holiday
Inn participated and donated many of the prizes to help raise money.
Great job – and awesome work – thanks to all those that worked hard for
this. The Holiday Inn is a great place to host functions with the large
and beautiful function rooms and all that parking, never mind the nice
swimming pool!

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

Another Happy Birthday to
one of the famous Tauro brothers, David Tauro is 48 today. He is a
nice, plain, down to earth guy who is liked by everyone – we here at
Newstalk wish him the best and many more birthdays to come.

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

The
Somerville Lion's are looking for some new members here in the business
community, contact King Lion Billy Tauro for more information 617
293-2016 (he is now getting a reputation of being our quick on the
scene news reporter for the paper). Check out the Lions online at their
own web site www.somervillelionsclub.com

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

The
ever popular Senator Anthony Galluccio's birthday is Wednesday, June
24th (tonight) – they're having a party for him at the Charles River
Yacht Club – located at 99 Memorial Drive. Anthony is a great guy, too
bad he doesn't cover the entire City of Somerville – He's a Senator who
reminds us of our dear departed friend Charlie Shannon – a person you
could call, talk to and relate to. Happy Birthday Anthony!

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

Congratulations
to Somerville Police Officers Mike Kiley and Sean Sylvester, who last
week were, along with six Cambridge Officers, awarded a citation for
"Dedication of Duty" by the Cambridge City Council. Via a joint effort
by the Somerville and Cambridge Police Departments, their surveillance
enabled them to observe a suspect put a knife to a victim's throat
which let to the arrest in Porter Square! Both Mike and Sean are great
guys and we also congratulate them for a job well done.

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

What's
going on up at Medford and Walnuts Streets at the body shop there?
Apparently we heard that the neighbors are complaining that they
constantly park smashed up vehicles all over the streets waiting for
repair to be done. We hear that Alderman at Large Bruce Desmond is
looking into it and is considering not renewing their license; Alderman
Bob Trane is backing him up. Didn't this place have problem about year
or so ago with illegals working there?

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

Last
week we spoke about former Mayor Kelly Gay snubbing her former
supporters at a function…well apparently she wasn't too pleased and
made a call bitching and complaining to one of the Newstalkers. Then
"Mr. Nasty" – her husband – called and said he wanted a retraction and
that it wasn't true. No retraction here – how do you retract the truth
– simple as that? They need to both get over the loss, and look in the
mirror for the reason why she lost to the better candidate – our own
Mayor Joe. It was funny, she even questioned "loyalty" and said some of
us don't know the meaning. Well, no retraction and there never will be
for the truth – if it's a lie, then make our day and sue us – we look
forward to it. Thank you to all those former Mayor Kelly Gay's
supporters who called us to thank us for saying the truth – how they
both snub and treat people. Loyalty is a two way street, which most
would know, apparently the Gay's think it's a one way street!

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

What's
with all the bats nesting over on Shore Drive – our ace reporter Billy
Tauro was there to snap pictures and was virtually attacked by hundreds
of bats dive bombing him and his car. But as Billy has proven lately,
he's there – first on the scene and he gets stuff reported – and the
Farm Team still races to catch up.