The weather,
the budget, the economy – yeah, they've all been lousy recently – but
that doesn't mean our sense of community pride isn't strong. In no
time, there will be fireworks at Trum Field – and there will be great
celebration for the community, much like the recent Memorial Day
Parade. It will be yet another shining example of how we as a community
have come together, in the face of adversity.

Of course, there
will be the usual group of haters that will drum on about how we should
save the money spent on that and things like the Memorial Day Parade in
order to save jobs. The same haters who will spew that garbage, but
won't bother to to explain to their Koolaid drinking chums that things
like the parade and the trip to Tampa were paid for by local businesses
and residents of the city – not city government. Funny how they leave
that information out.

Believe it or not, it is possible to stay
upbeat and positive – and still be able to call stupid people, stupid.
To call arrogant jerks who live in a bubble of hate and have a warped
sense of reality – assholes. To laugh at the people who, no matter how
definitively you prove them wrong, still tell you their way is the only
way.

You can do all these things and still have a positive
attitude – we do it all the time – the real problem, the part that
needs to go away in this city, is the group of people who are so
absorbed in their sense of entitlement that they think everyone else is
negative and that there is a conspiracy around every corner. Every 20
or so years they rear their ugly head around here, and then they just
fade away – let's hope they fade soon and spare the rest of us from
their demented rhetoric soon.

The last time Somerville won
the prestigious award-given by the National Civic League-was in 1972, a
time which some say mirrors this current age of new reforms,
innovations and getting through tough times. Somerville was a finalist
in this competition last year, but fell just short-coming in 11th
place-of winning a place on the top 10 communities list.

"Tough
times don't last, but tough people do," said Alderman at Large Jack
Connolly, who was among the 40 Somerville residents (ranging from ages
17 to 79, representing the high school, non profits, business and city
officials) who flew to Tampa, FL this week to demonstrate why
Somerville ranks above the rest. "No matter how tough it is with the
recession, we have seen how people in this community really care."

Mayor
Joseph Curtatone added that during tough times when people are stressed
is when people really come together. He also attributed Somerville's
prestigious recognition to its residents.

"The wonderful thing
about Somerville is that there are so many engaged citizens who want to
make the community better," Curtatone said, "And we've had that for
decades."

The National Civic League is a non-profit
organization that fosters innovative city building and reform. The All
America City award since 1949 has recognized the efforts of
extraordinary communities. Each year the National Civic League honors
ten communities for effectively addressing their most critical
challenges.

The overall theme Somerville chose was "Improved
Communication." The city highlighted its commitment to the MBTA's Green
Line extension through Somerville (which will be complete in 2014); the
efforts of the Somerville Care about Prevention program to educate
about and prevent substance abuse amongst the city's youth and the
adoption of "SomerStat," the 311 hot line number initiative that
streamlines how the public communicates with the city's offices.

"We
have learned how to communicate, and to do it well," Connolly said,
pointing out that 50 languages alone are spoken in the hallways of
Somerville High School. The city has always enjoyed a diverse
population, but over the past couple decades the influx of people from
all over the globe has accelerated at an unbelievable pace. And the
city has met and exceeded those needs.

"We have changed the image of the city by responding to the diverse population that lives here," he said.

Gene
Brune, who was the mayor from 1980 to 1990, remembers when the city won
the award 37 years ago. At that time he was an Alderman; Lester Ralph
was the mayor. The city back then had gone through some tough times,
marked by political unrest in the 1960s and an administration that was
not as "community oriented," Brune said.

Ralph introduced new
ideas and got away from the "business as usual" type of mentality.
Brune himself was one of the reform candidates who believed in new
programs and grass roots organizations. The city applied for the All
American City award, and won.

"It brought a new spirit to the
city," said Brune, likening that era to today, where Curtatone is the
"new blood" who has infused the city with innovative programs like 311
and keeping the extensive Green Line program on track.

"The cycle has begun again," Brune added, "And this will be very meaningful to the city to instill more pride."

Somerville
representatives flew to Tampa last Wednesday for the three-day affair.
The event included breaking up into workshops, seminars and receptions.

"I will never forget the experience I had in Tampa and I'll be
forever grateful to have been a part of it," said Maureen Bastardi,
said Ward 1 School Committee Representative.

In addition to
meeting people from 28 other cities across the country and making
friendships, Bastardi also got to know her fellow Somervillians better.

"There wasn't an air of competition, but one of camaraderie,"
she said. "I've lost my voice from cheering so loudly and proudly. I
always thought of Somerville as an All American City, but now we have
the official title to prove it."

Connolly said that the award
will have a lasting impact for marketing and applications for grants
and bonds for future projects.

The Board of Alderman will hold a special presentation about this award just prior to convening its meeting on Thursday night.

As springtime
showers fell, the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) kicked off summer
with a celebration to honor the non-profit's volunteers. At the
organization's One Davis Square office, attendees enjoyed refreshments
donated by local eateries and chatted about current fundraising
endeavors. Executive Director Mark Alston-Follansbee and Director of
Development Jennifer Bonardi mingled amongst volunteers, thanking them
for their service and sharing insight into the SHC's purpose and goals.

"Volunteers
help to support our programs by learning about these issues [of hunger
and homelessness] and by helping us to work on ending hunger and
homelessness in our society, especially in our own community,"
Alston-Follansbee says. "It's a relatively small population, and it
could be done if we had the resources."

A highlight of the
evening came when long-time SHC volunteer John Chochrek received the
Carmela Addario Award, named for an early influential board member.

"I've
heard all of these outrageous stories about Carmela," Alston-Follansbee
states. "She would do things like put this big, over-stuffed teddy bear
on a lawn chair in front of her house with a can that said 'help the
homeless' on it. She'd do little yard sales out of her garage all the
time – the money would go into the can, and the can would go to the
SHC."

Carmela's resourceful spirit lives on through the work of
the SHC's current volunteer force. The organization's volunteer arm,
dubbed the Super Hero Corps, mobilizes individuals from a variety of
backgrounds. These "super heroes," united by their common goal of
ending hunger and homelessness, bring a wide range of experience and
skill to the table.

"Volunteers send us the application – this
is the first step in the process – and on it, we ask them if they have
any special skills," Bonardi says. "We try to match up our needs with
what they need as a volunteer. It's fun to find cross-over with those
things that are unique about [each volunteer] ending up being an asset
for us."

Founded in 1985, the SHC was the first program of its kind in Somerville.

"The
story that I heard when I came to SHC in 1990 was that people in
Somerville didn't realize that there was a problem with homelessness
until the red line was extended out to Alewife," Alston-Follansbee
states. "Suddenly, there were people hanging out in Davis Square who
nobody had ever seen before. They were from Somerville, but if you were
homeless from Somerville, you'd have to go to Cambridge or Boston to
get help."

SHC's founders converted a bowling alley in the
basement of College Avenue United Methodist Church into the city's
first shelter, employing only two staff members and depending largely
on volunteers. Twenty-four years later, the agency has grown to 36
employees, has a budget of $2.8 million, and subsidizes 80 apartments
available to homeless individuals as they transition into housing.

"We've
always depended on volunteers, and we're still grateful for them.
[Volunteering] is a great way for people to find out about who we are
and to see what homelessness and hunger are about," Alston-Follansbee
says. "To me, these are social problems that can be solved if we
decide, as a society, to put our minds to solving them."

Many
opportunities exist for community members who would like to volunteer
with the SHC. For more information, visit the organization's website at
http://www.somervillehomelesscoalition.org/.

Taking place in the
Somerville Library, a modest crowd of about 25 gathered to hear what
Dr. Nardin had to say about the current state of the United States
Healthcare system and how a Single Payer Health Plan may be a feasible
solution to the mounting healthcare costs affecting millions of
Americans every day.

"This is an issue I feel passionate about,"
explained Dr. Nardin. "From the 1970s to the present, the number of
uninsured Americans has been rising steadily. But in my opinion, a
bigger problem is the underinsured."

The underinsured include people who have insurance that does not sufficiently cover the healthcare and costs they require.

According
to Nardin, as of 2007 42% of adults ages 19 – 64 are uninsured or
underinsured. That is equivalent to the population of the 12 largest
states in the U.S.A. combined.

Nardin, using a Powerpoint
presentation filled with graphs and startling statistics went on to
explain that approximately 18,000 adult deaths per year are the direct
result of not being insured. In addition, the United States
consistently has had the lowest life expectancy and highest infant
mortality rate of any industrialized nation over the past decade.

"We
rely on a multiplicity of private insurance companies and this requires
a huge amount of administrative costs," Nardin explained. "We have to
have an army of people at the insurance companies and an army of people
in the hospitals dealing with denials and seeking payments. What we
spend on administrators is far and away more than any other country."

By
some estimates, up to 40% of costs in the healthcare industry are
administrative. Nardin thinks this is frivolous. "There are huge
amounts of money that, I would say, is being wasted on this army of
administrators."

In a Single Payer system, a plan that Nardin
promotes, the "multiplicity" of insurance companies and the plenitude
of administrators are replaced by a Government agency that essentially
becomes the paying mechanism for healthcare costs. It would
theoretically be funded by slight employee and company tax hikes in
addition to current healthcare taxes. The money would then flow into a
Government trust fund that would pay for universal healthcare coverage.

This
system, while similar to the socialist healthcare systems in place in
Canada and England, has one fundamental difference – the hospitals and
doctors would not be government employees. "The payment mechanism is
the only thing that is socialized; not the hospitals or doctors." Said
Nardin.

"With a national system, like with a Single Payer plan,
you can do what you do when you have a system – logical planning. What
we have now is a fragmented system; there's no cost control, no
rationing of resources."

Concerning Barack Obama's proposed
healthcare reform, Nardin said, "It is reform I would call incremental.
It would leave the current system that is bankrupting us in place."

Obama's
plan for healthcare reform would mandate that everyone be insured.
There is also much talk and debate over a 'Public Plan' that would
essentially be a default insurance for anyone who couldn't afford any
other plan. In this scenario, private insurance companies could
continue to compete freely, but some fear too many people would choose
to use the free public plan, driving insurance companies under.

To
Nardin, this reform is incremental in that it does not directly address
the issue of the underinsured. With competitive insurance companies in
place, there will always be the market incentive to deny coverage for
certain people and illnesses to avoid losses; someone will always be
underinsured. With Obama's reform plan, Nardin believes "We are
treating the symptom – the uninsured – but we are ignoring the disease"
which is the system itself.

When the meeting was open to
community discussion an air of deep concern verging on discouragement
permeated the room. The enormity of the problems in the American
healthcare system seemed to be weighing down upon the audience.

"I feel discouraged because there seems to be huge, monumental power
with people who don't want any of this," stated one woman. "I just
don't see how we can get anything done. We're just not going to get
there."

In response to this, someone in the audience took it
upon themselves to quote the immortal Winston Churchill. "Americans can
always be counted on to do the right thing…after they've exhausted
every other option."

This seemed to lighten the mood. Nardin
then said, "Don't get too discouraged. We're not taking to the streets
yet, it might not happen this year or the next; but if we don't do
something we are heading for a disaster. Change will have to come."

Many students enrolled in SCALE's
programs have had to overcome tremendous struggles to receive their
diplomas and certificates, such as raising a family or working two
jobs. This is not an easy task, and the diploma the students receive is
well-earned due to the national standards that have been placed upon
the program. The Adult Diploma Program entails passing the MCAS, which
is mandatory for all high school students nationwide. ADP student
speaker Diana Flores said that enrolling in SCALE was one of the best
decisions of her life.

Martha Bonilla was the ADP Honor Award
recipient and Carolyn Richards received the ADP Special Award. Richards
was honored for her outstanding work as the Director of Guidance and
Testing. She has worked rigorously as the liaison between Somerville
High and SCALE to ensure a secure and safe testing environment. "It has
been an honor and privilege to work with these students," Richards
stated.

SCALE's GED program is very competitive as well. To
ensure that the test is challenging enough, is it tested on sample
groups of graduating seniors all over the country and the test is
considered satisfactory only when 30% of the seniors cannot pass the
test. In other words, the GED recipients should be very proud of
themselves for earning their certificates. Neil McMullen, the GED High
Scorer Award recipient, scored almost a perfect score on the GED exam
and was in the 99th percentile nationwide. Marina Karageorgiou received
the GED Honor Award for her perseverance and positive attitude that
showed in everything that she did.

The Adult Basic Education
student speaker Piere Pacombe, earned his diploma after six years with
SCALE with the support from his three daughters and his wife. Pacombe
was very proud of this accomplishment and caused the whole room to get
goosebumps when he stated, "Nobody on earth can take this away from me."

The
Adult Secondary Education's Program Administrator, Sheryl Lovit, has
been with SCALE for five years and believes the program's success can
be accredited to its caring staff and great support system for the
students.

The English Language Learning program has many classes
for its students to choose from. The students find the ELL program to
be beneficial and claim that it helps them tremendously with learning
the English language. The ELL student speaker Salila Ranjit can attest
to this. "Every time I come to SCALE I learn something new," said
Ranjit. She shared her personal story with the filled auditorium and
explained that it's because of SCALE that she is confident in her
English and knows how to fix a mistake. She is also very proud of her
recent citizenship and gives credit to SCALE for this accomplishment.

Janice
Philpot, the supervisor of SCALE since September 2008, was a brilliant
presence at the ceremony. Hearing the passion she has for SCALE was
truly inspiring and it is clear she is involved in every decision of
the operation. "We really change lives here. It's not just a catch
phrase; it's a reality for us. This is where knowledge blooms." Philpot
went on to decipher how SCALE stands out from other Adult Education
programs. "We have the best program administrators in the industry, and
we have a true Adult Education curriculum. We really know what we're
doing here." Her confidence and pride in SCALE really shined when she
took the stage at the closing of the ceremony. After reading a poem
titled, "Yes We Can," Philpot congratulated the crowd with the
statement, "You have earned the right, respect, and privilege of a
secondary education."

The
All America City competition has been sponsored by the National Civic
League for the last 60 years. Somerville took the honor in 1972. We
were finalists in 2008, and we were victorious in 2009.

Over 30
citizens planned, rehearsed and packed for Tampa Florida on June 17th.
We met in the darkened parking lot of City Hall at 4am. We felt pumped
yet nervous as we boarded a bus that took us to Logan Airport for our
flight. The trip was paid for completely by donations from our fabulous
businesses and citizens. Thank you all.

Our presentation
focused on the Green Line extension with concentrations also on other
key city issues. You can find documentation on the city website.

To
pull off such an extensive project as a trip to the All America City
finals, many people and departments had to pull together. It starts at
the top with Mayor Joe Curtatone, who never let the pain of our defeat
in last years finals leave his soul. He came back 500% stronger and
more determined this year. Jackie Rossetti was at the helm as our
project leader. Once again she proved that anything associated with
Jackie Rossetti ends up successful. There is not an un-positive bone in
her body. The fundraiser that was sponsored by Steve Mackey, Ron Bonney
and the fantastic Chamber of Commerce way back when raised needed
funds. Thanks to the TAB building folks and the SHS library people for
supplying us with rehearsal spaces. Also thanks to Tom Champion and the
Communications Department for sending Joe Constantine and Steve De
Carlo to document it for prosperity.

I spent many hours in
Somerville High School's Graphic Communications Department. I spoke to
my old friend Philip Bassett, Director of Vocational Education, who
sent me to Graphic Communications Instructor Chuck Gerlach. Chuck could
not have been more accommodating and helpful, as well as a very funny
guy. He turned simple ideas into colorful, detailed and exciting
posters, that we later had mounted for our presentation. The students
of Somerville are very lucky to have such a dedicated instructor as
Chuck. He not only helped our project, but we came to him at the end of
a very busy school year and to watch him with his students was a
pleasure. By the way, if you haven't seen Somerville High School lately
you are in for a big surprise. The place is awesome!

A huge
thank you also goes out to Headmaster Anthony Ciccariello, and
Superintendent of Schools Tony Pierantozzi. Thanks for your continued
support in all things cultural and civic related.

The Chamber of
Commerce hooked us up with a company called VDA Productions whose
headquarters are on Inner Belt Road. Have you seen the State House and
The gigantic Wally The Green Monster at Jordan's Furniture in Avon?
Well, that's the company! These guys mounted our posters, designed
stands and signs and also shipped everything down to Tampa. Little did
I know that the President of VDA David Breen is my fraternity brother
from Emerson College, and Vice President Bob Russo's family ran
Jasper's rock club (now Choices). The Somerville connection is a
magical thing. I'd also like to thank Maryn Herberg, Harrison Rabel and
Julia Clapper at VDA for all your help. We had a Green Line train with
working lights! We are also indebted to our friends at the Green and
Yellow Cab company. You rock (and roll)!

Here is a list of the
folks who made the trip and took part in the winning presentation.
Maureen Bastardi, Jackie Rossetti, Carrie Dancy, Cheryl Horan, Cindy
Hickey, Cory Mashburn, Delio Susi, me, Ellin Reisner, Gene Brune,
Gretchen Kinder, Holli Banks, Janice Delory, Janine Lotti, Jen
Lawrence, Jack Connolly, Joe Constantine, Steve DeCarlo. Joe Curtatone,
Karen Tamagna, Kimberly Smith-Cofield, Liliane Paiva, Michelle Bowler,
Mimi Graney, Patrick Cain, Patrick Sullivan III, Paul Carroll, Paulo
Gutierrez, Rachel Strutt, Ron Bonney, Ruby Von Dwornick, Sue Fontano,
Talia Mosley, Tom Taylor, Sarah Rossi and Florence Papagno.

We
got to meet new friends in Tampa and spend some fun time with each
other. All our hard work paid off and the whole city can be proud
because it truly took a village.

As I said before, the thing
that makes this All America City Award more sweet is the fact that so
many people helped. It is an award we can all be proud of. Check out
YouTube and the city website for more footage.

I would like to
thank the Mayor and the city for allowing me to be part of one of the
most exciting experiences of my life. To have been part of the losing
delegation last year and to regroup with this year's determined group
was nothing less than a glorious triumph.

Somerville has always
been an All America City. Like the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, who
always had a brain, we always knew we were an All America City. Now we
have a testimonial to prove it.

Also thanks to The Somerville
News who had the story with photos up on their website seconds after we
gave them the good word from Tampa. All Aboard! Somerville Truly Rocks!

According to officials in
Somerville and Cambridge, the spill was never reported to the
Somerville nor the Cambridge Fire Departments and that no fire company
units were ever dispatched on that day to that location.

The students at Prospect Hill Academy participated
in the installation and planting of the green roof as the culmination
of a green roof course. The "Green Roofs for the 21st Century" course
is part of a larger program that teaches students about the engineering
design process by involving them in a community project. The students
have been learning about the many environmental and financial benefits
of green roofs which include more than doubling the life of the roof,
retaining storm water, reducing energy needs, creating habitat,
cleaning the air and improving the quality of life of those around
them. "Our students are thrilled to be a part of the green roof
installation! Exposing high school students to these emerging
technologies while also getting them involved in the community in such
meaningful ways has really been a great experience," said Michael
Moretti, a teacher at Prospect Hill Academy.

"We love working
with the kids and are excited about green roofs becoming more
mainstream," said Charlie Sinkler, a Partner at Apex Green Roofs. "We
believe that education is a big part of what is needed right now. These
roofs make good financial sense in addition to all of the environmental
benefits."

"We're proud to be including Somerville's first green
roof among the many green measures at St. Polycarp Apartments," said
Danny LeBlanc, CEO of the Somerville Community Corporation.

The
Somerville Community Corporation purchased the former Saint Polycarp
Parish property from the Archdiocese of Boston in 2006. Iric Rex of
Mostue & Associates Architects designed the new complex with a
complete array of the latest techniques to achieve cutting-edge energy
conservation, indoor air quality, and water conservation. The building
is expected to achieve a LEED-NC Silver rating, reflecting the
aggressive goals of 50% energy savings, 40% water savings, and cooling
and filtration of interior air to remove pollutants. Other green
features integrated into the complex include a high percentage of
recycled materials, high-efficiency elevator, energy recovery from
ventilated air and a photovoltaic array to supply the electrical needs
of the common area of the building. The tenants and local community
will benefit from the green development and new urban green spaces
created around the buildings.

Information on the Parties:

Apex
Green Roofs, Inc. (www.apexgreenroofs.com) based in Somerville, is a
leading provider in New England of Green Roof design, engineering,
installation, and maintenance services.

Somerville Community
Corporation (www.somervillecdc.org) is a nonprofit Community
Development Corporation that provides leadership for sustaining the
city of Somerville as a vibrant, diverse and tolerant community. They
achieve this goal through the development and preservation of
affordable housing, as well as by offering services and leading
community organizing that supports low and moderate-income Somerville
residents in their efforts to achieve economic stability and increase
civic participation.

Prospect Hill Academy Charter School
(www.prospecthillacademy.org) is a public school serving more than 900
students in grades Kindergarten through 12 on three campuses in
Cambridge and Somerville, MA.

Laura Kozel is the Director of Sales and Marketing for Apex Green Roofs, her email is: laura@apexgreenroofs.com

On the day we visited the area it was
cloudy with showers and full of the flying critters protecting their
space by the hundreds!