One need only look at the weekly arrest log and factor in the combination of the dismal economy with warmer weather – and you can see the trend of mildly violent and drug-related crimes increase as the weeks go by. Aside from the typical flurry of drunk and disorderly and motor vehicle-related incidents, our police department keeps a good lid on criminal activity in the 'Ville.

That's because they know how to do more with less – just like other departments have for a long time. It's no secret that our police, fire and schools have been churning out high quality services with relatively small budgets, when compared to other surrounding communities.

Maybe we as a community have learned from years gone by – to depend less and less on state aid, to create economies of scale and to come together, not just to celebrate our history with parades and fireworks, but to celebrate our future. This coming fiscal year will be difficult for many people and local businesses, but, we can pull together and survive – because that's how we do it in the 'Ville.

The courtroom was packed for the 2pm hearing. Many in the room were lawyers representing defendant Massport and the plaintiff communities who have brought this case to trial. Some in the courtroom were Somerville residents who came to support the case, tired of the increased air traffic over their homes. Judge Stephen Neel presided over the hearing.

The initial ruling in the 2004 case of Massport vs. City of Boston et. al. allowed for the construction of the runway with the understanding that it would not be used except for during certain wind conditions and other extenuating circumstances. When employed by Logan, runway 33L, which is included in the 2004 ruling on runway 14/32, sends airplanes on a flight path directly over Somerville and many surrounding communities.

Construction on Runway 33L finished in 2006. By the summer of 2007 Mayor Curtatone and his administration began hearing anecdotal reports of an increase in air traffic over Somerville. "In late June 2007 there was a period where the take off traffic from 33L was pretty constant for a solid week. No one had seen anything like this before," explains Thomas Champion, Director of Communications for the city of Somerville, "After that residents started noticing more air traffic than ever before. This is an issue that resonated with many long term residents."

In December 2008, the Somerville Board of Alderman approved Mayor Curtatone's request to appoint the law firm of Robinson & Cole to represent the city in the runway 14/32 case.

"Massport argued in the original case that there would be no major changes in noise levels as a result of 14/32 construction," said Mayor Curtatone, "But we've seen them go up rapidly. This is a legal issue with major environmental and public health impacts, and we think the court should be looking at whether the terms of its operational restrictions on the runway are being properly observed."

Last Wednesday, Mayor Curtatone's push for reopening the case came to fruition. Attorneys Steven T. Perlmutter and Tom Holloway from Robinson & Cole submitted statistical evidence showing that prior to the construction of runway 14/32 approximately six percent of Logan's flights flew over Somerville. After 14/32 became operational, that number increased to 17 percent.

"That is the equivalent of thousands and thousands of additional flights over Somerville per year," commented Champion on the statistic. "If you've lived here for a long period of time it has been a very noticeable change."

Attorneys for Massport, the defendant at the hearing, argued Logan's increased use of runway 14/32 was for safety precautions. They claim that by using 14/32 in its current capacity, the risk of an on-runway collision is reduced because it allows some flights to circumvent crossing runway intersections.

Furthermore, Massport argued the use of runway 14/32 was a decision made by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Massport could not therefore be held accountable for the increase of air traffic.

The FAA says it cannot comment on the issue because of outstanding litigation of a similar case involving four individuals from Chelsea.

At the end of the hearing, Judge Stephen Neel gave both parties 10 days to submit any other evidence for further consideration and took the case under advisement.

"We are not asking for them to shut down the airport," says Champion, concerning the hearing. "We are just asking for acknowledgement of this violation, and hopefully a solution. It was very clear that the court was originally trying to avoid major changes in the use of the airport. Obviously those changes have occurred."

As a nosey loudmouth who always adds his two cents, whether anyone wants to hear it or not, here comes about $500.00 worth of gripes.

It's hard enough driving in the first place, but when a jogger is running toward you in traffic, that is just plain treacherous. First, you have to swerve away from him or her because, well, it's a natural reaction. This poses the problem of swerving into the oncoming traffic, thus scarring the hell out of the driver in the other lane. WHY? Why do you people want to give us drivers heart attacks? Some of you city sprinters choose to run in the middle of the two lines of traffic. This is not a smart idea either. You are obviously trying to take care of yourselves by exercising, and that's great – but what if you get clipped by a car? They'll be saying, "it's such a shame he's gone, but boy, wasn't he in good physical shape?" You could also be the cause of a horrific car accident with drivers nervously trying you avoid hitting you and hitting other cars. It's time you exercise nuts used some consideration and think of the safety of others while toning your bodies. There has to be an reasonable and intelligent co-existence between jogger and driver.

Now let's discuss you gas saving cyclers. God love ya! Can you please try to stay a little closer to the parked side of the street, please? I know it's difficult and I've said it before, but please remember that it's hard to stop our vehicles on a dime. Some of you bikers taunt us drivers, but we really are just trying not to hit you. Honest. The blinking lights at night really help too, thank you. And I believe you bike people are supposed to ride WITH the traffic. When I see a bicycle heading toward me, I start sweating profusely. You are taking precious moments off of my life. Please stop trying to take me out. We have to share the road. And do I even have to mention the granddaddy of all driver's nightmares? It's those cyclers who are towing junior behind them in those canvas rickshaw thingies. God help us.

Now, let's rap about you speeders and tail-gaters. Slow the hell down. There are kids everywhere. And most of you jerks who are driving like Speed Racer down residential streets are on your cell phones. Do you know why they call them cell phones? It's because, God forbid, you hurt someone, you'll end up in a cell. There was a guy years ago who would throw rotten apples at speeding cars – ah the good old days. And just a word to you out of state drivers who are habitual tail-gaters. Haven't you caught on yet? The closer you are to a Somerville drivers car, the slower we go. Come on get with the program .

One more word to pedestrians, who I am proudly one and want to stay one. You must make sure the driver acknowledges that he sees you before you proceed into the crosswalk. I used to do this myself ,but I've really smartened up lately. I just told you about speeders and cell phone talking drivers. Do not assume that just because it is a crosswalk that a driver is going to stop. Sometimes they are not paying attention, and sometimes the drivers are not aware that there is in fact a crosswalk. Make sure they see you. Take that extra safe second to actually make sure the car slows down before you walk across the street. Also, if you just dart across the street willy-nilly, tossing caution to the wind, that's very foolish. Some cars take an awful long time to stop, and if their brakes are bad, well, that just makes it worse. Believe me no driver wants to hurt a pedestrian, so please help us out. A mother or dad who is driving a mini-van full of screaming kids deserves a break. Do not assume that they will see you. And bikers, lose the iPods and pay attention.

Drivers, especially you out of state BMWs – lighten up on attitude and the gas pedal. I drive at least 100 miles a week in and around the 'Ville, so I see it all.

We welcome everyone to Somerville, but please be careful and practice safety and consideration on our roads.

Bottom line, let's all strive for a safer Somerville – drivers, slow down and get off the cell phones; joggers and bikers, let's all drive in safe harmony. Did any of you joggers hear that we have a wonderful bike path available? And you guys who run down College Avenue and through the Square, for God's sake keep your shirts on. You can email Jimmy direct at jimmydel@rcn.com.

Free care safety net patients are patients who are either not eligible or simply not covered by any sort of health care services. This is a rarity in the state of Massachusetts, considering the fairly new law that makes not having health insurance illegal. The question at hand here was whether the hospital was charging different fees for the same services to different people.

The Somerville Hospital is one of the many hospitals under the Cambridge Health Alliance.

According to Doug Bailey, the Chief Communications Officer of the Cambridge Health Alliance, charging patients at different rates according to their health insurance status is not just illegal, but impossible. He explained that some of the confusion might be from different co-payments, or even the differences in the cost of services. Each health care provider has different rates at which the patient will have to pay. Some would cover a large amount of the bill, whereas some would not.

Another source of confusion according to Mr. Bailey could have been a difference between the quote given by a doctor or the like to a patient going into an operation and what is actually charged. Each hospital has different methods of charging patients in accordance with their own estimates of a given procedure. To answer the question of is this how all hospitals work, it is apparently the case that they do all function this way with the billing process. As for the question of its legality, if a hospital were to be charging patients a different flat rate, (that is before the rate is divided between the portion covered by the health insurance and the co-pay), it would be very illegal.

Mr. Bailey made it very clear that no hospital charges different flat rates for people under different health insurance statuses.

This still falls somewhat short of an explanation to these specific questions. Although this argument very well might have risen out of pure confusion with the billing process of the hospital, it could also be a mistake on the part of the hospital in the way they either calculated or chose the price the patient would be charged. The cause of this could have also been a result of many other things, but there is no real and absolute answer to this dilemma.

I could not get in touch with the sender of the letter to the editor. The specifics of the their experience could prove to be helpful in pinpointing exactly where this either misunderstanding or wrongdoing started, and how to bring it to light.

As an aside, Mr. Bailey stated how certain health care providers like Medicare and Medicaid are not covering the cost that they insure they would. At the moment the Cambridge Health Alliance is on the path toward a $25 million deficit that could cause a lack of services for patients. Some of this, he believes, is a result of the lack of health care providers adjusting their payouts and rates with the growing expenses of the services provided by the hospital. He stated, "these need to be adjusted at a Federal level."

Police Chief Anthony Holloway told the committee, which met with most Board members present, that the department has spent $895,000 in overtime pay to officers, with the original allowed amount standing at $616,000 for the year.

Holloway asked for an $88,000 grant intended for 911 services to be transferred into the overtime account.

"We have no choice but to do the transfer," Alderman-at-Large Bill White said. "But come budget time we'll have to look at (overtime pay). That's the highest we've had in a while."

Holloway said overtime will continue to increase in order to fill patrols left vacant following a round of layoffs from the Mayor's office, which included four police officers among 20 other city positions. He estimated the department spends $3,500 on overtime each week.

Also at issue was the city's possible obligation to foot the bill for pay increases as an incentive for police to get further training, a program known as the Quinn Bill.

The Board was at first led to believe they had a choice in voting whether to approve a measure implementing a possible $579,170 increase in its share of the funding, then told that it was a non-negotiable result of the recent Patrolmen's Union contract negotiations.

Several aldermen said they were unsure about what the contract entailed and what the final cost to the city could be, asking for more information and implying the negotiation process may have to start again.

"To have this negotiated without knowing what the final cost is going to be was premature," Ward 5 Alderman Sean O'Donovan said.

Both items were tabled for the next Finance Committee meeting, with aldermen requesting more information on overtime pay and asking for a possible executive session discussion on the union contract.

The committee will meet on June 10.

The Saint Polycarp Village Apartments, a project of the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC), will provide affordable and energy efficient housing for 24 families and individuals in Somerville. These units have been specifically reserved for Somerville residents that are currently earning less than 60% of the area median income. Two of the units are reserved for homeless individuals and four units have been reserved for clients of the Department of Mental Health. The building features cutting-edge energy conservation techniques that include water conservation and a Green Roof that was built by members of the senior class at Prospect Hill Academy Charter School as a means to involve students in the community and educate them about the design process, time and budget management, as well as energy conservation.

Along with Congressman Capuano, the ribbon cutting ceremony featured Mayor Curtatone and Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development Undersecretary Tina Brooks. Danny Leblanc, the Executive Director of the SCC offered certificates of accomplishment to each of the speakers, including many of the financiers involved in the project. Mayor Curtatone, who spoke first, touched on the importance of continuing to build in Somerville regardless of the economy, and then thanked and congratulated the SCC for their persistence and tenacity in pursuing a project against the economic tide. "We're not just erecting buildings, we're building neighborhoods, and government can't do it alone."

Somerville has spent approximately 5.5 million dollars in the last five years on building and rehabilitating structures throughout the city in order to continue to brighten and improve the neighborhoods and community as well as to provide healthier and greener living spaces.

The SCC purchased the land on which the Polycarp Village Apartments now stand from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese in 2006 in hopes of initiating a revitalization of an area of Somerville that is largely neglected. The SCC plans to redevelop the area into a vibrant part of the community, including commercial space, green space and housing. The completion of the Village Apartments concludes Phase I of the project, however plans for Phase II are currently underway aim to be completed in 2011.

"We have worked hard to develop a reduction-in-force model that allows us to maintain service delivery at current levels," said Curtatone. "Many other local communities have had to resort to much deeper layoffs across the board. So far, we've been able to avoid that approach – but we're facing a state-imposed budget shortfall that may run as high as $13 million next year, and we're going to need a whole package of cost savings and revenue enhancements to bring our budget into balance. For example, if we don't see more city unions join the police patrolmen, superior officers and E911 operator unions – and our non-union workforce – in accepting zero-percent salary increases and furloughs, we may have to eliminate even more jobs. We may also have to revisit staffing levels if the state makes additional mid-year cuts in aid to cities and towns. Of course, the reverse is also true: we may be able to restore some of these positions if the state budget situation improves – but with the House, Senate and governor all in different places on taxes and on aid to cities and towns, we have to plan conservatively."

The Mayor indicated that the cuts would have been deeper if the city had not been able to save $2.8 million by setting the city's health care contributions for retirees at 75 percent – the average for municipal retirees across the state, and the same amount that active, nonunion city employees will be paying effective July 1st. "Without changes on the health insurance side, we would be seeing a loss of firefighters, deeper cuts at the police department, and the closure of Engine 4 and both of our new police substations," Curtatone said. "This plan still pinches, but it doesn't represent a retreat from the progress we've made in expanding services over the past five years."

The 24 eliminated positions include 21 union positions are spread across 10 City departments: Capital Projects (one vacancy); City Clerk (one vacancy); Department of Public Works (six layoffs); Finance (one vacancy); Health (one vacancy); Information Technology (position eliminated post-retirement), Library (four layoffs); Mayor's Office (one vacancy); Police (four officer vacancies); and Recreation and Youth (four layoffs).

"In all cases, our department heads have developed plans to ensure that are no reductions in service levels or in hours of operation for City facilities," said Curtatone. "It won't be easy, but we'll make it work. It's also important to recognize that the layoffs aren't about people but about positions. These are dedicated, professional employees and we will be sorry to lose their services – but their jobs must be eliminated to help close the budget gap."

By not having to pay the salary and benefits costs for the 24 eliminated positions, the City expects to save a total of $1,175,895 in FY2010.

Redbones,
Davis Square's long-time barbecue restaurant, will host this year's
bike party on Monday, June 8, from 5 to 9 p.m., in the street outside
the restaurant. The event will feature food, music, and prizes. For
$15, attendants get bicycle valet parking, a sandwich (pulled pork or
portabello), a drink (hard or soft), and a raffle ticket. Additional
raffle tickets are $2 each or three for five dollars. This year's grand
prize is a cargo bike donated by Alternative Needs Transportation and
valued at $2,500. Event proceeds will benefit bike advocacy groups
NEMBA (New England Mountain Bike Association) and MassBike.

13
sponsors will set up 10×10-foot posters on the street informing
attendants about their products or organizations, while many more will
donate prizes for the raffle. Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure
Society Brass Band, or SAPS, will provide lively street music.
Throughout the night, Redbones owner and biker Robert Gregory will
raffle off items from the pickup of Redbones' unmissable red Chevy
truck.

Redbones enthusiasm for biking starts with its owner,
Robert Gregory. Gregory is a member of NEMBA, an organization
dedicating to enjoying and preserving New England's bike trails,
including this area's own Middlesex Fells. Gregory's enthusiasm for
biking led him to found the Redbones bike party in 1997, along with
another innovation: bicycle valet parking.

To encourage biking
and reduce traffic, Redbones staff will take your bike and lock it in a
secure storage facility, then retrieve it for you when you are ready.
The key feature of this service is that, unlike traditional valet
parking, which conjures up images of dressed-up diners tipping tuxedoed
drivers to park their Mercedes, Redbones bike valet parking is free
with no strings attached. Redbones offers the valet-parking service not
only to Redbones patrons, but to anyone out on a bike in Davis Square.

Gregory
introduced bicycle valet parking at Redbones first Bike Party, in May
of 1997. That year, the event drew 50 people to Underbones, the
downstairs bar of Redbones. Since then, the event has grown and moved
out into the street. Last year, the event raised $11,000.

Traditionally,
the Bike Party took place on the Monday of Bike-To-Work Week, in
mid-May. Since last year's party had to be postponed due to rain on
that day, Redbones decided to move this year's party from May 11 to
June 8. Ironically, it didn't rain during Bike-To-Work Week this year
(May 11-15), while the chance of rain on the eighth is 40%, according
to Weather.com. Rain date for this year's bike party is June 15. With
any luck, next week's weather will be good. And with bicycle valet
parking, your bike, at least, can stay dry come hail or high water.

An
enterprise that requires exploiting addiction or ignorance to make
money is morally bankrupt. Yet that is precisely what the Commonwealth
of Massachusetts is doing.

Our political leaders don't have
the courage to adopt a just tax policy or cut the excess costs that
result from favoritism toward well-connected interest groups. Instead,
they consider approving the most predatory form of legalized gambling
in the United States.

Although the Massachusetts Senate voted
31-to-6 against a proposal to install 2,500 slot machines at
racetracks, many Senators explained that their intention was only to
postpone the decision and separate it from the budget bill. House
Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Murray, and Governor Patrick say that
they want to reconsider the question in the fall.

The Senate
did agree to offer Massachusetts's residents (whose per capita
expenditures on the lottery and scratch tickets together is already the
highest in the country) another means of losing money. They voted to
join the multi-state Power Ball lottery. Meanwhile, Treasurer Tim
Cahill suggests building slot-machine-only casinos.

The
rationale is that slot machines would produce much-needed revenue for a
beyond-broke state budget. Okay, but slots would also reduce the amount
of taxable economic activity that would be produced by people spending
their hard-earned money on things other than gambling. And such
economic activity creates more jobs per dollar spent. Nor does the
rationale account for the increases in public welfare, social service,
and public safety costs that slot machines would produce.

Beyond
these abstract economic projections awaits profound human misery. I'm
not talking about gamblers who visit a casino a few times per year as
entertainment or buy the occasional scratch ticket. The casinos would
go bankrupt if those were their only customers.

I'm talking
about the 10% of casino patrons who produce 90% of casinos' revenue-the
addicts. Casino managers' aim is to entice gamblers to "play to
extinction." That is a gambling industry term that means playing until
you have no more money and no access to any.

Scholars who
study such things tell us that slot machines are the most addictive
form of legalized gambling. Casino managers use every means available
to encourage and exploit those addictive qualities. They use video
screens and buttons instead of mechanical wheels and levers so as to
increase the number of plays per hour from 300 to as much a 900.

They
program the results presented on the screen so that the player believes
he or she "almost" hit the jackpot. They build a credit card receptacle
into the machine itself.

They identify addicts and potential
addicts by renting lists from companies that operate ATMs in casinos
and target them with direct mail and email offers. They provide free
alcohol and free or reduced-price lodging to keep people playing.

They
design stools so that players can sit for hours without cutting off
circulation to their legs. When a player seems ready to call it quits,
a casino employee will offer a small cash voucher to keep him or her
chasing the elusive jackpot.

M.I.T. professor Natasha Schüll
says that slot-machine addiction isn't about the urge to win. It's
about entering a trance-like state that casino operators call "the
zone," which produces the same kind of dopamine release in the brain
that addictive drugs provide.

This is what the Commonwealth
will promote by licensing slot machines. Perhaps we can generate even
more revenue by licensing crack houses.

Very few crack dealers
use crack, and even fewer gambling executives use slot machines. I
wonder if any legislators will get into "the zone," or even understand
what they have created.

Some apologists for legalized gambling
say that objections like mine are "elitist." Would they believe that
trying to prevent one's children from becoming crack addicts is
elitist? Or whether trying to spare another family the hardship and
misery that comes from a gambling-addicted parent is elitist?

Our
political leaders would serve us much better if they took a hard look
at, and exercised political leadership on a just tax policy. They wet
their pants when they are accused of increasing taxes. Yet they take
credit for the police and fire protection, education, roads, and
services on which our wellbeing depends but that only taxes can pay for.

Although
Massachusetts is seventh highest among all the states in per capita
personal income, we are in the bottom half in the amount of taxes that
we pay as a share of that income. Our problem isn't so much that our
flat income tax is too low or too high. Our problem is that our income
tax is flat.

We demand that the poorer that people are, the
greater percentage of their income they pay in taxes. Joining the 34
other states that ask their citizens to support their government based
on ability to pay would not only increase economic justice. It would
increase our capacity to avoid the kind of fiscal catastrophe that we
now confront.

But that would require political leaders with courage, moral fiber, and a sense of justice.