The February Food and Boot Drive, developed by
Boston Cares, a volunteer service organization, in partnership with The
Boston Globe, Building Impact and the Corporate Volunteer Council of
Greater Boston, aims to raise 10,000 pounds of protein and 500 pairs of
children's boots in twenty-eight days to benefit two non-profit relief
agencies: Cradles to Crayons and the Greater Boston Food Bank.

"This
is a new drive developed specifically in response to the stories we
were hearing about skyrocketing requests for food and clothing that
agencies throughout the region were getting from people in their
communities," said Rick Wallwork, Associate Director of Boston Cares.
"Clearinghouse agencies, including Cradles to Crayons and the Greater
Boston Food Bank, were reporting greater demand than they've seen
previously, and were having difficulty keeping certain items stocked.
Canned protein and children's warm boots were two of the priorities
identified where we felt we could make a significant contribution. This
drive supports Cradles to Crayons, which ensures that the boots will go
to agencies across the state, and the Greater Boston Food Bank's Brown
Bag program, which provides supplemental food to 6,500 seniors and
families each month. There are so many grass-roots agencies serving so
many communities in Greater Boston, to reach them all would be
difficult."

While the February Food and Boot Drive primarily
supports the state-wide agencies, Cradles to Crayons and the Boston
Food Bank, many organizations in Somerville are putting together drives
to address local demands, here in Somerville. During the month of
March, Curves of Somerville will be waiving its service fee for any new
members who bring a bag of non-perishable groceries between March 2nd
and March 28th. The Curves of Somerville's promotion is part of the
national fitness chain's 11th Annual Curves Food Drive, which has
distributed about fifty million pounds of food to local communities
over the past five years.

"The Curves Food Drive is always exciting," said Betsy Tsichlis, the owner of the Somerville club.

We
have a chance to help so many people at a time when food banks are
lowest. Especially during these uncertain times, this food is needed
more than ever. It's a win-win situation for everyone, and we're very
proud to participate."

One Somerville agency that will be
benefiting from local drives this year is the Project Soup Food Pantry,
a service provided by the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

The issue of local state aid is
paramount to Provost. "It's important for cities and towns to know what
their local aid is going to be when they are building their budgets. I
would venture to say that the reason there were so many votes against
the amendment is because it was brought by a member of the minority
party," she said.

However, the last two budgets were secured,
according to Provost. Therefore, "we have adopted local aid resolutions
in a timely way, without it having to be a rule, but I think that it is
a fine thing to impose upon ourselves, a rule that we will have a local
aid resolution every year in time to allow cities and towns to plan
their budgets," she said. The matter is especially pertinent in
Somerville because of the amount of state aid which the city receives.

Interestingly,
Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi resigned in January 2009.
Therefore, the adoption of rules by the House was postponed until
February.

Although this local aid resolution was not slated to
go into effect until 2011, because the legislature has two year
sessions, voting for various pieces of legislation can take place well
before they would actually take effect.

Why did other members
of the Democratic Party vote "no," on a rule to require that a specific
date be set for local aid? It is quite common for votes in the House to
"break along party lines." Provost predicts that chances are high that
"most of the amendments that were offered by Republicans were voted for
by the Republicans." A few Democrats may have also voted for
Republican-offered amendments, she suspects.

"Many, many
members, I would guess, vote by party, and I always take my votes on
the merits. If you look at the other amendments, I voted for several
other amendments that day that were offered by Republicans, which most
of the Democrats voted against, and which did not pass," she said. It
is clear that she followed that sentiment during the last vote. "If I
think that a bill or a rule or an amendment or a person has merit, I
will vote for them."

City boards and committees are
there to safeguard the community – to act in a way and manner which
preserves the public interest – and those appointed to these various
entities are there to make decisions which follow the letter of the law
in a way that protects our community.

This city has had its own
cast of characters over the years as appointed and elected members
entrusted with vital roles on behalf of the community, but the Chairman
of the ZBA has set the bar at a new depth. That's right, not new height
– new depth.

To listen to the Chairman of the ZBA tell people
assembled at a public meeting that if they want to stay in the
chambers, that they had better keep their mouths shut unless they're
granted permission to speak is outrageous. To then allude to police
officers outside the chambers, stationed there to ensure public safety
and stave off outbursts was a shameful display of disregard for the
community.

If you are angry reading that, wait until you read what comes next.

Later
on, this very same individual led the charge in giving the developer
the extension they were after and then actually used the silly excuse
that he was afraid that the developer would personally sue the members
of the ZBA if they didn't grant the extension. And then one by one the
rest of the members of the ZBA followed right along.

The ruling is the latest chapter of a seven-year legal
battle waged by both residents abutting the 343 Summer St. property and
its owners, the Dakota Partners, who came before the ZBA to ask for a
permit extension because of hardship – a loosely defined term that
became the center of the debate.

"I think the decision was made
one month ago," Evdokia Nikolova, a leader of the opposition to the
project, said after the vote. "They just put up a show for the
neighbors."

Dr. Mohamed Hanif Butt — who unsuccessfully sued
the developer — and a dozen other residents came to raise their
concerns about the project, primarily that the developer had ignored
concerns about the development's size. The project is planned to have
14 units.

Dakota Partners' attorney Richard DiGirolamo
reiterated that the request for an extension stemmed from the
difficulty faced during Butt's litigation against the developer and the
refusal of the city to allow them to cut down a shade tree to place a
required fire lane, which is the basis of a suit by Dakota against
Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz.

ZBA
Chairman Herbert Foster informed the crowd that two police officers
were on hand to prevent the outbursts that occurred at the Feb. 4
hearing on the permit extension. Several occurred anyway.

"If
you want to stay in this chamber, you keep your mouth shut unless
you're granted permission to speak," Foster said after the crowd jeered
DiGirolamo. "I've been on this board almost ten years, and it's
unprecedented that this board has ever taken the measure to have public
safety here because of those outbursts."

In an attempt to
minimize the disruption,Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz took a poll of
the residents' questions and grilled the board on why a developer who
is suing the city can claim the suit as a hardship. To be eligible for
an extension, the Dakota Partners had to prove it could not begin
construction within the two year permit length and show a good faith
effort to move forward.

At the Feb. 4 hearing, four Aldermen and
most of the neighbors on hand at the following meeting rejected the
developer's claim. A ruling was delayed while Assistant City Solicitor
decided if the request was valid. Shapiro explained at the Feb. 18
hearing that Dakota Partners did have the right to an extension despite
questions about the term of the original request.

Both
DiGirolamo and Shapiro agreed that no further extensions are possible
under Somerville's ordinance, although a day after the meeting Shapiro
sent an e-mail to the ZBA explaining the one-year limit was susceptible
to legal challenges based on a 2002 decision by the Massachusetts
Attorney General's rejection of a similar proposed ordinance in Swansea.

"While
the Attorney General opinion does not constitute case law," Shapiro's
e-mail stated, "I do agree with the rationale that an ordinance may not
limit the number of extensions where there is good cause to extend the
permit."

Under the Somerville ordinance, "good cause" is defined
as hardship faced by a builder including weather, "acts of God" and
labor strikes, although Shapiro said the law allowed for any
justification suitable to the ZBA. DiGirolamo made no attempt to
explain where the request fit into the listed categories.

As the
board approached a vote, Foster noted the Dakota Partners' pattern of
litigating adverse outcomes. "I personally think they would sue us if
we don't grant them the extension," he said. "Whether we give it to
them or not doesn't alleviate them of the responsibilities of the
permit."

After the unanimous vote approving the extension, Gewirtz said the ruling did not bode well for the city.

"(The
ZBA) probably had reason to be concerned about that, because (Dakota
has) sued everyone in their path. That is, quote, their 'good faith
effort,' " she said. "To me, a good faith effort is working with
neighbors. They only want to use a stick."

DiGirolamo said he
was pleased with the outcome. "We're happy (the ZBA) made the right
decision," he said, adding that the city's position is still
obstructing the project. "Seven years later, we don't even have a stick
in the ground."

To the Editor:

The time for denial
and evasion is over. For the first time in a long time, Congress has
taken steps to heal the environment by passing the stimulus bill and
approving $80 billion to be spent on clean energy solutions to global
warming. I thank Congress and my Representative, Michael Capuano, for
starting us on this road to recovery.

I feel compelled to act
for the environment because of the innocent bystanders; the infamous
polar bears and penguins, starving, the birds shifting migration
patterns north to survive, swaths of forest succumbing to disease and
drought, frogs warning of dire changes to the ground we walk on. Each
death, each extinction quiets another voice. Perhaps because they don't
share the responsibility, perhaps because they have to suffer the
consequences without the understanding we are privileged to enjoy or
alternatively to dread, perhaps this is why I feel sorrow.

I
have always believed in the wisdom of older cultures that treasure the
past as well as the future, remembering ancestors and lessons learned,
celebrating where you have come from and what history lends to who you
are. With this celebration, comes a sense of responsibility, to take
the gift that our ancestors have left us and to protect it for those
who follow. We need to stop ignoring science and our consciences and
listen to these voices, and remember what we want the voices seven
generations from now to say about us. Ask yourself, what legacy do you
want to leave?

Michele Gielis

Last
Friday, Governor Patrick rolled out his comprehensive plan to
reorganize and refinance the state's transportation system. To no one's
surprise, most of the subsequent media coverage has focused on the
Governor's call to raise the gas tax by 19 cents a gallon (meaning the
average driver will pay about $2 more per week at the pump).

I
had a chance to talk to the Governor and to Transportation Secretary
Jim Aloisi before the announcement of their plan and I can assure you
that they expected a firestorm. Neither of them wants to increase taxes
on anyone – especially during an economic downturn. As the Governor
said on Friday, "this is a crummy time to ask people to contribute
more."

But anyone who has followed this issue seriously already
knows that there's really no way around the need for new revenue. To
get our troubled system back on track – a necessary step toward
revitalizing our overall economy – it won't be enough just to cut or
consolidate (although we have to do that, too). If we want roads,
highways, transit, rail and bus services that can support a 21st
Century economy, then we have to pay for them – and raising tolls and T
fares is neither the smart way to do it nor an adequate way to meet the
need.

.

Here in Somerville, we know that good
transportation facilities are crucial to our future economic and
physical health. We know that the Green Line Extension, a new Orange
Line station at Assembly Square, the long-delayed repaving of
Washington Street, the thorough renovation now underway along
Somerville Ave – and all of the other state-supported transportation
projects in our city – will make this a better, stronger community in
which to live, work and raise a family. We know and understand that
transportation isn't just good for economic development: it's essential.

But
here's something you might not know unless you read the fine print: the
Governor's transportation reorganization and refinancing plan is a
model of how to deal with a fiscal crisis in government. It strikes a
fair balance between the need to, on one hand, achieve meaningful
reform and savings and, on the other, put new revenue into the system
so that it stops accumulating debt and starts doing its job for the
people of Massachusetts.

If you read the plan (which is online
at http://www.youmovemassachusetts.org/ ), you will find out that it
abolishes the Turnpike Authority, eliminates 300 jobs, ends the special
provision that lets MBTA workers retire on full benefits after 23 years
of service regardless of age; curbs health insurance costs; and
increases transparency and accountability across the entire system.

Of
course, all of these things could have and should have been done long
ago, but before Governor Patrick, no one did. No one could be bothered
to ask the citizens of the Commonwealth to wake up and face the true
cost and true value of their transportation system until these reforms
were made part of the package. But now Governor Patrick has done just
that, setting the stage for a fair and reasonable effort to reinvest in
our essential transportation infrastructure.

Like President
Obama with the economic crisis, the Governor is taking responsibility
for a problem he inherited. For nearly two decades, as the state
steadily deferred essential maintenance and as the budget for the
spiraled out of control, our Commonwealth dug itself into an
ever-deepening hole of wishful thinking. All of us – the public, its
elected leaders, the business community – pretended that someone else
was going to reform the system. Someone else was going to repair the
roads and bridges, and build the new transit links that would reduce
congestion and pollution. Someone else would work with unions to manage
their health care and retirement costs. But now – with our economy in
decline, our debt s soaring and our infrastructure in tatters – that
wishful thinking has to stop. It turns out that the "someone else" is
us.

The gas tax hasn't been increased by so much as a penny
since 1991. To paraphrase Secretary Aloisi, can you think of any other
major commodity that hasn't seen a price increase in eighteen years?
During the same period, the real buying power of the gas tax has
decreased by one third. Is our transportation system one third less
important to our economy than it was in 1991? Is it one third less
essential to our daily lives?

Governor Patrick deserves enormous
credit for his courage in taking on this vital reform. And, when you
add them up, the advantages offered by his proposals – for Somerville
and the entire Commonwealth – far outweigh the costs. Whether you're
interested in a stronger economy, or cleaner air or more livable
neighborhoods, I urge you to join me in supporting every element in
this reform package.

Today
there are plenty of places in Somerville where you can go to have a
meal and an adult beverage. From one end of the city to the other,
these mid to up-scale eateries offer an enticing menu and a wide array
of inebriates. There was a time, not too long ago, when local barrooms
were just that, barrooms. If you wanted to see what food was served, it
was usually right in front of you, in a large glass jar or hanging on a
display rack. The fare was simple, including bags of chips, peanuts,
slim-jims and pickled eggs. The upscale joints offered beer nuts to
their customers Рbon apétit!

Now, most establishments offer a
slew of fancy beers and ales in bottles and on tap, as well as in
bottles. The transformation from gin-mill to hip-spot seems to have
happened rather quickly. As usual, my area of expertise is the Davis
Square area, so most of my first-hand information comes from there.
Thankfully, Sligo's, Redbones (formerly The Coronet, then Barnaby's)
and Johnny D's have kept the traditional bar set-up alive. These places
haven't changed that much, except for the addition of what seems to be
countless new brews including lights, darks, ambers, wheats, summers,
winters etc. Back in my heyday we didn't have so many choices. My
favorites were Bud, Rolling Rock and once in a while a nice dark
Guinness. In the older days, some of the preferred brews were these:
Heffenreffer, Rheingold, Pabst, Schlitz, Schaeffer, Carling Black
Label, Narragansett Lager and Knickerbocker. Just saying those names
brings back memories, fogged as they are.

Can you believe that
in just Davis Square alone, there are about 32 restaurants and roughly
7 bars? To get into some of these places you are required to have an ID
and a piercing of some kind. As usual my timing is impeccable. I quit
drinking and there are now endless places and countless choices. My
liver is very grateful that those days are behind me – and just my
luck, I have three piercings, one on one ear, and two in the other.
What a waste! I am the infinite designated driver, which is a very good
thing. A cold O'Doul's is fine for me these days.

I happened to
have seen a packed to the gills Tufts shuttle bus heading to Davis
Square at around 6:30 Saturday night. I'm sure not all the students
were heading for Joshua Tree and The Burren, but you can bet a lot
were. The standing room only bus occupants were decked out in their
trendiest Saturday night best (I know because I pass them while walking
the dog on College Avenue).

Now that St Patrick's Day is in
sight, memories of The Blarney Stone Pub start filling me' head. How
many of us actually drank green beer? I think of the Stone whenever I
walk past Ciampa Manor on College Ave.

I had the pleasure of
recently talking with a gentleman who served about 8 years on
Somerville's Licensing Board. He had some interesting stories for sure.
He felt that Somerville had enough bars and he tried to only give
liquor licenses to restaurants. Under his watch, Pal Joey's (aka El
Cids, and Steppin' Out) lost their license due to too much trouble. He
gave them the option to sell their license. The Jumbo in Teele Square
was also a trouble spot (I don't recall any brouhahas when I played in
bands up there). He was in charge when Bertucci's first opened in Davis
Square, happy to see a new restaurant open – too bad he didn't get in
on buying some Bertucci's stock!

As I've said, I don't drink
alcohol (anymore), but I still love the smell of these old, seasoned
(or fermented I should say) joints. Back when I was imbibing, you could
still smoke your brains out while you drank your mind away. Two or
three hours in the barroom was easily detectable by the smell of
cigarette smoke that saturated your body and clothes. Imagine what it
did to our insides.

There are a few places in Ball Square that
we used to frequent for an ale or two as well – The Willow was where I
would go if I was in that area. You may have memories of the joints
that lined Somerville Ave, Broadway and in East Somerville. There were
plenty of bars, with plenty of stories. So while you may be craving an
ice cold Aventinus wheat Doppelbock and an omelette with red peppers
and goat cheese, I'd rather have a frosty Pabst Blue Ribbon and a
pickled egg.

The crowd in attendance
Monday evening was sizeable with nearly 30 people squeezed into the
small classroom on the first floor of the TAB. The meeting's agenda
included presentations about constructions and business developments
followed by crime updates and then a discussion of The Davis Square
Task Force's future.

The first project brought to the floor
was a presentation on the plans for constructing new townhouses at the
Carli Fence Site on Willow and Newberne Street. The presentation was
given in part by project architect Peter Quinn who said, "The Bike path
will be the address" of the new townhouses.

In the past,
various developers have proposed plans for the Carli Fence Site, but
those plans usually consisted of 10 to 20 new residential units. The
current plan will only be comprised of seven units. There will also be
21 parking spaces available to the location, which is far in excess of
parking requirements for that site. Quinn hopes that by building new
homes by the bike path, it will encourage residents to walk to the T
and use bikes for their commutes. "The bike path is such an amenity to
this community," Quinn said.

This plan was greeted with
positive reactions from everyone on the Davis Square Task Force. It was
mentioned though that the Bike Path should be accurately be referred to
as "The Community Path" as people do not just bike on it.

J.P.
Sacco, owner and proprietor of Sacco's Bowling Haven, Davis Square's
historic bowling alley, introduced Jay Gould, owner of the chain
"Flatbread All Natural Pizza." Sacco intends on selling Gould his
bowling alley, explaining, "I have been attempting to get out of the
bowling business." The Sacco family has been running bowling alleys
since 1895. Sacco's Bowling Haven in Davis Square has existed since
1939.

Speaking to the Task Force, Gould explained he wants not
only to be in the Davis Square, but "to be a part of the community."
Gould plans on transforming Sacco's Bowling Haven into another
restaurant in his chain of "Flatbread All Natural Pizzas." But bowlers
should not fear – Gould plans on keeping 10 bowling lanes open, so
families and friends can continue to bowl. Unfortunately for billiards
enthusiasts, the pool hall will be removed for the restaurant.

Gould
plans on keeping the façade of the building basically the same, with
the minor addition of a small "Flatbread Pizza" sign. He will also be
applying for a full liquor license, though Gould was quick to add his
restaurants are all about families. "The kids can run around in our
restaurants," Gould explained, "and if the parents don't like it we
tell them to leave."

When asked if he would still pursue this
project if the liquor license was not approved Gould said, "No, I like
to have a beer with my pizza."

Also at the meeting was a
presentation about turning a reconverting a vacant property near the
Powderhouse Rotary back into a convenience store and a brief update on
the plans for a new hotel in the Davis Square area.

Although
the plans for the hotel are still in beginning stages, there was one
irate attendee at the meeting who adamantly opposed the idea of a new
hotel in Davis Square. "The hotels in Somerville have led to nothing
but drugs and prostitution," she said, "we do not need a hotel."

But
without definite plans for location or even the size of the hotel, this
argument will have to be heard again and debated at many meetings in
Somerville's future.

Later in the evening there was a
suggestion by Michele Biscoe, representative of the dog walking
committee, that dog walkers who frequent Davis Square at night should
organize a crime watch. "We want to motivate dog owners to do something
to make small business owners and their customers feel more safe,"
Biscoe said.

Biscoe and others suggested that when walking dogs
through Davis at night, dog walkers could keep a vigilante eye for
anything suspicious going on. But one member of the meeting was quick
to note that most of the violence and criminal problems occur after
midnight – a time when most people are not walking there dogs.

"It
would never substitute for the police department," Biscoe asserted.
"Its about eyes and ears. This is not about sicking your dog on
somebody." Whether dog walkers will actually organize to become a crime
watch will be subject to future development.

Other discussions
included the recent shooting and carjacking by Diva and whether later
hours at bars and criminal activity should lead to more late night
police details.

The Davis Square Task Force meets regularly
throughout the year. Everyone is welcome to come to the meetings to
hear about recent developments in the Davis Square area.

The
Task Force was founded in 1977 while the Red Line Extension into Davis
Square was still in the planning stages. Since then it has initiated
many projects, many of which led to the redevelopment of Davis Square
in the 1980s. The Task Force is committed to keeping an open dialogue
between the residents of Somerville and the small business owners that
make Davis Square such a thriving commercial center.