However, The Brune Scholarship "is not the
only [one] we give. We're going to give about 45 this year," said
Noreen Santucci, Corresponding Secretary of the Somerville High School
Scholarship Foundation.

There are copious reasons for Evitt's
truly deserving this scholarship. In 2008, the Dartmouth Book Award
came his way. Holding a class rank of 3rd in his class and maintaining
a G.P.A. of 4.48, the senior at Somerville High School will commence
his collegiate experience, as an engineering major. "I am currently
wait listed at the school of my choice, Brown University. If I am
unable to gain admittance there, I will be attending Harvard University
in the fall," he said. In addition, he was accepted to Duke and the
University of Pennsylvania.

Because Evitt excels in Mathematics, he earned the honor of SHS Top Scorer in the New England Math League Competition.

"I
believe my active involvement in my community made me an ideal
candidate for Mr. Brune's scholarship," he said. From a tender age, he
possessed a keen interest in fundraising for local organizations. "I
perceived [that endeavor], as particularly worthwhile, which included
Project Bread and the Somerville Mathematics Fund.  I have raised over
$2,500, specifically for these organizations."

His community
service extends even farther, for he has been very active in "Dollars
for Scholars." For years, he raised over $200, annually, giving his
time in the Walk for Hunger. For eight years on a biannual basis, Evitt
participated in Community Outreach Events for the Historic Preservation
Commission.

After having completed his degree, he envisions
helping others in the classroom. "With hopes of pursuing a career in
teaching, I have been a member of Somerville High School's Future
Teachers of America club for the past two years."

Over the
years, Evitt has accumulated numerous awards, both academically and
athletically. This year, he is serving, as President of the National
Honor Society. He received the Coaches Award and the Captains' Award,
as well as his being chosen as a GBL All-Star in indoor track in 2008.

"Undoubtedly
my favorite activity is running on the school's cross country, indoor,
and outdoor track teams," said Evitt, for which he was chosen as
Captain. Therefore,"Track has been an invaluable part of my high school
career, affording me confidence, [as well as] a strong network of close
friends."

One local non-profit organization, to which he still
gives his time, is the Somerville Mathematics Fund. "They routinely
organize community "Math Nights" at neighborhood elementary schools,
award grants to deserving math teachers, and sponsor generous
scholarships for high school seniors, interested in pursuing math in
college," he said.

How does Brune select the next lucky winner
of his scholarship? On an annual basis, the Somerville High School
Scholarship Committee provides Brune with a list of eight or nine
deserving students, from whom to select the winner of that year's
scholarship.

However, to be considered, students must meet
certain requirements. "The criteria is just being a Somerville High
School student and showing that they're very active in the community,
active in school. Their marks don't have to be top marks, but they need
to qualify for college, or a training school, and that they are of good
moral character," said Brune.

Such volunteer work could include
"a road race for cancer or being a volunteer at the library or the
hospital — helping others."

Although Brune believes that
personality traits are difficult to glean from a simple application,
"You can determine, on paper, just what [students] have done in life.
It kind of shows their personality — getting along with their peers,
possibly being a member of the National Honor Society, possibly being a
captain on one of the sport teams — things that show that they can
get along with their peers."

Additionally, the Somerville High
School Scholarship Foundation's annual drawing was an enormous success
this year, despite the wavering economy. This year, 242 of the 250
available tickets, were purchased for the 2009 raffle. Each cost $100
apiece.

However, "The scholarship raffle has nothing to do with
the Eugene C. Brune Scholarship, expect that I give it through that
organization. I'm a chairman of the $10,000 [annual] drawing that we
have." Every bit of the money, which that organization gathers, is
allocated for prizes or augments the Scholarship Foundation's funds.

"The
Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation was founded in 1990 by
then Headmaster Anthony V. Fedele," according to the organization's
website.

The goal of the foundation is to enable the greatest
number of students to be financially able to attend institutions of
"higher learning." Although Brune did not found it, he was on the
committee, which was responsible for so doing.

The 25th Annual
Eugene Brune Breakfast happened on Sunday, May 3 at Anthony's
Restaurant in Malden. Donations from that event cushion the funds for
Brune's annual scholarship. This year, Evitt's uplifting remarks during
his scholarship acceptance speech, brought the crowd to a standing
ovation.

1978
was the year after I graduated from college, but there were more
notable happenings back then. Grease, Animal House and Superman were at
the movies. The Bee Gees controlled the radio waves with music from
Saturday Night Fever. The President was Jimmy Carter (great year for
Jimmy's). Unfortunately the Yankees beat the Red Sox for the American
League Championship. We were hopeful that the Viet Nam War would stay
ended, and committed to taking care of our wounded heroes. We were also
nursing the heartache of losing sons, brothers, husbands, wives and
friends in that horrible war. We were trying to find happy things to do
and one August day we got very happy.

I'm pretty sure that the great summer concert of 1978 was sponsored by Somerfest.

You
remember Somerfest don't you? A crew of youth workers would show up
with a truck and block off a street. People would set up lawn chairs or
sit on their porches and listen to a concert. When my band showed up it
was a rock concert that could be heard for blocks. We played on my
aunt's street, the bass player's street, my street, the lead guitar
player's street and even in front of my grandmother's house. When we
played on my street, we used my house as the "dressing room" and
backstage area. Big Sal was in charge of setting up the stage and
blocking off the street. He is still my friend to this day.

So
this concert at Powder House Park was a mega concert. Three bands!
Bands that I mentioned in my April Fools article – only this show was
for real. The Tools (formerly Shadowfax), Dillinger and Zenophon were
the featured groups.

It was a perfect hot summer Saturday and
the crowds began to form early. The Tools set up at the bottom of the
park near the corner of Liberty and Broadway. Dillinger was set up on
the back of a flatbed truck a little way up the hill. Zenophon,
featuring David Stefanelli, was at the very top near the tower. We
started the concert with a brand new song that we had never played in
public before. It went on to be, along with "Love My Money," a 45 rpm
record that we released later that year. It actually was in the
jukeboxes at Harold's Luncheonette and The Embassy Lounge. The song
that began that day long music festival was called "Spark 'Em Up." As
soon as we played the last note of the last song of our set, Dillinger
blasted the first resounding riffs of their set. And to continue the
seamless afternoon of rock, Zenophon started just as Dillinger strummed
their last chord. I can still hear Stef's awesome voice echoing through
the trees and filling the park with righteous rock! 3 bands supplying
hours of continuous rock to a swarm of happy, well behaved rockers. It
was heaven! What a day! What a concert! What a memory (LOL). Lots of
Led (Zeppelin)!

So Bono, we love you man, but you ain't got
nothing on us! We played Powder House Park on a day that a lot of us
will never forget, long before you graced the Somerville Theater stage.
By the way, please come back soon, you rule.

Move it up 30 years
or so and the tradition continues. "Somerville Student Rocks" will be a
concert featuring local talented musicians on Thursday May 28th at the
Somerville High School Auditorium at 7 pm – and it's free! Interested
musicians, singers, song writers, bands, etc. in grades 6 through 12
should show up at auditions on Friday May 15th from 2:45 pm to 6 pm at
the Somerville High School Auditorium. No back tracks or karaoke please
– live – not Memorex! Somerville's new comedy troupe "Klass Klownz"
will open the show with some funny songs and bits.

Continuing
the long tradition of supplying fine entertainment for our great city,
the office of Mayor Joe Curtatone announced a meeting for local teens
interested in this years Sunsetters. We will be rehearsing 4 nights a
week in June and performing 4 nights a week for seven weeks during the
summer. Performances include the fireworks celebration on July 2nd,
Artbeat and the Mayor's Annual Senior Picnic. Those chosen will receive
a stipend of $500.00 for the summer. Interested teens willing to work
hard and be part of an elite group with a n historic reputation for
excellence should come to the Tab Building at 167 Holland St. Thursday
May 21st at 6:30 pm. Who knows, we may have the next Bono, or Cher
Bono, or a huge rock star who eats Bon Bons.

Somerville has
always produced a lot of talent, and this year because we have so much
going on, it promises to be a great summer with lots of excitement.

So
you see, it was nice to have a mega group like Bono and U2 come to
Somerville, but we are a very special city that is packed with our own
talent. The great rock concert of 1978 at Powder House Park was the
closest Somerville ever got to Woodstock. If you were there, you know
what I mean.

This year, the
Somerville Spring Cleanup was organized at seven volunteer sites across
the city, focusing on the city's parks, community gardens, schoolyards
and major squares, according to the press release from Mayor Curtatone.
This year, new locations included Broadway from Winter Hill to East
Somerville, and the city estimated that there were a similar number of
participants as in recent years, perhaps as many as 400 though no
official count was available.

After dropping their garbage bags
off, volunteers headed over to Nunziato Field for a barbecue, and to
the neighboring Community Growing Center for the SomerGreen Festival,
an eco-fair that convened organizations and community groups that
promote green living.

Those who missed Saturday's clean up but
still want to take advantage of Somerville's green programs may want to
consider picking up a city-subsidized composter. The 10-gallon Earth
Machine, which is essentially a three-foot high plastic cylinder with
adjustable vents, is a good option for people looking to reduce their
kitchen and yard waste, and can produce enough soil for a small garden.
With a $40 check and proof of residency, people can pick one up from
the Somerville Department of Public Works, located at 1 Franey Road on
the corner of Cedar Street and Broadway behind Trum Field,
Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.

For those without the space
or motivation to mind their own compost pile, Groundwork Somerville
will pick it up, as those stopping by the SomerGreen fest may have
found out. Groundwork Somerville's new fee-based SoilCycle program will
provide weekly compost pick-ups by bicycle, and is advertised as
"youth-run" and "sustainably-powered" – which basically means that its
users can feel good about supporting local youth jobs as well as the
environment.

Vanessa
Rule, of Go Green Somerville, one of the organizers of the event,
described the support mechanisms for such businesses. By providing
consulting services focused on maximizing environmental efficiency, she
said, "hopefully we can make the process easy for those businesses who
might worry that they either don't have time or that it will cost too
much."

Two examples of business leaders who have made the
transition are Jennifer Park and Tucker Lewis, co-owners of the Diesel
Café and Bloc 11. With the help of Save that Stuff, a company that
collects organic waste and distributes it for re-use, the two cafés
have effectively reduced their waste as well as the costs associated
with its removal. "It's easy if you're committed to doing it," Park
said. "We said that, regardless of the costs, we were going to do
this." As it turns out, the financial toll of reducing waste was far
from a problem, as Park predicts that they have saved about $5,000 in
the first year alone.

Another Davis Square landmark, Johnny
D's, is an example of how the environmental movement has evolved from a
fringe issue to one that is inherently linked with successful business
practices. Since the venue underwent renovations designed to increase
its energy efficiency, Carla Dilois predicts they've cut about 10% in
related costs.

The sustainable drive has not been led simply
by shrewd business owners and concerned non-profit groups like
Groundwork Somerville, but also by local governance. In a nod to the
importance of green thinking, especially in one of the most densely
populated cities in the country, Mayor Joseph Curtatone created the
Department of Sustainability and the Environment in 2006. In nearly
every facet of urban planning, environmental concerns now come into
play, from the Green Line Extension project to Shape Up Somerville's
program to curtail obesity in the city. Alongside Groundwork
Somerville, a local non-profit environmental organization, the program
has built gardens in nearly every school in the city–a boon to
physical health as well as to storm water runoff prevention. The
Department of Sustainability is slated to receive up to a half a
million dollars in stimulus funding, said Program Manager David Lutes,
though the use of the money is yet to be determined.

As events
such like the B2Green expo show, it is evident that the environment is
not a fleeting concern. "Green is definitely the new thing," said
Jennifer Lawrence, Executive Director of Groundwork Somerville.
"Especially with the city caring so much about sustainability,
Somerville is mirroring a national trend in awareness." For longtime
activists within the community, the rising tide of environmentalism,
which Rule and Lawrence agree coincided with Al Gore's "Inconvenient
Truth" and the spike in oil prices, is a welcome change. "My sense from
talking to people who have been doing this for a long time was that it
used to be very hard to get anyone to listen to you," Rule said. "Now,
people have seen the limits of consumerism."

Dennis Sullivan, Alderman-at-Large, is kicking off
his spring office hours on Saturday, May 16. Starting at 10 a.m,
Sullivan will be at the East Somerville Police Sub Station, followed by
an 11 a.m. stop at the Dunkin Donuts in Union Square.

Sullivan
will continue the mobile neighborhood office hours on May 23 with stops
at (10 a.m.) the Highland Ave. Dunkin Donuts and then (11a.m.) at the
Winter Hill Post Office. On May 30, Sullivan will set up shop (10a.m.)
in Ball Square, followed by (11a.m. the Somerville Theatre and then
(12p.m.) the West Somerville Police Sub Station.

"The office
hours are my favorite part of being Alderman," said Sullivan. "It's a
chance to connect on the grassroots level and talk to the people who
make this city prosper and succeed."

"For each round of office
hours, we try to introduce another element," Sullivan continued. "We've
had interpreters join us, brought the office inside, offered voter
registration and have tried to highlight different neighborhoods
throughout the more than 90 office hours. This time I will be posting
live updates from each stop." To follow Sullivan's mobile office or
submit a question, friend him at facebook.com.

Sullivan began
the mobile office as another way to connect with residents shortly
after being elected as an Alderman-at-Large in 2004. He's done more
than 90 stops and will conduct the 100th stop sometime this fall. The
office hours – which consist of the original table he used five years
ago and a banner – are weather permitting.

SOMERVILLE –
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that the Financial Advisory
Committee (FAC) convened in January has issued a series of
recommendations designed to ensure the City's long-term financial
sustainability. The FAC, made up of five representatives from the
business, nonprofit and financial sectors, made its recommendations
after a series of meetings with City officials and an extensive review
of information about the Somerville's finances and municipal
operations. The FAC's key recommendations span the areas of health
care; fees and fines; competitive sourcing; regionalization of
services; cost recovery; wages and salaries; capital assets; programs
and policies such as Pay-As-You-Throw trash disposal and the rezoning
of business districts.

"All of us were honored to assist the
Mayor and people of Somerville in responding to this historic
challenge," said Samuel Tyler, President of the Boston Municipal
Research Bureau.  "Our report is based on a wide-ranging review of
Somerville's operations, structure and policies. We were impressed by
the expertise of the current administration as well as its grasp of the
city's fiscal challenges and their potential solutions.  These
recommendations underscore our belief that this crisis demands more
than incremental change.  To preserve core public services, municipal
leaders will require, and should receive, greater flexibility so that
they can take decisive action in both the design and management of city
operations."

"I sincerely thank all of the members of the FAC
for volunteering their time and effort on this critical task," said
Mayor Curtatone. "I have been impressed by both the breadth and
thoughtfulness of the committee's discussions throughout this process
and I look forward to reviewing their recommendations. Given the fiscal
realities facing municipalities across the Commonwealth, we have
already begun working internally to identify opportunities for
cost-savings, increased efficiencies and new revenue options. This
committee has given us the opportunity to tap into the wealth of
knowledge and experience on these issues that exists in Somerville and
our surrounding communities.

I am eager to get to work on analyzing their suggested actions and implementing them wherever appropriate and feasible."

Mayor
Curtatone convened the FAC to provide expert financial advice designed
to help the City maintain its ability to provide core services while
facing both severe cuts in state and a deepening economic recession.
The FAC included Ronald Bonney, Jr., President of Bonney Automotive and
Executive Committee Member of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce;
Geoffrey Hargadon, Sr.Vice President for Investments, UBS Financial
Services; Professor Daniel Richards of the Tufts University Economics
Department Barry R. Sloane, President and Co-CEO of Century Bancorp;
and Samuel Tyler, President of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau.

Additionally,
Mayor Curtatone and City Finance staff presented to the Board of
Aldermen and the School Committee at a special meeting on Monday, May
4th, on the latest state and local factors affecting the City's Fiscal
Year 2010 budget. Curtatone presented a number of cost-savings and
revenue generating options and urged the Board of Aldermen to take
immediate and decisive action in order to bridge the budget gap.

The
recommendations will be reviewed internally and, where deemed
appropriate, implemented. For the complete recommendations and
accompanying report, as well as additional information on the City's
budget please visit: http://www.somervillema.gov/spotlight.cfm?id=73.

The
zoning adoption is critical during this time of revival as the city
awaits the arrival of the Green Line extension in Union Square, city
officials agree. Developers will be attracted to building opportunities
there, and passing the overlay protection will ensure that uses are set
aside for the artists.

"This is a very positive development
and the two-fold aspect is the most intriguing," said Richard Graf, the
real estate advisor to ArtistLink, an arm of the Massachusetts Cultural
Council that helps artists find work space. "This will help the
artists, and help the square. I'm glad it stayed in the
legislation…It will help solidify the character of the square for
creative businesses and help speed up the redevelopment."

Passed
at the city's Board of Alderman's meeting on April 23, the zoning
ordinance has been in the works for the past fours years, with the goal
to restore Union Square as the commercial center and better position it
for the Green Line extension that will be in place by 2014. City
officials have been saying that Union Square is a "hidden gem" that
needs more attention.

The zoning will create three new areas:
A commercial district spanning Washington Street and Somerville Avenue,
a transit district around the proposed T stop and the arts overlay
district that will encourage artists to take up residence.

The
arts overlay district was created to encourage the preservation and
enhancement of arts-related uses, particularly within Union Square,
according to the zoning ordinance posted at www.somervillema.gov/
(click on "city departments," then "planning and zoning" and "Union
Square rezoning proposal" and then "rezoning proposal 2008" and finally
onto "Zoning amendment – adopted and ordained April 23, 2009.")

The
district is also intended to preserve and enhance the area as a center
for a variety of retail, business services, housing and office uses, as
well as to promote a strong "pedestrian character and scale" throughout
the district.

Specifically, the new zoning clarifies the following:

•
The definition of artist live/work space as a building or any portion
containing units of at least 750 square feet used for both residential
and artist studio space. These households must include at least one
artist certified by the city. Retail sales of art produced on site will
not take place more than 12 hours per week.

• The definition of an artist studio space as space used for the creation, production, rehearsal or

teaching of any visual art or craft, "including but not limited to painting, drawing, graphic

design, photography, video, film, sculpture, and pottery; of written works of fiction or

nonfiction; or of any performing art, whether for live or recorded performance, including

music, dance, and theater, and accessory sales of such art."

•
Expanding the definition of an artists as a "visual artist,
craftsperson, musician or other performing artist, photographer or
writer" and the office of an architect or landscape architect.

Parking
requirements will also be relaxed within the overlay district. For
example, an applicant may make either a cash payment in lieu of
providing the required parking, or a partial cash payment, according to
the ordinance, although it didn't specify amounts. The minimum parking
requirements may also be reduced if applicants submit a plan
demonstrating that such reduction will not have adverse community
impacts.

The detailed, 50-page ordinance also outlines design
guidelines that encompass signage and awning design, locations of
entrances, building materials, pedestrian access, parking design, and
so on. The Planning Board will serve as the special permit granting
authority for arts-related uses. Variances would be granted separately
by the Zoning Board of Appeals.

City officials are relieved to
finally create clarity between what the arts community wants to do and
what the inspectional services department sees can actually happen,
said Greg Jenkins, executive director of the Somerville Arts Council.

Changing
the previous vague term "artist housing" to defining what is an artist
live/work space and what is an artist studio, with explicit parameters,
is important to the artist community, Jenkins said. The ordinance also
broadens the actual definition of art.

He added this is not
just related to Union Square. "If you want to put an artist studio on
Highland Avenue, there was never a defined use for one," he said.

For
developers, the ordinance provides incentives to build for artist use,
which is also good news for artists, Jenkins said. He added that the
ordinance does not call for more building, but creates incentive or
disincentive for certain kinds of development. "It creates a baseline
by which the city says this is the type of activity that you want
here," he said. "It's about relief for artists."

Will the new
zoning laws create more studio space? "We don't know yet," Jenkins
said. "It still takes money and a developer," he said. Once the economy
turns around, the city will see more of what is to come.

Developers
will be eyeballing Union Square as the Green Line project picks up, so
having the zoning in place will keep the attention on the arts and
provide a framework for developers to follow, said Beth Driscoll, a
longtime resident, artist and former Somerville Arts Council board
member, who worked closely with the city over the past four years.

It
means a lot for the future economy of Union Square, as artists are a
proven economic catalyst for underdeveloped areas, she said.

"The
decision to reward development for arts related uses will benefit
everyone in the city by making the Union Square district a more
desirable place to live and work, while also encouraging economic
growth," Driscoll said.

Dokens Joseph, age 21,
was arrested Friday in Somerville and charged with two counts of
perjury. He was arraigned in Woburn Superior Court and ordered held on
$100,000 cash bail.

Each perjury charge carries a maximum 10-year sentence upon conviction.

"We
allege that this defendant has useful information regarding our
investigation into the murder of Charline Rosemond, yet chose to
knowingly provide false information under oath," District Attorney
Leone said. "We will continue to prosecute those who willfully choose
to lie under oath or obstruct our investigation into this homicide."
According to authorities, on Wednesday, April 8, Rosemond, 23, of
Everett, was reported missing to Everett Police after failing to return
home from work. When she was last seen, she was believed to have been
driving her father's car, a gray Honda Civic.

On, Monday, April
13, at approximately 6:30 p.m., Somerville Police reported that they
had found the vehicle parked behind 10 Webster Avenue in Somerville. In
the car they found the victim and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

The
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy and ruled the
death a homicide caused by a single gunshot wound to the head.

Massachusetts
State Police assigned to the Middlesex District Attorney's Office,
Everett Police and Somerville Police are conducting a homicide
investigation to determine the circumstances of the victim's death.

Joseph
is a significant witness in the case and it is alleged that he
knowingly provided false material information to a Grand Jury during
this investigation.

Members of the public with information that
they believe may be helpful to the investigation can call Everett
Police at 617-394-2462, Somerville Police at 617 625-1212, or
Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Middlesex District
Attorney's Office 781-897-6650. These charges are allegations, and the
defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case is
being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Doug Cannon and Elisha
Willis. The investigation is being conducted by Somerville Police,
Everett Police, and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the
Middlesex District Attorney's Office.

The Shape Up
Somerville program, originating from a Tufts University research study
that targeted Somerville elementary school students, is run in
conjunction with the Somerville Health Department and a supporting
taskforce that has been responsible for numerous community health
initiatives in the area. Nicole Rioles, the Coordinator of the Shape Up
Somerville program, states, "the goal of the Shape Up Somerville
program is to help create an affordable environment where people can
eat smart and live healthy." SUS has supported a variety of health
related community programs that include the extension of the green
line, the creation of more bike lanes, the support of the local
farmer's markets, as well as establishing safe, walkable routes to area
schools.

Shape Up Somerville has also helped make advances in
the general nutrition of school lunches in an effort to fight childhood
obesity. Sunday's event was helped out by many of the organizations and
businesses that have integrated themselves into SUS's vision of a
healthier Somerville. Whole Foods, Farmer Dave's Market, the
Massachusetts WIC Nutrition Program, and the Green Streets Initiative
were all on hand to lend their support to SUS's motto of "Eat Smart,
Move More, Live Better."

The race itself was predicated by a
half-mile 12 and under children's "fun run," which, despite a wrong
turn or two by some of the kids, began a great day at Somerville High.
The road race began at 11am and was a 2.7-mile loop that started and
ended in the Somerville High School parking lot. Participants ranged in
experience levels from daily competitive runners to people who were out
to support a good cause and enjoy some family fun. "Runners varied in
age from a 3 1/2 year old to a man in his seventies–so we had the
whole community!" said Rioles. Several parents were running while
pushing their child in a stroller including Karen Friedman from Sharon
MA. Karen, who was running a race for the first time with her son
Aaron, described the day as a "terrific, family friendly event."

The
race was won by 23-year-old Somerville resident Matt Tobey, who
finished his second competitive run ever with an impressive time of
18:24. The women's champion was Meghan Thurlow, also of Somerville, who
finished the race soon behind Matt with a time of 20:43. With every
impressive run, was an equally intriguing back-story. "A runner told me
that he ran this road race over twenty years ago," said Rioles, "and he
dropped his hand below his shoulder to show his youth and height at the
time, with a laugh." The event brought back the old tradition of the
Somerville 5k road race while incorporating the new spirit of a
consciously healthy community. "This race was a nice homecoming for the
runner who participated decades ago," said Rioles, "and it was a fun
run for new comers as well. I registered couples, friends, siblings,
co-workers, and parents with their children. It included every dynamic
duo!"

At the conclusion of the race, the event coordinators put
on a free family barbeque and a Health and Wellness Fair, which
included educational and nutritional information from the
aforementioned partners of SUS. The BBQ and the implementation of the
race were helped extensively by Somerville High's athletic department.
Program Director George Scarpelli and student-athlete volunteers helped
map out the course for runners and had food and beverages ready for all
participants. Partial proceeds of the event will go to Somerville youth
athletics and should help fund the football teams' trip to an off
campus training camp.

Several local organizations
including Groundwork Somerville, Somerville Community Corporation,
STEP, and the Somerville Community Health Agenda have banded together
to create the Community Corridor Planning Project, a collaboration that
aims to work together in order to create an organized and collective
community voice that will impact the development process.

"We
want to amplify community input with an organized community process so
that when we give our input to the city, we have a stronger voice,"
said Meredith Levy from the Somerville Community Corporation. "It's
important for all of us to help plan for the future."

Once
completed, the Green line extension will provide a projected seven
stops beyond the current Lechmere Station location, including stops in
Union Square, Brickbottom, Gilman Square, Lowell Street, Ball Square,
College Street, and Mystic Valley.

Each of these locations were
represented at the meeting by concerned and interested residents during
small group activities in which neighbors discussed the positive and
negative attributes of their current neighborhoods and how the Green
line may affect those attributes. Ultimately, organizers were looking
to generate ideas from these discussions to present to city planners
that are designing the Green line corridor in hopes of creating a space
that is beneficial for the residents of the areas that will be affected.

The
city of Somerville sent two of it's senior planners, Keith Craig and
Brad Rossem, to present some of the statistics and data that has been
collected in order to aid in creating a Citywide Plan. According to
Craig, a citywide plan is essentially a comprehensive vision for the
future of Somerville, and includes the needs and wants of Somerville's
residents.. The Green Line corridor is a very large component of the
citywide plan and the planners made it very clear that community input
and opinion is integral to the process as it begins to get off the
ground.

According to the statistics presented at the meeting,
Somerville is a very transient immigrant city, with two-thirds of it's
population being renters and some sections of the city are as high as
80% renters. The installation of the Green Line throughout Somerville
will of course increase mobility throughout the city. Currently, 35% of
Somerville residents are within walking distance of the one train
station in Somerville. By December 31, 2014, it is estimated that 85%
of Somerville residents will be within a ten minute walk of a train
station.

The participant response to the meeting was
overwhelmingly positive. Most felt they had a stronger grasp on what to
expect over the next several months and years, and many felt they
learned something or were exposed to ideas they hadn't yet considered.
Some participants expressed concern for a loss of safety, which has
improved over the last five years, while others hoped that small ethnic
businesses would remain in tact with rising rents.

Victor
Oliveira, a young volunteer at the Somerville Boys and Girls Club and
high school student thought it was an eye-opening experience. "I've
always thought about the Green Line expansion as a good thing without
considering the negative. I never thought about safety issues or a loss
of diversity. This has been really interesting for me."