Senior center garden is spring mainstay in Davis Square

By George P. Hassett

For the last two years, spring in Davis Square has meant Charlie Vazzino in the courtyard of Ciampa Manor planting vegetables, herbs and roses. Vazzino is a steady sight for commuters coming and going from the College Avenue train station — he says he is out there from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. greeting passerby from his wheelchair.

In between, Vazzino, 59, passes his days cultivating the soil of West Somerville. He says he started his garden outside the Davis Square senior center as a way to stave off boredom.

By William C. Shelton

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

News coverage of the race for the White House has been a blessing to its current occupant by eclipsing news of his performance. As we consider the coming election, it may be useful to compare what we want with how we’ve been had.

At 71 percent, George Bush now has the highest disapproval rating since pollsters began measuring it. But popularity is not a good measure of a presidency. Abraham Lincoln, for example, was broadly unpopular by the autumn of 1863.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Confessions of a White Hat by Ed Galing (Alternating Current c/o Propaganda Press POBOX 398058 Cambridge, Mass. 02139) propaganda.x.press@gmail.com $2

I speak to 91 year old Hatboro, Pennsylvania poet Ed Galing on a regular basis, and I am amazed that despite his advanced years his mind is still sharp, and he continues to regale the small press with his prolific output of poetry and prose. Ed at this stage in the game is being discovered and is being published in such top shelf magazines such as: Pearl, Margie, Rattle and others.

By Jack Nicas

Dilboy Stadium housed 90 schools and 942 athletes on Saturday for the 2008 Massachusetts State Coaches’ Invitational. It was the first time Somerville was home to such a meet. Somerville High School girls’ track coach and meet director Charlie O’Rourke said he was excited for Somerville to host the event, but wanted to give credit where it’s due.

‚ÄúThe meet wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the cooperation of Tufts University and Jim Halloran and his staff,‚Äù he said.

Duchatelier and Toussaint continue to set the pace in high school track and field

By Jack Nicas

Tanisha Duchatelier and Antoinette Toussaint have been running around together since they were kids. Now, as high school seniors, their running is paying off for Somerville High. For the past four years the two have led the way for the girl’s track team and were at it again on Saturday when Somerville hosted the annual State Coaches’ Invitational.

The girls each competed in two events at the meet: Duchatelier in the 200-meter dash and high jump and Toussaint in the 100-meter hurdles and triple jump. Duchatelier placed an uncharacteristic tenth in both of her events. However, she did run a fast time (28.09 seconds) in the 200-meter dash, missing the qualifying time by a mere fifteenth of a second and placing in the top 10 out of 72 participants. Toussaint continued her stretch of success with a third place finish in the hurdles (two tenths of a second behind the leader) and a second place showing in the triple jump.

Bluntly Speaking by Bob Publicover

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Joey Politano was a good kid. He got good marks. He treated everyone good. He was well liked by his small circle of friends. Then came that fateful day. Joey came home and said to his Mother and Father, "Sit down, Mama and Papa, I have to talk to you.  My news is not good."

The public hearing two years ago on the condominium conversion ordinance was one of the most contentious city meetings in years. Homeowners shouted down city attorneys trying to defend the proposal and loudly cheered Alderman-at-Large William A. White when he questioned its legitimacy.

The scene was something out of Somerville past Рappropriately too, as the motivation for so many homeowners to show up were the words “rent control” (that famous divisive phrase of the 1970s and 1980s).

And now, after being sent to what we thought would be its grave, it is back. A working group consisting of the divergent views of Greg Vasil, CEO of the Greater Boston Real Estate Board and Ellen Schacter, a local tenant advocate and attorney, has apparently reached some middle ground after two years of meetings and will report its opinion to the mayor within the next two weeks.

By Matthew McLaughlin

There is a limited amount of city dollars to go around, and not everyone can be satisfied, according to city officials. That is why Mayor Joe Curtatone, Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz and other city officials held a neighborhood meeting Monday at the TAB building on Holland Street.

 
The purpose of the meeting was to inform Davis Square area residents on how the city creates its budget and to give residents a chance to give input on how the city should prioritize staff time and money for the next fiscal year. 

By Jack Nicas

Local organizations dedicated to strengthening the rights of all immigrants combined efforts last week to discuss how community members can respond to federal immigration raids.

Centro Presente, Voices of Immigrants in Somerville, the city’s Human Rights Commission, and the Somerville Community Corporation met with more than 50 city residents on Thursday at the Capuano School and unveiled plans for an Immigrant Support Network.

By George P. Hassett

A proposal that caused hundreds of homeowners to pack City Hall in protest two years ago is coming back.

The condominium conversion ordinance proposed by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone was sent packing to a working group headed by Ward Six Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz after it was roundly criticized by residents and the real estate community as “de-facto rent control.”