On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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.)

The groundhog saw his shadow, so it’s six more weeks of winter. For many years we had our own Groundhog Day tradition down at Barnaby’s, before it became Redbones – I’d stick my head out the front door – and if I didn’t see my girlfriend’s angry face heading toward the bar, it meant that I had time for six more ounces of draft beer.

Gentrification is a touchy subject in this city – from a number of different perspectives. One generalized view is that gentrification in this type of socio-economic environment is an inevitability and that we as a community have to take the good with the bad when it comes to urban renewal. Another is that the displacement of lower-middle class residents who haven’t owned their home for 20 to 30 years tears apart a community like ours.

At the center of this heated battle of ideologies lies a certain group of people in our community – predominately made up of elected officials and developers. All too often, elected officials are accused of being in collusion with developers to push their project through the system with backroom deals and white envelopes – the fact of the matter is that in 2008, you can’t get a parking ticket fixed without someone blowing the whistle to the Ethics Commission. People really need to get the 1960s mentality out of their heads.

By George P. Hassett

When Anthony Holloway took over as chief of the Somerville Police Department last month he said the most common complaint he heard from patrol officers was a lack of manpower on the streets. This week city officials took one step toward addressing that problem by bringing seven new officers onto the force.

Christopher Gomes, Oswaldo Martinez, Yvon Jean Jacques, Fernando Cicerone, Henry Diaz, James Radochia and Guerdy Legros will enter the police academy in February and will hit the streets as Somerville police upon successful completion of the twenty week training program.

By Keith Howard

After almost two decades of delays the Green Line is coming to Somerville, but pedestrians, patrons and business people have yet to reach a consensus on where it may stop.

Engineering consultants and delegates from the city’s transportation department met at the Somerville High School library last week to hear feedback from roughly 100 residents and commuters about potential MBTA stops in the city.

By George P. Hassett

The leadership of the Somerville Police Department was handed over to Anthony Holloway Monday night  in a ceremony that honored outgoing Acting Chief Robert R. Bradley and ushered in a new era for the department.

Bradley, on the force since Aug. 3, 1969, said it was the first time he had seen a formal ceremony celebrating a change in leadership for the SPD. With an honor guard at his side and the United States flag behind him Bradley praised Holloway, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the direction the force is going in.

By George P. Hassett

A partially built house at the corner of Medford and Trull Streets that had been an eyesore for neighbors and a headache for city officials is the subject of an arson investigation after a fire there early Monday morning.

Standing in front of the home at 492 Medford St. on Monday Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher said the building’s status as vacant made arson a possibility.

The changing of the Chief’s ceremony was held Monday night at the police station – Chief Robert Bradley was presented with some nice mementos, including a Hitchcock chair. Chief Bradley officially passed the badge over to the new Chief Anthony Holloway. A small group of police officers were in attendance and everyone had a good time. We wish Chief Bradley the best of luck in the future, as well as Chief Holloway – best of luck in his new role.

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Speaking of the new chief, we heard that the brand new car he was given has already been christened in Somerville traffic. Around noon on Thursday of last week, the chief’s new Ford Crown Victoria got side swiped by a white van on McGrath Highway. After a quick reconstruction investigation of the accident and the paperwork was exchanged, both parties went on their merry way. Can you image the look on the guy who owned the van – when he realized that he hit the police chief’s car?

By George P. Hassett

The neighborhood has seen much over the decades. Irish gang wars in its streets, gentrification, decades of immigrants carving out new communities for themselves, and a future presidential candidate, Barack Obama, living in a basement apartment on Broadway.

Obama, whose sweeping oratory and increasing momentum could possibly lead him into the White House, lived at 365 Broadway in Winter Hill from 1988 to 1990 while he attended Harvard Law School.

By George P. Hassett

The city is calling it a ‚Äúmajor legal victory‚Äù but to Somerville police officer Jack Leuchter Superior Court  Judge Dennis J. Curran’s ruling that there is insufficient evidence to continue a lawsuit against the city by 60 employees who work in the public safety building is irrelevant.

‚ÄúThat’s just a case. There is nobody who works in this building who feels comfortable here. No court ruling is going to change that,‚Äù he said.