Last weeks Board of Aldermen meeting was interesting – the main subject being Russell Disposal’s new one-year contract. We almost had the possibility of no rubbish pickup because of Aldermen like Gewirtz, White, Sullivan and Trane. We hear that the Mayor was very upset over Alderman Trane and his vote change at the last minute. Apparently Russell is under investigation by the AG’s office for unfair labor practices – charges that the Local 25 Union is hurling at Russell‚Ķ  What ever happened to you’re innocent until proven guilty? It’s an investigation, not a trial people. 

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Two things you don’t do in Somerville if you’re a Politician – 1. Don’t collect the rubbish and 2. Don’t plow the streets.         

By Keith Howard

Last year’s president of the board of aldermen spoke at the Jan. 25 Somerville News contributor’s meeting about the initiatives and challenges of his year leading the board.

“[Being] President is a lot of work. It was a little tough,” said Ward 7 Alderman Robert C. Trane. Especially with the heavy workload before the special elections were over and the added pressure of picking up the slack for a missing alderman – outgoing Denise Provost, he said.

by Kimberly Geronimo

It was a tiny, neglected room: a tarnished mirror stuck on one wall, forgotten duck-tape hanging off the  door frame, and one lonely, naked light bulb in the middle of the ceiling were all the decor it could muster.

The musicians and their singer had somehow managed to maneuver themselves and their equipment into the space, although to say it was cramped might be an understatement. The keyboard took up a third of the room, the drum set another third, and three big stereos were stuffed into a corner, which left the two guitarists and the singer squeezed into whatever space was left.

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.)

As I was saying, Somervillians are the people who I like most and have chosen to live with. Yet in these times, they call each other names more than other people that I know. 

There seem to be ever more conditions that legitimately evoke anger, but fewer clear opportunities to change them. Posts on the Somerville News’ website catalog these conditions.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

David Surette is the author of the new poetry collection:  ‚ÄúEasy to Keep, Hard to Keep In.‚Äù Surette is also the author of the poetry collections titled ‚ÄúMalden,‚Äù ‚ÄúGood Shift,‚Äù and ‚ÄúYoung Gentleman’s School.‚Äù He also co-hosts the ever successful Poetribe Reading Series in East Bridgewater.

Award-winning poet Frannie Lindsay writes of his new collection:  ‚ÄúDavid Surette is a steward of humility in its many forms: from his blue collar Arcadian roots to his lowly yet noble farm animals. With charm and affability, yet neither of these at the cost of implicit depth, this collection impresses‚Ķ‚Äù  I spoke with Surette on my Somerville Community Access TV show ‚ÄúPoet to Poet: Writer to Writer.‚Äù

By Walter Smelt

“You need to feel good, to do good things.” These words, along with many others, were inscribed on an unorthodox art-object: a skateboard deck that had been painted gold and suspended from a ceiling. The transmogrified skateboard is part of “Be a Villen,” an exhibit of work by young Somerville artists that opened Friday night at the Nave Gallery in the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church.

Despite the suspicious-sounding nickname ‚Äúvillen‚Äù (an acknowledgement of their Somerville roots), the artists were certainly doing ‚Äúgood things‚Äù — a portion of the proceeds from the show will go to a scholarship fund for Somerville High School students.

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.)

I was the emcee at The Fire Recovery Benefit for the recently ravaged East Somerville Community School last Thursday night at the Holiday Inn – you can catch it on City Cable. Yes, that’s me hob-knobbing with Gene Brune and Jack Connolly. Along with just about every other politician in the city, there were wall-to-wall teachers and school administrators in attendance.

Ten years in the middle of Davis Square has done a lot to establish McIntyre and Moore as a local literary staple. They have enjoyed their large space and their even larger following in the community, which is great, but at the end of the day, doesn’t pay the bills. Being an independent local business is not an easy thing – it doesn’t matter if you’re selling milk, used books or a free weekly paper – trust us.

Without a major corporation and its deep pockets behind them, these are the businesses that are the first to fall when trends change, even slightly. Some businesses recuperate by evolving and adapting – other businesses not so much.