By Kimberly Geronimo

One winter day a few years ago, Somerville resident Kellyann Binari rode her motorized wheelchair out to go food shopping for her family after a snow storm. But as she rode over what seemed to be even ground, she suddenly found herself sunk deep into a snow-covered dip in the sidewalk, her motorized wheels uselessly spinning. A very cold twenty minutes later, with the help of five men Binari was finally set free.

The snowstorm this past Monday was further proof that our DPW deserves another round of applause from us residents – the North/South streets were all plowed nicely as well as the main streets in short order. Only about 300 illegally parked cars were towed – which isn’t bad considering that the snow emergency was called around 4pm on Sunday. 

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Recently, former Mayor and present Registrar of Deeds Eugene Brune hosted the Somerville Lions annual “Speech Contest.” Arogya Khadka, a sophomore at Somerville High, was selected in the first round Рand then on January 8th, Rebecca Joy, a senior at Arlington Catholic (who will go to the finals), defeated her. Congratulations to both students for a job well done.

By George P. Hassett

Gov. Deval Patrick stood in the library of the Kennedy School Tuesday, surrounded by the eighth grade civics class and announced a $368 million increase in education funding in his next budget.

“Our budget will reflect the priority our administration places on providing Massachusetts students with the top quality education opportunities they deserve,” he said. “Every teacher, legislator and parent knows investing in schools is the single best tool for ensuring economic success tomorrow.”

Mayor’s reversal allows complimentary car for new top cop

By George P. Hassett

New Police Chief Anthony Holloway is eager to hit the streets and learn more about Somerville. The question is, what will he be driving when he does?

Holloway, who took the reins of the Somerville Police Department earlier this month, has told city officials he wants to drive the same car other officers in the department use – a Crown Victoria – and in the contract he agreed to with the city he is allowed complimentary use of just that – a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

This is the first in a two-part series on my recent trip to Israel

Up until this December I had never been overseas. I’m not a kid. At 52, I have arrived at the second half of the roller coaster ride, or as Camus put it by now I am ‚Äúresponsible for my own face.‚Äù I have never been the adventurous type. I have been content to travel back and forth to my ancestral grounds of New York City, or to my favorite isle in Maine, or perhaps the rare trip to the heat and swamps of Florida to visit an old friend.

School cancelled tomorrow

In accordance with the City’s Snow Emergency Procedures, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has declared a snow emergency for the City of Somerville to go into effect at 8 p.m., Sunday, January 13, 2008.

And according to a Connect CTY message from city communications director Tom Champion to residents, Superintendent of Schools Anthony Pierantozzi has announced classes have been cancelled in Somerville schools tomorrow.

By George P. Hassett

Tucked in between Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s first interview since Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and Roger Clemens’ first interview after being named as a steroid user, ‚Äú60 Minutes‚Äù took more than 10 million viewers to Marshall Street on Sunday for a profile of a former killer who was part of the gang that continues to cast a long shadow over the neighborhood decades later.

John Martorano was the designated murderer for the Winter Hill Gang Рa loosely organized group of criminals that became the top non-mafia gang in New England under the leadership of Buddy McLean, Howard T. Winter and eventually James “Whitey” Bulger. They etched out a place in the annals of criminal history for themselves by fixing horse races, gunning down enemies in broad daylight and corrupting the Boston office of the FBI.

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.)

One of my new years resolutions was to set lower goals for myself – so far, so good – but it got me thinking: ‚Äúwhat about my kids? I hope they don’t set low goals for themselves.‚Äù Okay, so I sort of said what I said for comic content – plus my kids don’t read this column. They wouldn’t read it unless it was presented on ‚ÄúYour Space‚Äù or ‚ÄúMy Tube‚Äù or whatever it is – in a very condensed version. Perhaps if it was scrolled beneath an episode of Spongebob they would take a quick glance at it.

It wasn’t hard to walk away from the Inaugural Ceremony on Monday night feeling good about Somerville. Many wonderful things have happened to our community over the past four years although we have quite the collection of characters with a wide range of political ideologies. Forget for a minute (we will try) about the newcomers vs. the old school or the PDSers vs. life-long residents – this is a community that comes together in good times as well as bad and knows how to move itself ahead.

It’s easy to stand on a soapbox somewhere and spout off ideas about how the government should be run – it’s another thing to actually get into the mix. No, we aren’t saying that because one of us is an elected official, it is simply the truth. Local politics, for years and years, was run on the concept of ‚Äúthis is what I have – this is what I want‚Äù – today, as we tackle national and regional issues at such a local/personal level, the bridge between imagination and reality has become so minute that the term ‚Äúevery vote counts‚Äù has never been more appropriate.