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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.)
Do you remember those old buses that had the padded comfortable seats and smothered us with the plumes of exhaust smoke? They were the ones we took home from the high school – well, they were eventually replaced by the buses with the hard plastic seats that were like sitting on a rock. The smell of bus exhaust always reminded me of going to Somerville High School.
Can you remember when each house’s backyard had a garbage bucket with a lid that was sunk into the ground? (I hope you’re not eating right now). The special stinky swill truck came and the guy with the gloves and boots hoisted it onto his shoulder and dumped it. He always left a trail of spillage and a stench that I can still recall. I was glad to see them go. The smell of swill always reminds me of the old days of playing in the backyard. The company that made those containers used to be right down off Morrison Avenue РI can almost see the name in my mind. Some yards still have those now defunct receptacles in their yards as a reminder of odors past.
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Two fires, a kidnapping and a life sentence – we are thinking that’s about as serious a news-week here in Somerville as it gets.
This isn’t the time of year for people to get bogged down with serious issues, but some things are beyond our control. At least we can make sure that Bill Shelton and his musings on the serious issue of global warming shares a page with remembrances from days long gone by Jimmy DelPonte. Hey it could be worse – Jamie could have written about some crazy holiday party he went to 20 years ago, but now that he is making a return to local politics we probably won’t see his special brand of crazy for a while – unless he comes through with a Holiday Poem for us (he has hinted around about it).
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Note from Jamie Norton: This was sent to us via email this morning.
The Somerville Public
Schools asks for your help. Our largest elementary school, the East
Somerville Community School, was significantly damaged in a
3-alarm fire early Sunday morning, December 9th. We are
striving to re-establish the high quality and vibrant educational process in three
alternate locations sometime during the week of Dec.17th.
We need help to make
35 alternate classrooms and 585 students ready for learning and teaching.
There are five ways you can help:
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By George P. Hassett
Robert R. Bradley still remembers his first day as a Somerville police officer. It was 1969 and he was assigned to walk a beat in Teele Square.
“I was surprised they gave me a gun on my first day,” he said. “We had no walkie-talkies then. Every 45 minutes you had to call in to the station from a police call box. There were only three patrol cars in the whole city everyone else walked a beat. You got to know more people in the community in those days because you were out there.”
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Okay – it’s painfully obvious NOBODY remembers how to drive in the snow, so yes, the turnout at the ERA The Norton Group / The Somerville News Annual Christmas / Holiday Party should be less than jam packed. We thought it would be fun to invite ANYONE reading this weblog to come by and celebrate the holidays with us tonight at On The Hill Tavern – 499 Broadway – in Magoun Square from 6:30pm until they throw us out. Don’t be shy – come and raise up a glass – and revel in the diverse group who always show up year after year (after year after year…)
From the National Weather Service - 259 PM EST THU DEC 13 2007
“HEAVY SNOW WILL PREVAIL ACROSS NORTHERN...CENTRAL AND MASSACHUSETTS FROM BOSTON TO WORCESTER AND SPRINGFIELD
THROUGH 5 PM. HOWEVER SNOW COULD TEMPORARILY MIX WITH SLEET SOUTH OF THE MASS PIKE BY 5 PM.
EXPECT SNOWFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS.
TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED THROUGH THIS EVENING DUE TO STRICTLY LIMITED VISIBILITIES AND SNOW COVERED ROADWAYS.
Heavy Snow Warning for Central Middlesex County (Zone MAZ005)”
From the National Weather Service - 1216 PM EST THU DEC 13 2007
“A HEAVY SNOW WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM EST THIS EVENING FOR RHODE ISLAND FROM PROVIDENCE NORTHWARD...ALL OF NORTHERN
CONNECTICUT...ALL OF MASSACHUSETTS SOUTH TO TAUNTON...ATTLEBORO AND PLYMOUTH...AND INCLUDING SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
HEAVY SNOW THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WITH TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 6 TO 12 INCHES ARE LIKELY...WITH HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE MASSACHUSETTS PIKE INTO NORTHERN CONNECTICUT...NORTHERN RHODE ISLAND AND NEARBY SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS.
AT NOON...SNOW WAS FALLING ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND...MAINLY WEST OF INTERSTATE 495. SNOW WILL BEGIN ACROSS
EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS BETWEEN 1 PM AND 2 PM. THE SNOW WILL QUICKLY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES AND SNOWFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR
ARE EXPECTED...WITH POSSIBLY UP TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR IN SOME LOCATIONS. THIS WILL HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE LATE DAY COMMUTE AS
THE HEAVIEST SNOW AND LOWEST VISIBILITIES WILL BE DURING THIS TIME.
THE SNOW SHOULD QUICKLY TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 6 AND 9 PM THIS EVENING.
A HEAVY SNOW WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN AN AVERAGE OF 6 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED IN A 12 HOUR PERIOD OR FOR 8 OR MORE
INCHES IN A 24 HOUR PERIOD. TRAVEL WILL BE SLOW AT BEST ON WELL TREATED SURFACES...AND QUITE DIFFICULT ON ANY UNPLOWED OR
UNTREATED SURFACES.
Heavy Snow Warning
for Central Middlesex County (Zone MAZ005)”
A school and a home lost in separate blazes
By George P. Hassett
Two fires ripped through Somerville this week, one ravaging a 35 year old school and the other destroying a home occupied by the same family for more than 100 years.
An electrical problem in a room heater caused a fiery explosion on the Glen Street side of East Somerville Community School Sunday at 4:39 a.m., according to Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher. The result was a charred, flooded building full of soot.
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Note from James Norton – all schools will be closed at 12pm today due to the severity of the coming storm – along with all evening classes and events. the following is directly from the City of Somerville web site this morning regarding the snow emergency:
"SOMERVILLE – 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 10 a.m., Thursday, December 13, 2007. During snow
emergencies, parking is allowed on the odd-numbered side of the street
only (unless otherwise posted). Cars not moved by 2 p.m.
Thursday afternoon will be subject to ticketing and towing. Residents
unable to find a parking space on the odd-numbered side of the street
may park in any municipal or school parking lot for the duration of the
emergency. A list of available city lots and other relevant information may be found on the city’s website, here: SNOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Residents
who have not already done so may also visit the city’s web homepage to
view the city’s snow emergency procedures, download the snow procedures
brochure or sign up for Connect CTY telephone and email snow alerts and
other time sensitive messages from the city. Residents may also sign up
for Connect CTY calls and email by calling 311.
As
a newly added notification measure this year, flashing blue lights have
been installed at 22 key intersections at entryways to the city. The
lights, positioned atop traffic light posts, will be activated
immediately after the declaration of a snow emergency, and remain lit
for the duration of the snow emergency. As in years past, prerecorded information is also available on the city’s Information Hotline, 617-628-SNOW."
Well the rumor mill has already started spinning – Dennis Sullivan and Bill White were seen over in Medford having lunch and coffee at least a couple of times recently – the word is to discuss the possibility of Dennis running against The Queen of the Progressives, Senator Pat. Dennis reminds a lot of people of the way Charlie Shannon used to bring together different individuals and groups, not like Queen Pat and her PDSers – one issue, one side – theirs and only theirs. Maybe Dennis is asking for Bill to repay that debt back when Bill ran against Pat – when he was a Republican and Dennis supported him?
************
Sources close to Newstalk also mention Alderman Bob Trane is considering a run against the other Progressive Prince – Rep. Carl Sciortino РBob would make a formidable candidate with his background and his recent victory in Ward 7 Рwe won’t deny that a few of us want Bob to run. And we all know that Bob won’t run a dirty campaign.
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No classes for ESCS Students through Friday December 14th; Students Assigned to New Classrooms with No Changes to Teachers and Classmates
The Somerville School Committee voted today to accept the recommendations of Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi to relocate East Somerville Community School students and teachers displaced by a devastating fire to three alternate school locations. With the goal of keeping students with their teachers and classmates, and keeping students within the tight knit neighborhood of East Somerville, the District will begin preparations to establish the following alternate classroom environments:
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