The rain is keeping sign holders away but not the signs.

Joseph A. Curtatone, Mayor
Curtatone is seeking to win his third term in office as mayor. In his first two terms, Curtatone has stressed innovations such as the 311 constituent services hotline and progress on development and transit issues such as Assembly Square and the Green Line extension. One of his most controversial proposals in his first four years in office was his plan to revise the ordinance regulating condominium conversions in the city. He said, despite withdrawing the proposal, he still believes the current ordinance must be changed.
‚ÄúI believe that we can and should update the current ordinance to provide more tenant protections without unfairly inhibiting the rights of property owners to convert from rental to condo status. Back in 2006, to get the ball rolling on the development of a new ordinance, I issued a detailed proposal to the Board of Alderman and established a review committee with Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz as chair.  My proposal included requirements that owners submit proof of tenant notification when applying for a conversion permit, and that they provide more notice and response time to elderly, handicapped and low-income tenants before converting rental properties into condominiums. I also proposed that tenants be given more opportunities to purchase their converted condominium and that the permit fee increase to $750 ‚Äì a figure negotiated by attorneys who regularly practice before the Condo Review Board.  In the coming year, I look forward to working with her, her fellow aldermen and other interested parties to develop a new ordinance that the board can endorse.‚Äù

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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.)

Virtually every major immigration policy adopted by the Unites States since 1965 has failed to accomplish its stated purposes. Virtually all legislation now under consideration would fail as well.

The problem is so complex, and immigration regulations are so arcane that most legislators don’t know what they are talking about. That doesn’t prevent them from talking, especially if there is an opportunity to grandstand.

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 favorite things to say to the gas station attendant when I give him $65 to fill up my truck is: “I used to pay less than this for a car!” Well, it’s true people – the year was 1970 and the very first car I bought was a 1962 Dodge РI’m pretty sure it was a Valiant. I paid $50 for it and it had push buttons for the transmission. I didn’t even have my license yet and there was a clunker parked in my father’s driveway. That car sat there for three months and never got registered.

The first car that I actually got on the road was a 1965 Rambler American with a stick shifter on the column Рthat gem cost me $60 and another $100 to insure and register it for the whole year. That car’s name Р“Clem” Р“Clem” was a “Lem”-on.

By Kimberly Geronimo

Nine candidates for city office discussed their positions on affordable housing Wednesday, Oct. 24, in a forum sponsored by the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee and the Somerville Community Corporation. All six candidates for alderman-at-large appeared and the challengers in Ward 5 and Ward 7 also appeared, although the incumbents for those seats did not. Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz also appeared at the forum.

Ideas overlapped as the candidates consistently presented themselves as proactive supporters of the creation and protection of affordable housing, reformers of condominium conversion regulations, and opponents of displacement and discrimination. Yet despite the repetition, the discussion did circulate a variety of different approaches to the issues at hand. 

A criminal past and alleged death threat took place of issues

By George P. Hassett

The underdog challenger to Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone showed signs of a campaign this week after several quiet months with little public debate between the candidates.

Suzanne L. Bremer released her campaign’s first press statement last week, more than three months after first declaring that she would run for mayor against Curtatone. In it, she incorrectly said Somerville spent over $435,500 for an Emergency Operations Center inside the city’s public safety building. In fact, according to Police Captain Paul Upton, the city spent only $55,000 of taxpayer money on the new center. The remaining $400,000 was paid for by grants from the federal government provided to bring the city into compliance with national safety guidelines, he said.

No major predictions here (our crystal ball is on the fritz) but it’s probably safe to assume the incumbents are all going to return to office. It’s hard to defeat someone already in office during a controversial election, never mind a boring one. We predict all four at-large incumbents will return, despite the good intentions of Lafuente and Berman. Ward 5 looks to be the closest race in the city; Ward 6 and Ward 7 will see both incumbents return to office and the sticker one in Ward 4 will be close. Fortunately or unfortunately we see no surprises. We wish everyone the best!

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Congratulations to our own Boston Red Sox for making it a great October here in Red Sox Nation, now we can all focus on the Pat’s and watch those Celtics come alive after 15 years of basketball misery. Speaking of the Sox, there was a Champion sighting at Melo & Son’s on Cross Street last week, seems like David Ortiz was spotted dropping off an Antique Chair to be done over.

By George P. Hassett

The city‚Äôs Human Rights Commission may set up a rapid response network to spread information to  immigrant communities during times of crisis.

At a community meeting in East Somerville Oct. 10 Human Rights Commissioner Mary Lu Mendonca said the move was inspired by last summer’s immigration raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Mendonca’s proposal was cheered and applauded by community members at the meeting.