(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.)

By Patricia D. Jehlen

(The following is state Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen’s testimony on Somerville’s home rule petitions. She addressed The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government)

I write to you in support of several pieces of legislation which was approved by the Somerville Board of Alderman and sent to the Legislature as a Home Rule petition. 

Many communities across the state still have not seen their local aid restored to FY ’02 funding levels.  As a result, communities have been forced streamline services, squeeze every penny out of their limited budgets, and use performance based metrics to analyze how tax dollars are spent.  As legislators we need to give cities like Somerville the tools and flexibility to continue to do more with less.  In order to make government work efficiently, Somerville has employed a general customer service line for all city services and an innovative statistics program, Somerstat, to analyze the performance of city departments. 

A 21 year old Somerville man was shot on Munroe Street at 1 a.m. this morning.

Magoun Square activist Joseph P. Lynch announced today he will oppose Ward 5 Alderman Sean T. O’Donovan in the November municipal elections.

By Pete Corbett

Chief Michael Etchu, a former tribal leader in Cameroon who is now a member of the board of directors at Clarendon Hill Towers, spoke at the May 3 Somerville News contributors meeting.

The Clarendon Hill Towers is a complex that houses more than 1,000 people, with 501 residential units and 68 offices.

Etchu referred to the Towers as, “the most beautiful buildings in Somerville.”

By David Taber

Past Teele Square on Broadway, inside a nondescript shoebox shaped red brick office
building, is an internationally renowned think tank and research library devoted to the study and documentation of right wing political movements in the United States.

Founded in Chicago in 1981 as the Midwest Research Group and later renamed Political Research Associates (PRA), the organization was founded to help the left develop a more nuanced understanding of domestic reactionary politics.

By George P. Hassett

The cultural movement that was born in the South Bronx and grew to change the world finally has a spot in Somerville. Last week, at the corner of Highland Avenue and Lowell Street, Hip Hopz Clothing opened and became the first ever hip hop store in Somerville.

“We started it because there was nowhere for us to shop around here,” said the Broadway-born and raised Olly Ravelo who owns the store along with Michael Gregory, a Roxbury transplant now living in Somerville. “Before, people from Somerville looking for hip hop fashion had to go Downtown or to Central Square for what they need, now it’s down the street.”

By David Taber

The Board of Aldermen’s Land Use Committee will recommend major changes May 22 to a proposed covenant between the city and developers planning to build 199 units on the Max Pak site on Clyde Street.

Speaking at the Somerville News contributors meeting May 10, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston said the committee decided to revisit the covenant after residents raised concerns about it at a contentious public hearing on the rezoning of the site.

KSS Investment, the company seeking to develop the property, needs the Board of Aldermen’s approval of the rezoning before they can begin construction.

By George P. Hassett

An underutilized playground in East Somerville may soon become prime hotel space with the city getting a state of the art tot lot out of the deal.

At the end of Cross Street East is Harris Park, a playground that rarely sees any children. Surrounding the park is property owned by neighboring Stop and Shop. Stop and Shop wants to sell some of the land to hotel developers and would give their property, located a short distance down the street, to the city in exchange for the city property at Harris Park, said Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche who strongly supports the plan.                            

By George P. Hassett

One of the city‚Äôs longest running and most contentious disputes came to an end this week when the Firefighters Union voted to approve a contract offer from the city. Firefighters had gone over 1,000 days without a contract and the quarrel produced some colorful moments including pickets of City Hall and a bizarre incident in which Department of Public Works employees seized the personal property of firefighters allegedly after orders from an angry Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.   

A commentary 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.)

The average Iraq War vet has had less ‚Äúdown time‚Äù from the threat of death than veterans of any previous U.S. war.  93% report being short at; 89%, being attacked or ambushed; 95%, seeing dead bodies.  These experiences produce hidden injuries that family, friends, and neighbors can help to heal.  Help may involve respectful listening, collaborative problem solving, and connection to needed services.