By David Taber

With reports of leaky roofs, crumbling walls and unreasonably cramped quarter, the Board of Aldermen’s Public Health and Safety Committee recently toured city’s fire stations.

Aldermen-At-Large Bill White and Dennis M. Sullivan, and Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero, who sit on the committee, were already aware of the many issues affecting the Somerville Fire Department. They were aware inadequacy of the trailer Union Square’s Engine 3 has been operating out of since Christmas Eve 1998, said White who is chairman of the health and safety committee.

Firefighters assigned to Engine 3 were stationed in the basement of the Public Safety Building on Washington Street until it flooded and became uninhabitable more than eight years ago. 

It appears that Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero spearheaded the Veterans committee on a resolution asking no further buildings or squares be named after living people, which we could understand, but then he goes ahead and proposes that former Alderman Vito Vaccaro (nice guy by the way ‚Äì we like him) has a square named after him.  Well unfortunately we hear he‚Äôs not getting that Square now.  Those progressives are funny aren‚Äôt they?  Sounds like something the Ward 6 Alderwomen would do, doesn‚Äôt it?  You know, vote on something, then forget you voted on it.

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JANICE DELORY from the Mayor‚Äôs office is leaving after three years of service to the Mayor and the City – she did a great job and we know a lot of people will miss her and we wish her the best of luck in the future.  MIKE BUCKLEY is heading back to the Mayor‚Äôs office where he started out – he‚Äôs probably the most loyal supporter of the mayor and his administration and on top of all that he‚Äôs a nice guy as well‚Ķwe at Newstalk wish him best of luck too.

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By George P. Hassett

Ferdinand Saintville, 25, had been anticipating his violent end. His girlfriend, Dianesse Berberena, said Saintville was preparing to die ever since he was shot one year ago.

  ‚ÄúHe used to tell me what he wanted to happen if he died. He was making plans. He knew he was going to die soon,‚Äù she said.

After leaving the Good Time Emporium just before 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, Saintville, of Everett, was shot for the second and last time.

By David Taber

The Board of Aldermen last week took a stand in support of striking billboard workers, unanimously requesting the city to cease any efforts to accommodate Clear Channel Communications. The company owns at least 32 billboards in the city.

‚ÄúThis is a multibillion dollar corporation that is not paying a fair days wage for a fair days work,‚Äù said Ward 6 Alderman Rebakah Gewirtz.  The board unanimously passed a resolution, proposed by Gewirtz, calling for an amendment to the municipal code punishing billboard maintenance violations with a permanent revocation of permits.

Additionally, the resolution requests that inspectional services investigate the structural integrity of city billboards and the certification status of out-of-state workers who have been flown in to replace the 25 striking members of the Sign and Pictorial Workers Union Local 391. ‚ÄúInspectional Services is very responsive to these types of things. I expect they will start right away,‚Äù Gewirtz said. She plans to follow up with them by the end of the week. 

And if the law department is forthcoming with language for the amendment, Gewirtz is confident the permit revocation amendment will make it through the legislative matters committee quickly and meet with approval from the board, she said.    

The mayor’s chief of staff resigned this week to address family concerns, said city officials today.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said he has, ‚Äúwith great reluctance and great gratitude,‚Äù accepted the resignation of Janice Delory.  In a letter dated April 19, Delory indicated that she and her husband had, after the death in late March of her father-in-law, made a joint decision to move full time to their Harwich home to be near her husband‚Äôs mother, who also lives in Harwich. 

On Saturday Somerville joined over 1,400 communities across the country in calling on Congress to take action to reduce carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050.  Locally, the Step It Up climate action rally attracted over 200 residents to Statue Park in Davis Square.  Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone took the occasion to announce a new sustainability initiative:

“ …I am pleased to announce to all of you here today that we’ve drafted and will soon be releasing the city’s first Environmental Strategic Plan.

By Andrea Gregory

The primary election is over and the city is preparing to vote one more time to fill a vacant city for alderman-at-large. However, one board member said officials should start talking about possibly skipping a stop at the polls next time a vacancy opens up. 

The proposal came from William A. White, alderman-at-large, and has been sent to the legislative matters committee for review. The idea is to have the fifth place candidate in the regular election to fill a vacancy if one appears. It would take a charter change, requiring the assistance of the state legislature, and it could end up as a question on a citywide ballot to see how voters feel.

White said he was approaching the process from a financial standpoint when he asked his fellow aldermen to review the process.  ‚ÄúI proposed discussing it,‚Äù said White.

By George P. Hassett

A Randolph man is under arrest in connection with this morning’s shooting death of Ferdinand Saintville, 25,  of Somerville.

Marquis Williams, 20, of Randolph, has been placed under arrest and will be arraigned  Monday morning in Somerville District Court on charges of accessory after the fact of murder, said prosecutors. The matter remains under active investigation.

By George P. Hassett

A Somerville police officer lost his department issued pepper spray to a drunken patron of Good Time Emporium and was sprayed in the eyes, mouth and throat with it Saturday morning.

Sgt. John Vozella was on a paid detail at “New England’s largest indoor amusement center and sports bar” when he was asked by the staff to escort an intoxicated group of four males and two females out, police said.