News Talk for the week of October 18

The Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah is certainly on top of things‚Ķat the last Board of Alderman meeting she asked for representatives of Middlesex Federal Savings Bank to appear before the License and Permits Committee to discuss the new sign they wanted installed at their bank in Davis Square.  That‚Äôd normally be a great, but the Board of Aldermen had already voted for the approval and Rebekah even voted yes and had forgotten about it.  Right on TV you could see she was surprised, so she asked for a recess when it was revelved that she had already voted yes for the sign.  If that‚Äôs not enough, the Board was voting on a resolution supporting Somerville Cares About Prevention (the vote against wine sales in stores and markets) ballot question #1 in November.  It seems like the entire Board signed on to the resolution but not Rebekah, and after the vote was taken with everyone voting yes, she asked to be added to the resolution – which then the Board had to vote for reconsideration in order to add her name.  Maybe she‚Äôs too busy getting that new coffee shop opened to pay attention to all the details‚Ķwe can‚Äôt blame her, maybe she‚Äôs just in over her head.  Honestly we can‚Äôt make this stuff up.   

Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of Oct. 18

The winds of change are upon us and some say it’s a new day. I would agree.
  It‚Äôs nice when things actually start happening that give promise to the future of our great city.  While the local political landscape has seen its share of change over the past ten years, for me it was very surprising until now that other issues have remained stagnant for so long.  Recent events should help change this.

Public safety protest

By George P. Hassett

Members of the patrolmen’s and firefighter unions picketed together outside City Hall tonight for the first time ever, according to officials from each union.

Alderman switches parties, endorses Patrick
By George P. Hassett

“The time has come for me. I would like a change of registration form please,” said Alderman-at-Large William A. White Tuesday afternoon at the city’s elections department. White changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and endorsed Deval Patrick for governor.

Capuano on Assembly Square: ‘Finally!’
By George P. Hassett

An agreement between the Mystic View Task Force and developers could end a decade-old dispute and allow construction of an Ikea furniture store and a grand mixed-use project consisting of office space, a hotel and more than 3,000,000 square feet of residential space in Assembly Square.
  ‚ÄúThere‚Äôs only one word to describe today‚Äôs news,‚Äù said Congressman Michael E. Capuano, D-Somerville. ‚ÄúFinally!‚Äù

The battle of Lexington Park
A Commentary by Matthew McLaughlin
(Note: The views and opinions expressed in the commentaries of the Somerville News belong solely to their authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the News, its staff or its publishers.)

 
Several years ago, members of the Lexington Park community gathered for several meetings on how to best renovate the park.  I couldn‚Äôt have been more than fifteen, but I still remember how explosive and divisive the debate was about something I felt was very simple.  The youth wanted the one half court converted into a full court.

Aldermen approve mayor’s $2.2 million spending spree
By George P. Hassett

Aldermen last week approved the borrowing of over $2 million to buy new equipment for city departments such as the  Department of Public Works and the police department.

News Talk for the week of Oct. 11

We‚Äôve all heard lots of gossip lately regarding Marty Martinez. You know him, the former failed candidate for alderman in Ward 7 against popular Bob Trane and then the failed candidate for alderman-at-large. First of all, we heard he bought a house in Ward 5, we assume to live there, maybe near his buddy Alderman at Large Denise Provost. Does that mean he‚Äôll run against Ward 5 Alderman Sean O‚ÄôDonovan? Maybe he won‚Äôt even have to make the effort though because now we hear that Denise is trying to make back room deals for her buddy Marty, so she can resign as Alderman after November and hopefully have enough votes on the board to get him to replace her. What‚Äôs so hard to believe is that Denise is supposed to be a ‚Äúprogressive‚Äù against all back room deals? But off the record the rumor has it that she has Rebecca Gerwitz and Bill White solidly in her pocket on this vote. Didn‚Äôt Denise used to detest these kinds of dealings years ago in Ward 5? Say it ain‚Äôt so Denise, say it ain‚Äôt so.   

Small Plane Crashes in NYC

by James A. Norton

At approximately 2:45 PM today, a small aircraft crashed into a 50-story residential building at the corner of York Avenue and East 72nd Street in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  The FBI has made a statement saying that terrorism was not involved, although fighter jets were scrambled along the Northeast Corridor as a precaution.

There are four confirmed deaths and it is being reported on ESPN that the plane was registered to Cory Lidle, a starting pitcher with the New York Yankees, and that he was on board when it crashed.  More to follow…

Does city government deserve a raise?
By George P. Hassett

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and members of the Board of Aldermen and the School Committee are underpaid compared to elected officials in other nearby cities and could be up for an increase in pay.