Abandoned oil tanks found on city property
By George P. Hassett

  Seven abandoned oil tanks have been found beneath city property, with one tank reportedly out of use for more than 15 years. The tanks identified are located at the Brown School, the Central Library, the Cummings School, two at the Department of Public Works, the city-owned building at 79 Broadway and the Vernon Street garage.

Magistrate rules against IKEA, city still hopeful
By George P. Hassett

Despite a ruling against the plan for an Ikea store in Assembly Square, city officials are optimistic the Swedish home furnishing chain will still make its way to Somerville.
  Administrative Magistrate Natalie S. Monroe of the Massachusetts Division of Administrative Law Appeals  issued a partial summary decision Friday blocking development of a proposed Ikea store at Assembly Square by denying the company a license to build on 16.6 acre site near the Mystic River.  Monroe sided with the Mystic View Task Force (MVTF), a grassroots group of activists concerned with the development of Assembly Square.

Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of August 16

Ignorance is bliss – so is Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Monkey
 

  How many times, over and over, do I have to complain about ignorant people you ask?  Oh, let me count the ways little one.  No, I‚Äôm not going to take a stab at some unnamed city worker/department head or the people that work at Dunkin‚Äô Donuts this time ‚Äì I‚Äôve danced that dance and it doesn‚Äôt do anything for me anymore.

Newstalk for the week Aug. 16
                                                 

Remember last week we mentioned the rumor that we heard a known gang member was working at the Police Station?  Well we haven‚Äôt heard anything new about it, but now we hear that there have been several men in dark suits coming and going quite a bit at the station now.  Are they lawyers or maybe state investigators checking things out?   
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This is a slow week Рvacations hitting everyone Рincluding our usual rumor mill grinders and information sources across the city – and as we sit here (a few of us) wondering what to write about, the former Publisher of our paper РBob Publicover – has come up with a few nice things to fill Newstalk with (it isn’t always nasty stuff).

Meter maid on ‘Wall of Respect’ seeing red over new paint
By George P. Hassett

    A mural celebrating the diverse women of Somerville was recently painted over and one of the women depicted on the wall is wondering why.
   ‚ÄúThey painted over a wonderful work of art that focused on women and what women can be,‚Äù said Joan Batzek, who was working as a meter maid when Be Sargent, formerly Be Allen, was painting the side of Osco Drug at 393 Highland Ave. ‚ÄúI thought it was great that she was speaking up for the women.‚Äù

Newstalk for the week of August 9

So the Personnel Department is helping out our gang members/residents of the city. Is that a gang member from the crips or the bloods working down at the Police Station? Reportedly, he’s even in the book police have identifying known local gang members. How convenient, now he is working along side the police. It’s good to know that the personnel department for the city is reaching out to all the segments of the population… including the gang bangers.