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Time may be up for new parking prices
By George P. Hassett
For the past six months, a quarter has been worth more than 25 cents at a Somerville parking meter – it has been motivation to speak up and speak out. The increase in parking meter fees instituted six months ago has been met with near unanimous disapproval from business owners, residents and, this week, elected officials.
“I hope we can see the error of our ways, admit this has not worked and put it behind us,” said Ward 7 Alderman Robert C. Trane at Thursday’s Board of Alderman meeting.
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Talk radio defeats in-state tuition rates for Somerville youth
By George P. Hassett
Eime is a Somerville student who dreams of one day attending college and becoming a lawyer. She would not allow her last name to be used because she is the daughter of undocumented immigrants and feared her family’s status in the United States may be in jeopardy.
“I want to go to Umass-Amherst and become a lawyer, because I love democracy and I love the Constitution. I want to know everything about justice and the way it works,” she said.
But Eime’s ride to college got a hit a bump this week, with the defeat of the In-State Tuition Bill in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The bill would have allowed the children of undocumented immigrants who have lived in Massachusetts for at least three years to pay the in state tuition rate at state universities. Currently, children of undocumented immigrants pay three to five times more than their peers.
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Deval Patrick addresses Somerville
Gubernatorial candidate Deval Patrick spoke at the East Somerville Community School today. To read about the event and to read the speech itself, pick up the print edition of The Somerville News when it hits the streets Wednesday morning.
Unions unite against ‘sick building’
By George P. Hassett
Five unions in the city have come together to support an independent testing of the public safety building at 225 Washington St, in order to learn if the people who work there are in danger. The Municipal Employees Association, Firefighters union, Police Patrolmen’s Union, Superior Officers Union and the union representing 911 operators will share the costs of the testing.
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Off the Shelf for the week of Jan. 18
Ben Franklin Comes to Jimmy Tingle’s Off Broadway Theatre for his 300th Birthday
By Doug Holder
Forget your memories of those dry elementary school productions of an airbrushed Ben Franklin, processed as blandly as a chunk of Velveeta cheese Ben Franklin, as portrayed by Burdette Parks, in "Benjamin Franklin, Printer, Etc." at Jimmy Tingle’s Off-Broadway Theatre, in Davis Square, Somerville, not only talks about his vital roles as a printer, diplomat, scientist, and founding father of these United States, but also informs us of his ideas about “passing gas,” his dalliances with “low-women,” his advocacy of young men paired with old women, his feminism, and other juicy tidbits.
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Mayor endorses Patrick
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone endorsed Deval Patrick in his run for governor today, according to a press release from the Patrick campaign.
“I’ve seen Deval in action and I know he has the experience, leadership skills and compassion to be an effective and successful governor,” said Curtatone in the release. “There’s no question that he has a deep understanding of the challenges facing cities and towns across the Commonwealth – and that, as governor, he would be a strong partner for local officials and local governments. But my support goes beyond the issues of immediate concern to cities and towns. Across the board, I think he is the best candidate to lead the people of Massachusetts over the next four years.”
Curtatone joined the mayors of Taunton, Pittsfield, Salem, Northampton and Cambridge in supporting the 39 year old gubenatorial candidate.
Census glitch gives Somerville residents right address, wrong wards
By George P. Hassett
Somerville residents may get a surprise in the mail this week when they find out they suddenly live in a different ward.
A data processing error by a bulk-mail vendor has resulted in annual city census forms that list many Somerville residents at the correct street address but the wrong ward.
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Gewirtz focuses on constituents
By George P. Hassett
Rebekah Gewirtz is thinking about potholes.
The founder of the Progressive Democrats of Somerville (PDS) began her political career holding Democratic leaders to the principals of the party’s platform, but as the new Ward 6 alderman, Gewirtz is focusing on tasks far less grandiose.
“Constituent services are critically important to me. I want to hit the ground running and be able to work effectively for ward 6 residents right away,” she said.
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Provost wins primary
By George P. Hassett and Catherine Rogers
Denise Provost captured Tuesday’s Democratic Primary for the 27th Middlesex state rep. district by a landslide. According to unofficial totals from the city’s Elections Commission, Provost won 62 percent of the vote against former Planning Board member Elizabeth Moroney’s 37 percent.
Provost, an alderman-at-large in the city, does not have any opposition in the Feb. 7 General Election. Thus, she is expected to succeed Patricia D. Jehlen, D-Somerville, who vacated the seat after being elected to the senate in September, as the 27th Middlesex state rep. The district is the only all Somerville seat in the state legislature and encompasses all of Wards 3, 5 and 6, as well as Ward 2, Precinct 3 and Ward 4, Precinct 3.
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Provost wins
According to Marty Martinez, Denise Provost’s field manager, Provost has won the Democratic Primary for state representative of the 27th Middlesex District. Because there is no Republican candidate, Provost will be the next state representative of the 27th Middlesex District.
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