Somerville Voices

On August 5, from 8 - 9 p.m. on SCAT’s celebrated DEAD AIR LIVE show, the Tibetan community will offer viewers a first-hand report of what Tibet was like before the Chinese invasion, and talk about what it was like to have to flee their beloved homeland and become exiled citizens of the world. Tune in to SCAT Channel 3 next Tuesday, for a fascinating and moving account of a beautiful culture and people, who cultivated the roof of the world.

On August 5, from 8 - 9 p.m. on SCAT’s celebrated DEAD AIR LIVE show, the Tibetan community will offer viewers a first-hand report of what Tibet was like before the Chinese invasion, and talk about what it was like to have to flee their beloved homeland and become exiled citizens of the world. Tune in to SCAT Channel 3 next Tuesday, for a fascinating and moving account of a beautiful culture and people, who cultivated the roof of the world.

PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY FOR

REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING INPUT

UNTIL AUGUST 5, 2008:

The Boston Region MPO will hold two Open House sessions on July 30, 2008 from 12:30 pm - 2 p.m.

and from 5:30 pm - 7 pm

AT: Suite 2150, State Transportation Building

10 Park Plaza, Boston…

In the first week of May 2008, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone placed a “Welcome Desk” in the foyer of City Hall that utterly disregards MA Access Building Code. [snip] It seems that yesterday’s design standards are as tenacious as yesterday’s attitudes, even today: the 18th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Join The New England Revolution as they take on their eastern rivals D.C. United on WEDNESDAY AUGUST 20TH - Game Time 7:30PM @ Gillette Stadium. Sponsored by the New England Revolution Soccer Team and The Somerville Youth & Recreation Foundation

Please support our Somerville High School Soccer Team! Somerville Recreation Department is offering the following Soccer Clinics for the week of August 11th - August 15th @ Dilboy Stadium

This Friday, July 25, at 7 pm, the Extraterrestrial Circus Experiment, a traveling troupe from Ohio, presents their show Quantanime at the VFW Dilboy Post, 371 Summer Street in Davis Sq. All proceeds support Somerville’s OPENAIR Circus.

Come out to a rally on Wednesday to tell Tufts University to respect its workers and ensure they receive the just wages and full-time work that they deserve!

At a fundraiser for his reelection campaign at Sabur Restaurant this evening, Representative Carl Sciortino got some strongly worded support from Governor Deval Patrick, and announced that an upcoming environmental bond bill would include two million dollars for improvements to Somerville’s largest open space, Foss Park.…

Note: We’re planning to run a range of views on the rezoning of Union Square.
This one is from Matt McLaughlin, president of Save Our Somerville.

The Green Line is coming through, which is a great step forward for Somerville. I look forward to jumping on the Green Line and going into Boston. But where am I going to live? ……

This is an announcement to all Somerville residents about Somerville’s fifth annual National Night Out (NNO) against crime and drugs. Please pass on the message about this important community and crime prevention event.

Here’s just a short post to encourage folks to take a listen to the Open Media Boston interview with incumbent Representative Carl Sciortino. I was lucky to stumble upon it!

Come hoist a pint of whatever beverage catches your fancy at a casual after-work hang-out with the folks from Open Media Boston - at Johnny D’s, right across from the Holland St. entrance of the Davis Square Red Line T stop. If you want to talk about the OMB website or pitch content ideas that’s fine with us. If you just want to drink and chat about anything that comes to mind, that’s also good. Brought to you by your pals at Open Media Boston

I certainly agree with Barry’s post of 7/15/08 in this SomervilleVoices blog entitled, “City’s Commission Staffing Plan Hurts Human Services.” Three questions seem particularly germane to this issue: 1. Are Somerville’s municipal resources distributed equally and fairly to all residents? 2. Are all residents offered equal participation within public programs, without regard to differences in age, income, birth culture, abilities, religions, race, gender, job status, or city address? 3. Do certain Somerville residents experience social and economic inequities that would support the fuller engagement and investigation of the specialized Human Rights Commissions?

The Mayor has called a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen to create two new Deputy Chief of Police positions that he then wants to take out of civil service. Without any community input or community process on the impact of creating two new politically appointed positions in the leadership of the police department, the Mayor is pushing the Board of Aldermen to agree to their removal from the civil service process.

I share Melissa McWhinney’s concerns about the impact of the Mayor’s new commission staffing reorganization on the quality of the city’s human services. The HRC and other commissions should not have to compete with each other for staff services as they now do under the new arrangement.

Please join us for a wonderful evening of folk, rock, pop, and jazz music to benefit Veterans For Peace and Iraq Veterans Against The War. The benefit will be on Tuesday, July 29 at 8:30 PM at Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St. Davis Square Somerville. Performers include Celia Slattery, Deb Pasternak, Porch Party Mamas, Media Made, and Katrina Degel Jazz Quartet. Admission is $15.

I would like to briefly explain why I will NOT be participating in the “No Attack on Iran” demo in the hope that it might provide some food for thought for PDSers (of which I am one) and others on the left. First off, I am against an attack on Iran - by the U.S. and/or Israel. But…the way this particular demo is framing the issue is - unfortunately - all too typical these days (on the left).

A special thank you to Fred Berman for hosting an episode of “Talking About Somerville”. This program is currently being shown on Somerville Community Access Television, Tuesday nights at 9pm. The program highlights the good works of non profit organizations throughout Somerville.

At a time when voices calling for real diplomacy and negotiations are being silenced, it is up to us to speak out clearly against another illegal war, which would be a catastrophe for all involved.

You are invited to attend a reception for State Representative Carl Sciortino, candidate for re-election in the 34th Middlesex District, featuring Governor Deval Patrick.

Tuesday, July 22
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Sabur Restaurant
212 Holland St., Teele Square, Somerville

Suggested donation: $30 $150 $300 $500

We hope to see you there!…

The misuse of cost-benefit analysis is impeding efforts to protect and clean up our environment, especially in the case of toxic chemicals. However, there is an alternative, precautionary approach to making decisions under uncertainty.

Just passing this along:
The city will be holding a meeting about Albion Park Monday, July 14th at 7:00 p.m. at the VNA Building, 259 Lowell Street.

SOS members will be at the event to support keeping activities for young adults and teenagers. There have been several parks such as Perry Park and the Kemp Nuts site…

Come to the Somerville/Cambridge General Election Kick Off Event at Precinct in Union Square this coming Wednesday, July 16th! Have fun, get plugged in and learn how we’re going to win!

Somerville Youth Soccer Family Night!!!

REVS vs. Real Salt Lake

Saturday, October 4th @ 7:30

REVS vs. Real Salt Lake, Saturday, October 4th @ 7:30 PM in Gillette Stadium, Parking is FREE, lots open at 5:30 PM, Enjoy Soccer Celebration before the game & Autograph Alley after the game!!! Payments due Aug 1st. Read on for ticket information…

PDS has endorsed Rep. Carl Sciortino for re-election in the 34th Middlesex District (Somerville/Medford) House race. PDS members were impressed by Rep. Sciortino’s hard work on behalf of the district on a variety of issues including working for increased local aid for education, advocating for the extension of the Green Line and his continued efforts on behalf of all the residents of the district.

The Welcome Project is helping gardeners at the Mystic Community Garden get their gardens set up. The garden, recently rebuilt by the Somerville Housing Authority, has 21 plots and includes Vietnamese, Chinese, Latino and Haitian gardeners who live at the Mystic Housing Development.

They are also creating garden plots for a Kids Garden and a demonstration…

I’m passing on a message from Welcome Project at the Mystic Housing Development. They’re asking for volunteers to help rebuild the community garden over there. They’ve already put in two days of work, and the next is this Saturday, July 12, 9 to 3. After that, Wednesday, July 23, 5 to 8.…

This is Joanna Stenning posting on behalf of Beyond the 4th Wall Theater and Creative Arts Studio in Central Square, Cambridge. We are excited to announce that we still have room for more participants in our upcoming summer programs for children and teens, and would love to open registration for these classes to the Somerville community.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will hold Community Office Hours on Wednesday, July 9th from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Diesel Café in Davis Square. Residents can…

East Somerville residents deserve the dream of a better community. Let’s talk together about what costs and benefits the new development will bring to our community and to East Somerville residents.

Come see the power of words and the power of girls join forces at Teen Voices’ annual Pens of Power Conference! Join over 100 Boston teens for a Saturday devoted to the power of the written word. Local female poets, novelists and journalists will lead exciting workshops and talk about what motivates them to write. Enjoy free lunch, prizes and beats from DJ D’hana.

SEIU 615 26 West St Boston MA 02111

For Immediate Release:

Media Contact:
Max Goldman                                  Roxana Rivera
Maxwell.Goldman@tufts.edu Rrivera@seiu615.org

Phone
W: 617-878-7559 C: 860-917-1742    W: 617-878-7458 C: 401-965-3555

Tufts Janitors and the Somerville Community Stand United

Who:     Contracted Janitors at Tufts University…

Conguero Vicente Lebron has been a cornerstone of the Latin and jazz scenes in Boston for over 30 years. He is currently being held in a Homeland Security prison and threatened with deportation.

Tired of getting ever higher energy bills? There are many ways you can reduce your energy consumption, save money and reduce your impact on the planet. Check out Somerville Climate Action for practical energy saving information and videos. Somerville Climate Action (SCA) is a group of volunteers working to reduce energy use and resulting global warming gases in Somerville homes and businesses.

Sustainable Somerville — a nascent network of community organizations working to make/keep Somerville a great place to live, work, and play — is sponsoring a Sustainability Scavenger Hunt at ArtBeat (Saturday, July 19th in Davis Square), to show how the common thread of sustainability connects the work of the

July 10 The Lost Boys Seven Hills Park
July 17 Mean Girls…

Who says all summer reading lists have to be filled with fluff? CAAS, the Community Action Agency of Somerville, is offering a summer reading list about poor people and people rising out of poverty–and what we can all do to help. “There is something on this list for every reader”

From the ArtBeat Festival webpage:

“During the heat of summer (held on the third weekend in July), artists and festival goers converge on Davis Square, transforming it into one of the area’s largest and most innovative arts festivals. ArtBeat includes music, performance art, craft vendors, dance, theater, food, and a whole more…