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Somerville, MA ARRA Funding Watch

Posted by eila a 6:58 pm on June 24, 2009

This Somerville ARRA Funding Watch is gleaned from the Massachusetts Area Planning Council's Municipal Resource Guide on the Federal Economic Stimulus,

Pending all final approvals, Somerville is in line for…

Read More.>>

Posted in City Finances, Economy & Poverty, Public Health & Safety, Schools and Youth, Transportation | 14 Comments »

Parking, SomerStat and Politics

Posted by Joeb a 6:50 pm on June 21, 2009

In spite of the overwhelming cupidity of the Board of Aldermen, one or more may ask why or how the Mayor connects "access" to higher tickets across the board? ... The obvious conclusion is that he cares nothing about access, and everything about money. While that may be good for his budget, it is at real cost to citizens and businesses, and, ultimately, to the management system that justifies - or rationalizes - that cost.Read More.>>

Posted in Accessibility, City Finances, Development and Zoning, Government Reform, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 19 Comments »

Swine Flu?

Posted by Linda Haviland Conte a 9:41 pm on June 6, 2009

I thought it was strange that Boston was closing schools. I hadn't heard of any cases in Somerville since that first lady that got it a couple of months ago. So, then when I heard of many absences at the Brown School, I wondered "What could it be?" Now the scuttlebutt from… Read More.>>

Posted in Public Health & Safety, Schools and Youth, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Music for Hope Concert to Benefit RESPOND

Posted by respond a 1:31 pm on May 27, 2009

Music for Hope Concert to Benefit RESPOND Saturday, May 30, 2009 7:30pm, Tufts University - Cohen AuditoriumRead More.>>

Posted in Arts and Culture, Events, Public Health & Safety | No Comments »

Somerville youth lead effort to halt teen injuries, death

Posted by Dennis Fischman a 3:18 pm on April 30, 2009

With summer just around the corner and tens of thousands of young people entering the workforce in Massachusetts, Governor Deval Patrick has proclaimed May "Safe Jobs for Youth Month" to focus attention on preventing workplace injuries and deaths.… Read More.>>

Posted in Civil and Human Rights, Economy & Poverty, Environment and Open Space, Health Care, Public Health & Safety, Schools and Youth, Workers' Rights | No Comments »

Shape Up Somerville Fun Run

Posted by Linda Haviland Conte a 11:24 pm on April 25, 2009

The City will be hosting our first annual Shape up the Old Somerville Road Race, a 2.7 mile race/walk beginning and ending on the City Hall concourse. A children's "Fun Run" will begin from the concourse at 10:00 a.m., with the 2.7 miler beginning at 11:00 a.m. Following the race, there will be a Health… Read More.>>

Posted in Events, Health Care, Public Health & Safety, Schools and Youth | No Comments »

Shape Up Somerville Run

Posted by Columbine a 9:15 pm on April 15, 2009

The Mayor's Office recently announced that the City of Somerville will host a 2.7-mile "Shape Up the Old Somerville Road Race," combining an old tradition in the Recreation Department's "Old Somerville Road Race," and a new tradition with the Shape up Somerville component. The run will take place on Sunday, May 3rd at will start… Read More.>>

Posted in Events, Health Care, Public Health & Safety, Sports | No Comments »

Somerville’s Multimodal Roadways Planning

Posted by eila a 8:09 pm on April 8, 2009

Thanks to the interdependence of everything, Barry Rafkind's post Keep Big Brother ouf of Somerville has morphed into a discussion about whether or not traffic cameras can induce more folks to obey traffic laws (see comments starting from # 7). I'm saying that, with regards to the specific pedestrian safety issues that Steve Roix has worked gallently to solve, this speaks to a deeper need to create a signal timing plan… Read More.>>

Posted in Accessibility, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 3 Comments »

Keep Big Brother Out of Somerville

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 10:20 pm on April 5, 2009

Dear Chairperson Bill White and distinguished aldermen, I strongly object to the installation of surveillance cameras in public spaces around our city and urge you to request their immediate removal. I believe this surveillance program, which was roundly rejected in Cambridge, MA, violates American ideals of freedom and liberty and the Constitutional right to privacy...Read More.>>

Posted in Civil and Human Rights, Development and Zoning, Neighborhoods and Squares, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 11 Comments »

Surveillance Camera Public Hearing

Posted by Melissa McWhinney a 3:12 pm on March 31, 2009

Reminder:  Tonight at 7:00 at City Hall is the hearing on surveillance cameras.  Below is an op-ed that appeared in last week's Somerville Journal.  Please come and give your opinion tonight!  Thanks, Melissa ______________________________________________________________________________________
Somerville —
On March 31, there will be
Read More.>>

Posted in Civil and Human Rights, Events, Public Health & Safety | No Comments »

Surveillance camera hearing tonight!

Posted by Melissa McWhinney a 3:09 pm on

Reminder:  Tonight at 7:00 at City Hall is the hearing on surveillance cameras.  Below is an op-ed that appeared in last week's Somerville Journal.  Please come and give your opinion tonight!  Thanks, Melissa… Read More.>>

Posted in Civil and Human Rights, Public Health & Safety | 2 Comments »

Somerville Snow Removal

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 10:32 pm on March 29, 2009

This past January, when my wife was 31 weeks pregnant with our baby, she slipped on an icy patch of sidewalk in Somerville, did a belly-flop, and ended up in the hospital with pre-term contractions as a result.  A group of residents is organizing to advocate for more effective snow removal policies and stronger enforcement.… Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Public Health & Safety | 2 Comments »

48 hour parking rule

Posted by Ashland St a 11:09 am on March 9, 2009

I got ticketed for not moving my car. The snow had melted, noone had complained. This rule is AWFUL… Read More.>>

Posted in Public Health & Safety, Transportation | No Comments »

Somerville’s JAG monies

Posted by eila a 12:23 am on March 7, 2009

March 6, 2009:  Today, President  Obama and Attorney General Holder announced funding allocations for state and local law enforcement assistance.  MA is allocated State joint funding, plus 148 MA cities will also receive local government individual shares.  Somerville's allotment is only exceeded by 20 other cities in MA. This program is called the Edward Byrne JusticeRead More.>>

Posted in Crime, Public Health & Safety, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Unrestrained Aggression on the Path (Unleashed Dogs)

Posted by Knut Dorker a 3:01 pm on February 12, 2009

Over the last couple of months I witnessed Somerville government inability to deal with simple city issues which could potentially have dire consequences. After purchasing a home in Somerville in 2008 I have began using the community path (from Cedar St) to commute daily to Davis Square where I catch the Red Line. Since then I've noticed that the community path, especially between Morrison and Cedar streets have become a free-for-all doggy park, where owners turn their dogs loose.… Read More.>>

Posted in Environment and Open Space, Public Health & Safety | 4 Comments »

MBTA bag inspections at Davis Station

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 2:24 pm on January 2, 2009

On my way down to the train at Davis Station around 8:30am this morning, I was about to pass through the gate when a transit officer asked me to submit to a bag inspection. There was a group of about 4 or 5 officers wearing yellow and black jackets standing next to a small folding table with a machine on top.Read More.>>

Posted in Public Health & Safety | 9 Comments »

Somerville Cracks Down on Sidewalk Cyclists

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 9:29 pm on November 15, 2008

Two days ago, the City of Somerville announced it would start enforcing regulations prohibiting the use of bicycles on sidewalks with fines between $20 and $50... Given the city's budget problems, I wonder whether this policy change is motivated more by a need to find new sources of revenue rather than by public safety concerns.Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Public Health & Safety, Transportation | 30 Comments »

BG: Immigrant workers are more vulernable to occupational injuries

Posted by Barry Rafkind a 12:12 am on October 13, 2008

From an Oct 12th article on Boston.com: Romulo Santos of Somerville headed off to work Sept. 9 at a Wal-Mart in Walpole as usual. But that day he was electrocuted on the job. Some might consider the 47-year-old Brazilian native's death a freak accident, but local advocates say that for many immigrant workers, the risk of injury is all too real. Tufts University, Cambridge Health Alliance, and five Somerville community groups have come together to raise awareness of occupational health risks and to teach people their rights.Read More.>>

Posted in Immigration, Public Health & Safety, Workers' Rights | No Comments »

Community meeting about BU biocontainment lab

Posted by Columbine a 8:42 pm on October 8, 2008

From a phone message received today, October 8: Hello, this is an important message from the National Institutes of Health. On October 14 we’ll be holding a meeting of the NIH Blue Ribbon Panel for the risk assessment of the national emerging infectious diseases laboratories at Boston University Medical Center. The purpose of the meeting is to get… Read More.>>

Posted in Announcements, Development and Zoning, Events, Public Health & Safety | No Comments »

Airplane noise

Posted by sureshot a 11:33 pm on September 6, 2008

Does anyone know what, if anything, the city is doing about the tremendous increase in airplanes roaring overhead day and night? It's often as frequent as every 30 seconds for hours on end, and sometimes the planes are extremely low.Read More.>>

Posted in Public Health & Safety | 6 Comments »

Crossing Guard posts to help plan the walk/bike route to school

Posted by Gretchen Kinder a 10:07 pm on August 26, 2008

Crossing guards are posted at the following corners every school day to make help students safely walk or bike to school. Each corner is staffed from approximately 7:30-8:30 AM and again from 2:25-3:00 PM.Read More.>>

Posted in Public Health & Safety, Schools and Youth | No Comments »

Meeting on Cambridge Biolab

Posted by Abby a 4:15 pm on August 10, 2008

Folks, Just a reminder about this meeting about a proposed bio-lab in Cambridge.  As residents of Somerville, we can speak to the danger of the materials going through our city to get to Cambridge.
The meeting is on August 12, at 7:00, at the Cambridge Kennedy School in East Cambridge.
158 Spring St… Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Events, Public Health & Safety | No Comments »

Aug 12 Meeting on Cambridge Biolab

Posted by Abby a 3:44 pm on

You may not have heard, but a developer is planning a Level Three biotech lab in Cambridge , to test toxic gases and other intriguing Cantabridgian products. What's particularly interesting and notable to Somerville is that such items cannot be legally transported through tunnels, so, if they come from the airport, they come through Somerville . Nobody in Somerville seems to have noticed, but such a lab could kill your kids. Level Three labs are legitimate alternate testing sites for Level Four substances on occasion, and lack only the security conditions for that higher status.Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Public Health & Safety | 3 Comments »

Level Three Biotech Research in Cambridge

Posted by Joeb a 3:39 pm on

Isn't it odd that there has been no discussion in Somerville at all about the Cambridge Biolab 3, pending in East Cambridge?? The requirements for transporting its contents mandate "no tunnels" so everything that goes to Logan goes through Somerville. And everything is virtually all that's in the Biolab 4 except fissionable materials!Read More.>>

Posted in Development and Zoning, Environment and Open Space, Public Health & Safety | 1 Comment »