Inside: Doubts Shadow Summer Street Environmental Reports

.25¢ www.TheSomervilleNews.com Vol. 40 No. 33 • AUGUST 24, 2011 Somerville’s only independent community newspaper [email protected] Inside: Doubts shadow Summer Street environmental reports By Tom Nash/Post Somerville A controversial Davis Square condominium proposal is facing more scrutiny after city offi- cials nearly let the developer avoid submitting reports that detail possible environmental contamination on the development site. The project would create a 31-unit condominium building and new facility for the George Photo by Bobbie Toner Dilboy VFW Post on about an acre of land between 343 and 351 Summer St. Uptick in housing Opponents have longstanding concerns about market the project’s size, and doubts about the develop- page 7 er’s track record in Somerville. In addition, they say the city is making excuses for a developer who has intentionally hidden reports about the site’s environmental conditions. Changes to the City’s zoning application made last year require developers to attach any environmental reports completed for a site and that they be publicly available. In this case, reports prepared during an eight-year period that raised questions about risks from the site’s former use as a gas station remained out of the The project would create a 31-unit condominium building and new facility for the George Dilboy VFW hands of the public. Post on about an acre of land between 343 and 351 Summer St. “If [the developer] Continued on page 17 Going Green on Rt. 16 Milestone ceremony for Tufts’ Steve pages 12-13 Tisch Sports and Fitness Center By Tiffani M. Westbrook Tufts University laid the last beam of the super structure that will be the framework for the in the new Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center on August 17. The ceremony marking the milestone in the progress of the construction, begin at 11:30am, when attendees were encouraged to University Photo courtesy of Tufts sign the beam. The beam was decorated with a traditional evergreen sapling and balanced on opposite ends by an American flag and the Tufts Sports University flag. The beam was lifted into its page 14 temporary resting place by crane amidst the ap- proving applause of the crowd. The new athletic center will be an addition to Newstalk . .p.2 the existing athletic structure located on College The Week in Crime . .p.4 Street in Medford. Medford Mayor McGlynn Commentary . .p.8-9 noted in his speech that Tufts placement of the entrance of the new athletic center gives is in Beacon Hill Roll Call . .p.10 great proximity to I-93. The new athletic center, TV Logs . .p.22 scheduled to be finished early August 2012, will Off The Shelf . .p.23 be 42,000 square feet with a Continued on page 3 The new Steve Tisch Sports and Fitness Center got one beam closer to completion last week. 2 AUGUST 24, 2011 TheSomervilleNews.com Comments of the Week Response to Somerville pols support immigrant higher education jamie says: The campaign web site of Ms. Katjana Ballantyne for Al- derman in Ward 7 has some interesting comments we found I wonder if any of the people supporting this measure have any idea how difficult it already is to Tuesday. She goes after Alderman Bob Trane for not going get accepted to any of our state colleges/universities. Now you want to add lots of people who are to participate in a debate. She actually had the nerve to say illegal, but will obviously enjoy ‘minority status’, thus giving them a leg up in the “voters will miss the chance to hear from their Alderman, al- acceptance/aid/grant arenas. I know lots of good, deserving students who are already not being so that Trane’s refusal seems to give the impression that gov- accepted at these schools because of the large numbers of applications. I wonder when people will ernment is closed.” It further goes on to say,“government should be open and voters deserve to hear from their Al- start voting out these politicians who are actively, openly working for people illegally living in our derman.” WOW! This from a lady who we hear called Joe country at the expense of the legal, voting, tax-paying citizens. Lynch up Tuesday afternoon to say now SHE WON’T participate in a candidate forum either. Why doesn’t she men- A Moore says: tion that on her web site? Isn’t transparency wonderful when it’s one sided? So her campaign committee has Marty Mar- So as usual we Americans come last. We have to pay extra or not go at all as Americans. Where tinez, who serves on the same Somerville Community Corp. are the brains God gave them? I see all the names of the pols who are for this but where are the board of directors (Katjana is past president of the board). ones working for us Americans?????? No wonder we are in so much trouble here with these Marty, who is on her committee (wonder how many other SCC board members are on her committee and if that’s le- …(can’t even say it) Supposingly working for us. They are illegal! Send them back and let them gal?), is president of the PDS group that recruited her and come in legally like so many others and pay taxes and learn English. These pols have no common endorsed her before the endorsements went out, but she sense at all.These pols make me sick .We have got to these polls out of ofiice and get some Amer- wants you to believe that she’s transparent and for open gov- icans in there. ernment? She probably has a bridge for you to buy at a bar- gain price! Wonder if names of the SCC board of directors past/present are also working in Ms. Katjana’s campaign? JM says: ********************** As a American citizen who had to SUE my law school for unfair denial of in-state tuition (and Congratulations to Charlene (former Ward 4 School Commit- won)…I think it is fundamentally unfair to give in-state tuition to non-citizens when citizens are tee woman) and Brian Harris of Winter Hill, celebrating their often denied. 30th wedding anniversary this week. Long time Somerville res- Log onto TheSomervilleNews.com to leave your own comments idents and still here. Both have been and continue to be very ac- tive here in the community. We wish them the best and many more years of bliss. Also celebrating their 47th anniversary is Mary Ann and Dennis Sinclair, who we hear will be partying TheSomervilleNews.com poll of the week all week long. In addition to breaking news, sports and opinion, TheSomervilleNews.com also features a daily poll in ********************** which you, the reader, tell us where you come down on local issues. Last week’s poll concerned your views Continued on page 8 on whether or not you support a proposed bill that would allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state rates for tuition to state universities if they meet a high academic standard. If you don’t agree with the results, simply log onto TheSomervilleNews.com. 699 Broadway Somerville, MA 02144 [email protected] thesomervillenews.com 617-666-4010 • Fax: 617-628-0422 Publisher – Prospect Hill Publishing Publisher Emeritus – Robert J. L. Publicover Editor – Andrew Firestone Copy Editor – Jim Clark Advertising Director – Bobbie Toner Business Director – Patricia Norton Executive Assistant – Cam Toner Assignment Editor – Bobbie Toner Arts Editor – Doug Holder Creative Director – Jim Clark Writers: Julia Fairclough, Lauren Ostberg, Cathleen Twardzik, Ashley Taylor Contributors – Jimmy Del Ponte, William C. Shelton, Ashley Troutman, Peta Jinnath Andersen, Charlie Lynch, Jim Clark The Somerville News is published every Wednesday AUGUST 24, 2011 3 Verizon strikers hit Central Street By Andrew Firestone pay raises when times are tough, but when you're making a profit, Amidst the vitriolic protests tak- to then come at regular working ing place nationwide for the last people and ask them to give up two weeks, a few members of the hard-fought hard-won benefits local International Brotherhood that they have earned by making of Electrical Workers 2222 this company very successful found themselves picketing a that makes no sense,” said Ca- Somerville Verizon office. puano.“To me, that is nothing There, they fought for their but greed and that is an unac- rights as workers. ceptable approach.” While these employees have “The worst part of this is that now gone back to work, pend- the CEOs of this corporation are ing a renegotiation of their making millions upon millions contract, the situation still re- upon millions and the cuts that mains volatile. Verizon work- are happening are on our backs, ers claimed that their job not their backs,” said one of the security was put at risk, and striking workers. defended their right to peace- Much of the problems involved fully protest. in Verizon's negotiation stance “They want to get rid of us,” involved their altering of the said one worker.“They want to overtime clause, which would contract the work out. They force workers in some situations Photo by Bobbie Toner want to take our pension away.” to work overtime without notice. Members of the local International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 2222, along with some of their family members, were Verizon, who made billions “It's life-changing when it hap- out in force, advocating for their common good. of dollars in profit last fiscal pens,” said one worker, who said pen, I guarantee it will be anoth- dle class until after the Great IBEW and Communications year, also achieved tax ex- that duties to their families er middle-class person next.

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