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VOL. 2 NO. 29 SOMERVILLE, MASS. WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2014 TWENTY-FIVE CENTS Inside: MBTA reviews GLX project’s Equivalent Facilitation request By Douglas Yu In order to apply for funding for a Full Fund- ing Grant Agreement with Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the GLX project team requested an Equivalent Facilitation that aims to permit the development of improvements in vehicle, facility, or equipment design that pro- vides for equal or greater accessibility. On Thursday, July 10, the MBTA held a pub- Is it protection lic hearing to review the Equivalent Facilitation or a trap? in Somerville. page 5 Randy Henke from the GLX project team said that the project starts at Gilmore Bridge. “The Green Line Extension covers three communi- ties: Cambridge, Somerville, Medford. Most of what we are hearing tonight is about roadways and traffic improvements in and around the new stations and how we can get to from the stations,” Henke said. The important issues when it comes to road- ways and traffic improvements have to do with running slope and cross slope, Henke said. Photo by Douglas Yu “We’ve got a bridge on Washington Street with approach on each side, and the approach is Last Thursday’s public meeting held by the MBTA allowed GLX project team members and concerned citi- fairly steep. Again, the [construction] code calls zens review and discuss the impact of the Equivalent Facilitation request. for a 5 percent maximum Continued on page 3 Assembly Row Summer 2014 page 7 East Somerville pride gathers for reunion By Donald Norton Those of us who grew up in East Somerville back in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s certainly feel the pride we take in our various neighborhoods there. From Charlestown line to McGrath Highway, it was not merely just another section of Somerville, it was a close knit community and still is, which makes it unique to other sec- tions of our city. Coming up with the idea of a reunion, and the actual person to get it done, was Dan Rogovich, a guy originally from Franklin Street who hung Alibrandis takes around Glenn Park. Dan tells us that he got the another win idea from going to a lot of funerals over the past page 14 several years and thinking it would be better to see everyone under different circumstances, so he started out months ago making plans to get Newstalk . p .2 it done. The Week in Crime . p .4 What a great evening it was for the over 150 Commentary . p .10-11 present and former East SomerVillens this past Beacon Hill Roll Call . p .8 Saturday, June 12, at the City Club. The idea TV Logs . p .22 turned into one of the most memorable eve- nings of old times growing up in the area. Off The Shelf . p .23 East Somerville friends and acquaintances came together in celebration of the community they know and Somerville pride brought Continued on page 12 love as their own this past Saturday evening. — Photo by Donald Norton 2••JULY 16, 2014 TheSomervilleTimes.com Comments of the Week Response to Letter on zoning from the Somerville Arts Council advisory board This Friday and Saturday is the annual Arts Beat Festival Uncle Rocco says: 2014. ArtBeat is a massive arts hootenanny, with a slew of Dear Artists bands, dance troupes, 75 craft vendors, food and visual arts. This year’s theme is HATCH, so expect to see creativity Thank you for helping me to create an image of Somerville as ‘hip and happening’. It was quite hatching galore. Decorate an egg and pop it in the Hatch-O- a struggle there for years. Now that the real estate speculators and people that make way more Matic contraption. Check out the newly born MUSCRAT money than you’ll ever dream of have fallen for it, your services will no longer be needed. art bus. Behold recently hatched creatures including a baby But thanks for everything. And best of luck in Lynn and Brockton . alligator! $3 donation requested. Friday night: 6-10 p.m., Sat: 11 a.m-6 p.m. For the full schedule and descriptions: Love Joe http://somervilleartscouncil.org/artbeat/2014/schedule. *************************** James says: Tonight, Wednesday the 16th, Somerville Open Studios and I think this is a fantastic proposal. Daddy Jones Bar are hosting the first Summer Social. Come on To respond to the critics, what’s your idea? You just want to hand the keys over to the develpers by, meet artists and see what Magoun Square and SOS2015 has to offer. Daddy Jones will be creating a special cocktail es- and say good luck? pecially for the event. Make sure you taste some of their awe- some treats, especially the macaroni-cheese, you’ll love it. Dad- Villenous says: dy Jones is located at 525 Medford Street in Magoun Square. Artists have done more for Somerville than the whiners in this comments section. Guess what? *************************** All the artists leave Somerville and this city would be dreary (again). All of you leave Somerville This Thursday, the 17th, at the Chuckie Harris Park in East Somerville is the monthly “3rd Thursday Block Party World and no one will shed a tear. You’re the parasites. You’re the ones doing nothing while other peo- Groove Dance Party,” 7 to 8:30 p.m. ple make this an actual better place to live. *************************** Also this Thursday, 7-9 p.m., come to SCATV for the next important to society? says: Potluck & Lecture Series with Arlington International Film yes, art is important to society. so is youth employment, recreation for all, affordable day care, Festival. This is co-organized by their colleagues at Arlington Community Media, Inc. Come mingle and network with oth- substance abuse prevention, veterans, social services, libraries, I could go on and on. Artists er media and film geeks. Tour the HD studios at Somerville seems to think they hold the only place of importance in our community. They are so, so, wrong Community Access TV and get to know others in the indus- try. Learn how you can utilize SCATV as a media and film Log onto TheSomervilleTimes.com to leave your own comments resource and get involved at a widely popular state of the art multi-media center. Guest speakers are the organizers of the TheSomervilleTimes .com poll of the week Arlington International Film Festival. They will share with us some insider’s tips about organizing this very popular festival, In addition to breaking news, sports and opinion, TheSomervilleTimes.com also features a daily the challenges and successes, and they will also screen some of poll in which you, the reader, tell us where you come down on local issues. Last week’s poll con- previous festival’s film submissions. The event’s layout: 7:00- cerned your views on what you think about the undercover crosswalk sting the Somerville police is 7:30 p.m. Mingle and network with other peers in the indus- doing to catch drivers that fail to stop for pedestrians. If you don’t agree with the results, simply log try while indulging in tasty refreshments and people’s special onto TheSomervilleTimes.com. dishes. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Hear from presenters about AIFF along with film screenings and a Q & A. 8:30-9:00 p.m. Close out the night with any additional mingling Continued on page 11 699 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144 [email protected] www.thesomervilletimes.com 617-666-4010 • Fax: 617-628-0422 www.facebook.com/ @somervilletimes thesomervilletimes Publisher – Somerset Valley Publishing Inc. Editor – Jim Clark Assignment Editor – Bobbie Toner Executive Assistant – Cam Toner Advertising Director – Bobbie Toner Arts Editor – Doug Holder Writers: Jim Clark, Jeremy F. van der Heiden, Douglas Yu, Ross Blouin, Donald Norton Contributors: Jimmy Del Ponte,William C. Shelton Photographer: Claudia Ferro The Somerville Times is published every Wednesday JULY 16, 2014••3 Mayor may tangle with Board of Alderman over campaign finance reform favor of the law were Aldermen By Jim Clark Rebekah Gewirtz, Matt Mc- The Board of Alderman voted Laughlin, Katjana Ballantyne, on a long-discussed law that Mark Niedergang, Bill White, would limit campaign contri- Tony Lafuente, and Dennis Sul- butions by property developers livan. Those who voted against to $250, compared to the cur- it were Aldermen Bob McWat- rent limit of $500, at last weeks ters, Mary Jo Rossetti, Maryann general meeting on Thursday. Heuston, and Jack Connolly. The law affects those who de- The law must be voted on velop 10,000 square feet or and passed twice in order to more in the city. take effect. While last week’s The aldermen took more than 7-4 vote in favor of the pro- a year to study and discuss two posal set the stage for final versions of the campaign reform passage in September’s vote plan, one put forward by Mayor on the matter, there was not a Curtatone, featuring measures large enough majority of votes that would restrict city employ- to avert a veto by the mayor, ee contributions, and another which he has said he would do. fashioned by Alderman-at-Large The Board lacked one vote in and Board President William A. assuring that the mayor could White, which focuses on limiting not impose a veto on the law. donations by developers. Addi- The mayor told the Board tionally, each plan proposed plac- that he was in favor of finance Mayor Curtatone voiced strong opposition to the Board of Alderman plan for campaign finance reform, suggesting that he would veto the law if necessary.