.25¢ www.TheSomervilleNews.com Vol. 40 No. 19 • MAY 18, 2011 Somerville’s only independent community newspaper [email protected] Inside: Capuano discusses possible Senate run Calls labor unions healthcare amendment ‘un-American’ By Andrew Firestone Congressman Mike Capuano is a world-traveled public figure in 2011, but he still remembers where he came from. Representing the eighth district of Massachusetts in U.S. Congress for twelve years, he continues to take an interest in his hometown of Somerville, where he was may- or for nine years during the booming '90s. Sit- ting down with the Somerville News, Capuano discussed his political philosophy, his plans for PorchFest to rock a possible Senate campaign, and his thoughts on the ‘Ville current city policy. page 5 Somerville News: When you campaigned for Senate in 2009, and lost the democratic primary to Attorney General Martha Coakley, she re- ceived a lot of criticism from her party after she lost the election, as many felt it was almost like she didn't feel she needed to campaign. Mike Capuano: People campaign in different ways. The way I look at it, when you take a cam- paign to win, any campaign to win, you want to Photo by Andrew Firestone risk serious embarrassment and that's exactly what happened. Look, I've won and I've lost. I've never been accused of not working my heart out, Congressman Mike Capuano keeps it real in the 'Ville. and I never will be. I usually Continued on page 15 Mystic River Run pages 12-13 City plans to renovate North Street Veterans Playground By Ashley Taylor The City of Somerville is planning to renovate the North Street Veterans Playground, the small play area, picnic area, and basketball court bordering on the North Street Housing Devel- Photo by Ashley Taylor opment. At a community meeting Saturday morning, May 15, residents, city officials, and landscape architects discussed their hopes for the new playground. The meeting started at the A Skunk in the West Somerville Community School, then works moved to the playground. page 21 The main question discussed at the meeting was how to create a playground that is safe and appropriate for both teens and young children. Newstalk . .p.2 “Maybe there should be a younger area park Comment of the Week .p.2 and basketball, for the teenagers, and that sepa- Poll of the Week . .p.2 ration, but kind of connect it,” suggested The Week in Crime . .p.4 Somerville mom Ruth Dolan. Commentary . .p.8-9 Sheina Joseph, of Groundwork Somerville's Beacon Hill Roll Call . .p.10 Green Team, the group of teens who maintain Sports . .p.14 Groundwork's schoolyard Continued on page 7 The future of North Street Veterans Playground was examined and debated by residents and officials. 2 MAY 18, 2011 TheSomervilleNews.com Comments of the Week Response to PSG Framing comes to East Broadway Chad says: When lower Broadway is transformed into a bikeway, we can stroll the expanded sidewalks with This Sunday morning is the 27th Annual Scholarship our walking sticks while sipping Perrier. Oh, and my Monet already has a frame.Now if the Win- Breakfast held by Gene Brune over at Anthony's in Malden. ter Hill Yacht Club would open its closed membership to the “unconnected” I could waltz down Ticket price is $20.00 for a good cause. Time is 9 to 11a.m. to the mighty Mystic and board my private Yacht for a cruise to Medford Square. Ahh the beau- Gene Brune does more for the city of Somerville than any tiful people of Eastern Somervillian unite!! other individual over the years. How can you not support this long time breakfast? It’s for a great guy, an excellent cause, and you can meet and greet a lot of old time friends Log onto TheSomervilleNews.com to leave your own comments who have never missed it in 27 years.We're keeping our eyes open to see who's there and who's not. **************** TheSomervilleNews.com poll of the week Friday night at Somerville High the annual SHS foundation In addition to breaking news, sports and opinion, TheSomervilleNews.com also features a daily poll in will be having its annual drawing. Starting at 7p.m., refresh- which you, the reader, tell us where you come down on local issues. Last week’s poll concerned your ments will be served. The drawing will be at 8p.m. Several views on whether or not you support a proposal that would impose a tax on shoppers who choose plas- door prizes will be given for those who attend. tic bags. The measure imposes an initial 2 cent per bag tax, then increases the tax to 15 cents per bag over 6 years. If you don't agree with the results, simply log onto TheSomervilleNews.com. **************** Rumor in the latest saga in the Council on Aging is: we hear that while Lady J has recently requested a 12 week leave of absence due to stress, we understand that she's getting paid for it, and we also hear that she calls the COA office quite often every day, so if work is stressful why call it on a daily basis? **************** On another note Joan the mouth, although laying low, we hear she has been meeting up later at nighttime with Lady J and Demo man. Some have seen them recently at a Dunkin Donuts, we hear. Are they planning their next wave of trou- ble for the city? **************** Alderman at large Bill White has his house under agree- ment. We heard that he was looking at houses in Andover, or maybe it was Dover? We're not sure High schoolers gain Continued on page 8 financial literacy 699 Broadway Somerville, MA 02144 [email protected] thesomervillenews.com 617-666-4010 • Fax: 617-628-0422 Publisher – Prospect Hill Publishing Last week 45 Somerville High School seniors were rewarded with certificates for completion of a financial education training program provided by Cambridge Savings Bank. SHS seniors in two separate personal finance classes spent the semester Publisher Emeritus – Robert J. L. Publicover enhancing their critically important skills in budgeting, savings, managing a checking account, credit smarts, fraud smarts and more through a series of four interactive lessons plans that were custom tailored for the class by trained financial educators Editor – Andrew Firestone from the community bank. In this photo Somerville High School students show off their certificates for completing financial literacy training with Cambridge Savings Bank instructors Evan Diamond and Tenellie Simmons. 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 MAY 18, 2011 3 Somerville police and firefighters respond to hazardous incident – one person hospitalized By Andrew Firestone his house, he was taken to Massachusetts General Hospi- Somerville police were called tal. Witnesses say he was con- upon to deal with more than vulsing as paramedics tried to they bargained for Monday, treat him. Three paramedics May 16, when they arrived at a from Cataldo ambulances, house on Summit Ave. that three Somerville police officers, smelled of rotten eggs. The au- and one firefighter were also thorities originally came around taken to MGH for decontami- 3:30 p.m. after receiving a tip nation and later released. from a friend of the owner, a 38- The State Police Hazardous Photo by Andrew Firestone year-old man, who had con- Materials division later showed cerns for his safety. When they up to remove the chemicals for entered the second floor of the safe disposal. two-family house, they found Neighbors of the supposed vic- the man in his bathroom with a tim described him as a friendly sign on the door reading “Poiso- man who was known for walk- nous Gas-Call Haz-Mat.” After ing his dog. “This is a quiet donning breathing masks, fire- neighborhood,” said Cheryl fighters entered the room that Winter, who lived across the was permeated with allegedly street from the house. Police poisonous gas. said the man currently lies in After pulling the man from critical condition. State Police Hazardous Material Officers enter 32 Summit Ave. Aldermen ruling turns rodent responsibility over to residents By Andrew Firestone tually going so far as to have a meeting with people from Cambridge because Aldermen met with Inspectional Ser- Ward 2 is so close to Cambridge,” she vices Division members and concerned said, noting “all the dots in Ward 2 right citizens Monday, May 16, to draft a next to the Cambridge line,” which she new ordinance to combat Somerville's said might be because of large facilities rodent problem, which has recently re- that go unchecked on the border-line. ceived wide media coverage. In this The ordinance would also give Ed Nuz- new ordinance, drafted by City lawyer zo, the superintendent of the ISD, the Dave Shapiro and Alderman William mandate to enter homes that might be White, chair of the committee for the sources of infestation. Nuzzo was Public Health and Public Safety, resi- candid about the problem, and said that dents and homeowners would have the the ordinance was a good idea, despite burden turned upon them to stop the possible increases in fines. infestation, or risk fines. “We do have an issue with rodents but I “As chair of Public Safety, for a num- rats, then take steps to rodent-proof their a huge rodent problem, we're tripping don't think it's that severe,” he said, ber of months we've been dealing with houses against future infestation, such as over them everywhere we're going, be- adding “we have our pockets in the city, a concern of ward aldermen dealing “prevent the accumulation of materials cause it's not that bad,” he said.