VOL. 4 NO. 17 SOMERVILLE, MASS. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2016 TWENTY-FIVE CENTS Inside: Paper or plastic? Somerville wants neither By Margaux Maxwell Shoppers in nearby Cambridge started bring- ing their own shopping bags on March 31 when Cambridge became the largest East Coast City to enforce a ban on plastic bags. This fall, Somerville will enact its own ban on plastic. The “Bring Your Own Bag” ordinance was passed on November 24, 2015 and will go into effect this August for establishments of 10,000 square feet or more and December for retail CPA funds to establishments of under 10,000 square feet. the rescue Under the ordinance, disposable plastic bags page 3 will be prohibited at the point of sale, making reusable bags or recyclable paper bags available instead. Businesses that do not comply will receive a first offense warning, second offence $50 fine, with third and subsequent offences incurring a $100 fine. While the use of plastic bags by retailers’ days may be numbered, some are also questioning the practicality “[The ordinance] was unanimously passed be- of continued use of paper bags as well. — Photo by Bobbie Toner cause of the environmental Continued on page 4 Somerville Open Studios is opening to the public this weekend The Middle East By Jim Clark and beyond Local artists and crafters from around the city page 5 are once more opening their work spaces to the public as the 2016 edition of Somerville Open Studios gets underway this weekend. Through its programming, SOS gives access to the work of visual artists living and working in the city of Somerville. They provide opportu- nities to view art made within the community; to interact with local artists; and to have access to artists’ working spaces. Their goal is to broaden the public’s exposure to, and appreciation of, finished works of art as well as the art-making process. This exposure both educates the community and raises aware- ness of the diverse artistic experience available in Somerville. Getting ready for Maps and vital information about the event the big cleanup is available on the SOS website: https://www. page 6 somervilleopenstudios.org. Woman With Purple Hair by George Teshu, one of dozens of local artists who are opening their studios to the The Artists’ Choice Show Continued on page 12 public this weekend during Somerville Open Studios. 2••APRIL 27, 2016 TheSomervilleTimes.com Comments of the Week Response to: MBTA presents redesigned community path extension MarketMan says: Artisan’s Asylum, 10 Tyler Street, Open Studios and Mak- er Market is this weekend from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, Ridiculous! May 1. Twice a year, they open our doors to the public. Check Rumpleforeskin says: out individual maker studios, watch plasma cut metal, pick up unique gifts at the maker market, and watch epic robot Preposterous! battles throughout the weekend. Friday 6:00–9:00 p.m. se- lect studios showing, Saturday 12:00–6:00 p.m., Sunday Noel Efturn says: 12:00–6:00 p.m. Jewelry, furniture, drawings, wearable art Balderdash! Preposteri are now extinct. and more on sale. Fabrication demos in community shops By the double-barrelled jumping jiminetty, says I! (* twirls handlebar moustache *) including metal casting, enameling, 3D printing, and more. Tours of the 40,000 square ft. facility at 7:00 p.m. on Friday Owen Deed says: and 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For I know plain old horse hockey when I see it! And believe me, I’m no sports fan. tickets and information about Artisan Studios www.arti- sansasylum.com. Idoknow says: *************************** If anyone doesn’t understand what is happening history is repeating itself. Mr. Wright and Mr. Poirier who have been Want a great lunch, in particular great sandwiches and burg- chosen to figure out how to keep the project going have experience from the Big Dig as the same team who ers 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.? Check out Sally O’Briens, 335 when overruns occurred figured out how to keep the project going so Somerville Avenue in Union Square. Mention you saw it here there respective companies(Keville) and MHD could continue to reap $$$’s. Respectfully when Governor Patrick had Bechtel and Parson Brinkerhoff thrown off the project in late 2006, Keville took over the Bechtel\PB employee’s and get ½ off sandwiches and burgers. Great burgers too. and increased their bottom line at the taxpayers expense. The GLX is no different as Mr. Wright is a former MBTA Also for bands, both local and well known, check out the Sally employee with a heavy pension and also a pension from Mass Highway, but back to ensure his friends and colleagues O’Brien’s night scene. Make sure you mention you saw it here, continue to collect a paycheck. In addition, Mr. Poirier’s wife Kimberly is Director of Labor Relations at MBTA and and introduce yourself to Liam and his friendly staff. Enjoy how does this work when there is overlapping interest in the paycheck?? You decide? and relax with friends. *************************** Nat says: Hurry up and get your ticket for the drawing for The Worry about finishing the Greenline extension first before worrying about some stupid path…. Somerville High Scholarship Foundation that is once again having its huge drawing coming up on May 13 at the High- Abba says: lander Café at Somerville High School. Refreshments will So we can find the money no problem to completely reconfigure the Route 2 highway in Concord, and we can find the be served beginning at 7:00 p.m. Drawing at 8:00 p.m. Sev- money no problem to widen the Route 128 highway in Wellesley, but we can’t find the money for a 1.9 mile bike path eral door prizes will be given out during the drawing for the that would connect an existing 12+ mile bike path from Bedford to the miles upon miles of Charles River and Boston $10,000 grand prize. Tickets for the drawing are $100 each. Emerald Necklace bike paths, creating a safe bicycle superhighway to Boston that gets bicycles off the roads and out of You can purchase one or share the cost of one with many in the mix with cars? Pathetic. your home/office or with friends. It’s a great fundraiser for the kids. Over the years the SHS Foundation has benefitted Freebie says: many students. Make your check out to S.H.S. Raffle and The original cost of $100 million for the bike path alone? How on earth? send it to SHS Raffle c/o Joseph Favaloro, P.O. Box 440275 The new plan should be implemented. If we build this path it will get heavy use by our many commuters going into Somerville 02144. It’s been a great organization here in the Kendall, heck it might even cut into MBTA fares – oops! city since 1990 and has grown over the years, serving many And I see the construction signs on Beacon Street this week – the cycle track construction begins! Somerville graduates to further their Continued on page 11 Genie Geronimo says: The 80,000,000 price to construct a 3,000 foot retaining wall is a complete fabrication. Anybody familiar with con- struction knows this. The original cost would never have been that high. If the MBTA (or these clowns) is too inept to manage this then maybe they should get someone local to do the job. 699 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144 A Moore says: First off whatever price is worked out will not be the real price of the job. You can be sure it will be higher. The con- [email protected] tractors that bid these jobs have that in place in the contracts. This whole thing has been handled wrong. Should have www.thesomervilletimes.com designed it the cheapest way possible and then add in the most important things depending on the money left over. The longer it is delayed under the existing conditions and amount of money to work with the more unlikely it will be 617-666-4010 • Fax: 617-628-0422 built. The cost factor should have been part of the designing process and well thought out as that is why they get the big bucks. www.facebook.com/ @somervilletimes thesomervilletimes Log onto TheSomervilleTimes.com to leave your own comments Publisher – Somerset Valley Publishing Inc. Editor – Jim Clark Assignment Editor – Bobbie Toner Advertising Director – Bobbie Toner Arts Editor – Doug Holder Writers: Jim Clark, Tom Bannister, Rebecca Danvers, Ross Blouin, Donald Norton Contributors: William C. Shelton, Josie Grove, Patrick McDonagh, Oliver Bok, Haley ED Houseman, Laura Stiffler, Mariya Manzhos, Dorothy Dimarzo, Bob Doherty Photographer: Claudia Ferro The Somerville Times is published every Wednesday A proud member of the following newspaper organizations: APRIL 27, 2016••3 Community Preservation Act proposals headed to Board of Aldermen for vote eligibility for CPA funding, and then sub- By Josie Grove mits them to the Finance Committee of The Board of Aldermen will soon vote the Board of Aldermen. Finally, the full on a $2.5 million bond to renovate the Board of Aldermen will vote to approve historic core of the West Branch Library, or reject the proposals. along with nine other projects to be paid The CPA brought in $2,199,821last for with revenue from the Community year, including the state matching funds. Preservation Act. Including nearly $2 million that was not “The Community Preservation Act is spent in the last funding cycle, the CPA funded in part by a surcharge on proper- has $4,178,942 available.