News Talk for the week of August 2

The recent SMEA Unit B elections are finally over and after three attempts, El-Presidente Mike Browne can be proud that he has personally given new meaning to the phrase ‚Äúfree and open elections.‚Äù  It took him three times to get the good news for the administration.  The SMEA was running out of excuses to keep opening up the process.  We suggest at the next contract or vote taken by the SMEA that maybe the members might want to bring in former President Jimmy Carter to monitor the process.  The old saying ‚Äúkeep doing it till you‚Äôre right‚Äù is slightly twisted in this instance to be ‚Äúkeep doing it till we get what we want at any excuse.‚Äù  We congratulate Unit B or should that be to the President.

We‚Äôre all familiar with the mural painted on the wall at Brooks done by Bea Allen the artist about 10-12 years ago, entitled ‚ÄúThe Wall of Respect for Women.‚Äù  On this wall were portraits of some famous locals including Joanne Batzek (also known as the Number 1 waitress two years running and a former Somerville Meter Maid).  Well it appears that Brooks painted over the wall in Davis Square – they hired someone to paint the entire wall RED – and that‚Äôs just what Joanne saw, along with lots of other residents of the city when they saw that the famous wall was gone forever.  The management of Brooks supposedly tried to save it – they claim they tried but couldn‚Äôt get any cooperation or even another artist to retouch it up.  When Joanne approached them she was told they tried, so then she asked for the plague hung on the wall that told the story of the mural, but that was gone too – they told her to call their corporate office.  We want to know where our Progressive Alderwoman from Ward 6, Rebecca, was doing when the wall was being painted?  Hopefully not having coffee over at the Someday Caf√©.
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Guess the Acting Director of Traffic & Parking has his own code of dressing for work – not only does he come into work sometime between 9:30am and 10am – but he comes dressed in shorts.  Guess it‚Äôs what the well-dressed city professional comes to work in these days.  Good thing his assistant, Larry Murphy, has been around City Hall for a few years and knows the routine.  We‚Äôre just wondering if Kotzuba got that memo from the Mayor about setting an example for the employees who arrive by 8:30am.  Now you‚Äôd think that this department would be trying to get its act together and find that missing money from back eight months ago and maybe try to turn around it‚Äôs reputation wouldn‚Äôt you?  Speaking of Traffic & Parking, still no comment or assurance from anyone about the money missing or that the investigation is even still ongoing – or is the Captain missing along with the $$$$ & jewelry?    
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We heard this, but again can‚Äôt confirm, that Alderman Dennis Sullivan is looking for an agent ‚Äì it seems his recent handling of the rat problem in some wards (especially his own) is being watched by some companies in the business.  We heard he‚Äôs been approached to do commercials.  Maybe he‚Äôs going to be the new Orkin Man?  Speaking of Dennis Sullivan, what‚Äôs with his proposal for keeping teens out of the parks? Has he forgotten the parks are there for kids?  Wasn‚Äôt he a kid once and didn‚Äôt he hang at the Florence Street Park?  Some of us here at Newstalk hung around there back in the 60‚Äôs when it was new.  It must be something in that Senatorial District‚Äôs water – first it was Senator Barrios banning Fluff-a-nutter sandwiches and now Dennis is trying to ban teens from the public parks – who thinks this stuff up and why?
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Alderman-at-Large and Clerk of Courts candidate Bruce Desmond had a standing room only crowd the other night – over 200 people at Good Times Emporium. Our spies tells us that it was very well attended.
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Speaking of fundraisers, Mayor Joe is having a boat cruise on August 9th aboard the Bay State cruise line from Long Wharf in Boston.  We think it‚Äôs a great idea – especially with the current heat factor – a cash bar and dinner along with a nice Boston Harbor cruise and to spend it with all the wonderful Department Heads would be an awesome experience, but some of us here at Newstalk will pass on it, so you can all relax, but our spies will be there giving us the low-down and the dirt.
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Oh now to the KSS rumor mill/factory regarding the MaxPak site – we hear that all three owners are now fighting amongst themselves and each one is telling a different story.  We stand by what we heard and reported here in News Talk last week – the owners are going to leave the city high and dry after they get their permits and the zoning ordinance is approved.  No matter how many times they take certain members of this community out to lunch (we hope it was Lobster) to fill them with disinformation – in the end we will be proven right and isn‚Äôt that just sad.
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Is it true that the El-Presidente Mike Browne is having his personal residence done over on the q-t without permits?  Is it possible that he had a street dumpster without a permit?  Or the better question is when did he get the correct permits – after some calls were made to ISD maybe?  We‚Äôre thinking that Commissioner Stan Koty wouldn‚Äôt allow such a thing, or would he?  Maybe Stan just didn‚Äôt know about it, which seems more plausible to us – doesn‚Äôt it to you?         
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We hear that Somerville Housing Director Joe Macaluso is doing a great job down on Mystic Avenue Рyou’d almost think there are luxury condos on the site, but it’s just the projects with a facelift, and a good one at that.