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On Saturday, March 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Somerville Teachers Association will be having an “alumni tour” of the old high school. This is a chance to see and walk through the old corridors once again before the school is torn down to make room for the new one. No admission fee is being charged, but donations to the STA scholarship fund will be gladly accepted. It’s a great opportunity to reminisce about your days at the old high school. Parking is available around the school in various lots. Please enter at the main entrance of the school.
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Apparently, the City of Cambridge City Council was proposing the 1% tax on home sales but was shocked with the turnout of property owners in Cambridge who made their voices heard and the Council voted the proposal down. Now, do you think the same thing will happen here in Somerville? They are going to have to have a public hearing and a vote by the Board. Whether you’re for it or against it, let your feelings be known to the Board of Alderman, especially the new members. It’s called a transfer tax, and the Board wants homeowners here in Somerville to pay 1% to 2% tax on the sale of their home. Make your presence known either way. Remember, once they vote on a tax affirmatively they will never do away with it. And aren’t you upset that the sales tax was increased so that now the City of Somerville gets a part of it directly. Ask yourself how much more in taxes you want to pay? Mayor Joe Curtatone has never once submitted a budget in his many years in office that called for a reduction in taxes. But we do have fine looking vehicles now for everyone (seems like it) who works for the city.
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Our sincere condolences to the family Daniel Spinosa Sr., who passed away quietly surrounded by his family on Tuesday at his home in Winter Hill. He would have been 96 on March 17. Danny was a lifelong resident here in Somerville, and served in World War II with honor and distinction. Dan, as many here in Somerville who knew him will tell you, was the sweetest, nicest guy you would ever meet. He had a great sense of humor and loved life and lived it well. All right here in the city of Somerville, which he loved. He was married to his lovely wife Mary, who he will now be re-united with. They were married for many years, and together they raised five children, Rosemary, Linda, Daniel Jr., Karen and Richard. We here at The Somerville Times knew Danny and thought the world of him. He was truly one of those guys you meet and just admire him for his integrity and honesty. We, along with his family and many friends, will miss him deeply. Arrangements and service sometime next week and as soon as we hear from the family we will post it online. God rest his soul, may he rest in peace.
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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday to own on good guy and great Editor Jim Clark. We wish him a great birthday this week. Happy birthday to another of our own, local real estate agent and lifelong resident John Pratti, from The Norton Group. We hope John has a great birthday. Happy birthday to one of the nicest guys (there are a lot of nice people at the DPW) Eddie Nuzzo. We hope he has a great one. Happy birthday to Nick Kondilis, a long time real estate agent with Bremis Realty. We hope he has a great birthday. Happy birthday to one of Somerville’s good guys, from a great family, Marc Piro. We hope he has a great day. And to one of our good friends, Donald Coutoumas, of the Somerville Coutoumas family, going back a long time here in the city. We hope Donald has a great birthday. To our good friend Barry Cunningham of Buffalo, NY, who is an avid reader of our paper. We wish him a great birthday. Also, old friend Patrick Palzkill, a realtor on the south shore. We hope he has a great day. To all those that are also celebrating this week, we wish you a happy birthday.
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Here’s some exciting news: word has it that the Cid Corman Boston Small Poetry Press Archive at UMass Boston will archive our own Doug Holder’s Off the Shelf columns from before May 2011, on acid-free paper. It’s a slow process, but is great to have The Somerville Times included in Boston Literary history.
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Those that might be interested in obtaining certification for firearms should look up the Lawrence Rod & Gun Club. They give an extensive program, at the end of which you receive certification for Massachusetts/NRA Certified Firearm Safety Classes. They run a class once a month, which is limited to 10 people and we hear that this is the place to go to learn safety when handling guns. Email gunclub@earthlink.net for more information and or go to their website at www.lawrencerodandgunclub.org and read up about the course. Congratulations to Somerville’s own Bill Chambers, recently elected Vice President of the club. A nice guy who is also a great teacher of safety in shooting.
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That Pothole Patrol truck needs to get some of those potholes repaired, especially in Ward 3. We hear there are some serious problems there.
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Congratulations to Steve MacEachern on his re-election efforts and working hard at the Somerville Municipal Credit Union. He was up for re-election this week and is currently the VP.
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Somerville Rotary is having their annual Giggles Comedy Night at Giggles Comedy Club, Rt. 1 in Saugus, on March 29, at 6:00 p.m. It’s a great event and lots of fun. Professional comedians, plus an auction and raffles throughout the night. Proceeds to benefit the many local Somerville charities. The ticket price is $30. Contact Donald Norton at 617-623-6600 for tickets (also at the door) or for further information.
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We attended the flag raising ceremony at Prospect Hill this past Sunday, March 4, which is normally held on the anniversary of the ceremony on January 1. The city or whoever makes the decision said it was too cold on January 1, so they postponed the program for a warmer day. First time in history the ceremony was changed because it was too cold. There was some discussion by a couple of lifelong residents who have been going to the ceremony for many years – one or two back to early 70’s and before – when it was held on the actual day of the event on New Year’s day at 6:00 a.m. Some might wonder what good old George Washington might have done. Would he and his militia stand on Prospect Hill or not because it was too cold? Maybe it was warmer then. The city has changed. About 200 or so attended this past Sunday, while back in the 70’s when it was held at 6:00 a.m. the crowd would be hundreds more, and all families. Guess we can expect that since many new arrivals to our city are probably from warmer climates here in the USA and are not use to NE weather. One more thing, the animated drama discussion between the British General and George Washington that took place at this ceremony never actually happened. George was on top of Prospect Hill.
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Don’t forget, if you miss the Board of Aldermen meetings on Somerville City Cable (Comcast 22, RCN 13) or online at https://www.somervillema.gov/video every other Thursday night, you can view them in their entirety by going to http://somervillecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens. Watch your city at work and see how these dedicated members of our community are serving you, the public.
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FYI, we still think more than ever that the Winter Hill Yacht Club should be turned over to the City of Somerville as a public marina, to be used and enjoyed by all our Somerville residents. Especially now since we heard from sources that the club membership of those living in Somerville is the lowest it’s ever been. But as you can see, they have big fence and gate to keep you out, while they pay low rent to the state on a lease for property. That is what they refer to in the real estate world as a fantastic location.
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I would hope the real estate tax here will get shot down and the officials of the city won’t override the taxpayers wishes. If anything it should go on the ballot and let the taxpayers decide.
The property “transfer tax” is just another way to fleece Somerville’s homeowners. And for what good reason? Oh, because there’s a shortage of housing across the whole city and this will fund housing programs (who gets the money? Is it even for Somerville residents?). Newton and Brookline are laughing all the way to the bank. They block new housing and let places like Somerville pick up the slack…while we jack up taxes to boot! Are Boston and Cambridge even doing this tax? It’s no longer Slummerville. It’s Suckersville.
Poooor old Taxpayer, it is a SALES TAX, so people who want to buy in pay to play with the folk you claim to cherish! And the best reason for it NOT to go to the ballot is the kind of response you exhibit: it would be a 1% sales tax, one sixth of the sales tax you pay at stores, and half the tax they pay on Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket or Seattle. And it would make available close to $100,000,000 in affordable mortgages to those you claim to support. Rent ALWAYS means poverty; only ownership offers economic benefits, particularly in a place like Somerville.
And, dear Ann, the money stays in town, and guarantees that people like you could buy and stay in Somerville. If you already own and plan to stay where you are, you’ll NEVER pay.
This ain’t rocket science, folk. Google “transfer tax” before you kill your own opportunity to stay in the Somerville you like. Cambridge tried to discuss in 30 years ago, and lost. Let’s not lose to stupid arguments and become another Cambridge.
If they put it to a ballot it will pass. I think it designed to target the developers and flippers it could be beneficial. That’s very different than targeting the person who lived here for the last decade or two
The problem is, that people will take it into account when purchasing a house. It will be deducted from the offer price, so please stop telling us that the seller doesn’t have to pay. The other problem I have is I don’t trust the Government to put it where they say they will. That has never happened, to my knowledge. I bought a house 40 years ago which was built in 1910. We spent years and thousands upon thousands of dollars upgrading it, repairing it, and maintaining it. We had to do everything from replacing the outdated electrical system to replacing old pipes to insulating the walls and roof, etc., etc. Throughout all of this time we have never charged anywhere near market rate for the apartments. We could be sitting pretty collecting a fortune in rent like everyone around us is doing, but we have chosen not to do that. If we want to make back even some of our huge investment in this property, we need to sell it. It has nothing to do with ‘cashing in’, but more to do with aging and moving on. And where is the guarantee that the low-income people who receive these mortgages will be able to keep up the properties and the mortgage payments, and will not gouge renters? I remember years ago when banks were forced to give mortgages to people who didn’t qualify. It was said they were discriminating against low-income applicants. Years later after many of these owners had lost the house to foreclosure, the banks were criticized for taking avantage of them. Let the market decide.
I do not have any expectations of the city helping low income with housing to begin with. They do little or nothing for the homeless never mind low income. We have money for frivolous things in this city but not for those worse off than the rest of us. We are building the most expensive high school in the state and we are paying extra taxes for it and we will have students going to it that are homeless like we do now. I have no faith in this cities proper use of money to help anyone. I for one do not want to put any more money into the hands of this city that does not know how to use the money properly. And the Real Deal says it well. I have way more time here than the Real Deal and have seen much here and not all of it to put help where it should be. This city has wasted too much money as it is. Enough.
When will they hold the public hearing on this “transfer tax”? I want to be there and make sure that our voices are heard that we do NOT want this extra tax. We will be the only city with it. There are better ways to hit developers that DOESN’T tax everyone.
Also the rezoning. Anyone notice that the NEW residential zones (NR) cap 2 family houses at 2 units. You COULD never turn the basement or your 3rd floor into another unit (3 units will be prohibited in NR zones). So any apartments that you may have for say your kids when they’re starting out or where you throw your mother-in-law will be outlawed. That nonsense needs to be voted down. Contact all the alderpeople and tell them NO to the transfer tax and to fix the NR zoning.