News Talk for the week of Sept. 20   

The dedication ceremony at the new Dilboy Stadium was very nice last week – a crowd of about 100 people was on hand to see DCR officially turn the ‚Äúkeys‚Äù to the Stadium over to Mayor Joe. Now he has to figure out what the cost is going to be for the city to run it and who will work down there.  We heard that popular local guy Rick Willette would be moving to that position very shortly.  We‚Äôre wondering if and when Mayor Joe is going to have it approved by the Board of Alderman and what the budget will be.

The Aldermanic committee hearing on the MaxPac site will be this Thursday evening at City Hall at 6 p.m. – the Chairman of the committee, Alderman Bill White, should have a nice crowd of residents and developers on hand.  The committee hearing on the Rent Control Ordinance, oh excuse us again, we meant Condo Ordinance will be October 5 at City Hall – the Chairman, Alderman Tom Taylor, will be holding a hearing on it – don‚Äôt miss these two important hearings that affect us all, one way or another.
   

Wasn‚Äôt it nice to see the various island‚Äôs in the city posted by the city DPW reminding everyone that it‚Äôs election day – we know it couldn‚Äôt have come from the Election Department. That would have meant they were creative wouldn‚Äôt it?  The election commission should be not only making it easier and less controversial to vote but also creative in ways of getting people out to vote.  Again, congratulations to DPW commissioner Stan Koty (he gives the credit to Mayor Joe) for once again being creative.  Hopefully Election Commissioner Nick Salerno and the other commissioners take this as a positive sign as to what they should be doing to encourage people to vote – the Election Commission should step outside the box and be thinking of these things.  You‚Äôd think he would know better since he owns his own business wouldn‚Äôt you?
   

Now the illegals have started to invade other sections of the East Somerville and Winter Hill areas – right into our neighborhoods.  We already know about Temple Road and Mystic Avenue at Bailey Road – now they‚Äôre starting to gather in numbers on Pearl Street and Wesley Street.  Guess they‚Äôll be coming to a neighborhood near you in Somerville, unless the Board of Aldermen and Mayor Joe finally force the police to do something both with the illegals and the contractors who use them.  We hear that the Brazilians are not standing with the various Spanish groups and we were looking for those illegal Irish as well, they must just hide better ‚Äì it‚Äôs more experience.  The ‚ÄúBoycott of Dunkin Donuts at McGrath‚Äù is growing. We‚Äôve heard a lot of regulars are now being seen up at Magoun Square‚Äôs Dunkin Donuts.  Someone should tell the contractors it‚Äôs a bigger parking lot at Magoun, maybe the IRS or ICE will tell them – then again, maybe not.  We wonder what Alderman Bob Trane and Alderwoman Rebekah Gerwitz would do if there were 100 to 200 illegals standing around in Davis Square or Teele Square looking to be picked up by contractors for day work?  You think they would sit quietly by?  We think not ‚Äì why is it always East Somerville and Winter Hill that deal with this kind of stuff?  Congratulations to Aldermen Roche and Pero for speaking out on this issue.
   

A special thank you goes out to the small group of Somerville Police Officers that usually cover the funeral escort details around the city.  This is a handful of not too often recognized officers that put their lives on the line daily with motorcycles and cruisers – weaving and cutting in and out of traffic – racing though busy intersections to hold traffic before the line of mourners can get through the city.  It is amazing to see the amount of rude and ignorant drivers out there that insist on cutting into a funeral line – the lack of respect sometimes is mind boggling – we congratulate these Officers on a job well done.
   

The Boys Scouts of America in Somerville is looking for some new recruits – fine young men are wanted to join the many other Somerville youths – call 617 293-2016 for more information.
   

The Annual Somerville Youth and Recreation Foundation is having their kickoff Party this Saturday the 23rd at the Dante Club on Craigie Street starting at 5:30p.m.  Local comedian Tony V, along with NFL Super bowl Champion and WEEI Radio Host Steve DeOssie will be there, tickets sold at the door.
   

Congratulations to Al  Baldasaro, Sr. – from ‚ÄúMr. B‚Äôs Italian Restaurant‚Äù on Cross Street –  for topping the ticket in the Londonderry NH State Representative district as a Republican.  Al received the top vote with 11 other candidates in the Primary – he received 11% of the vote to win the primary and will now be in the finals with the Democrat Primary winner – sounds like the Somerville elections with the low voter turnout, doesn‚Äôt it?
   

Hitting the campaign rumor mill is former Alderman from Ward 4 – Jim McCallum ‚Äì who has been telling people that he‚Äôs running for an Alderman at Large seat in the next local election.  Jim was talking to some friends and Newstalkers and said that he wanted his former opponent to know that he (Jim) was on active military duty when he was in the service and not just a kitchen worker like his former opponent (we think he‚Äôs referring to Walter, the darling of the PDS people, from Ward 4).  The Alderman at Large race could prove to be interesting – more and more people are considering a run for it – this might better then expected, especially if there is a candidate in the race for Mayor other then Mayor Joe.  We heard that Alderwoman/State Representative Denise Provost won‚Äôt seek re-election to the Board and if Bill White runs for Mayor, then there will be two open seats.  Ahhhhh we remember the days when 29 candidates ran for Alderman at Large, 5 candidates for Mayor and every Ward had 4 to 5 candidates for each office‚Ķit really wasn‚Äôt all that long ago, but apparently an eternity for some.

The rumor is very strong that Alderman at Large Bill White is going to make an announcement after the Primary is over that he is going to leave the Republican Party – he will jump over to either the Democrats (which may be too far of a jump) or the Independents (more middle of the road).  We‚Äôre wondering if that‚Äôs the first step in the process of running for Mayor.  Bill is very popular with the Progressives and old-time politicians as well – maybe next year will be very interesting.
   

Recently passing away was another Somerville institution – Mr. John Bremis – uncle of Steve, Irene and Chris, as well as the brother of James Bremis.  John had a long history as one of Somerville‚Äôs outstanding real estate agents and some of us remember him when he had an office on Dane Street, by the bridge.  John was, to say the least, a colorful person that you could have a good laugh with ‚Äì he was a nice guy and those in the local real estate community will miss him.  Our sincerest condolences to his wife and the entire Bremis family.
                        

According to rumor talk on the streets, Jimmy V. a.k.a. ‚ÄúMr. Important‚Äù will be sitting pretty with a promised judgeship if Mike Sullivan wins clerk of courts – although we have to admit we don‚Äôt see that happening.  This rumor was started at the rumor mill down on Bow Street at Sunny‚Äôs so we‚Äôre not sure of its authenticity