News Talk for the week of June 21
                                                   

News Talk didn‚Äôt care to attend the public hearing on Assembly Square last Thursday evening because we were already feeling a little queasy and we knew the dramatics of the Mystic My View Task Force would push us over the edge into full-blown nausea.  The only thing keeping this little band of elitists going at this point is their desire to prove everyone wrong.  It‚Äôs not about what is best for Somerville anymore – it‚Äôs about winning.   What a shame.

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Rumors are flying all over the city about who might have hosted Mayor Joe‚Äôs 40th Birthday bash this past weekend. Speculation was that it was at the palatial estate of Herb (I need a favor) Foster in Falmouth, but apparently he didn‚Äôt need another favor bad enough, because we know for a fact that it wasn‚Äôt at his house and it wasn‚Äôt at Stan‚Äôs house either.  We will stay quiet about whose house it was at ‚Äì we‚Äôre just glad it was a good party and that everyone had fun. Happy Birthday Mayor Joe from all of us here at News Talk – you do know who we are right?
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Speaking of Herb, we understand that his daughter and one time candidate for Alderman at Large Kim is moving, we hear to Burlington, but we‚Äôre sure she‚Äôs not going to say anything to us.  We knew she was upset over the loss but to pick up your sticks and go play in another yard because of it? 
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Sources around the city tell us that The Boston Globe is very angry with Mayor Joe over a personal beef and is doing their best to turn the paper‚Äôs coverage of the Mayor negative.   That doesn‚Äôt sound very ethical now does it?   Hopefully, The Globe leaves personal differences aside and reports fairly and factually – like we do. 
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We’re not surprised at this next one at all Рwe hear that Alderman Sean O’Donovan is now working with one of the many Remax offices as a Real Estate agent. We do know he’s done a mailing for them Рmaybe it’s a sideline job or is being an Attorney not lucricative enough for him?
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Possible Mayoral candidate Jimmy Veneziano is regularly seen at Victor‚Äôs for lunch ‚Äì we know we know we mentioned this before; we just don‚Äôt want to confuse you.  He lunches with that ever-popular Plumbing Inspector – Anthony Sillari.  Both of them were big supporters of Tony L last time, but we have a feeling they‚Äôre not on that road this time ‚Äì they‚Äôre with Mayor Joe, but you knew that, right?  Don‚Äôt worry Tony, there‚Äôs more than one plumber in the city that can fix leaks – probably not as good as Sillari Plumbing ‚Äì but we heard you already have a new plumber.
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There they go again – our new Water Commissioner, Carol Antonelli, apparently can‚Äôt take a little criticism ‚Äì The News is the talk of the office on a daily basis between her and Jeanie A. ‚Äì apparently they keep attacking people all day instead of just doing their jobs – spending endless hours of foolish talk about who said what to who and when!  We still say bring back Jeanie C – at least she could walk and chew gum at the same time while she did her job at the Water Department, lots of people miss her including us.
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Still no resolution to the missing $$$$$ from Traffic and Parking Рguess the investigation has slowed down there – probably because the captain who is in charge of that investigation is busy with the investigation of the $31K that was thrown out at SPD.
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At this Thursday‚Äôs Board of Aldermen meeting the Mayor‚Äôs proposal for three new Captains and five new Lieutenants will be on the agenda.  We congratulate them all, but why not fill the seven soon to be open Sergeant positions as well?  We hear through various sources that politics might play into not filling the positions ‚Äì possibly because the Patrolmen‚Äôs Union isn‚Äôt playing ball with the administration.  That‚Äôs the rumor.
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What‚Äôs with the crowd under Route 93 on Temple Road early in the morning?  Is it some of the illegal immigrants trying to get some work someplace other than the very visible Foss Park?  Well, we would assume it won‚Äôt take long for the INS to find them or the contractors that pick them up every morning ‚Äì we hear they‚Äôre already on it.      
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