News Talk for the week of March 8

Ok, we‚Äôre not going to get into a pissing contest about who scooped who, but (wink, wink) lets recap here. The Somerville Journal (alias, the Farm Team), owned by the faceless, evil empire of local journalism — the Community Newspaper Company (CNC) — is mocking our homegrown, Somerville-oriented operation. Whatever, they‚Äôre bigger just not necessarily better then the alternative. We think they‚Äôre a pretty good paper considering the fountain of resources they have, after all their budget must be 5 times what ours is, isn‚Äôt it? They print ‚Äì according to a source inside CNC who wishes to remain anonymous — around 6,200 copies per week and mail 3,000 to residents and businesses free of charge. Then there‚Äôs us — the independent, locally owned paper. We print 7,000 papers a week, our Web Site is visited by an estimated 6,000 people a week and we (do you see us grinning proudly?) were praised by the Boston Globe for our ‚Äúterrific‚Äù web site. And yes we‚Äôre free to read (if you want to pay please send .25 cents) not FREE to print or distribute. Sometimes we scoop the Farm Team and sometimes they scoop us, or do they—?  (Says us with a smile and a wink). So when we‚Äôre being called out by the Editor of the Farm Team on the blog they imitate us on ‚Äì it makes us feel like we just may be matching  the fine work they do everyday over there. Thanks for the encouragement!

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Does anyone know how long the Sycamore Bridge is going to be out of commission? There was a temporary bridge in place but now that‚Äôs out and they continue to work on repairs but everyone in Somerville knows how long that could take. 
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We heard the Administration offered Lucy Warsh’s mayoral aide position to one of the reporters from the Farm Team and the reporter turned the offer down. Anyways, we want to congratulate Lucy for a job well done these past couple of years and wish her nothing but health, wealth and happiness in her new position at the Boston Redevelopment Authority. There was quite a turnout at her going away party Monday evening in Davis Square. She will be missed throughout the city.
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Congratulations to Somerville High School‚Äôs girls track athletes Antoinette Toussaint and Abby Murray who earned Greater Boston League all-star recognition last week. Antoinette was the league champ in the high jump and is also a member of the Eastern Mass Division 1 championship 4×400 relax team along with Billne Jourdan, Vanessa Beckford and Tanisha Douchatelier. The team placed second with a time of 4:04.44 behind Stoneham High‚Äôs time of 4:03.23 at the All-State Invitational that was held Friday night at the Reggie Lewis Center. Abby Murray broke her own school record in the 1,000 in 3:15.21 at the Eastern Mass. Division 1 Championships. She set the previous record of 3:15.28 last Winter.   
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Well, another local parish school is being closed. St. Polycarp‚Äôs, St. Ann‚Äôs, St. Benedict‚Äôs, and now St. Anthony‚Äôs have each shut down operations all within the past few years. How sad for all the future students who won‚Äôt know what they are missing. St. Anthony‚Äôs announced this week that after operating 57 years, it will be closing its doors at the end of the school year — a lot of fond memories will be going away with it.
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To the person who posted in the Farm Team‚Äôs Speak Out section last week regarding our publisher Donald Norton ‚Äì we‚Äôre puzzled and don‚Äôt understand your comment. ‚ÄúH.L. Mencken‚Äù? ‚ÄúWatch out, they‚Äôre closing in‚Äù? What does that mean? Could you go back to  Speak Out next week and clear this up for us. Just remember to disguise your voice and not to leave your name. We were confused, or are we? See what we mean? And oh yeah by the way he‚Äôs not the editor of The Somerville News but the publisher — that just means he pays the bills.