by Julia C. Reischel

Citing concerns over ride safety and gang violence, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone rejected a $100,000 offer by an amusement company to bring the first carnival to the city in 16 years.

"It’s really a constriction of business," said Lawrence Joseph Patrick Carr III, owner of Lawrence Carr Amusement Co., which offered the city a carnival contract last year. The carnival would have been at the Assembly Square Mall.

"Somerville hasn’t allowed a carnival in recent years. I think it’s a mistake. They are cutting our ability to raise money for the city,” he said.

Several carnival companies, including Carr Amusement Company and Fiesta, approached the city last year with bids to run a summer carnival in
Assembly Square, said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.

"Historically, Assembly Square has been an area that’s susceptible to troublemakers," the mayor said. "It’s right on the edge of the city
and right on the highway. For any event that the city holds, large or small, public safety is the main concern."

Ward 1 Alderman William M. Roche said he agrees with the mayor’s reasoning.

"It really came down to a public safety issue. Those two things together combined to make us not want to bring a carnival to the
city," Roche said.

"Even with the money they were offering us, it was not worth someone getting hurt or killed,” he said.

Roche said that there had recently been several incidents of carnival-ride accidents across the state. "The department of public
safety was not sending out enough inspectors, and people were getting seriously hurt or killed," he said.

The city was also concerned about giving rival gangs a venue for troublemaking. Roche said that a new gang, the H-block gang, was
emerging in the Mystic View housing Project.

"About last year at this time," Roche said, "there were fisticuffs between MS-13 and H-block that occurred right on the heels of the
carnivals that were asking to come into the city. The concern was that if rival gangs show up at a carnival, people would get hurt."

"You attract so many people," Roche said. "The location is on the Orange Line, so you’re not just getting people from Somerville.
You’re getting different people of different backgrounds."

The mayor also said that the resources of the Department of Public Works and the needs of the police department were taken into
consideration, and that there were issues of permission with the current occupants of Assembly Square.

John Pino, a Somerville resident who proposed working with Carr Amusement to propose the bid, said that he submitted a letter from
Carr proposing a 10-day carnival to be held in July request to the mayor’s office.

"We submitted a letter where we would pay $100,000 if they provided the equipment and the permit for a carnival in the city of
Somerville," Carr said. "John dropped the letter off at the mayor’s office."

"The mayor and Roche refused $100,000," said Pino.

Pino said that the equipment would have cost $40,000, leaving the city with $60,000 left over. "You can pay a lot of schoolteachers with
that money," he said.

"We felt that we would make it worthwhile," Carr said. "The city could do something good with the money, like buy sports equipment for
the schools."

"A carnival is a large undertaking," said Curtatone. "It’s a great idea on the face of it, but for any event the city might hold, it has
to make sure it’s a good investment."

"When you weight the pluses and minuses, it was not worth the risk," he said.

Carr said that he thought the city has developed an anti-carnival stance over the years.

"We used to do a lot of them," Carr said. "We ran one at St. Anthony’s in Union Square for years. If you’re insured, and the rides
are inspected by the state, there shouldn’t be a problem."

Pino said that he had worked with Mayor Brune to produce carnivals. "Why was it refused?" he asked. "We had one there before."

Roche said the 16-year gap started with the then mayor, Michael E. Capuano. "Mike Capuano wouldn’t allow them—he didn’t want them in the city," he said.

The Good Time Emporium, a sports bar, club, and "Family Fun Center" that boasts 100,000 square feet of amusement space, is located in
Assembly Square. Pino said

"They didn’t want the Good Time Emporium disturbed," he said.

"Good Time Emporium and a carnival are very separate—they do not pose any competition,” he said.

Pino said Good Time Emporium has been a hotbed of criminal activity and trouble for the city. "Everybody knows there’s been some negative action there."

Pino said that he though the issue of safety was an excuse. “Good Time is offering the same sort of entertainment day after day, whereas a carnival would be a special thing. It would have a different feel to it,” he said.

"Roche told us, ‘the kids have got to be safe,’" Pino said. "They’re faking, they’re kidding somebody. You can’t get a permit in this city.
They think they’re smart and that the people are dumb."

"It’s good family entertainment," said Carr. "Medford, Malden, and Chelsea all have carnivals. Kids in Somerville have to go to other
towns to enjoy a carnival."

The Medford carnival is different, said Roche. "It’s truly local, for Medford residents, every year. Most carnivals that happen are local,
but one in Somerville might be creating a recipe for disaster."

"It’s not off the table completely—everyone loves carnivals. There’s always a possibility,” he said.

"Anything that benefits the residents of the city, whether it makes us money or even costs money, is always welcome. The mayor’s office would
be open to a fair that the city would enjoy,” he said.

"You certainly can never close the door on that. If the right opportunity came at the right location."

The mayor said he is trying to increase community-wide events and restore Somerville pride, including the Memorial Day Parade and a Somerville Family Day at Trum field this year.

"I think there’s a lot going on in the city," Roche said. "The mayor held fireworks at Trum field last summer for the first time. I think
people are busy with activities that take them out of their homes."

"Events of this nature are on the table," the mayor said.