When it comes to the sale of the Union Square Post Office, Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-MA) had two things to say. First, he noted that the sale is the result of what he feels was needless congressional strong-arming. A 2006 law forces the U.S. Postal Service to fully fund its pension system. “The whole pension thing is what’s causing the post office to have a loss,” Capuano told the Somerville Neighborhood News. “I didn’t vote for it but Congress passed a law five, six, seven years ago I think, that said that the post office has to fully fund it’s pension plan now. And that’s insane!” The full news story is found at www.scatvsomerville.org/SNN.

Youth homelessness is on the rise; at least 25 Somerville students are homeless. Some 13,000 students are homeless in Massachusetts, according to the state Department of Education. “We think this [number] is underestimated,” Somerville Parent Information Director Regina Bertholdo told the Somerville Neighborhood News, especially when it comes to what are called “unaccompanied youth.” The full news story is found at www.scatvsomerville.org/SNN.