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© 2021 The Somerville Times. All rights reserved.
(The views and opinions expressed in Newstalk do not necessarily reflect those of The Somerville Times, its publisher or staff. The column has many contributors.)
How do you like the new full color and better quality paper in The Somerville Times? Let us know on our website or on Facebook what you think.
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If you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website – www.thesomervilletimes.com – over to the right side and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the paper. By the way, if you scroll further down, a link to former editions of the paper are online as well, and all recent legal ads have been online for anyone who needs the legal ad they just ran.
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We hear that Zac Zasloff has been in the hospital. We hope he will be home soon and on the road to recovery. Also on the mend and out of the hospital from hip surgery is our own Jimmy Del Ponte, who is getting along real well, so we hear. We wish him the very best.
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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to our own Donald Norton, who is celebrating this week, as well our good friend Richard Hart of the famous Hart family. Happy birthday to former writer for The Times, Harry Kane. We wish him a great day. Happy birthday to our good friend Marie Civello. Even though she’s from Medford, she’s always been a fan of Somerville and is here every day. Happy birthday to one of Somerville’s sharpest and nicest real estate agents, Clifton Verdieu, who also grew up in East Somerville he works at the Norton Group RE office. Happy birthday to Barry Rollins who is celebrating this week and we wish him a good day. Happy birthday to Erin DiBenedetto, who is a School Committee member from Medford. But Erin grew up here in Winter Hill. We wish her a happy birthday. Happy birthday to Valarie Spinale-Bolduc, who grew up in East Somerville and is well known as someone who loves the city. A special happy birthday to our good friend and Winter Hill resident, Vicki Potaris, who is one of Somerville’s nicest ladies. A great mother, sister and daughter, always helpful and considerate. We hope that the entire Potaris family (and her boyfriend, Jim Imbert) has a great birthday planned for her. She deserves something like Morton’s Steak House or similar! Happy birthday to everyone here and from the city who is celebrating this week. We wish every one of them a very happy birthday.
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This Sunday we congratulate the Little Sisters of the Poor on Highland Ave. who are celebrating their 150-year Anniversary on Sunday, October 28. A great order of nuns dedicated to the poor and elderly who do a fine job here in Somerville, and we hope they will be here for several hundred more years of service.
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Lots of changes coming to Somerville soon. The offices of Century 21 Commonwealth will soon be Berkshire-Hathaway Real Estate. That will make two Berkshire-Hathaway offices in Somerville. We also hear through the rumor mill that another Century 21 office will soon make an appearance as well here in Somerville. Stay tuned. As soon as we hear, we will let you know. But we hear it’s an already established office. Did you know Somerville was one of the first cities in the area to have a Century 21 franchise back in the 70’s? Actually, two company were very active here in the city at the same time. C21 Benoit and C21 Silva were both in business since the 1970’s. So the tradition continues!
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Of course, we wish the Red Sox a great series and a sweep of LA to end it in four.
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So, a proposal by the mayor to allow 16-year-olds and undocumented immigrants to vote will be a topic of discussion with the Board of Aldermen. Funny how you need to be 21 to buy liquor and cigarettes, but they are going to discuss letting 16-year-olds vote, along with those that are not citizens. Question, what is the most sacred part of being a citizen of a Constitutional Republic? Wouldn’t you agree, the right to vote?
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One of us recently visited the Mass General Clinic in Assembly Square (not the office building) and signed up with a primary care physician. The place is so modern, so friendly, and the doctors actually make phone call follow ups. Looking for a primary care or a new one? Check them out, they are on Foley St.
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Rumblings of potential candidates for the office of mayor next year to run against longtime incumbent Joe Curtatone. We hear that maybe two names might surface soon. One, a current alderman and another a former alderman. It could be interesting. We also hear that a famous brewery owner wants to contribute heavily to one of the candidates that is considering running. This is all rumor so far and speculation, but we heard it from various sources here in the city.
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Are you retired and looking for part time work, and you’re experienced in sales? Give us a call here at The Somerville Times at 617-666-4010. We are looking for advertising telemarketers.
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St. Catherine’s Parish is again planning their annual Christmas Bazaar for Friday, November 9, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, November 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the parish hall, 179 Summer Street, Somerville. Silent Auction, games, raffles, jewelry, refreshment, etc. Free admission.
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A community meeting to discuss Powder House Blvd. improvements takes place tonight, October 24. Join Ward 7 Alderman Katjana Ballantyne, and staff from the City’s Engineering Department and Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development at 7:00 p.m. in the cafeteria of the West Somerville Neighborhood School at 177 Powder House Blvd. to discuss upcoming improvements and paving to Powder House Blvd. As part of the City’s Sidewalk and Pavement Management Plan, work has been ongoing to reconstruct sidewalks and repave Powder House from Burnham St. to Alewife Brook Parkway. Through the month of October, contractors will continue work to reconstruct sidewalks, primarily between Burnham St. and North St.
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The letting ‘illegals’ vote scare tactic is crap. Anyone who immediately associates ‘immigrant’ with ‘illegal’ or ‘undocumented’ is a moron. The overwhelming majority of non-citizen residents in Somerville are 100% legal, and doing every single thing that the US Govt has asked of them or required them to do.
But because they don’t have full USA citizenship status (think Big Papi, until his last couple of years on the Sox), they can’t vote. They have all the necessary papers to maintain their legal residency, buy homes and pay property taxes, open businesses and pay commercial taxes and payrolls, raise families in Somerville and send their children to Somerville schools to be raised as the next generation of Somervillians – but they can’t vote.
That is what this proposal is about. Not letting ‘the illegals’ vote. So calm down – or go back to panicking about The Caravan in Guatemala instead.
I’m not sure you’re correct. When the BOA publicly discusses it we’ll find out. However, legal or illegal doesn’t matter. Voting is a right reserved for citizens. If you want to vote, become a citizen. If you’re legal that shouldn’t be a problem……..
Btw Oh boy the proposal by the Mayor and the Alderman is preposterous. What is wrong in going through the process and becoming a naturalized citizen in which all legally documented immigrants will be able to vote. The problem in this country is politicians are sworn in to up hold the Constitution but that is an impediment and distraction in their governance. I am so tired about hearing undocumented illegals. The fundamental problem is it is wrong no matter how the politicians spin their own interpretation of the law. As a country we welcome everyone, however, let’s enforce the laws of the land.The immigrants who are documented and going through the process will have the right to vote but not until they become citizens which is the legal way under our laws. Sixteen year olds absolutely shouldn’t be allowed to vote. Have you ever had a conversation with a teenager that age? The Alderman should ask them what branch of government they represent and my guess is they would be clueless.
So, the Man of A Thousand Monikers (aka “Voice of Reason” “Are you joking!” etc) chimes in with his lightweight wit and wisdom on this issue. No surprise that his shabby brand of ignorance is on full display here. Mr. (fill in today’s moniker), most 16 year olds that I know would put your alleged intellect to shame in a snap (actually, your average field mouse would do that). Your bigotry is repulsive, as usual.
That said, of course these proposals should be rejected. Historically, adults and U.S. citizens enjoy voting rights. There is no good reason why this should change. Bad idea that will go down in flames.
Let’s not let inconvenient laws and the US Constitution get in the way of passing a radical leftist ideology by the BOA.
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say anything about local residents not being able to vote on local matters.
And I’ve met more rational 16 year-olds lately than 66 year-olds.
I’m guessing the previous Alderman is Connolly, from his numerous op-eds in this publication. Two years of cooling his heels seems to have suited him poorly.
It’s unfortunate that there’s so much attention drawn to the expansion of the voter base ideas, when they were not the meat of the group’s proposal – interesting issues like ranked choice voting were way more important. We live in a city where the primary is the general, and broad fields can have strange and unexpected consequences. Ranked choice voting would be a great way to help prevent those.
This was discussed around me. Rumored Mayoral Candidates:::::Katjana Ballantyne, JT Scott, Lance Davis, Mark Niedergang. Rumored Ward Candidates::::Laura Pitone W5, Courtney O’Keefe W5, Sean Fitzgerald W7.