Union says city tactics ‘unprecedented’

By George P. Hassett

Mayor Joe Curtatone is facing allegations of union busting after a state labor investigator issued a complaint against the city last month.

The allegations include failing to notify the Somerville Municipal Employees Association about proposed cuts,  assigning new tasks without bargaining, failing to give them time to make their own reductions  and giving work to non-union employees. The association includes most city employees aside from police, fire and teachers.

Alan McDonald, an attorney for the employees association said the efforts of city officials add up to “disrespecting and marginalizing the union.”

By Rose Scherlis

Audrey Ryan will be hosting the fifth annual Viva La Vinal

The fifth annual Viva La Vinal Festival, hosted by Audrey Ryan of Somerville, is soon approaching.

On Friday and Saturday, there will be a celebration of live music and independent film in the Somerville Community Growing Center. It is a free, all ages event to benefit the Growing Center.

The event starts Friday with an open-air film festival featuring four new independent films. Saturday, 12 talented and diverse musicians will take the stage, ranging from global jazz to old-time Gothicana. Children’s Hour, 12-1, will feature Argentinean bassist Mariana Iranzi.

By George P. Hassett

Police arrested an Everett man last week for a stabbing in Davis Square that left a man with lacerations from his ear to his throat.

Nardeep Singh, 22, confessed to the stabbing after he told a detective several different versions of what happened, said Deputy Chief Paul Upton.

“[Singh] admits he was the one with the knife who did the stabbing,” Upton said.

By William Tauro

Under tight security, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is scheduled to visit Harvard Square Wednesday to promote his new book “A Journey.”

Alderman Sean O'Donovan is mad at NStar. - Photo by Andrew Firestone

O’Donovan: Outages more than a nuisance

By Andrew Firestone

After 16 power outages in Ball Square and East Somerville since April, aldermen last week lit into an electrical company they say has treated the city unfairly.

“They aren’t investing the money in their infrastructure that is required to keep the power running in Somerville,” said Alderman-at-Large Bruce Desmond. “I think they are in other communities, I don’t think  they are in Somerville.”

Ward 5 Alderman Sean O’Donovan organized the meeting, one night after he proposed a possible lawsuit against NStar for the string of outages.

Congratulations to state senator Sal DiDomenico on his victory last night over challenger Tim Flaherty. We endorsed Sal and expect him to do right by his Somerville constituents – it’s only two precincts but there are a lot of issues in the Somerville part of his district.

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Happy Birthday to Alderman Bob Trane of Ward 7 this week and School Committee woman Maureen Cuff-Bastardi of Ward 1, both very popular here in the city and both great people.

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Best wishes to one of our biggest fans down at Cobble Hill Apartments, Ms. Helen Boliver has been laid up and is recuperating at the Santa Maria in North Cambridge. Helen is a wonderful person and we wish her all the best as well as for a speedy recovery. Hopefully she’s getting her Somerville News delivered to her.

If the state had fulfilled its legal obligation, the Green Line would be rolling through Somerville sometime next year bringing jobs and environmental justice to Somerville. Instead, two delays in one month and cost hikes have the troubled project once again jumping off the rails.

It is particularly insulting that the extension – a legal remedy to increased air pollution caused by the Big Dig – is again delayed because of a no-bid deal with Big Dig bad guy Parsons Brinckerhoff.

In Ten Hills and East Somerville, where residents have to wipe grime from the nearby highway off their windows each morning – the pain is sharper. Residents in those neighborhoods suffer from significantly higher rates of asthma and lung cancer than the rest of the state.

By Andrew Firestone

State officials denied a contract extension for Green Line work last week to a firm that once worked on Boston’s bloated Big Dig project.

“Given the substantial increase in contract value represented by this amendment, the board believed it was prudent and responsible on behalf of taxpayers to re-bid this contract,” said MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo.

The cost of the long delayed extension has increased from $438 million in 2007 to a current estimate of $954 million.

By George P.  Hassett

Somerville police arrested a man in connection with a Sept. 8 robbery at Winter Hill Bank after he allegedly robbed a bank in Malden with another man. Somerville police would not release the robbery suspects name but said they had captured the man in connection with the Somerville robbery.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

I recently heard the news that Captain Michael Devereaux will no longer be the East District Commander. That is truly unfortunate news for the people and East Somerville. In the time that we have lived in East Somerville, Captain Devereaux has been extremely influential in the community and a great role model to the residents of Somerville. After our apartment was broken in to, he continued to be understanding of my fears and remained involved in the situation. He has helped us through a very difficult time and has been supportive throughout the year and a half we have lived here. Not many police captains would take time out of their busy day to walk a resident home because they are scared to enter their apartment, thank you again, Captain Devereaux.  It is evident and apparent in his relationships with the citizens and the work that he does that he truly cares about his role as a police captain are that he is passionate about serving the city of Somerville.  East Somerville will not be the same without you. I encourage residents of East Somerville to advocate on his behalf, for our community will be a different place without him serving as East District Commander.

Thank you,
Breanne Speicher