Vol. 4, No. 14
October 18, 2004
Contents
1) VITAL PUBLIC MEETING ON GREEN LINE EXTENSION
There will be a Public Meeting on Wednesday, October 27, 2004, to discuss "options" for
improving transit services in the corridor "Beyond Lechmere." This is the ONLY such meeting
that the MBTA will be holding in Somerville regarding the GREEN LINE EXTENSION. The
MBTA's format will be an "Open House/Public Meeting to learn about the preliminary
alternatives under discussion;" including viewing the options on display boards, and talking to
the project team.
These "preliminary alternatives" will be available to preview on line at some point before the
meeting, though they are not yet posted. The Green Line extension has its own web site, and
the alternatives will appear there some time in the week before the 27th, at: www.mbta.com/projects_underway/beyond_lechmere_planning.asp
The important Public Meeting will be held in the Somerville High School Auditorium, 81
Highland Ave., from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Again, it is the ONLY session scheduled for receiving
public input in Somerville. For those who simply cannot attend, but want to be involved, there
will be a similar meeting at Medford City Hall from 6 until 8 pm on Wednesday November 3,
2004.
Call Regan Checchio at Regina Villa Associates, 617-357-5572, with any questions.
2) SOMERVILLE SCHOOLS
A) SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH: WHAT'S HAPPENING
My thanks to Ward 3 School Committee person Roberta Bauer for compiling this excellent
summary of the public input process component of the upcoming search:
The School Committee is working with Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) to conduct
a search for a new Superintendent. Although Dr. Argenziano notified the school committee of
his intent to retire at the end of this calendar year, he is willing to remain until the end of June.
Currently, we expect to announce the appointment of the new superintendent at the beginning
of March.
HYA is soliciting community input to develop a profile of our ideal candidate. After developing
the profile, HYA will recruit candidates and present the school committee with approximately
five candidates. In the late winter, the school committee will publicly interview the finalists. At
that time, there will be more opportunity for community input.
Three opportunities for initial input to develop the profile:
1. FOCUS GROUPS -- all day, Wednesday, October 20 by invitation to numerous education-linked groups in the city groups include teachers, administrators, students, business partners,
early childhood education, post high school educators, PTAs, PACs,
special education, etc.. If you belong to any such group, you may volunteer yourself to the
leadership to represent your group in one of the focus groups.
2. COMMUNITY FORUMS
Thursday, October 21 from 7:00-9:00 at the Healey School Monday, October 25 from 7:00-9:00
at the Kennedy School. Anyone may come and participate.
3. QUESTIONNAIRE
Available on-line in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. Can be filled out by anyone at any time.
There you will find a cover letter and a menu that can take you to
the questionnaire and other related information.
If the direct link doesn't work try either the
Somerville Public School web site (select "Departments," then select "SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH")
or the
City of Somerville web site (go to "Quick Links" and select "Schools." Then select "Somerville
Public Schools Web site.")
The questionnaire may be answered on-line or downloaded and mailed/brought to a school or school department offices. Paper
questionnaires should also be available in these places.
B) WHAT'S NOT HAPPENING
Whatever role the public may play in selecting a new school
superintendent, it will not include lobbying me to vote for a
particular candidate, when selection time comes. It is now official
that my tenure on the School Committee will be over by the time that
candidates will be interviewed, finalists chosen, and a selection
made. The current Vice President of the Board, Bruce Desmond, will
likely succeed me as President of the Board, and ex officio member
of the School Committee.
While the original schedule called for selecting a new
superintendent in December, the Mayor last month asked that the
selection deadline be moved to June of 2005. The Personnel Committee
of the Whole compromised on early April. At the urging of its
consultant, Dr. John Connolly of Hazard, Young, and Attea, to
tighten this schedule, a subsequent 7-2 vote of the School Committee
moved back the selection date to the beginning of March.
The selection process is designed to elicit community input into
devising a profile of Somerville's ideal superintendent. The
question did arise whether a Selection Committee, including
community members, might be created. Dr. Connolly, however,
forcefully expressed his opinion that in Massachusetts, a School
Committee may not lawfully delegate the responsibility of selecting
a superintendent to any other group or body.
For maximum impact, community members should participate as fully as
possible in the focus groups, forums, and questionnaire aspects of
the search. We should watch the process closely, and attend all
interviews conducted in public once that stage is reached. Then, we
should be prepared to lobby our representatives on the School
Committee to vote for our preferred finalist candidate.
3) ARMORY PROJECT MOVING FORWARD
What's Going On?
Last spring, the former National Guard Armory on Highland Avenue was
sold at auction to Joseph and Nabil Sater, owners of the Middle East
Restaurant and nightclub complex in Central Square, Cambridge. At a
neighborhood meeting last month, Joseph Sater presented plans for
the re-use of the 33,320 square foot building. While the reception
was generally favorable, neighbors have concerns about many details
of the project.
What's the Plan?
Many are pleased that the historic armory will remain essentially
unchanged. Addition of an interior mezzanine in the cavernous old
drill hall, and 1,840 square foot expansion of the existing third
floor will increase the floor area of the building to 39,040 square
feet. Since the latter expansion will be behind the existing parapet
wall, however, just a few feet of elevator penthouse and dormer will
protrude above the armory's existing roofline.
The big changes are in the use of the interior space. Plans for the
basement level include a film/video studio and recording studio, six
smaller work studios, and an art gallery. Intended for the first
floor are a restaurant/cafe, a performance hall, and office space.
The second floor would hold dance studios and more offices; the
third floor is slated for four small (around 600 square feet)
artist's live/work studios.
A) Neighborhood Meeting
A second Neighborhood Meeting to discuss these plans, and to get
answers to questions, will be held on Monday, Oct. 18, at 6:30 pm,
at Anthony's Function Hall, at the corner of Central Street and
Highland Avenue.
B) Somerville Historic Preservation Commission
This body will hold a public hearing on the Armory project on Tues.,
Oct. 19, 2004, at Somerville City Hall, "at approximately 8:40 pm."
C) Zoning Board of Appeals
The ZBA will open its hearing on the Armory project at 6 pm on
Wednesday, Oct. 20, in the Aldermen's Chambers, even though the
Planning Board has not yet opened the matter. The building owner
will be putting forward his plans and petitioning for a Special
Permit with Design Review for changes to a non-conforming structure,
and to permit a nonconforming use (the restaurant/cafe and
performance space).
As of last week, it was undecided whether public testimony would be
taken at this meeting. It is contemplated that there will be other
opportunities for public comment on this project before the ZBA. For
more information, contact Maureen Liberatore at 617-625-6600, x
2500.
4) FIRST "VISIONING" MEETING FOR CLYDE STREET ("MAXPAK") SITE
The first of a series of "neighborhood workshops" on the
redevelopment of 56 and 61 Clyde Street will be held on Wednesday,
Oct. 20, from 6:30 to 9:30 pm at the VNA Assisted Living Facility's
third floor Community Room, at 259 Lowell Street. For the first time
in living memory, the City of Somerville will conduct a "community
planning process" for future re-development of land. This
Wednesday's workshop will focus on shaping a "vision for the Maxpak
site and the surrounding neighborhoods."
Future workshops are scheduled for the consecutive Wednesdays of
November 3, 10, and 17, 2004, to provide information on such topics
as "real estate development, transportation and traffic, urban
design, and environmental remediation." For more information,
contact Tuck O'Brien at 617-625-6600, x 2500, or at
maxpakplanning@ci.somerville.ma.us.
5) MYSTIC RIVER WATERSHED ASSOCIATION MEETS THURSDAY
At 6:30, on Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004, at the Council on Aging Senior
Center, Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland Street,
Somerville, The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) will hold
its annual meeting. MyWRA is a non-profit organization dedicated to
raising public awareness of the Mystic River and other waterways
within its watershed. It is engaged in education and advocacy, and
has been running a valuable project monitoring water quality in the
Mystic waterway system.
The featured speaker at this year's annual meeting is Commissioner
Kathy Abbott, of the state's Department of Conservation and
Recreation (DCR), the successor agency to the former Metropolitan
District Commission (MDC). DCR has ownership and control of many of
Somerville's parks and recreational facilities, including Draw 7 and
the other park lands along the Mystic, Dilboy Field and Foss Park,
and the skating rink on Somerville Avenue.
The meeting is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be
provided. For more information, call 781-316-3438, or contact
janet@mysticriver.org.
6) SATURDAY IN THE PARKS
A) Celebrate History at Powderhouse Park
This coming Saturday, October 23, the City of Somerville will be
celebrating its receipt of the Massachusetts Historical Commission's
2004 Preservation Award for restoration of Nathan Tufts Park, better
known as Powderhouse Park. From 11 am until 1 pm, the many eras of
the park's history will be on display, in an interactive way. Come
and meet Native American dancers, Revolutionary War re-enactors, and
costumed interpreters who will teach games of the mid-nineteenth
century.
For the very young, there will be farm animals and pony rides. Apple
cider and light refreshments will be served. For more information,
call 617-625-6600, x 2500.
B) Autumn Cleanup at Foss Park
On this same Saturday, Oct. 23, from noon until 3 pm, the Foss Park
Neighborhood Association is sponsoring a clean up of Somerville's
largest park. Originally a city park, Somerville deeded Foss to the
MDC in the 1950s. Its 14.62 acres, 12% of the city's open space, is
now in the ownership and control of the Department of Conservation
and Recreation, DCR.
Let's get together and show DCR how much Somerville cares about Foss
Park. For more information, call 617-666-6989, or email:
fossparkna@netzero.com.
7) JOIN THE HALLOWEEN STROLL ON THE BIKE PATH
The Somerville Recreation Commission will be holding its First
Annual "Halloween Stroll" on Sunday, Oct. 31, from 1 until 4 pm.
Families will meet at the Cedar Street end of the Bike Path for
music and games. There will then be a walk down the path to Davis
Square, and return to Lexington Park. Costumes are optional.
Kids 13 and older are encouraged to sign up in advance to help with
games. For more information, call Kathleen Houghton at 617-625-6600
x 2980.
8) PUBLIC HEARING ON CITY'S USE OF FEDERAL GRANTS
The City of Somerville will be holding the second of its two public
hearings on three HUD funded programs, the Community Development
Block Grant Program, the Emergency Shelter Grant Program, and the
HOME program. Public comment is invited. This hearing will be held
Thursday, November 4, 2004, at 7 pm.
It will be in the cafeteria of the Lincoln Park School, 290
Washington Street. Questions about the hearing? Call 617-625-6600 x
2500. Persons with disabilities should contact Bonnie Carroll at x
2414 to request accommodation.
9) INSIGHTS FROM SOMERVILLE'S YOUTH DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
The fiscal year 2005 budget process last spring was used by the new
administration for some major reorganization of city departments.
One innovation was the creation of the position of Youth Development
Director, within the Somerville Recreation Department. That $60,230
a year position was awarded to John Hannah, then newly hired as the
football coach for Somerville High School, a job for which he is
paid an additional salary.
The Oct. 6, 2004, edition of our other local paper, The Somerville
News, published an interview with Mr. Hannah about his goal of
changing the attitude of Somerville's entire football program.
Speaking of his frustration with Somerville's Highlanders, Hannah
complained, "They don't know how to suck it up when they get tired.
We've got some fast kids, but the issue is hitting."
"'Football is meant to be played violently, and if you don't have
people that are willing to hit, then you aren't going to win many
games,' he said."
"The coach said good hitting can be taught, but that it should be
taught at an early age in Pop Warner, and that parents must be
involved in order to insure the proper development of young talent.
Some players simply do not like hitting, but these individuals
should not be on the field."
The interviewer did not ask Mr. Hannah what he thought about whether
we have a youth gang problem, how we can prevent teen suicides, or
what he thinks of the fact that this year's Somerville High School
Student Health Survey indicates that more SHS students are smoking
marijuana than tobacco (19% use the former, vs. 17% for the latter).
I hope that the next journalist to interview John Hannah does ask
these questions. They are the questions for which I'd like some
answers.
copyright 2004 Denise Provost
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