Vol. 5, No. 6
February 28, 2005
Contents
1) GREEN LINE "COMMITMENT" HEARING TONIGHT!
POSTPONED AGAIN: This meeting has been
postponed because of the snow emergency and will be rescheduled "soon."
Why are We Doing This AGAIN?
Tonight's hearing on a possible "substitution" for the promised Green Line Extension has been
so well publicized that writing this notice may be redundant. Yet the danger exists that too many
people will take it for granted that others will attend, that Somerville has already made our case,
that one more hearing is just one too many. As a friend of mine remarked the other day, "The
tactic of wearing people down does work, eventually."
So, please remember: the famous October 27 hearing on the Green Line Extension was held by
the MBTA, NOT THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. Nor is there a videotape
of the 10/27/04 meeting that we can show the interested state agencies, the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Executive Office of Transportation (EOT). Some people
were able to speak at the Gardner Auditorium on Dec. 14, 2004, but it was nothing like the
volume of testimony given to the MBTA in October.
Where and When, Exactly?
Monday, Feb. 28, 2005, Somerville High School Auditorium, 81 Highland Avenue, 6:30 to 8:30
pm. Be there, or be square.
Written Comments
If you can't be there, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Executive
Office of Transportation (EOT) will take written comments until 5 PM on Friday, March 4,
2005. Comments should be sent either by mail or email to:
Robert W. Golledge, Commissioner
Department of Environmental Protection
One Winter Street
Boston, MA 02108
robert.golledge@state.ma.us
and
Daniel A. Grabauskas, Secretary
Executive Office of Transportation
Ten Park Plaza
Boston, MA 02116
daniel.grabauskas@mhd.state.ma.us
4) SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT VOTE TONIGHT!
The Somerville School Committee will also be meeting this evening at 6 pm in the Aldermen's
Chambers to vote for the position of Superintendent of Schools. You can attend, learn crucial
information about Somerville's future direction in the realm of education, then head over to the
High School Auditorium to advocate for another vital aspect of our city's future. Does it get any
better than this?
I'm told that it is still possible to comment on the candidates to School Committee members via
the School Department web site.
3) "UNCONSTITUTIONAL" SCREENING AT LIBRARY TUESDAY
On Tuesday, March 1, 2005, I'll be sponsoring a FREE showing of the Robert Greenwald
movie, "UNCONSTITUTIONAL: The War on Our Civil Liberties." The film will be shown at
the Somerville Public Library Auditorium, 79 Highland Ave., at 7 pm. Nancy Murray, the
Education Director for ACLU of Massachusetts, will be there to discuss it and answer questions.
Ellen Rauch, Director of the Somerville Library, will comment on how the US Patriot Act has
forced the Somerville Library to change its policy on confidentiality of library patrons borrowing
of materials.
It should be a fascinating evening, and I hope you'll come.
4) MORE CHANGE AT THE TOP - POLICE CHIEF GOING
Somerville will be experiencing a change of leadership not only in the School Department, but
in the Police Department as well. On Friday, February 25, 2005, the Administration issued a
press release announcing that Police Chief George McLean would be retiring as of March 7,
2005. In November of 2004, former Attorney General Scott Harshbarger issued a scathing, and
highly superficial, report criticizing Chief McLean's management of the department; both the
Harshbarger report, and
Chief McLean's response to it, are posted on my website.
George McLean was appointed by former Mayor Dororthy Kelly Gay to replace former Chief
Donald Caliguri. Caliguri resigned after issuance of an earlier, extensive Management Study by
MMA Consulting Group, released in January, 2001. That study, of which I have a couple of
paper copies available for loan, documented serious internal and operational problems in the
Somerville Police Department.
On February 24, 2005, the Mayor submitted to the Board of Aldermen a request to pass a Home
Rule Petition to take the Somerville Police Chief's job out of Civil Service jurisdiction and rules.
On Feb. 25, 2005, the city put out a second press release regarding the police department,
stating its intention to set up a Commission to study the question of police department
management and to make recommendations. I will be happy to forward both press releases upon
request.
5) LOWELL STREET BRIDGE MEETING
After experiencing almost as much delay as the bridge reconstruction project itself, the much-rescheduled Community Meeting about the Lowell Street Bridge will take place on Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at 6:30 pm, at the VNA Assisted Living Facility's third floor Community
Room, 259 Lowell Street.
Material from this newsletter may be quoted freely, provided that it is credited to Denise
Provost, www.provost-citywide.org
copyright 2005 Denise Provost
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