Vol. 5, No. 9
April 27, 2005
Contents
1) DRUG STUFF
A) WHAT TO DO/NOT TO DO WITH A HYPODERMIC NEEDLE
In the last year alone
I've found seven or eight hypodermic needles on the streets of Somerville,
a significant increase over previous years. Somerville is not unique; Boston Police Commissioner
Kathleen O'Toole said last January that a hit of heroin currently cost "less than a six-pack of
beer" in the region. A February, 2005 report found that "heroin use is on the rise in New
Hampshire, including among the state's high school students."
Locally, people have been contacting me to report their own findings of needles, which has
made me realize how little guidance exists for such encounters. Out of curiosity, I asked my
seven year old what she would do if she found a hypodermic needle on the sidewalk. She told
me that she would pick it up, which led to our first discussion of hypodermic needle safety.
If you find such a needle, please, don't touch it. Call 911 from your cell phone, or as soon as
you can get to a telephone, and ask the police to come get it. If you must leave the needle to
report it, be sure you can give a very precise description of its location, so that it can be found.
Here's why this response is important:
1) For your own health and safety. Any mishap with a needle could expose you to hepatitis,
AIDS, or other blood-borne disease. The police keep gloves in their cruisers, and take needles
to Somerville Hospital for appropriate "sharps" disposal.
2) For public health and safety. Used needles are "biohazard" waste, which may not lawfully
be placed in the domestic waste stream, or disposed of in landfill. Unknown people from
trashpickers to city workers are potentially at risk when needles go into sewers or garbage bins.
3) For police intelligence. Recovered hypodermics are logged as "incidents,' and give police
invaluable information about where drug activity is occurring in the city. The narcotics division
can then use crime analysis information to identify 'hotspots,' and to verify/monitor
neighborhood problems.
B) FORUM ON ADDICTION
Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP) is holding its second annual forum on Addiction,
titled "Oxycontin, Heroin, and Recovery in Somerville." It will be Wednesday, April 27, from
6 to 8:30 pm at the Somerville High School Auditorium, 81 Highland Ave. For more
information contact Stephanie Almeida at 617-828-9184 or
somervillecares@yahoo.com
2) THE WRITING ON THE PARK BENCH....
Last Sunday afternoon, I followed my daughter from the Bike Path into Lexington Park, where
she headed for the swings. No hypodermic needles in sight, but plenty of beer cans, and several
empty 40 oz. bottles of malt liquor on the ground. Some were in brown bags, some not. One,
half full, hidden in a bush.
Along with the debris of the previous night's party was a fresh crop of the graffiti that has so
disturbed many of the neighbors and other park users: "Save Somerville - kill a Yuppie," "Save
Somerville from Yuppieville," and, again, "Kill a Yuppie." Perhaps less obvious were the
turf/identity "tags" that yield clues about the hostilities evidenced here: "Our Park = LP,"
"Ville'ens," "Da Ville Soljahs," and the ubiquitous "LP" and "DVS" initials scrawled and
carved in various places.
The vandalism - and the anger - are probably connected to a loosely-knit group of teens+ who
drift from Kelly Park to Lexington Park, up and down the Bike Path to various other hangouts,
including under the Lowell Street Bridge. You can learn something of the psychic wounds borne
by these self-styled "soljahs" by going to the "Fallen Soldiers of the Ville" section at
http://pdiddy.servebeer.com.
The aching, affectionate memorials on this website tell of friendship, loss, pain, and longing.
They speak of loyalty: to individuals, to an idyll of a youth hardly idyllic, to the idealized place
- "the Ville" - where that youth is experienced. The untold 'official' stories are painful ones, of
suicide, substance abuse, overdoses; as well as the lashing out and receiving ends of violence.
Embedded even more deeply here are the private stories of suffering, typically unspoken in this
city that so values silence.
The DPW can come to the park to scrub off the graffiti once again, but it won't touch the pain,
or the simmering resentments that these messages represent. The Police Department can order
"directed patrols" to Lexington Park, but those gathered there will just chill someplace else for
a while. A Youth Services Department with vision, focus, and compassion would not leave these
young people alone with their rage - however misdirected - and their sorrow.
Meanwhile, what can our community do?
3) THIS WEEKEND, IT'S ALL HAPPENING IN SOMERVILLE
A) Family Network Tag Sale
On Saturday April 30, from 9 am to noon, the Somerville Family Network will be holding its
Spring Tag Sale, on the basketball courts at the Powderhouse School, 1060 Broadway (near
Teele Square). Gently-used clothing, books, toys, and equipment will be on sale at bargain
prices. Rain date is Sat. May 7, 2005, same time.
B) Spring Cleanup
Also on Saturday, April 30, from 10 am to 1 pm, Somerville will be holding its annual Cleanup
Day, with activities in a number of school yards and squares, ending with a Barbecue in
Prospect Hill Park. For more information, call Eileen Costa at 617-625-6600 x 2607, or
ecosta@ci.somerville.ma.us.
I'm going to start the day at 10 by joining the cleanup of Foss Park, which will meet at the Latta
Brothers Memorial Pool House. For more information, contact the Foss Park Neighborhood
Association at 617-666-6989, or FossParkNA@netzero.com
C) Pancake Breakfast
Not in the mood for Barbecue? Enjoy Pancakes for Art this Saturday, April 30, at the Nave
Gallery, 156 Powderhouse Blvd. From 11 am to 1:30 pm, $6 will buy all the pancakes, coffee,
and juice you can consume. Guest Chefs are Katherine Krister and Cecily Miller. For directions,
visit the ArtsSomerville website.
D) Somerville Open Studios
Saturday April 30 and Sunday May 1, from noon to 6 pm, more artist's studios than you could
DREAM of visiting (94) will be open to the public. Orange balloons will mark the sites; pick
up a map at any of the colorful S.O.S. stands all over town. Call 617-764-2287, or visit the
Somerville Open Studios website.
E) Celebrate the Mystic River/Herring Run
Also on Sunday May 1 is the annual 5K Mystic Herring Run - registration opens at 8 am, race
starts at 9, with a paddle race at 10:30, and other activities around the Blessing of the Bay Boat
House, 32 Shore Drive. Free shuttle bus from Assembly Square (Foley Street). Contact
mark@ski-paddle.com for more information.
4) SPECIAL ELECTION SET FOR SENATE SEAT
The Senate has set the Special Election to fill the seat of our late Senator Charles E. Shannon.
The primary will be held on Tuesday, August 30, 2005, with the final election on September
27. Nomination papers are available now, and can be submitted for certification of signatures
until July 19, 2005. State Representative Pat Jehlen has announced her candidacy; others are
expected to run.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Legislative Matters has set the preliminary city election for Sept.
13, and final election for Nov. 8. Assuming this schedule is adopted by the full Board of
Aldermen, nomination papers will be available from Monday, May 23, until Monday, June 20.
I will be running for re-election. Please let me know if you'd like to help me get signatures on
my nomination papers, or in any other way.
copyright 2005 Denise Provost
This file has been converted from WordPerfect
Using wp2html.exe by Andrew Scriven