The Powderhouse

Traffic unit receives 2007 community service award

Members of the Somerville Police Department’s Traffic Unit are honored by the Board of Aldermen on Thursday, December 13th for receiving the Department’s 2007 Community Service Award.

“There is no unit in the department that exhibits the teamwork, camaraderie, commitment and spirit of the traffic unit,” said Acting Police Chief Robert Bradley.  “Their directed patrols and targeted enforcement have contributed to a steady drop in traffic accidents over the past 10 years, and each of the members of this unit are very deserving of this year’s award.”

The SPD gives the award annually to individuals who have 'significantly enriched the quality of life among the citizens of the community and by promoting the ideals of community service,' he said.

The Traffic Unit is comprised of Lieutenant Dennis Silva, Sergeant James Rooney, Officers James Brown (retired), James Hodgdon, Richard Gilberti, Thomas Ahearn, Steven Johnson, William McCarthy, Michael Wyatt, and Patricia Elpidoforos.

Illuminations tour draws record crowd

The Arts Council’s 11th annual 'Illuminations Tour'  drew a record crowd of over 1,000 people on Saturday, Dec. 15th, forcing the addition of an extra trolley this year.

“The Illuminations Tour has rapidly become one of the most popular holiday celebrations in the city,” said Executive Director of the Arts Council Greg Jenkins.

Mayor Curtatone (left), Superintendent Frank Sanangelo

Mayor Joe Curtatone and Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds Frank Santangelo recite Somerville facts

“This year’s turnout was terrific, and is a great reminder of the strong community – both arts and otherwise – we have here in Somerville.  Thanks to the many Somerville families that decorate their homes so beautifully, and make this tour possible," said Jenkins.

The Illuminations Tour included a 45-minute trolley ride through the Union Square and Central/Winter Hill neighborhoods, with refreshments and entertainment at Somerville City Hall before and after each tour, said Jenkins.

If you were unable to attend the Illuminations Tour, you can pick up a $3 Illuminations Tour map at McIntyre & Moore Booksellers in Davis Sq. (255 Elm St.).  For more information on the Illuminations Tour and other Arts Council events, please call the Council at 617-625-6600 ext 2985.

New Somerville youth group: Somerville Postive Forces 100

Somerville Youth on a Mission to Reduce Alcohol and Substance Abuse Amongst Youth in the Community

by Erin K. Gray

Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP) Director Tammy Freitas da Rocha  announced Dec. 14 the launch of a new youth group, Somerville Positive Forces 100 (SPF100).

"We are here to represent the youth who are facing issues of peer pressure and addiction.  We are here to help,” said Youth Leader Deepika Bhargo.

The group was created with the mission of supporting social change that would empower youth to make healthier decisions regarding the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, said Freitas.

SPF100 consists of a diverse group of teen members from across the city, including Penina Azard, Deepika Bhargo, Linda Chau, Mitchell Freitas, Manish Lama, Ashley McCarter, Jacky Man, Talia Mosley, Ashlee Snell, Suzanne Styffe, Amy Wu.  Staff supervisors include SCAP Youth Advisor Lovelee Heller and CASPAR, Inc. Youth Advisor Brian Rich.

“I am working with SPF100 because I want to see positive changes in our community” said Ashley McCarter, SPF100 Youth Leader.

The youth group will meet every Tuesday and Wednesday from October through June to develop projects aimed at reducing destructive decisions among Somerville youth through educating, advocating, and mentoring, said Freitas.

SPF100 youth leaders will organize and participate in ongoing MADD Youth In Action projects such as Sticker Shock, Shoulder Tap Surveys, Alcohol Purchase Surveys and Compliance Checks in efforts to reduce youth access to alcohol, she said.

“We are trying to raise awareness among youth and adults, to alert them of the issues related to drugs and alcohol that exist in our community,” said SPF100 Youth Leader, Linda Chau.

“It is the vision of SPF100 to create a community where youth are seen as assets and have access to a number of opportunities and experiences that foster human potential and leadership, thus preventing destructive decisions and behaviors,” said SCAP Youth Advisor Lovelee Heller.

SPF100 enacted their first campaign, the Sticker Shock campaign, at four local liquor stores, and will be working on Alcohol Purchase Surveys and Public Service announcements from December to March in efforts to raise awareness of the minimum drinking age of 21, said Freitas.  During the campaign, Somerville youth will work with local merchants to put special stickers on beers six-packs and cases, wine cooler and other alcohol multi-packs and on liquor store bags, she said.

Somerville Liquor Stores may sign up to participate in the Sticker Shock Campaign by contacting Lovelee Heller at 617-625-6600 x 4322.

For more information on Somerville Positive Forces 100 or Somerville Cares About Prevention, please contact Tammy Freitas da Rocha at (617) 625-6600, ext. 4319.

Free eye exams for the uninsured this holiday sesaon

Letter send from Saragas Eye & Laser center:

Dear Editor:

   

The Saragas Eye & Laser Center, in the spirit of the holiday season, is offering FREE eye examinations for eyeglasses to the uninsured.  We are offering examinations on Friday, December 21, 2007 at 413 Highland Ave. (Davis Square) Somerville, MA 02144.

    

I urge readers to call us at 617-623-1900 to make an appointment.

   

Sincerely,

S. John Saragas, MD
Ophthalmologist

Faith in the city by Molly Baskette

Skin

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who was having trouble sleeping. Night after night she would demand that one of her parents hold her for hours until she fell asleep.

They realized they couldn’t go on like this forever. One night, they sat her down and tried to convince her that she was not really alone in her bedroom.

“God is with you, beside you, watching out for your every minute, Sweetheart,” they said. “You’re never alone.”

Rev. Molly Baskette

She listened thoughtfully, nodding the whole time. But at the end of their passionate plea she said patiently, “Could you still stay with me? I know God is here, but right now I really need someone with a little more skin.”

A newcomer to my church, a young woman who had not been raised in any religious tradition, was baptized this year.

At the time of her baptism, she didn’t understand intellectually what baptism was all about, but just felt a strong spirit leading her to do it anyhow.

When we sat down to talk about it, she said: I feel like this is the right place to be, but I’m just not sure what I believe about Jesus.

I summed up for her what it means to me that Jesus is the incarnate—literally, en-fleshed—version of God. “This is what I believe:  God made us as part of the long, epic process of Creation; made us, in fact, because nothing else that God had made had satisfied the loneliness God felt.  So God made us, and loved us, but it wasn’t quite enough. God couldn’t get close enough, still. So God took on human skin to entirely share our experience, to learn total empathy by sharing every iota of what it means to be a human being fully alive, and to be as close to us as possible:  hugging, crying, eating. The incarnation is no more complicated than that.”

Maybe you don’t know quite how you feel about the adult Jesus.

Maybe you don’t know enough about him.

Be a villen

CALL TO ARTISTS: "Be A Villen"

Open to young Somerville artists 14-30

Extended deadline: 22 December 2007

Exhibit dates: Jan. 18 - Feb 9, 2007

"A number of young Somervillians call themselves 'villens'. It is an expression that means unity and fellowship in a city that had previously been divided into east and west. Young people in Somerville have suffered recent tremendous loss due to drugs, violence and accidents. If anything, tragedy seems to have brought these 'villens' closer together as a group," said Susan Berstler, the Director of ARTSomerville.   

"The exhibit 'Be A Villen' is meant to be a vehicle to allow artists to express some of the many complex emotions evoked by their experiences of tragedy. Additionally, broader interpretations of the theme will be presented; for example, issues of gentrification and change and its effects on young citizens as Somerville moves forward in the 21st century," she said.

Teen Empowerment will award the most compelling submission with a prize and the opportunity to showcase the piece at the annual Somerville Youth Peace Conference.

Details at www.ARTSomerville.org

Jehlen honored for work with elders

Lawmaker receives Sousa, Monro awards

by Erin K. Gray

The state senator for West Somerville was honored Oct. 17 for her advocacy on behalf of elders and for her efforts to increase funding for senior services by Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services.

State Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen, D, West Somerville, is a champion for the elderly on Beacon Hill, said John O'Neill, the executive director of SCES.

State Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen, D, West Somerville

Jehlen has been advancing the cause of older people since her days in the House, he said. “Pat has been a very good friend to our organization and the older people we serve.  Every year she is out front championing our cause—fighting for our budget items, filing amendments, and sponsoring legislation.  Her support helped to make the passage of the groundbreaking Equal Choice legislation a reality.”

The award was part of the night's "Serving Seniors Community Celebration" held at the Somerville City Club.

Jehlen received the 2007 John Phillip Sousa Advocacy Award for her many years of legislative leadership on issues benefiting elders, said June Pietrantoni, the senator's administrative director. Sousa, a long-time area resident was an outspoken and tireless advocate for older people.

In the Great Hall at the State House Nov. 7, the Peggy Munro Home Care Advocate Award was awarded to Jehlen by the Massachusetts Council for Home Care Aide Services for her work supporting and advocating for the needs of home care aides and their clients and for shepherding special legislation on their behalf this session, said Pietrantoni. 

“Throughout your tenure in the Legislature, you have not only provided outstanding leadership on home care issues, you have shown a deep, personal commitment to caring for elders in need.  You have also recognized the dedication and commitment of the direct care workers who are the heart of the home care system.  Your support to home care aides has been unwavering," said Lisa Gurgone, executive director of the council. 

"The council is honored to recognize your longstanding leadership, compassion and commitment to the home care program and the direct care workers who help elders in need,” she said.

You CAN get there from here

by Mathew Kaplan

Two local authors held a themed reading of their works in front of about 31 people Dec. 12 at McIntyre &  Moore Booksellers in Davis Square.

The essays deal with “coming out on the other side of funny or difficult situations,” writer Judah Leblang said.

Judah Leblang

The event, entitled 'You CAN Get There From Here,' featured Leblang and writer Barbara Beckwith reading eight essays “dealing with life’s uncertainties,” Leblang said. Leblang and Beckwith switched off in between reading each of their four essays, with each essay tying in with the previous one.

“The pieces tend to relate to each other,” Leblang said. 

Of the four works he read from, Leblang said two of them have appeared in his 'Life in the Slow Lane' column he writes for Bay Windows, a New England-based GLBT newspaper. Of the other two, one appeared in an Ohio-based monthly magazine. The other, a story entitled 'jingle bells' about caroling in Medford Square, appears on his CD 'Snapshots.'

One of the essays Beckwith read at the event, about a walk to Harvard Square, is featured in anthology of local authors released Dec. 11 by Eden Waters Press entitled 'Home.'

“We want to honor all the local talent,” anthology editor Anne Brudevold said.

Leblang said he and Beckwith held a joint reading around this time last year in Medford, where Leblang currently resides, which drew around 30 people. The two writers initially met at a National Writers Union meeting eight years ago. After the success of last year’s reading, Leblang said he and Beckwith, a Cambridge resident, decided to hold another joint reading this year.

Mary Curtin, McIntyre & Moore’s program coordinator, said Leblang contacted her two months ago about holding the reading. Curtin said she knew Leblang from previous readings he had done at the bookstore, but this event marked Beckwith’s first time doing a reading at the store.

“It’s a nice place to read,” Beckwith said. “I love being surrounded by books.”

At the event, the essays ranged in topics from a Beckwith essay about the subtle difficulties she and her husband had speaking French in Paris to a Leblang essay about being paired with himself on an Internet dating site.

“Reading in front of a live audience is great because you get such a visceral response,” Beckwith said.

After the reading, the writers allowed the audience to ask questions, and both stayed after to speak with those in attendance.

Leblang said he enjoyed receiving comments about his work. “I don’t usually get in person feedback,” he said.

“Both writers show the pleasure of hearing the local voice,” event attendee Joel Alter said.

Starting April 3, Leblang and Beckwith will lead a workshop at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education on helping writers polish and submit their pieces.

Curtatone declares city snow emergency

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone declared a snow emergency for the City of Somerville to go into effect at 10 a.m. today.

Sign-up for Snow Emergency e-mails here

During snow emergencies, parking is allowed on the odd-numbered side of the street only (unless otherwise posted).  Cars not moved by 2 p.m. This afternoon will be subject to ticketing and towing. Residents unable to find a parking space on the odd-numbered side of the street may park in any municipal or school parking lot for the duration of the emergency, he said.

A list of available city lots and other relevant information may be found on the city’s Web site, here:  SNOW EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

It will be heavy

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
1148 AM EST THU DEC 13 2007

.SYNOPSIS...
A FAST MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING A 6 TO 8 HOUR PERIOD OF HEAVY SNOW TO MUCH OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.  A POWERFUL NOREASTER LOOKS TO AFFECT THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A VARIETY OF HAZARDOUS WEATHER. DRY BUT VERY COLD CANADIAN AIR WILL BE USHERED IN BEHIND THIS SYSTEM MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 9 PM THIS EVENING/...
*** WIDESPREAD HEAVY SNOW WITH AMOUNTS UP TO 1 FOOT APPEAR LIKELY FOR A  PORTION OF SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ***

JUST REVIEWED 12Z GFS AND ITS A TAD FARTHER NORTH WITH MID LEVEL WARM AIR...WITH A MIX OF SLEET PENTRATING INTO IJD/PVD/EWB/CC CANAL. NAM AND GFS SOUNDINGS AT 18Z ACROSS NYC BOTH CAPTURING THE MIXED PRECIP...ALTH THE WARMER GFS PROBABLY BETTER GIVEN RAIN IS SHOWING UP IN MANY NYC OBSERVATIONS. THUS...WE WILL FAVOR THE WARMER GFS.

HOWEVER...BOTH MDLS SHOW VIGOROUS UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION FOR THIS EVENT WITH A SWATH OF HEAVY QPF OF 1-1.25 FROM IJD-PVD-TAN-PYM. GIVEN THE GFS DOESN/T WARM THE COLUMN BEYOND 0C TO +1C...THERE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT LIFT TO PROVIDE DYNAMICAL COOLING FOR A MAINLY SNOW EVENT. THEREFORE...THINKING ANY MIX OF SLEET WILL LIKELY REMAIN SOUTH OF IJD-PVD-TAN-PYM...AND CLOSER TO THE SOUTH COAST. CURRENT FORECAST REFLECTS THIS WELL WITH SNOW TOTALS IN THIS AREA OF 5 TO 10 INCHES. SO WILL RIDE WITH CURRENT FORECAST.

AS FOR POTENTIAL OF MESO-SCALE HEAVY SNOW BANDS...BOTH 12Z NAM AND NOW 12Z GFS CONTINUE TO TARGET EASTERN CT-RI AND SOUTHEAST MA FOR VERY HEAVY MESOSCALE SNOW BANDS FROM 5 PM TO 9 PM. IN ADDITION...
BOTH NAM AND GFS GENERATE A SWATH OF 1-1.25 QPF ACROSS THIS AREA.
GIVEN FORECAST TIME RANGE IS ONLY 5-9 HRS AWAY COMBINED WITH MULTIPLE MODELS OVER MULTIPLE CYCLES HAVE BEEN SIGNALING THIS FOR DAYS...WE ARE CONFIDENT THERE WILL BE VERY HEAVY SNOW BANDS ACROSS EASTERN CT-RI AND SOUTHEAST MA DURING THIS TIME. THEREFORE...WE WILL INCREASE SNOW TOTALS FROM IJD-PVD-TAN-PYM AND SURROUNDING AREAS TO MENTION ISOLATED 1 FT AMOUNTS LIKELY!

OTHERWISE...FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK. PRIOR TO THESE BANDS DEVELOPING WE WILL ISSUE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENTS ADDRESSING THE TIMING OF ONSET AND MOVEMENT.