In the latest Somerville Neighborhood Newscast, learn about the new affordable housing development on Washington Street, get the latest on a pro-divestment sit-in at Tufts, find out why Rep. Denise Provost is “appalled” with the trade deals being made in Washington, learn about the Tufts protests to support part-time janitors, go to the Boston Marathon with the Somerville Road Runners, learn more about the heroin and opioid epidemic and go to the city’s spring clean-up.
somerville neighborhood news
Somerville, MA, Mar. 25, 2015 – A number of community groups, non-profits, business owners and residents are not happy with the ongoing planning process for the redevelopment of Union Square.
About 12 acres, located on seven blocks of real estate, are slated to be redeveloped by a master developer, chosen by the City last year. Union Square Station Associates, or US2, is a consortium of firms – led by Chicago’s Magellan Development Group LLC and Boston’s Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. – that formed specifically to undertake the billion-dollar development.
Somerville, MA, Feb. 24, 2015 – After weeks of immense back-to-back snowstorms, Somerville has now been hit with an unprecedented record of snowfall of over 95 inches, and that’s taking its toll on locally owned businesses.
Some local businesses say they have endured losses in revenue because of the weather that has resulted in limited mass transit, poor road conditions, parking problems, and clogged sidewalks.
Jan. 27, 2015 – Check out the Martin Luther King Day concert and meet some performers, attend the meeting to learn about the city’s new zoning ordinance, find out about the concerns surrounding the Union Square “community benefits agreement,” visit a Somerville High School health careers class and hear from union members on why they’re upset the new mega-apartment building at Assembly Square will be built by non-union labor. These stories and more on Somerville Neighborhood News #32.
By Elijah Kaplan, SNN reporter
Somerville, MA, Oct. 21 –New, relatively unregulated “ride sharing” transportation companies like Uber and Lyft earn the praise of travelers but are prompting protests from traditional taxi drivers and others.
Across the country, and the world, the media, public officials and others are discussing how to regulate the multi-million dollar industry. Some places – like Germany – have banned the service altogether. In Somerville and the Greater Boston Area, discussions are underway, but so far no regulations, much less bans, have been announced.
by Jane Regan
Somerville, MA, September 23, 2014 – Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wowed a crowd of some 500 students, faculty and neighbors on September 15 with stories from her youth, but she also issued dire warnings about the big banks, the lack of investment in education and the “hollowing out of the middle class.”
The senator was also protested by those who came to criticize her stand on the most recent chapter of the Israel-Gaza conflict. Once inside, however, Warren seemed to back away slightly from statements she made in August, saying that Palestinians had a right to self-defense.
Somerville, MA, July 29, 2014 – While pleased the grounding of the McGrath highway is moving forward, residents and local elected officials who attended a recent meeting told Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) representatives that they want to make sure everyone is kept updated on planning and construction, and that the project is well-coordinated with other work going on around the city.
“As things change on McGrath, how will that effect Union Square, and the study that’s going on right now in Union Square?” Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston asked at the July 17 meeting.
Somerville, MA, July 29 – “It was really hard to come back,” the veteran explained, quietly. “My whole family was telling me that I was someone different, someone that basically they didn’t recognize. You come back and you just try to live a normal life, and it’s not really possible to do that.”
Military veterans face terrible odds when they return from conflict. A recent study from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) noted that 53 percent of those polled say they have a mental health injury.
Somerville Neighborhood News is a production of Somerville Community Access Television, made by professional journalists, volunteers and staff. The half-hour news show has as its mission to provide a lively, informative newscast focusing on the events, issues and information impacting Somerville residents.