ADDRESSING WAGE THEFT IN SOMERVILLE
How can we continue to combat this persistent problem? (Somerville Wire) – The problem of wage theft in Somerville has persisted long enough that in late 2019, the City Council passed a new Wage Theft Ordinance. This law also created a Wage Theft Advisory Board, a group that has given workers hope but that could […]
ARTIST PROFILE: AROUND HEAR
Bringing music to the community in an affordable way (Somerville Wire) – Violinist Marji Gere and pianist Dan Sedgwick are the co-directors of Around Hear, an organization that aims to accessibly enrich the city of Somerville with the art of music. They bring free concerts and music lessons to low-income residents, inviting people to “gather, […]
A NEW AMERICAN PROJECT
In the nationwide bipartisan blitz to privatize public housing, Boston’s giving billions worth of benefits to some of America’s largest developers, financiers, and property management firms. Politicians are applauding, but for many residents caught in the transition, their housing future is unclear BY CHRIS FARAONE with research and reporting by ZACK HUFFMAN New rules “Sidewalks, […]
PANDEMIC HOUSING RELIEF: END OF AN ERA
Governor Charlie Baker tours the new Heights at Haverhill apartment community on Nov. 5, 2020. Joshua Qualls/Governor’s Press Office Mass diverts eviction relief funds to investigate fraudulent applications As thousands of Massachusetts residents face eviction, the administration of Gov. Charlie Baker is cutting back aid payments designed to keep people in their homes, saying the […]
GOVERNOR’S COUNCIL SIGNALS LANDMARK COMMUTATION LOOMS
Tom Koonce (left) and his son, Thomas Andrews, circa 2018, taken at MCI Norfolk “You had one really horrible day and you paid dearly but I think you paid enough.” On Jan. 26, 54-year-old prisoner Thomas Koonce, a former US Marine who was born in Brockton, spent nine-and-a-half hours at the Massachusetts State House offering […]
SOMERVILLE MAN SUES UBER FOR PARALYZING CRASH, ALLEGING THAT COMPANY IGNORED DRIVER’S HISTORY
(Photos courtesy of: Victoria Santoro Mair) The sound of the accident haunts William Good to this day A Somerville man filed a $63 million lawsuit Tuesday against Uber over a crash that left him permanently paralyzed, saying the driver of the car had had a history of reckless driving but still managed to pass the […]
SOMERVILLE WIRE: JANUARY 25, 2022 WEEKLY ROUNDUP
An honoring of outgoing city councilors, a Gilman Square public art search, and a Somerville Museum exhibit on chocolate Articles HOW DO WE KEEP ARTISTS IN SOMERVILLE? The City held a discussion of the Somerville Arts Space Risk Assessment BUSINESS PROFILE: RAZORS BARBERSHOP & SHAVE CO. Stop by Highland Avenue, when you need a trim […]
BUSINESS PROFILE: RAZORS BARBERSHOP & SHAVE CO.
Stop by Highland Avenue, when you need a trim (Somerville Wire) – Razors Barbershop is more than a place to get a haircut. A place of community, the shop is family owned and can give you an updated look or something more classic. Recently, Razors partnered with Capito Coffee to open a café in their […]
HOW DO WE KEEP ARTISTS IN SOMERVILLE?
The City held a discussion of the Somerville Arts Space Risk Assessment (Somerville Wire) – While artist studio buildings are central to having a robust creative economy, many artists in Somerville are experiencing challenges, when it comes to affordability of and access to space. To address this problem, the Somerville Arts Council has collaborated with […]
SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO FACE FOOD SHORTAGES
“We have to change our menus for schools because there is a lack of constant supply of food.” On October 15, the Somerville Food and Nutrition Services Department released an announcement about the substitutions of menu items that have been offered regularly in the past. This change was largely due to shortages of food and […]