Somerville Named "All America City"

[somerville311.livejournal.com]

SOMERVILLE NAMED ‘ALL AMERICA CITY’

Team of Business Owners, City Officials, Residents, and Local Organizations Travel to Florida to Bring Home 2009 All America City Title after Fierce Competition in Tampa

Comments

[versonic.livejournal.com]

Oh, good. Now people will laugh at Somerville just like they laugh driving into Buffalo - "Haha. The people here can't make signs. They forgot the 'n'." Just wait for it.

[versonic.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not being snarky. I'm serious. This is something that happens.

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

According to http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1468453.html, "311 will not reply to posts online"

[m-b-w.livejournal.com]

This was in response to the "Deleted post" above.

[ron_newman]

Did you bring back a banner? Will it be on display at the jazz fest this afternoon?

Someday Cafe used to have a 1972 All-America City sign on display, but I have no idea what happened to it.

(And yeah, I also thought it was 'All-American City' before I looked it up. It still sounds more correct to me)

[rmd.livejournal.com]

so bribing the judges with FLUFF worked? :-)

[jlauspitz.livejournal.com]

why not just be gracious and say "congratuations" on a designation that will give the City a cushion of good will in some very difficult years ahead

(the 1972 award helped Mayor Ralph get the Red Line, and gave Somerville the benefit of the doubt in the financial rescue of the early Brune years)

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I am totally proud of Somerville winning the award!

Regarding Mayors Ralph and Brune, I learned a lot from reading the amazing article in the Somerville Journal a week or so ago about what Somerville was like in the early 70's when it won the All-America award back then:

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/homepage/x986609752/All-American-City-How-women-Joe-six-pack-teachers-clergy-and-an-editor-changed-Somerville-government

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Somerville is an innovative city that works, and the quality of life is excellent. It deserves this recognition, so thanks to all who pursued this recognition.

[spatch]

Well hot dog, that's pretty awesome. Go Somerville!

Yay Somerville!

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I hope someone videotaped the "10-minute skit on the city’s efforts to support and prepare for the Green Line Extension Project."

Re: Yay Somerville!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Yes! We could recreate it at ArtBeat.:-)

Re: Yay Somerville!

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Will it be performed before or after the "oh noez! airplanez make noiz, the world is ending" routine?

Re: Yay Somerville!

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

Oh, if we do an airplane skit I totally want to be in it!

Re: Yay Somerville!

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

It must include:
"Those people will just have to wait!"

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Just curious who paid for the trip. Not that we're in a financial crisis or anything and just have all sorts of money to throw around and can send city officials on trips to Florida.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Recall there was a fundraiser held a month or so month ago to pay for this trip. In the article the OP posted the link to, the Mayor thanks those who helped raise the funds.

[dent42.livejournal.com]

Aw man, these funds totally could have gone towards to help defray the costs of paving over even more greenspace in the city by some developer from Lexington!

[sonofabish.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I did eventually read further down the article and saw the part about the fundraising.

I will admit, though, the whole "preparing for the Green Line" thing would be like Boston going into full-fledged planning mode for completion of the Big Dig back in, oh, the early 80s when it was first proposed and funded. If the Green Line extension opens any earlier than 2020, I'll be very very surprised.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I hear ya (and it pains me to know the extension of the Community Path to Lechmere depends on the Green Line Extension schedule too). But we as a community have to proceed with the public process end-of-things as if it will open in Dec 2014. After all, EOT has a legal committment to meet that deadline.

Check out the video of Somerville receiving the award

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Check out the video on youtube of Somerville receiving the award in Tampa on Friday night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vgN0RoOLIc