Vent Time

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

So, yesterday was the 1st wednesday of the month and I get a ticket for streetsweeping. Fine, I haven't gotten any in a while, no big deal. So, I come back from work and park on the other side. As I was leaving this morning, my roommate tells me "They're ticketing you" and I'm like, what the hell now, so I go down, and I realize today is the 2nd thursday of the month. So, I'm out $100 in the space of two days. I like having clean streets as much as the next guy, but if arranging them on back to back days isn't exploitative, I don't know what is. I'm calling my ward alderman.

Talk about Somerville schools

[ron_newman]

From an e-mail I got yesterday:

Saturday, November 10th - 10-12 noon - True Grounds, Ball Square
Open Discussion with Ward 6 School Committee member Paul Bockelman and Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz. Please stop by with any concerns, complaints, suggestions, ideas! We want to hear them all!

Tuesday, November 13th - 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. - Diesel Cafe, Davis Square
Open Discussion with School Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi. The Superintendent will be at Diesel Cafe to talk about whatever is on your mind. Please come by and share your thoughts about the Somerville schools. And, if you have small children and are thinking about schools in Somerville, this is an excellent time to see the leadership of the schools up close and personal!

Thursday, November 29 - 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - West Branch Library
We will be having another open information session with the Headmaster of Somerville High School on November 29th from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the West Branch Library.

Bomb Threat at the Kennedy School?

[kjc.livejournal.com]

I got into work this morning (at a Cambridge business) to find an automated message on the machine regarding a bomb threat at The Kennedy School in Somerville. (I probably ignored this call to my home phone this morning, because I was asleep at 8am-something when it came through). I'm guessing this is the JFK school in West Somerville, near Porter?

They went into lockdown and the building has been swept. They're conducting classes, but there will be a police presence all day. They think the threat came from a student. Anyone have any more data?

Somerville Journal remedial math

[jspazzer.livejournal.com]

Today's issue of the Somerville Journal has an article titled "Mayor Joe re-elected by 77%".  An early online version of this article (http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/news/x481177780) also cites the 77% number:
"Curtatone won by a whopping 77 percent over first-time candidate Suzanne Bremer, a Tufts librarian. The unofficial tally placed him with 7,897 votes over Bremer’s 1,825."

Now, I'm no rocket scientist, but I do remember learning percents in 5th grade or so.  If you add 7,897 and 1,825 you get 9722.  Curtatone's  percentage of that would be 7897/9722, or 81.2%.  Bremer would have 1825/9722, or 18.8%.   81.2 minus 18.8 is 62.4%, so you would say Curtatone won by 62.4%.   

Even with the unofficial tally changing slightly as it becomes official, how do you get 77% anywhere in those numbers?  The Somerville Journal seems to make stuff up with impunity.  Not that the Somerville News has higher standards, but now that their editor is on the School Board at least he will be exposed to people with an education.  

Somerville Homeless Coalition

[colorgarden.livejournal.com]

There's now a Somerville Homeless Coalition group on Facebook. If you're interested in what the coolest non-profit in Greater Somerville does to make our corner of the world a better place, please join!