Today's Ward 6 campaign news: Liz Weinbloom's campaign music video; PDS endorses Lance Davis

[ron_newman]

from Boston Magazine: Somerville Alderman Candidate Releases Anti-Gentrification Ukulele Song. It's a music video by Somerville musician Amy Kucharik, in support of Elizabeth Weinbloom. Even if you're supporting another candidate, you'll probably enjoy watching this.

Progressive Democrats of Somerville endorse Lance Davis. (Full disclosure: I'm a longtime member of this organization.) PDS sent questionnaires to all four candidates, and you can read their responses here.

When did gentrification happen?

[bobobb.livejournal.com]

After reading some of the recent posts here, I wanted to ask...

I moved to Davis Square area in 2005. It seemed to me that gentrification had already happened. Is that people's sense? Was I a gentrifier? Did it happen since then and I wasn't paying attention? I'm sort of perplexed it is coming up in discussions in the recent election because it seems like this happened a long time ago.

Appreciate you being patient with my ignorance. Welcome people's thought though.

Somerville in the New York Times

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

The post on gentrification reminded me of something that I've been meaning to post here for ages. About a year ago, I searched the NYT for every article mentioning Somerville MA, as far back as its archives go. I compiled links to all of them by year. Here is the result.

To sum up -- from 1860 to 1995 is pretty much all "murder and mayhem" (including several articles about Mrs. Robinson, the Somerville Poisoner*). Then from 1995 to the present, there is a sharp turn towards "so hip it hurts".


*Hey local playwrights, Mrs. Robinson's story would make a riveting drama. Or possibly black comedy.

Proposed new zoning ordinance?

[dougo.livejournal.com]

Does anyone have more info about the "proposed new zoning ordinance" mentioned in the Davis Action Group questions for the Alderman candidates? I couldn't find anything on the somervillema.gov site.