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[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Somerville Mayor Joe Curatone Ward 1 Alderman William Roche recently rejected a bid to have a carnival in Assembly Square, citing the potential for gang violence as a major reason for his decision. He then commented*, "The location is on the Orange Line, so you're not just getting people from Somerville. You're getting different people of different backgrounds." Am I alone in finding that comment not only offensively classist and disrespectful, but downright cringe-worthy coming from a leader in one of our area's most gentrified and well-to-do communities in what is already known as one of the most racially homogenous areas in the country?

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Comments

[terse-scribe.livejournal.com]

hm. I live a few blocks from Assembly and Sullivan Sq's. On my block we're fairly ethnically heterogeneous. While there is a substantial Brazillian contingent, there are also East Asian families and several Euromutts like myself.

Assembly Sq. itself does have a bit of a crime rep. though I've never experienced anything untoward there directly. The theatre could use an overhaul though. I could walk to it, but I mostly either T into Boston Common or drive out to Revere for the wide release films.