Somerville to remain strong on smoking ban despite state's double-take
Although the state is stalled on the statewide smoking ban that was slated to begin early in June, Somerville intends to uphold its own.
David Osler, Chairman of the Board of Health said, "I am disappointed that the Commonwealth seems to be dragging its feet on a statewide smoking ban at this point, but the regulations for the city of Somerville will remain in effect."
Chamber of Commerce CEO Steve Mackey, who has been vocally opposed to the smoking ban from the start, suggested that Somerville take a cue from the state. "It's not just about doing the right thing, it's about doing it the right way," he said. "I think the legislature is more capable that the Board of Health."
Earlier this month, Mackey labeled the Board "an archaic, 19th-century public tribunal."
Mayor's office spokesman Mark Horan said that Mayor Joe Curtatone will not take a stance on this issue, but he hopes that the statewide ban will be enacted soon so that Somerville won't be set too far behind other cities without smoking bans.
Several state legislators voted against the ban earlier this month, objecting to some of the measures proposed to enforce it.
Somerville Aldermen approve Assembly Square plan 8-3
The zoning plan proposed by Mayor Joe Curtatone in March has, after extensive debate, been approved by the city's Aldermen.
"We have put our differences aside and seized a tremendous opportunity," he said in a press release. "We can now begin to build the next great neighborhood in Somerville."
The new zoning allows Assembly Square Limited Partners (ASLP) to re-tenant the mall there and to begin building a 300,000 square foot mixed-use area next to the mall. It also permits Swedish furniture giant IKEA to seek approval for a mixed-use area near its store.
A fiscal impact study completed last month said that from the new taxes being paid by the mall, the new Main Street and the IKEA development, the city will garner $4.2 million in net revenue.
Curtatone said that the Aldermen, the public and the Mystic View Task Force can be credited with pushing the zoning forward.
"Our work is far from done," he said. "But this is a great beginning."
Study shows Medford is accepting of diversity
Medford Police Chief Leo A. Sacco cited a report conducted by Northeastern University of Boston-area cities when suggesting that Medford comes out on top in terms of less racial profiling and housing segregation.
At a seminar hosted by the Human Rights Commission on April 14, Sacco said that the study found that non-white Medford residents receive 18.8 percent of traffic citations -- a rate fairly low when compared to national averages.
Sacco said that this could be due to an element of police procedure when writing up traffic violations which requires that the officer note the driver's race.
Sacco said that each department is carefully observed in terms of whom it targets. "Some police officers inappropriately use race when making a decision on who to stop, who to search, who to cite," he said.
The study also showed that more African-Americans and Latin-Americans are buying homes in Medford than in any other city. "Medford was one of the few towns where African-Americans were buying homes in larger amounts than expected," David Harris, director of the Fair Housing Center of Greater Boston said. He pinpointed West Medford as racially and economically well-integrated.
--Compiled by Zosia Sztykowski from The Somerville Journal.
