Residents lose everything in fire
An East Somerville duplex was destroyed by a three-alarm fire on Thursday, March 3, displacing 24 residents.
The fire was caused by an electrical problem. Damage was estimated at $700,000 and was considered a "total loss" by the fire department, according to the Somerville Journal.
Most of the residents were immigrants from El Salvador.
"They came here to build a life," Consuelo Perez, a friend of the victims, told the Journal. "They lost everything. They are very sad."
The Community Action Agency of Somerville and other organizations immediately began raising money and pitching in to help the victims, according to the Journal.
"We cannot do too much for them," Perez said. "But what is most important is money, at this point."
A fund has been set up to help the victims.
City opens center for teens
On Thursday, March 3, 30 Somerville teenagers talked about issues such as unemployment, violence, drugs and peer pressure in a community session, according to the Somerville Journal.
Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone commissioned the Center for Teen Empowerment to open a center in East Somerville. Since then, the group has held a dance party and a forum to promote dialogue in the city.
"Fear is part of all of this - that drives people to violence and creates stereotypes," Teen Empowerment program coordinator Craig McClay told the students at the forum.
The purpose of the forum, the first in a series, is to "provide a safe space where people can build relationships," program coordinator Andrew Haydu said.
According to the Journal, major themes that surfaced included fear, discrimination and safety.
"There are barriers everywhere," Haydu said. "We know that, and we want to break those down."
Record snowfalls push city into further debt
Budget problems in Massachusetts became apparent this winter, as snow removal budgets have been devastated by the numerous snowfalls. The City of Medford will claim money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) according to the Medford Transcript.
"We are recovering costs for overtime pay, equipment rental and cost of materials," Mayoral Aide Richard Lee told the Transcript.
The city has already overspent its allotted snow removal budget by $150,000 due to the record amounts of snow and ice dumped on the area in the multiple storms this season.
The FEMA funds may cover up to 75 percent of the costs, which include $216,000 for salt alone, according to Department of Public Works Commissioner Paul Gere.
"It can't be avoided. We never know how much snow or ice we're going to get," Gere told the Transcript regarding the financial problems. "Unfortunately, you can't predict the weather."
-- Compiled by Bruce Hamilton
