Town Meeting's perennial battles

March 22, 2009

With the passing of the deadline for adding items to the agenda, the battle lines are drawn for May's Town Meeting. The newest item that may bring out the rhetorical knives is a proposed pay-as-you-throw fee on each bag of trash. Currently, residents pay an annual fee that does not fully cover rubbish costs. The proposed fee would charge per bag. Other issues returning for further discussion include surveillance cameras at major intersections, resolution of citizen complaints about police conduct, and how many firefighters should be assigned to each truck. The 240-member body will also consider whether restaurants should be required to post caloric information in their menus, easing rules around the creation of in-law apartments, and the renaming of Incinerator Drive to something more attractive.

Town budget balancers were greeted by concerned retailers and dozens of letters of support earlier this month as they considered the Planning Department budget. Among other cuts, the proposed budget for fiscal 2010, which starts in July, trims in half the hours of Brookline's commercial areas coordinator, Marge Amster. While the budget cuts entire positions, none of these are currently filled. The hours of three additional municipal employees were also reduced. The Coolidge Corner Merchants Association and Brookline Chamber of Commerce both argued to retain Amster at full time. They were backed up by a memo from Jeff Levine, director of the Planning Department, estimating that Amster brings in almost twice what she gets paid.

There's still time to catch the celebration of Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday at the Brookline Public Library. Exhibits include descriptions of Brookline's celebration of the 100th in 1909. Brookline's generosity in providing the Union Army with medical supplies, town natives who served, and residents' roles in the Underground Railroad are explained in exhibits that are part of a traveling display - here until March 26. The last event, the 108th meeting of the Historical Society at 2 p.m. today, will feature a talk about Lincoln's second Inaugural Address. It will be on the second floor of the Main Library, 361 Washington St.

Got news for Brookline? E-mail Andreae Downs at andreaedowns@yahoo.com.

Is your child prepping for an MCAS test? Set aside those books and rulers and pull out a jump rope and a stopwatch. Researchers at the Cambridge Health Alliance's Institute of Community Health found that students who pass a higher number of fitness tests were more likely to pass their math and English MCAS tests. The results were published in the Journal of School Health, and lead researcher Ginny Chomitz noted that the study provides further evidence that "resources and time spent on physical activity and promoting health among students may be very beneficial in the long run for enhancing scholastic achievement." To that end, Chomitz has also worked with the school district and the Department of Public Health in instituting fitness and healthy eating programs in local schools, including ballroom dancing, gym classes, and farm-to-school lunch options.

The Democracy Center building on Mount Auburn Street is up for sale, but the tenants and groups who use the building are hoping to avoid a move. Slowing philanthropic donations forced the Foundation for Civic Leadership to place the building on the market, but members of the Democracy Center community are optimistic that they will be able to fund mortgage payments by taking out loans from local individuals and groups, using the building as collateral. News of the potential sale has spurred an onslaught of testimonials about the center's cultural importance (www.democracycenter.org). The building plays host to a variety of group meetings, with Wiccans, ballroom dancers, aspiring improv comedians, and comics enthusiasts all gathering in its event rooms on any given day.

In rural Liberia, water often needs to be cleaned, and Cambridge-based nonprofit FACE Africa is working to help Liberians do that. Founded by Liberian-born local resident Saran Kaba Jones, the organization is introducing two water purification technologies to residents of the war-torn country. One consists of a powdered disinfectant that removes organic matter, viruses, and bacteria from the water; the other is a solar-powered membrane that can produce 10,000 liters of clean water a day. To raise money for its endeavors and to celebrate March 22 as World Water Day, FACE Africa is hosting an event at the Hotel Marlowe tonight. Details at www.faceafrica.org/benefit_event.htm.

Got news for Cambridge? E-mail Victoria Leenders-Cheng at vcheng@globe.com.

A piece of old Somerville is gone: Reviled as a magnet for violence, praised as a down-home community spot, Khoury's State Spa closed on Feb. 22, according to City Clerk John Long. Licensing records showed the bar had a number of violations over the years and one pending when it closed. "Anytime a business closes it's a loss for the neighborhood . . . but sometimes a business has its time," said East Somerville Main Streets director Carrie Dancy. People have already contacted her about renting the space. According to Long, owner Michael Khoury was preparing to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Maybe low prices did them in: Last fall two beers and a shot of bourbon cost $8.

Can you tell the difference? Corporate Accountability International holds a tap water taste test at 3:30 today for its "Think Outside the Bottle" campaign, according to Board of Aldermen records. Last year the city vowed to cancel its bottled-water contracts after installing plumbing for water fountains in all city buildings. Due to the age of those buildings, staff have concluded that "it'll happen over a period of years," said David Lutes, city director of sustainability and environment. City Hall, for instance, has running water on only two of its four floors. In the meantime, Lute said they are not buying single-serving bottles and are encouraging staff to follow suit. The taste test is in Statue Park behind the Davis Square T.

The Somerville Women's Commission honored Kate Wallace and the Somerville Homeless Coalition March 18 for their contributions to women's issues in the city. Sonja Darai, the commission's acting executive director, praised Wallace's astute sense of politics, saying, "She's a really great sounding board." Three new commissioners recently joined: Chien-Chi Huang, Michelle Albert, and Correen Demers were approved by the Board of Aldermen March 12. Still, Darai is looking for a few more good people. The commission is currently ramping up activities with its Teens Against Dating Abuse group.

Got a news item from Somerville? E-mail Danielle Dreilinger at djdreilinger@comcast.net.