2010 New Year’s Resolutions

Compiled by Gretchen Alther, Deb Fraize and Ilan Mochari

• Luis A. Morales – Candidate, Alderman at Large (defeated)
  Mr. Morales’ unsuccessful run for Alderman at Large “opened [his] eyes to certain issues, especially parking difficulties in Somerville and the impact this has on small businesses.” Morales claims that “parking is getting worse every day. City Hall just uses meters and strict parking regulations to get more revenue. And this [meters running between] 6pm–8pm idea is a stupid idea and works against the people of Somerville. The only way to change this is to pressure City Hall,” Morales believes. And in 2010, he is resolved to form a coalition of small business owners to do just that.
• James (Jim) Campano – Candidate for Ward 6 Alderman (defeated)
  In 2010, Mr. Campano resolves to keep voicing his concerns about what he considers to be wayward development in the city, particularly in and around Davis Square. “I would like to see them put a stop to [issuing more] liquor licenses, and restore the time limits on parking meters to a quarter for a half-hour,” Campano says. These and similar steps, Campano argues, are essential to seeing “the neighborhood come back.”
• Rebekah Gewirtz – Alderman, Ward 6
  Alderman Gewirtz believes that “there is a big opportunity in this city to do more environmentally,” and in 2010, she is resolved to reduce Somerville’s carbon footprint. “We need to initiate car-and bike-sharing, pilot a green-roof program on municipal buildings, and consider new environmental requirements for new buildings,” Gewirtz says. “The time to do this is now; we will have to work hard and start making some tradeoffs.”
• William (Bill) White, Jr. – Alderman at Large
  Alderman White’s attention in the coming year will be focused on “monitoring the economy. One of the most pressing issues we’re going to face in this city is adapting to tough financial times, including less state aid and the possibilities that some planned development may not happen,” he says. “The Board of Alderman’s major role is overseeing spending, and I’ll be keeping a close eye on a tight budget.”
• John M (Jack) Connolly, Jr. – Alderman at Large
  Alderman Connolly’s attention in the new year will be “focused on ensuring that plans for much-needed development in Somerville remain on-track and a priority for all of us.” This includes the oft-delayed extension of the MBTA Green Line through the city and the development of Assembly Square on the banks of the Mystic River.
• Dennis Michael Sullivan- Alderman at Large
  In 2010, Alderman Sullivan resolves to “take his office hours to new level.” He wants to find “innovative ways to reach out to new Somerville residents and continue to be accessible to residents who want to voice their concerns outside of City Hall.” Watch out for Sullivan on the bike path this spring.
• Denise Provost – State Representative, 27th Middlesex
  In 2010, Provost resolves “to find better ways of communicating with my constituents.” That includes finding a better service for her email newsletter, because “a lot of [spam] filters block it out.” She wants to redesign her web site so there is “more content and it is easier to navigate.” She also intends to explore social media as a means of improving communications. But she stopped short of declaring she would join Twitter or Facebook.
• Mimi Graney – Executive Director, Union Square Main Streets
  In 2010, Graney resolves “to continue to grow the Design Annex, the co-working space for designers in Union Square, that opened the end of 2009.” She also resolves “to bring back the EBT machines to the Union Square Farmers Market so that folks can use their food stamps for purchases.”
• Hannah Freedberg – Federation of Mass. Farmers Markets
  Likewise, Freedberg, spokesperson for the Federation of Mass. Farmers Markets, the organization responsible for the Davis Square Farmers Market, resolves to serve the needs of more residents by working hard in 2010 to bring the food stamp option back to the Davis Square market. But she acknowledges that the time line for doing so may stretch beyond 2010.