Somerville

Kristie Helms took in the Japan Festival at City Hall Plaza today.

Patrick Rosso photographed the Haitian American Unity parade on Blue Hill Avenue.

Thomas Linger enjoyed Porchfest in Somerville yesterday.

Joe Maxwell went to the Assembled Market in Somerville yesterday:

At a public meeting, MassDOT released some opinions on the McGrath Highway.

MassDOT has recommended that the McCarthy Overpass portion of McGrath Highway be grounded and the roadway developed into a Boulevard that reconnects East Somerville, Union Square and Brickbottom.

The recommended plan preserves continuity at Washington Street, while enhancing pedestrian and bicycle connections. The removal of the overpass will allow for wider sidewalks, bicycle paths, added green space that will help spur redevelopment and enhance existing uses along the corridor.

Now, if only we can figure out why there is an extensive McGrath rehab in progress when MassDOT intends to remove it.

The lawyer for Ron Newman, one of the LiveJournal 102, is firing back at local entrepreneur Jonathan Monsarrat with an 18-page letter that demands the $5.5-million suit be dropped immediately, unless Monsarrat and his lawyers want to face counter claims for filing a frivolous lawsuit.

The suit names only two people specifically and then refers to 100 "John or Jane Does." A number of people reported last week they received e-mail or letters from Monsarrat threatening to name them specifically as part of the suit unless they deleted posts about him.

Ed. note: After my initial post on the suit, Monsarrat sent me a similar e-mail message, threatening to include me in the lawsuit unless I took down the post about the lawsuit and the comments on it. Fortunately, I was able to retain counsel, who has responded to Monsarrat's lawyers. The post stays up, in part because of Sect. 230 of the Communications Decency Act.

Brad Kelly photographs a pink explosion in Somerville.

Copyright Brad Kelly. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

This early-90s nugget has just been posted to Youtube. Produced and directed by Dan Vitale of Bim Skala Bim, it features numerous live performances by late-80s/early-90s bands, including the Mighty Mighty Bosstones performing in a nearly-empty TT the Bears.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueUu6QFG0x4

Includes music by:

Bim Skala Bim
Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Dogzilla
Human Nature
Shy Five
Steady Earnest
Batwell Rada

Hope this is of interest to a few around here.

On Friday, the Rosebud Bar and Grill, which is located behind the Rosebud Diner, posted this to its Facebook page:

Update on the sale and closing of the Rosebud: Between last night and this morning something has changed the closing of the sale was scheduled to happen on the 15th of May. But I was informed by the owners of the property that things have changed and we will still be here for the next month or so, maybe longer it everything falls apart with the sale(fingers crossed).

Via Davis Square LiveJournal.

A Somerville man's lawsuit over posts on the local LiveJournal and on the local newspaper Web site went national today, in a request for legal help for Ron Newman, named in the suit.

Meanwhile, lawsuit bringer Johnny Monsaratt has been busy digging up the names behind comments he doesn't like and sending them letters warning them to take down their comments or be officially named in the lawsuit, rather than as one of the "John and Jane Does, 1-100."

One person says Monsaratt actually visited his mother's house, "in a large black trench coat, blond hair, asking all sorts of questions about me, my whereabouts, et cetera."

Our own Ron Newman, a longtime participant in the Davis Square LiveJournal community, reports that he, former Somerville Journal editor Deb Filcman and 100 "John and Jane Does" are being sued for more than $5 million for libel by Turbine founder Johnny Monsarrat. At issue: A lengthy LiveJournal discussion and a couple of Wicked Local blog posts about Monsarrat's arrest after a wild party, along with other online discussions about Monsarrat.

A fight could be brewing over plans for a chain craft-beer bar.

Rob Bellinger captured the scene the other night in East Somerville, where the old Cross Street bridge is being rebuilt.

Cross Street Bridge construction updates.

Copyright Rob Bellinger. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

The Globe reports T officials are telling legislators that their proposed ciggies and gas taxes won't be enough to convince the feds to give us $500 million towards the cost of extending the Green Line to Somerville, let alone Medford, sometime in this century.

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today a filmmaker making a documentary about a Somerville cop convicted of child rape has no right to a stenographer's audio recording of the trial because he was able to buy a copy of the official transcript she produced.

Carrie Russell declares Somerville America's hippest city.

Russell, who doesn't live anywhere near the Ville (but who admits to time at Harvard Law), counts up all the hip things about the Paris of the '90s, from Fluff parties and bespoke bicycles to competitive sidewalk chalking and potlucks with the mayor. She concludes:

Yep. Somerville has out-Portlandia’d Portland.

A federal appeals court ruled yesterday a man convicted of stealing more $308,000 from an East Cambridge Savings Bank branch on Highland Avenue in Somerville has to have his 12 1/2-year sentence reconsidered because that was a sentence for robbery, but he was actually convicted of the lesser crime of burglary, which carries a maximum sentence half as long.

Limeduck continues his one-man campaign to ensure no coffeehouse Scrabble set goes without letters for long.

Join Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders at our annual Summer Party held outside in the heart of Provincetown, MA on Saturday, July 27 from 4:00-7:00PM. Enjoy the view of the harbor, mingle with other GLAD supporters and learn more about our ground-breaking cases.

Tickets are $75 online | $85 on site | $30 student
Purchase at www.glad.org/events.

Don't miss our amazing auction and celebrity auctioneer Kate Clinton. You don't have to be present to win. Travel packages, restaurants, massages, and much more - something for everyone!

Children are welcome to attend (at no charge) and will enjoy a range of fun activities.

Delicious summer fare and refreshing cocktails provided.

More information, tickets and sponsorships are available at www.glad.org/events.

The Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership has posted a photo of the temporary tracks installed to let the Orange Line continue to run during the week as the Assembly Square station is built.

Rachel Blumenthal checks out Somerville's newest round-treat emporium: Union Square Donuts, where most donuts go for $3, but the maple-bacon specials will set you back $3.50 each:

I found them to be worth the splurge, but I wouldn't make a frequent habit out of it.

She also reports that Backbar is now making ramen, but that it only makes ten portions of the stuff a day.

Wonder no more (and note the CueCat on the dash). Spotted around Camberville.

Via Boston Reddit.

Chicken man.

Somerville Police squawk:

Last night around 7pm the Somerville Police received a call about a "chicken stuck in a snow bank" by the Shaw's employee parking lot off of Elm St. Officer [Marc] Difava bravely jumped into action and saved the chicken from certain peril.

Police did not indicate the chicken's fate after its rescue.

Transit Police report arresting a Somerville man around noon on Friday when he showed up with a stolen bike to sell to somebody who turned out to be an undercover cop.

Police say a Davis Square commuter had reported her Specialized Hybrid Globe 1 bike stolen from a station bike rack on Jan. 28 - and that a photo of it had shown up in the for-sale section of Craigslist on Feb. 7:

Detectives communicated with poster of the Craigslist posting via telephone and email where he again offered a woman's Specialized Hybrid Globe 1 bicycle for sale.

On February 8, 2013 (YES, same day as Blizzard 2013) the poster of the advertisement, Phillip Pinto 38 of Somerville set up a meeting with whom he believed was an interested customer. In fact the interested customer Pinto had arranged the meeting with were Transit Police detectives. At approximately noon time as the Blizzard2013 was beginning in earnest Pinto was waiting, bicycle in hand, at the pre-arranged meeting location. (Temple Street, Somerville). Detectives confirmed the serial numbers of the woman's Globe 1 bike Pinto was offering for sale to that of the victim's stolen bicycle. Detectives confiscated the bicycle and placed Pinto into custody for Receiving Stolen Property.

Innocent, etc.

Abigail Coyle photographed her street before and after the blizzard.

Mamajoan looked out her window in East Somerville to see a guy who may not realize what'll happen to all his work when the first plow comes through.

Frank Solensky photographed the bread aisle at the Somerville Stop & Shop this evening.

Meanwhile, Channel 5 reporters tonight warmed up for their team coverage of Snowpocalypse '13. With no snow on the ground to fashion into a snowball, Sean Kelly started a report by holding a tree branch for emphasis. Jack Harper, however, found a sand or dirt pile with a thin coating of snow, to which he could point with the ruler he of course happened to have. He was showing how high snow got in the Blizzard of '78 or something. And Ed Harding urged viewers to charge their tablets and phones now, so they can keep watching Channel 5 online if need be - apparently not thinking that if the power goes out, those viewers won't be able to use their WiFi to watch him.

Come snowmageddon or aquapocalypse, Fred Somers is ready.

Photographynatalia photographed Park and Tremont streets this morning. Melissa Gibson watched an Orange Line train pull into Sullivan Square: