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Sal LaMattina

Segways becoming a menace to North End pedestrians?

City Councilor Sal LaMattina says it's time to consider regulating Segway use on city sidewalks. Matt Conti posts a copy of a request from LaMattina for a City Council hearing on regulating the dorkmobiles, which are an increasingly common site downtown and in the North End. At least one company even leads Segway tours, which Conti writes have become so prevalent that they are beginning to cause pedestrian issues.

Race is on in the North End, East Boston and Charlestown

KulikoskiChris Kulikoski of the North End said today he'd been certified for the ballot this fall for the city council seat now held by Sal LaMattina.

Kulikoski, a former teacher who now runs the Mazzaro Family Market on Salem Street in the North End, was to formally announce his candidacy at party at Joe's American Bar and Grill tonight:

It is time that city government was better attuned to the working people, families and retirees of the city. Being a city councilor means representing everybody and looking out for the specific needs of each neighborhood – not catering to the well-connected.

He pointed to neighborhood schools, public safety, the structure of the city council and cleaner streets and parks as his major issues.

Campaign Web site.

Tito Jackson running for Boston City Council

No, not that one. The community activist whom David Bernstein reports is running for an at-large city council seat (hmm, would it be quicker at this point to just list Boston residents who aren't running?). He also writes that Sal LaMattina could have competition in East Boston, Charlestown and the North End.

City councilors: Silver Line tunnel under the Common is a stupid idea

On Switchback, Bill picks up on something in that recently released proposal for improving Boston Common: That city councilors Mike Ross, Bill Linehan and Sal LaMattina really wish the MBTA would stop with all this nonsense about putting a Silver Line tunnel under the park. They write:

The Silverline project will rip up the entire stretch of the Common along Charles Street for up to 10 years, for the staging area for heavy equipment. It will snarl traffic as they close a lane for the construction of a new tunnel, and it will make an entire stretch of the Common nearly unusable during that time. All of this will be done for the purpose of putting in bus transit that is unnecessary, when tunnels already exist for light rail, and when it is nearly universally agreed that the bus system as set up does not work, and is not nearly as effective or efficient as light rail.

The Silverline Project is a mistake. The plans in place will disturb sacred grounds, such as the historic graveyard. Unused light rail tunnels already exist below ground, and the MBTA, with its multimillion dollar deficit, should be looking at ways it can build a system around what is there, and ensuring that we have opportunities to become a greener, more efficient city while not tearing up our precious parks system during the construction.

Ed. note: The T has a multi-billion dollar deficit.

Imagine Ronald Reagan at the East Boston tolls

EaBo Clipper reports on today's anti-toll protest in East Boston, which he says included City Councilor Sal LaMattina thundering:

Governor Patrick tear down these tolls!

Ross Report on the Boston Common

Hi. My name is Reuben, and I am Boston City Councilor Mike Ross's Chief of Staff.

Mike and I have read with interest the writings regarding the Boston Common on these pages. We are energized to see so many people who are as interested in the future of the Common as we are.

At Boston Daily, Mike has posted his Ross Report on the topic. We are excited about a number of the proposals that we'll have in this report, and wanted to clear up a few misconceptions.

Read more

Councilor LaMattina wants to make people feed Back Bay meters until 2 a.m.

Councilor Sal LaMattina wants to throw the book at phone-directory companies

The East Boston councilor wants to do something about the tons and tons of phone books that land with a thud in lobbies and on front steps: Ban unsolicited commercial deliveries weighing more than a pound. Hear that, Yellow Book and Verizon?

Half-Naked Councilor

Who knows why Dave Wedge at the Herald decided to call up Councilor LaMattina's address on Google Maps, but the world is a richer place for it:

Dear Google: Your Street View addresses are still wacky. When I typed in LaMattina's address, and put Little Orange Guy right on the arrow, I still had to "drive" a couple doors down to find what Wedge found.

My $5 offer for a naked person on Google Street View still stands.

For Councilor LaMattina

Councillor Sal LaMattina doesn't like the sound of ice-cream trucks in the summer. Why not ban the sound of kids laughing outside, too, Councilor? Oh, and the kids on my block make a lot of noise shooting hoops. Also, as long as you're at it, can you do something about those damn birds that start chirping at 4:30 a.m.?

In honor of our own budding Mr. Potter, crank it up:

Earlier:
The melancholy ice-cream truck of Davis Square.
Summer is officially here in Roslindale.