Your Arlington, your views

By Bob Sprague

I got a haircut today from an Arlington barber I have known for a number of years. Call him Joe (not his real name). I told Joe that Senator Jim Marzilli’s lawyer had confirmed that his client has a “fairly serious mental illness.” Joe made a noise in his nose that signals disbelief.

Joe said he knows Jim and always thought him odd. Then he said, basically, that someone in Jim’s position can get a doctor to say anything, to declare the diagnosis that the patient wants.

As Joe snipped, he said, “Am I right, Bob?”

I remained silent in the chair.

“Bob?”

After a bit, I told him I had some knowledge of mental illness from a case in my family, and I was not so quick to draw the conclusion he did.

In my view, the public should not either.

While serious charges have been lodged against the senator — and an Arlington woman is pressing a further case — I think that, for the sake of balance, the public should also recall the good Marzilli has done.

To that end, Cindy Friedman, his chief aide, has provided the following list of Marzilli’s legislative accomplishments:

• As one of his first initiatives in office, Jim led the effort to provide tax relief to seniors living on fixed incomes who pay high property taxes. The senior “circuit breaker” legislation became law in 1998.

• Jim led two successful efforts to increase the minimum wage in Massachusetts, including the most recent increase to $8 an hour in 2008.

• In 1997, Jim wrote the law that created a state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a refundable tax credit for low wage workers that can reduce taxes and also led effort to restore the capital gains tax in 2002.

• During his last three terms in the House, Jim initiated efforts to close corporate tax loopholes, filing the legislation and leading the floor fights on these issues. He was the original author of combined reporting legislation that was recently adopted in tax packages by both the House and Senate.

• Three separate times, Jim led successful efforts to increase the pay for the lowest paid human service workers.

• He was named “Legislator of the Year” in 2004 by the Massachusetts Human Services Providers Council and in 2007 by the Association of Developmental Disabilities Provides for his work on behalf of low-wage workers and people with developmental disabilities.

• In his efforts to eliminate government waste, Jim passed legislation that abolished the archaic Middlesex County government and the Emergency Finance Board that lied local government in red tape.

• Jim was named “Environmental Legislator of the Year” by the Environmental League of Massachusetts in 2001 for his work linking environmental protection and tax policy. He is the author of the Energy, Climate and Economic Security Act, a comprehensive bill that emphasizes the use of energy efficiency programs and renewable technologies to reduce the environmental impact and cost of our current energy systems.

• Jim has led the successful effort to ban the sale of mercury thermometers make sure we are safe in our homes and daily lives.

• As vice chair of the House Healthcare Finance Committee, Jim played an important role in the creation of the Healthcare Reform Act of 2006, which mandated that all Massachusetts residents have health insurance.

• During the 2007-2008 legislative session, Jim has filed comprehensive cost-control healthcare legislation. In fact, Senate President Murray’s comprehensive health reform bill includes some of the items Jim has worked on, including an academic detailing program, a ban on gifts to physicians, and incentives to increase the number of primary care practitioners in the state.

Arlington resident Mary Trvalik answers the questions with a decided “yes” in a lovely essay reposted from the Arlington e-mail list with her permission:

Rebecca Woodward asks:

> Do I love my street? Do I love my neighborhood?

Well, I have thought about your question for a few days now. At firstI was hesitant to reply. I was worried. Will this start a thread pitting one neighborhood against another? MY STREET IS BETTER THAN YOUR STREET. It’s only a few steps from there to the “newbie vs. townie” heart breakers that spin out of control on the larger Arlington list.

But so far the replies seem so civilized. I think I’ll chime in.

I live over here on Fairview Avenue, one of several streets off of Mystic Street, near the Bishop School. Fairview almost dead-ends at the lower Mystic Lake, save for a tiny private way, Mystic Bank, that connects Fairview, Draper, and Davis Avenues, making for a convenient way in and out of the neighborhood. Still, there isn’t much traffic.

There are many children of all ages on those three Avenues and the connecting private way. On Fairview, a street with eighteen houses, there are twenty-five children under the age of 18 - with the youngest being a set of twins just reaching their three-week birthday. There are several college-age siblings, as well. Good baby-sitting material, if you can get any of their time.

I don’t know if the numbers are as high on Draper or Davis, but I imagine they are close.

The school-age children mostly go to Bishop, but there are kids at St. Agnes and other private schools as well. The kids don’t seem to throw up any walls about this, and they all cross paths at Church or Temple or Hockey or Soccer or Baseball or you get the idea.

It’s nice in the morning on a school day, because the Bishop kids walk to school, and there is a steady stream of children and Moms and Dads headed to the crosswalk. In a pinch, you can shoo yours out the door, and they can catch up with friends. Mine and my neighbor’s kids form a gang and make a great hullabaloo along the way. The crossing guard knows each and every child by name, and worries if someone is missing. She never fails to ask after the one who is at home sick for the day.

Every year in the fall, Fairview has a Block Party, and we invite a few interlopers from the other two streets. The parents all grumble about how much WORK it is, and how BUSY we all are, and then we proceed to make delicious foods to share, and have a grand old time visiting with one another for hours into the cool of the evening. The kids do Arts and Crafts and have a Bike Parade and jump themselves silly in a moonbounce and drink too much soda while no one is looking. We are a pretty social group.

Once, long ago, we thought about moving. We thought about moving to one of those towns with BETTER SCHOOLS. We thought about moving to a house with MORE THAN ONE BATHROOM. We thought about moving to a place with a BIGGER YARD. But we didn’t move, thank the Heavenly Lord.

Instead we voted for an override and volunteered in the schools and walked to the parks and, now, even as we speak, there is a giant twelve-foot-deep hole in my backyard where the addition will go that will hold TWO NEW BATHROOMS. One of them will only be for Mom and Dad. I can hardly wait.

And we will continue to live in this wondrous neighborhood, in this magical town that feels so much like a throwback to a 1950’s place that maybe never existed. We can walk or ride a bike to most anywhere. We haul a dozen books to and from the library every three weeks - a library that is jaw-dropping beautiful inside and out. We play basketball, softball, and baseball. We sled down the hills and skate at the rink and run from the mean old geese at spy pond. We have our favorite Chinese, our favorite Pizza, our favorite salon, our favorite five-and-dime, our favorite ice cream, our favorite STEEP HILL TO DRIVE UP AND DOWN IN THE CAR, our favorite view, our favorite shortcuts, our favorite spot to view the parade, and our favorite spot to view the fireworks and NO YOU CAN’T HAVE A GLOW IN THE DARK NECKLACE THIS YEAR EITHER.

We have all made friends that will last a lifetime, friends that we laugh with, cry with, even the kind of friend one can call at 4:30 a.m. when something goes awry in the middle of the night. You can’t pay money for this. It’s a gift, and I am thankful every single day that somehow I was fortunate enough to receive it.

We are certified newbies - have only lived in this place for fifteen years. But we have planted our roots, and the family tree, so far, is thriving. We are staying for the long haul.

Wish I could tell you of a house for sale nearby. But here is the really nice thing - I don’t think we have a GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD MONOPOLY. If you find a home that will work, I would bet a dollar to a doughnut (as my Dad always says) that you will find a neighborhood that will work too. My only suggestion is to invest of yourselves in your neighborhood and your town as though it were treasure, and treasure it will indeed become.

Best of luck to you!

Mary T.

In “A Presidential Year Confession - & Prayer,” Steve Early discusses the impact of religion on the presidential campaign — and on him. Early is a longtime labor activist and free-lance journalist who lives– but not does not worship — in Arlington, Mass. See his comments here >>

Review by Hannah Doherty, AHS student

On Dec. 4, high school students from every grade piled into the auditorium to hear music from the Arlington High School orchestra, band and chorus. To introduce the hour sample of music and songs, Pasquale Tassone, head of performing arts, said: “One thing we should never do is stop our ears from hearing music everywhere.”

A symphony of only strings led by Tassone began the concert. The symphony had two movements. The two sections of strings melded beautifully in each movement. Staring up at the stage, the bow players synchronized to each key. While the first piece was a joyous song used for maybe a celebration, the second one told a story.

Next was the select chorus led by Cheryl Christo. The group of boys and girls began with spiritual songs and ended with a solo by Darius Dummott of the popular song “In the Still of the Night.” These gifted students give each song a melodious voice that kept the audience hypnotized. The solos of this group — by Jean Dao, Nick Jackson and Dummott — exerted amazing voices that swayed with the group as a whole with a somewhat natural and effortless talent.

The concert band followed the chorus. Sabato D’Agostino conducted music of two opposite genres. The first was a classic song, and the second was a combination of Ray Charles tunes. Molly Knobloch added to the first song with her instrument, the trumpet. Ray Charles’s music consisted of the jazz combo and the jazz band. From the zesty get up and dance song to the soulful slow song, they do a fantastic job of capturing the audience until the end. Transitions of easing from one song to the next are done gracefully.

Next was the mixed chorus and orchestra, which offered some seasonal songs, such as “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson and one from the movie “Polar Express.” That song, led by D’Agostino, was played to perfection. Each instrument was in unison and every note synchronized, making it a joy to listen to.

The mixed chorus also played a Hebrew tune sung directly from the traditional Hebrew text. Christo added a Russian song, which gave sophomore Nick Chvany a chance to show off his voice. He hit off all the high notes and ended the mixed chorus with a fast paced but happy song.

On Wednesday, Dec. 5, the concert has even more to offer to every type of audience. If a high school audience can hold still and remain quiet for an hour then one knows this music is captivating. The conductors Tassone, D’Agostino, and Christo are masterful in the songs they have chosen and this will most definitely show in the Winter Concert. This is a highly recommended Winter Concert that I fully believe everyone should try to see.

Six p.m. Friday. Supper time. Phone rings. A woman with the trace of a foreign accent says she wants to do a “quick political survey.”

I agree.

“If the election were held today, would you vote for Ken Donnelly, Jim Marzilli, Charles Murphy or Patrick Natale?” No mention of other candidates for the 4th Middlesex Senate seat previously held by Robert Havern.

I tell her my choice and immediately ask the name of the organization making the call.

is David Paleologos, a pollster at Suffolk University who is director of the school’s Political Research Center.

All of the campaigns for the 4th Middlesex Senate seat have been asked to comment as to whether any has hired Dapa Research — and why. Responses will be added as they come in.

In this race, who’s the “underdog”?

NOTE: As of Nov. 1, only the Rep. Patrick Natale campaign had responded to this plea. He wrote in an e-mail:

“Bob it is not coming from my camp. I couldnt afford to do the calls even if i wanted to and i dont believe that voters want to be bothered.

“That is why i have been door knocking for the past 8 weeks. I have spent about 500 hrs in the the District door knocking since the Senator left the seat because i think it is more important than calling voters it is how i won my Rep. seat as an unknown.”

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Links to Senate race
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Bob Sprague