September 2004 - Issue 3

"Anyone who is critical they attack personally and politically"

Annie Butler interviewed Kazi Touré in his moving car one hot day last week. The whole time, they were followed by four black sedans with tinted windshields.

High school students: better know your rights! The US military got you in their sights

Did you know that your school administration must give your name, address and phone number to military recruiters?

DNC notes: this was the week of clarity

Saturday, July 24: The Secret Service will start flying eight F-16s over Boston today and through next week. At 35,000 feet, they’ll be too high to hear. The North American Aerospace Defense Command described it as "a series of exercise training flights."

Idle hands are the devil's helpmate

It's hard to say who's been up to more mischief in Somerville this summer, the teenagers or the board of aldermen.

My encounter with "the only democracy in the Middle East"

We see Palestine from a high ridge - in the fading light we can see the Dead Sea, the buildings of Al Quds, and the sun falling just behind them. As the sun is lost, bright lights from settlements pock the West Bank. This is my first glimpse of Palestine.

Smith arrested again by the same MIT cop

The same MIT police officer who falsely arrested Aimee Smith for handing out leaflets on graduation day, attacked and arrested her again in front of the MIT student center.

How we can improve recycling practice

“Reduce, reuse, recycle.” You may have heard this dictum before, but did you ever wonder whether there was a reason for ordering these three words this way? Well, there is. Here they are, in order of environmental priority, from most to least favorable for environmental protection—

Recycling workers still don't benefit from Living Wage laws

Thirty years ago, recycling was seen by many as an exotic activity indulged in by scattered idealists. Nowadays, it's rightfully seen as an essential city service - and in Massachusetts, mandated by state law.

Here's a take on the Green-Toomey primary that'll piss off everyone

Tim Toomey and Avi Green are both members of the Democratic party. Toomey is a State rep and Green is not, but would like to be. They are candidates in the September 14 Democratic primary in East Cambridge and East Somerville.

Tenants, neighbors face uncertainty on Prescott Street

The Harvard-owned apartment building at 22-24 Prescott Street appears to be in great shape. Nevertheless, last May, all 40 apartments had letters from the Harvard Real Estate Office announcing "extensive renovations" to begin in July 2005.

In Springfield, homeless people build Sanctuary City

Sanctuary City is an encampment of homeless people in downtown Springfield, MA. It's been up since May 11, the day a shelter called the Warming Place closed.

Who we want to be

A friend of mine told her boyfriend she’d like to go to Venice for their anniversary. He said, “Great, lets go to the one in Las Vegas; there are no mosquitoes there.”