By Arthur Moore

Even though she has been around, I haven’t received an opportunity to know Counclor Stephanie Hirsch until recently. I didn’t even have much of an opinion of her to be honest.

When I began helping the Winter Hill businesses is when she had contacted me and has been trying all along to do something. Having the same problem as I have with people ignoring the problem.

Many things she tried have not been heard about as it is not made known. I know she must leave and it is not her choice but something she must do. I applaud her for that. Only two people in the city government have spoken up, one is her, and the other is the Somerville American Disabilites Association (ADA).

It is sad that now we are stuck with a city council, traffic department and a mayor who completely and intentionally ignore the problems created in Winter Hill to the local businesses and the people with ADA problems. We have lost the one person on that board who had the courage to speak up and try to do something. Now we have no one.

I have great concern over the next candidate in line and whom will be taking her place. Somerville had a lottery at Assembly Row’s Avalon complex for those apartments that were intended to be set aside and designated occupied for low income. Somehow she got herself into one moving in and living there with a relative who qualified for it and now claiming it as her legal residency and qualified to run for office here in Somerville. The mayor had endorsed her, with her just coming into Somerville from out of state.

There aren’t many that know too much about her yet to be comfortable with her being automatically confirmed as our next city councilor here in Somerville. I’m having mixed feelings that something is wrong there, but only time will tell.

May God bless Stephanie and her family, and if things work out some day that she can return, I will be one looking forward to it even if not in politics but just being a good person.