By Arthur Moore

Having been here now for over 70 years I can that I have seen many changes here over the years. Some good, some not so good. Each year I have hopes for things to get better here. In some ways they do and in many ways they do not. 2021 should be a big year for change here.

Most likely we will have a new mayor. This is needed badly if we are to move forward. Having one in for so long puts them in a position of being more of a dictator instead of an employee of the people. That being part of the job gets forgotten over the years. Sadly too much of what is going on here is not planned or helpful to a number of groups here due to not looking things over carefully enough and weighing all the options for everyone.

The elderly and people of mobility are not thought of or respected anymore in decisions. This is not a good thing. Small business has been really hurt also in the last 20 years here. We need all to be part of this city. You can’t build here and not be considerate of others. All people should have a right to be able to have access to get around. We have complained about the brick crossings which cause many falls for the elderly. I know of many cases.

I watched my own parents not be able to get off the street due to sidewalks being constructed poorly. And back to Winter Hill. People are having problems getting in and out of their apartments due to a hardly used protected bike lane. Now they are prisoners. The lack of parking is having an effect on the children trying to visit their parents and taking them out to doctor appointments and such.

Many can no longer go to the hair and nail salons now. Not just Winter Hill either. The hairdresser there moved out of Union Square as they took their parking there only to have it done again. Christine moved to Highland and after moving in the parking was removed. You would think it could have been left and a handicap parking spot put in. Nope.

So both the people and the businesses get screwed over. Bus lane is more of a problem than a solution. Causes accidents and traffic backup. Now we are to have less bus service. And now they want to screw up Mystic Ave and Washington Street? I have pictures of Mystic Ave at 8am and there is nothing there. No traffic at all. Now we want to come in and screw it up?. We need someone to become mayor that has insight and a heart.

Time to pull the city back together, not destroy what little we have left. If there was ever a time for a change this is it. In order to take back our city we need people who have been here for years and know it. I hate to generalize but people new to our city in the last 20 years just do not understand. Ideas that do not work here but maybe somewhere else are being out in here and making things worse. Not better.

You need to be here and understand all the different kinds of people and cultures here. This year let’s get this city back on track. A new mayor, a whole new council of long time Somerville residents. I mentioned some examples but I don’t go to every part of this city.

I am not very mobile anymore so now have to avoid many places here. Let’s make this the year. Myself and many others no longer want to live here if we can’t. I could say much more but want to keep it brief and make these points.