Constituent Tours offered by the State Library

State House, Boston - map

The State Library is inviting the general public to come and tour its extensive collection! This may be of special interest to anyone who is looking to arrange a tour for a school group with a desire to learn more about their city or town's history.

Anyone who would like to set up a tour can contact Pamela Schofield at pamela.schofield@state.ma.us or call 617-727-2590. You can also contact the reference department directly using the above number or by e-mailing reference.department@state.ma.us.


For more information, visit the library's blog here.

Tim Appears on SCATV's Greater Somerville

On August 3rd I appeared on "Greater Somerville" with Joe Lynch and KyAnn Anderson to discuss some of the hot issues being debated on Beacon Hill and beyond. You can watch the complete show below.

Lesley Uiversity/CPSD Compass Program Visits State House

State House, Boston - map

On August 12, 2010, faculty and students from the Lesley University/Cambridge Public Schools Compass Program came to Beacon Hill for a visit of the State House. The children enrolled in the program are K-6 students from all over Cambridge. Supervised by student teachers and their mentors, the students spend their summer in the Compass program engaged in various enrichment activities and academic studies.

After their guided tour of the State House, I got a chance to meet the group and speak with them about their experiences. I also spoke with the students about the legislative process and how a bill becomes a law. They were such a bright, inquisitive group, and a pleasure to have!

 
Tim with the Compass Program group.

If you have a group that would like to schedule a State House tour, please give my office a call at 617-722-2380.

Flood Assistance Update

The deadline for picking up a Small Business Association disaster loan application at Somerville High has been extended to Thursday, August 12, at 5:00pm. If you have not done so, please do so as soon as possible. The address for the high school is:

Somerville High School
81 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143

For a map, click here.

Flood Assistance for July 10th Storm

The US Small Business Association has declared the flash flooding that affected many parts of Somerville and Cambridge on July 10th a disaster. This declaration allows eligible parties to apply for low interest loans in order to recover from physical damage and economic injury caused by the flooding. Applications for a physical damage loan are due by September 27, 2010, and applications for an economic injury loan are due on April 27, 2011.

A disaster loan outreach center is open at the following location:
Somerville High School (Atrium at the Field House)
81 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143

It will be open at the following times:
Friday July 30, 2010 from 9:00AM to 5:30PM

Saturday July 31, 2010 from 9:00AM to 1:00PM
Monday August 2 through Thursday August 5, 2010 from 9:00AM to 5:30PM

To learn more about this program, please click here.

Additionally, the Home Improvement Program at Homeowners Rehab have available affordable financing, free construction and project management to repair the flood damaged homes of those who qualify. To learn more about this program, please click here.

Once again, those who have questions or concerns about the flooding earlier this month may call my office at Cambridge City Hall at 617-349-4278 or my office at the State House at 617-722-2380.

Flash Flooding Hits Cambridge and Somerville

Cambridge and Somerville - map

As many of you know, Cambridge and Somerville were hit with heavy rain and some severe flash flooding last Saturday (July 10th). According to officials from the City of Cambridge, the severity of the flooding was caused by rainfall totaling 3.58” within a one-hour period in Cambridge, and 4.3” in the same hour in Somerville. An inch of that rainfall occurred within 10 minutes—a truly incredible rate that exceeded the capacity of the Cities' drainage systems.

I am aware of the fact that a number of homes and businesses were damaged by the flooding, and I would like to take this opportunity to offer my support to those who have been impacted, and to make available some important information that may be helpful during this stressful time.

If your home or business was damaged by the flood and you have not yet reported this to your City's Department of Public Works, please do so! The Cities need to reach a certain damage threshold in order to receieve disaster assistance, and the Cities' abilities to accurately assess damages is critical to this process. If you are inside Somerville, you can dial 311 to reach the DPW. Cambridge residents should call 617-349-4800 to report damage. Please document any damage to your home or business, and save any receipts that you have from your cleanup.

At the moment, officials from the City of Cambridge and the State are working with FEMA and MEMA (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency) to coordinate an appropriate response for the victims of the flood. Though it has not yet been determined whether or not disaster assistance funds will be available for the community, it is certainly a possibility.

The Cambridge Department of Public Works has set up a website with information for victims of the flooding: http://www.cambridgema.gov/TheWorks/news/FloodingJuly2010.htm

The City of Somerville has set up a similar website for Somerville residents who have been affected: http://www.somervillema.gov/alert.cfm?alert_id=295

I encourage anyone with questions about the flooding last Saturday to call my office at City Hall at 617-349-4278, or my office at the State House at 617-722-2380.

Service to Elders the Focus of Student's Prize Winning Essay

State House - map

On May 20, 2010, Angela Ward, an eighth grade student at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, was honored at the State House for winning the Grand Prize in the 2010 Credit Union Student Essay Contest. The contest, sponsored by the Massachusetts Credit Union League Inc. and the Massachusetts Credit Union Share Insurance Corporation, asked students this: “if you had unlimited time and money, what aspect of community service would you volunteer for and why?” Angela’s thoughtful and impressively written essay was judged to be the best among more than 1,200 entries from around the Commonwealth.


Tim presents a citation to Angela at the State House.

In her grand prize-winning essay, Angela writes that given unlimited time and money, she would use it to improve the quality of life of our senior citizens. “For five years I have had the privilege of living with my 93-year-old Granddaddy,” she writes. She goes on to describe how her Grandfather has needs, but requires the support and love of those around him to meet those needs. She recognizes, however, the fact that not all seniors have the help that her family is able to give to her Grandfather, and instead require the support of the community in order to have their needs met. What an insightful young woman!

Angela concludes her essay by saying this: “helping elderly people is an investment in their future and ours.” I couldn’t agree more, and in that spirit I will be writing a series of blog posts highlighting the issues our elders face, what services are available to them, and how to volunteer in order to make a difference in their lives. Stay tuned in the weeks ahead for this important information.

Click here to read Angela's complete essay.