The Tufts Daily THE VOLUME LXXXVIII, ISSUE 11
INDEPENDENT
STUDENT
NEWSPAPER
OF
TUFTS
UNIVERSITY
E S T. 1 9 8 0 Medford/Somerville, Mass.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
Host Communities
In this edition, we are covering aspects of life in Medford, Somerville and Boston, the cities that host Tufts’ campuses. We hope these stories encourage community members to engage with Tufts and inspire students to actively participate in their local communities. Visit tuftsdaily.com to read more of the Daily’s local coverage. — The Tufts Daily Managing Board, Fall 2024 LOCAL
LOCAL
What the approved ballot initiatives will Medford commemorates mean for Medford, Somerville veterans with Purple Heart City designation Evan Vezmar
Contributing Writer
Local election results in Medford and Somerville show a largely successful campaign for proponents of the ballot questions in both municipalities. Voters in Somerville approved Question 6, which will increase the surcharge on the Community Preservation Act from 1.5% to 3%. Voters in Medford approved Questions 7 and 8, which both ask for overrides to Proposition 2½: a 2.5% cap on how much Medford can raise on property taxes each year. Question 7 requests a $3.5 million override in real estate and property taxes to provide more funds to the Department of Public Works, as well as teacher salaries and facilities maintenance for Medford Public Schools. Question 8 requests a $4 million tax override for improvements to Medford Public Schools’ vocational and arts programming.
Medford’s Question 6, which narrowly failed, proposed a debt exclusion to Proposition 2½ to pay for bonds to construct a new fire station on 120 Main St. In Medford, Question 7 passed with 14,847 votes in favor to 13,304 votes against, Question 8 succeeded with 14,660 votes in favor to 13,518 votes against and Question 6 failed with 13,965 votes against and 13,458 votes in favor. Somerville’s Question 6 passed with a 69.4% majority (25,282 votes) in favor and 30.7% (11,175 votes) against. Medford City Council President Isaac “Zac” Bears explained how the overrides will be implemented in the city come 2025. “Question 7 will fund the public schools and Department of Public Works,” Bears said. “It will bring back full-time street and sidewalk repair crews, hiring some new folks in the Department of Public Works to better maintain our streets and sidewalks.”
Bears shared that Question 8 will go toward “increasing compensation for teachers and paraprofessionals [and] addressing some issues with the school schedule to make sure that students in our high school can attend both vocational programming as well as foreign language and band and other arts.” Somerville City Councilorat-Large Jake Wilson explained that Somerville’s ballot question will “[double] the Community Preservation Act surcharge from 1.5% — as it is currently and has been since 2012 — to the state maximum of 3%.” The Community Preservation Act is primarily geared toward affordable housing, although some funds will be invested in green spaces and historical preservation. “Affordable housing is the single biggest recipient of these funds, and that’s a really good see BALLOT, page 3
Tanya Dev
Contributing Writer
The City of Medford has officially been named a Purple Heart City, a U.S. military honor that commemorates local residents — both living and deceased — who were the recipients of Purple Heart medals. Bestowed by the president, the Purple Heart is not only the oldest but also one of the most revered military decorations in the U.S. On Oct. 30, there was a ceremony at Medford City Hall. Local officials, including Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn, were joined by veterans, their families and community members to unveil a new memorial celebrating the new designation and paying tribute to Medford’s Purple Heart recipients. Lungo-Koehn emphasized that this accolade not only
4 FEATURES
7 ARTS & POP CULTURE
9 OPINION
12 SPORTS
Medford Square makes many marvel
Bubs dole double dose of ‘Delirium’ page 7
Bárbara Brizuela’s best bets
Sophia slings softballs superbly
affirms the city’s respect for the courage of Purple Heart recipients but also nurtures a community that honors the legacy of all who have served. “This is just another way that we’re honoring the sacrifice and bravery of those who were wounded or killed in combat,” Lungo-Koehn said. Among the ceremony’s many highlights was the unveiling of the city’s newest tribute to its Purple Heart recipients — a granite monument. Stationed in front of the Killed in Action memorial on the front lawn of Medford City Hall, the monument features an engraved Purple Heart medal alongside an excerpt from Medford’s official proclamation. The ceremony not only unveiled the city’s new memorial see PURPLE HEART, page 3 News Features Fun & Games Arts & Pop Culture Opinion Sports
1 4 6 7 9 12
tuftsdaily
tuftsdaily
thetuftsdaily
tuftsdaily.com
The Tufts Daily
The Tufts Daily