Ask the Neighbor Lady

Reader: How Do I Deal With Tandem Parking Rage?

The Neighbor Lady offers a Plan A and a Plan B for dealing with tandem parking hogging.

Dear Neighbor Lady, My tandem parking is driving me crazy. I live on a street where it's really hard to park. I also have a job that involves lugging heavy supplies to and from my car. So I want and need to use my driveway: the driveway I pay to use as part of my rent. The problem is that my downstairs neighbor parks me in a lot. He pulls in behind me and then goes out on foot. He lets friends park me in too. I've tried to ask nicely that we trade keys so we can move each other's cars if we need to. He won't do it. He says it's too risky, and then says he'll stop parking me in. I'm developing a case of driveway rage. This has to stop. What would you do? Too Mad to Come Up with a Funny Name in Somerville Dear Mad One, Humor is good but we …

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Ask the Neighbor Lady

A "Bark-Abused" Neighbor Asks How to Quiet a Noisy Dog

A readers asks if the Neighbor Lady can help teach a yapping dog a new trick: how to be silent.

Dear Neighbor Lady, Here's the problem: New neighbor moves in across the street with yapping dog. When the neighbor is not home, the dog barks incessantly for hours on the front porch annoying all the neighbors. The yapping dog also provokes other dogs to bark too creating a very distressing situation. Can you help? From, Having a "Ruff" Time in Somerville --- Dear Ruff, OK, this is a doozie. But I do have an answer. It requires me to tell you first about what I teach my kids. My children learn from example. Yeah, yeah, but it takes more than that to help little littles grow into well-adjusted—and adjustable—adults. So, sometimes, I make sure that a particular message lands, takes root, and I hope, flowers into the great shrub of wisdom. …

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Seen in Somerville

Somerville Homeless Coalition 5K Race

More than 1,100 motivated runners turned out for this annual benefit run.

Exactly 1,111 runners turned out for the annual Somerville Homeless Coalition benefit 5K Race on Sunday. Check out our photo gallery to see a few of them and their supporters. According to initial figures, the race netted $35,000 for the Somerville nonprofit, which provides social services to the Somerville area's homeless, near-homeless and working poor. Robert Espinosa took first place with a time of 15:59 minutes. The fastest woman was Rachel Shanley, who ran the race in 18:13 minutes. The Steve Burton Award, to the person who raised the most money for the Coalition, was awarded to Robert Segal.  "A lot of work, but the day was perfect for a race, the runners were a joyful bunch, the brunch–from Davis Square's great restaurants–superb, …

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Seen in Somerville: Duhamel Dinner, Riverfest, Fluff Fest

Take a peek at photos of people, places and happenings in Somerville this week.

This week, we spotted aldermen in aprons, outer-space aliens at Riverfest and lots of Marshmallow Fluff-happy people.  Aldermen were seen slinging supper on Saturday at the annual Duhamel Education Initiative Ham and Bean Supper, which raises funds to support Somerville Public Schools. "Outer-space aliens" landed at Riverfest and Somervillians responded appropriately—by breaking out into dance and watching fireworks. Proving that just about anything can be cause for celebration in this town, on Saturday throngs of snack-food happy fans turned out for the annual Fluff Fest where they played games with, ate, sang about—and in some cases wore— Marshmallow Fluff, all because the sticky treat was created right here in Somerville. Spot something…

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