By George P. Hassett

Bob Trane may sue The Somerville Journal for what his lawyer says was a “scurrilous” cartoon the paper ran five days before tomorrow’s hotly contested state rep. election.
In a release from his campaign, Trane said the cartoon – which insinuated that he stole his opponent’s nomination papers – combined with the wrong placement of an ad he bought, was a specific attempt to hurt his chances against incumbent State Rep. Carl Sciortino. In the same issue, the Journal endorsed Sciortino.

By George P. Hassett

The first cable access broadcast in Somerville featured a dog peeing and a Marine enlistee swearing. But today, programs on Somerville Community Access Television are more likely to be produced by teens with positive messages or immigrants communicating in their native tongues.

Beginning today, SCAT celebrates 25 years of community programming as the state’s oldest public access station (the channel also features the oldest public access program in the world, Dead Air Live, which dates back to the early 1970s before SCAT, when the Somerville Media Action Project broadcast from Davis Square).

By George P. Hassett

A 35 year old Jamaica Plain man was stabbed following a road rage incident Saturday morning in Union Square.  According to investigators, the incident began on Highland Avenue near Medford Street between two vehicles then wound through the residential streets of Prospect Hill, ending in a parking lot in Union Square where one vehicle rammed the other. The occupants of both vehicles got out of their cars resulting in a physical confrontation in which the driver of one vehicle was stabbed, police said. The victim was transported to an area hospital with multiple stab wounds but he is expected to survive his injuries, police said.

Holloway and Curtatone round out high profile staff

By Jack Nicas

To an impartial observer, they’re just two dedicated coaches working to help their team win. However, to the trained eye of a Somervillian, they’re two of the city’s top officials, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Police Chief Anthony Holloway, on the field coaching the city’s kids.

For the first time in Curtatone’s 10 years as an assistant coach of Somerville High School’s football team, he’s being joined by another influential citizen of the city. Chief Holloway said Curtatone mentioned his position with the team in passing one day and Holloway immediately saw an opportunity to give back to the community.

Team sets sights on first appearance in postseason tournament

By Jack Nicas

After four years of grooming the current squad, Coach Jason Lenicheck believes this is the year for the Somerville High School girls soccer team. ‚ÄúFor the first time in the history of the program,‚Äù he said, ‚Äúwe’d like to make it into the end-of-season tournament.‚Äù

After a slow start and an injury to goalkeeper Molly Tyler last season, the team ended at 7-10-1. However, Lenicheck said the team worked hard and his expectations were met by “not only the on-field performance, but also the support for the program both internally and externally.”

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

I love Somerville‚Ķwhy do I love Somerville? There are tons of reasons. One reason is that I know where most of the streets are – I also know a lot of short cuts, especially during rush hour. Here are a few more reasons – you run into people you know everywhere you go! Up at Old Orchard Beach, I hear: ‚Äúhey Jimmy, what’s up?‚Äù  I actually saw a guy who grew up on my street at Disney World about 15 years ago. If you are from Somerville, I’m sure it happens to you too.

By George P. Hassett

This year’s ‚ÄúWhat the Fluff‚Äù — the Union Square celebration of that sticky marshmallow goo – will be expanded and bigger than ever. But Union Square Main Streets, the festival’s producer, still needs volunteers to help make the festival’s quirky ideas a reality, says Mimi Graney of Main Streets.

This year’s festival on Sept. 27 features much fun with fluff: there will be Fluff Fear Factor, Fluff Bowling, and a Fluff election. But with all the games, Graney says ‚ÄúWhat the Fluff‚Äù needs volunteers to help run the show. ‚ÄúFluff‚Äù organizers will host a special volunteer party before the event.. If you want to volunteer, send an email to Kate Cole, the volunteer coordinator, at kate@unionsquaremain.org.

But volunteers may get stuck in a sticky situation: Graney says at least 3,000 ounces of marshmallow fluff will be used this year as part of the celebration for one of the festival’s most beloved characters, Fluff Boy.

By Jack Nicas

Larry Fidalgo, 69, fondly remembers his days of playing professional baseball. However, in his old age he’s traded his ash bats for ash floors at his Somerville flooring company, Fidalgo Floors, at 152 Albion St.

Fidalgo said at the Sept. 5 Somerville News contributors’ meeting that he moved into his childhood home on Fremont Street at the age of two. He graduated from Somerville High School in 1957 as the captain of both the football and baseball team, and returned 30 years later to receive the school’s Hall of Fame award for excellence in baseball. He said scouts with the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees often watched him during his senior season.

After one year at Villanova University, he signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates as a catcher for $700 a month and a $30,000 signing bonus; the year was 1958.

By Patrick Connolly

The Devil Music Ensemble scored the classic martial arts film “Red Heroine” as part of ArtsUnion in Union Square Sunday night.

At 8 p.m., about 150 people sat in front of the Independent bar, watching the three-piece play traditional Chinese folk music, while the film projected on a 20-by-30 screen.

“Red Heroine,” the story of a kidnapping, includes a flying ninja girl, a bearded man on a donkey, poor dental hygiene and more concubines than you can count.

‚ÄúIt’s a silent film from 1929, from China,‚Äù musician Jonah Rapino said. ‚ÄúIt’s the only martial arts film from that era that still survives in it’s entirety today.‚Äù