By William C.  Shelton

(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.)

Somerville’s economic golden age was driven by people who made useful things—automobiles, bricks, baked goods, brass tubes, garments, soap, ceramics, mattresses, machine tools, and many more.

Some people designed the products, the packaging they came in, the graphics used to sell them, and the buildings required to house their firms and workers. Others fabricated them.

By George P. Hassett

The city’s Planning Board voted tonight to reject a bid by a discount close-out store to open in a Broadway lot vacant since 2007, causing a lawyer for the property owner to cry foul over the city’s handling of the process.

After the Planning Board voted unanimously to accept city staff’s recommendation to deny Ocean State Job Lot the special permit they needed to open at 299 Broadway, Bob Allen, the attorney for property owner James Cohen, said his client may pursue a lawsuit against the city.

Sandbags were placed at the doors of the Somerville public safety building in preparation of the coming storm.- Photo by Bobbie Toner

By William Tauro

DPW crews built a barrier of over two thousand sandbags that were strategically placed around the rear of the Somerville Police Station while police personal evacuated the station’s rear parking lot and police garage. All the police vehicles are being parked on higher ground at the Target parking lot located on Somerville Avenue.

Crews clean up after tree fell on Auburn Ave. - Photo by Bobbie Toner

By William Tauro

A tree fell on a motor vehicle in front of 10 Auburn Avenue in Somerville during moderate winds late Thursday afternoon.

Photo of motor vehicle that was crushed by fallen tree on Auburn Ave Thursday evening. ~Photo by William Tauro

By George P. Hassett

After a summer of drug busts in Davis Square’s busy center plaza, the neighborhood aldermen is wondering if the area saw a surge in crime.

Ward 6 Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz submitted an order at Thursday’s meeting asking Acting Chief Mike Cabral to provide aldermen with an update on trouble in the square and a comparison of last year’s criminal activity to this year.

By George P.  Hassett

A 30-year-old Salem man tried to throw a rock through a Lowell Street family’s window early Saturday morning, according to police.

When officers found Stephen Lucas walking back to the home and told him he had to leave, he allegedly crouched on his knees and pleaded with Officer Marc DiFava to let him back into the house.

Hailing the project as “exactly the kind of development we're trying to encourage around the commonwealth,” Governor Patrick was guided through the construction site by Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Ted Tobin of KSS Realty. ~ Photo by Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

After years of neglect MaxPak, the blighted industrial site turned residential development was thrust back into the spotlight when Governor Deval Patrick arrived to tour the area. His visit followed an announcement of the approval of a $490,000 annuity from the Department of Transportation’s Transit Oriented Development (TOD) grant to be used for construction of the proposed community path running adjacent to the five and a half acre site.

The great outdoors have long been a source of inspiration for artists and musicians.

New exhibit explores Open Air

By Rose Scherlis

The great outdoors have long been a source of inspiration for artists and musicians – from Sept. 3 through Sept. 26, five artists will display works inspired by nature at the Nave Gallery in “Open Air.”

“A lot of people like the romantic notion of what nature is,” said Matthew Best, whose work will be exhibited. “I am more interested in ‘nature’ in quotation marks. Nature can overtake an area, like weeds growing over an abandoned parking lot. I’m intrigued by its different stages.”

As city officials began to move back into the police headquarters last week, a second flood struck the building. - Andrew Firestone

Station reopened after $1 million flood damage

By Andrew Firestone

While police headquarters might be back to business as usual, Mayor Joseph Curtatone was blunt about the prospects of the now twice-flooded building.

“I’ll tell you right now, I wish I could knock it down today. And if I could, I would,” he said at a Monday press conference to re-open the building after July 10 floods caused almost $1 million in damages.

Did you know that our Web site has the full paper in an easy to download format?  Also on our web site we have the SCATV and City Cable listings and the Beacon Hill Report on how our legislators are voting.  And the link to the Somerville News Writers festival is on our site and you can register for this years exciting festival at the Somerville Armory on Nov. 13.

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The vote of the planning board to ok or deny Ocean State Job Lot the permit to open their store at the vacant Winter Hill Star is expected Sept. 2 at City Hall.