The rink in Conway Park will provide skaters with a new and much needed venue for their activities.

By Andrew Firestone

Get ready to bust out the ice blades! The Somerville Board of Aldermen approved the authorization of borrowing a $2,435,355 bond for construction of a new outdoor skating rink. Highlander Hockey may have a new house, in the form of a new rink built adjacent to the old one at Veteran’s Memorial Ice Rink on Somerville Ave.

By Jim Clark

Last Friday Somerville Police Detectives and the Cambridge Police Special Investigations Unit conducted surveillance in the area of Lower East Somerville and successfully served arrest warrants on a man suspected of drug trafficking.
Police report that at the time of the arrest the man was in possession of what was believed to be cocaine, ecstasy, and marijuana.

By Jim Clark

Police were summoned to a College Avenue apartment complex in the wee hours of the morning last Saturday on a report that an unwanted man had locked himself into a common area of the building, according to reports.
Police say that residents of the building told them that the intruder had entered, uninvited, and took over the TV room, refusing to allow anyone else to enter.

The Somerville High School Outdoor Awards were presented at Dilboy Stadium on Monday, June 27. The cookout was sponsored by the Trac-Pac and attended by the SHS girls track team members, Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi, Principal Tony Ciccariello, Assistant Headmasters Joe Burke, John Oteri, and Athletic Director Nicole Viele.

As the MaxPac site is suspected of being the source of recent rodent sitings in the area, officials are demanding that the developer, KSS Realty, lead the effort to take control of the situation. - Photo by Ashley Taylor

By Andrew Firestone

In Somerville, the daily rat race sometimes takes on a more literal meaning. In this case, it is the increased number of rat sightings in Ward 4, seemingly coming from the MaxPac construction site. Currently being prepared by KSS Realty, some residents say that recent holes being dug have displaced a host of vermin, and they mean to do something about it.

Which is why on Monday, June 27, Aldermen Bruce Desmond and Sean O’Donovan were joined by George Landers, Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for the DPW, for a meeting at Albion Park, where rats had recently been seen. There, they spoke with members of the community and unveiled their game plan.

The City of Somerville will hold its  annual 4th of July Fireworks, tonight, Thursday June 30, at Trum Field. Live entertainment begins at 6:00 p.m.

The entertainment lineup for the Fireworks includes performances by the Somerville Sunsetters, local Disco-Funk band Booty Vortex, the USO Metropolitan New York Performers, and the U.S. Navy Band Northeast Show Band, leading up to a 30-minute fireworks display at approximately 9:15 p.m.  In case of rain,  live entertainment will be moved indoors.

The recent Massachusetts Department of Transportation Washington Street station workshop drew residents and planners together to address concerns and answer questions about the latest developments in the Green Line extension project. - Photo by Harry Kane

By Harry Kane

The Green Line Extension Project has been in the planning stages since1962, beginning with the North Terminal Area Study. Fast forward to 2011 and the Washington St. Station is in the preliminary engineering and design stages. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has been reaching out to Somerville residents by holding station workshops for community members to voice their opinions and concerns. According to Mary R. Ainsley, the Director of Design & Construction at Mass DOT, “The workshops are going great. Everybody is engaging and sharing their input. So far the neighborhood has been embracing the process and it’s been positive.” More station workshops are scheduled for September and October.

By Jim Clark

The pharmacist at the Rite Aid Pharmacy on Broadway did not like the looks of a prescription for Percocet submitted last Friday, so police officers were called in to investigate.
Upon arrival, the officers noticed a man who appeared to be very nervous and who attempted to leave when he noticed their arrival, according to reports. James F. Davison III, 38, was detained while the officers investigated the matter.

~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Somerville Department of Public Works’ Ron McCollem is making sure that all the plants in Somerville are freshly watered and looking good. Ron travels from plant to plant and street island to street island making sure all is watered down, especially last Tuesday as temperatures climbed into the high 80’s.

By Andrew Firestone

June 26 saw Powderhouse Park bring the groove, as hundreds of spectators sat out and tuned in to some soulful tunes. Sponsored by the Somerville Arts Council, the event saw seven hour-long sets of Jazz to help the soul feel at ease.