By Jim Clark

Loss Prevention personnel at the Rite Aid on McGrath Hwy. detained a man last Friday for allegedly shoplifting in the store. Investigating police officers were told that the man, Mark Delia, 39, of E. Boston, was observed stuffing several items into his backpack.

– Photos by Max W. Lauf

Jeffrey Simon, Director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office meets with FRIT Executive Don Briggs and Mayor Joseph Curtatone. - Photo By Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

It has been several weeks now since the DIF vote passed in Board of Aldermen, and the Assembly Square development inches closer to being realized. Jeffrey Simon, Director of the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office within Governor Deval Patrick’s cabinet visited the site and toured the “spine of the project,” Assembly Square Drive. The road was part of the 70-acre development that Simon oversaw $12 million of the $14.9 million total funds authorized from federal stimulus monies in the Recovery Act.

With pride and a great sense of achievement, a cherished segment of Somerville’s youth recently undertook that special rite of passage we call graduation.

The Class of 2011 will face unknown challenges in the years ahead as they move on to colleges and careers, family life and final maturity. We extend our heartfelt good wishes to the nearly 300 graduates of Somerville High School, as well as those from neighboring high schools and colleges.

Congratulations to all the recent SHS graduates. This year close to 300 graduated and a lot of kids won many awards and were recognized at the graduation ceremony this past Monday night at Dilboy Field.

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Big time congratulations to our friend Susan Fontana of East Somerville who received a citation this past week submitted by Alderman Bill Roche from the Mayor and the board of Aldermen recognizing Susan’s work with East Somerville Main Streets, serving as the founding President for the last 4 years. Susan recently resigned as president to pursue other civic interests within the city with a great group of volunteers at ESMS they are in place to continue the work set out by Susan. Some of us remember Susan going back many years and we also know how sincere and what a nice  lady she is. Truly a giving person here in Somerville for a lot of years and hopefully many many more.

Nationwide, human trafficking is more of a problem than most people think, according to investigators and officials.

By Andrew Firestone

The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted on June 1 to implement a law against human trafficking, citing an increased awareness of possible activity in the Commonwealth. The legislation was supported by Representatives Denise Provost and Carl Sciortino of Somerville, who both said that it was about time.

(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.)

Please allow me to correct inaccuracies conveyed by Mayor Curtatone and SCAT Executive Director Wendy Blom in your May 26 article regarding a bill that would streamline the cable TV franchising process in Massachusetts (“Somerville mayor, SCAT fight Verizon at Statehouse”).

The mayor’s claim that the bill would allow new providers to cherry pick which neighborhoods it would serve is just not true. The bill makes no change to the current process where towns and providers agree by contract where service is provided, along with build-out deadlines.

- Photo by Lisamarie Tauro

By William Tauro

Tuesday evening,  the site of the old abandoned Everett High School had been magically transformed, with the help of a motion picture crew, to resemble the Somerville Jr High School for a movie being filmed in Everett.

The movie set building has “Somerville Jr. High” banners hanging from the structure along with a real structural sign at the building’s front entrance displaying a “Bake Sale” and a “PTA Meeting”.

Nancy Carlsson-Paige is one of the recipients of this year’s RFK Children's Action Corps Award.

By Cathleen Twardzik

On June 9, Nancy Carlsson-Paige, Professor of early childhood education at Lesley University in Cambridge, the place at which she has educated teachers for greater than 30 years, will be honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps’ Embracing the Legacy Award for her long-time work on behalf of children and families.

By Jim Clark

Police were summoned to the Hess Gas Station at 709 McGrath Highway early last Sunday, at about 1:00 a.m., on a report that a large fight was underway there. Upon arrival, a Somerville patrol unit noted that a red Honda Civic, matching the description of an involved party’s vehicle, was leaving the area at a high rate of speed.