Life in the Ville 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)

This article was originally published in the June 14, 2008 edition of The Somerville News.

One of my favorite topics is talking about the stores that used to be around years ago that are now just memories. Remember a little place in Davis Square called The Soda Hut? Some may and some may not. How about Skippy’s Fix-it Shop and Henry the Jeweler? Do those places ring a bell? Close to Henry’s and Skippy’s, there used to be a quaint little establishment known as Gigli’s Fruit Stand. Ask anyone who remembers it, and they will assure you that it had quite a bit of “a-ppeal.”

Of 13 house fires in Somerville since June, four have been deemed arson and five suspicious fires remain under investigation

As the arson investigation into recent house fires in Somerville continues, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Somerville Police Chief Thomas Pasquarello, and Somerville Fire Chief Kevin Kelleher are urging residents to remain vigilant in reporting any information that could assist the investigation. They also ask that all community members please read and heed arson prevention tips and safety tips posted to the city website’s homepage at http://www.somervillema.gov/.

A Central Berkshire District Court Judge has denied the Commonwealth’s petition to hold a Somerville, Massachusetts youth without the right to bail after a dangerousness hearing Friday morning.

Utsav, a festival of Punjabi and Sikh Culture, is an event the Somerville Arts Council and the Boston Sikh Sangat Society hopes Union Square residents will call the cultural event of the year.

Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets will be rocking Somerville this coming Sunday.

The City of Somerville will host its newest event in the annual SomerStreets series on Sunday, September 8 from noon to 4 p.m. Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets will take place along Holland Street between Davis Square and Teele Square and will include live music at Johnny D’s Uptown and PJ Ryan’s Pub as well as children’s activities, family-friendly programming, and student-friendly fun throughout the afternoon. This is the first time the festival has been hosted on Holland Street.

Daytime and evening opportunities for public participation in shaping the future of Davis Square

The next phase of the City of Somerville’s “Somerville by Design: Davis Square” community planning process will take place Monday to Wednesday, Sept. 9 through Sept. 11.  An interactive three-day public charette (a collaborative design session) will give residents, the business community and other stakeholders convenient day and evening opportunities to work with city planners and outside experts to shape plans for Davis Square. This event will build on input from the Davis Square community at a public Crowdsourcing event held in May and two public Visioning Sessions held in July.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a reported unwanted party in the early morning hours of last Sunday at the Lazybones cleaning and storage company on Somerville Ave.

Access for disabled persons was found inadequate in many public buildings in Somerville according to studies made by the Commission for Disabilities.

By Emmanuel Vincent

On August 28, the city’s Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator, the Somerville Commission for Disabilities, conducted a public meeting at City Hall. The meeting addressed the needs of the residents who are disabled.

The candidates for the primary election on September 24 for Alderman for Ward 1 were each asked four questions and invited to describe themselves and their vision for how best to serve their ward as Board of Alderman members. Their responses are presented here in alphabetical order, based on their last names.

– Photos by Claudia Ferro
*
Somerville residents, along with city and state officials, gathered on Tuesday to celebrate the reopening of East Somerville Community School.