Winter Hill area residents and city officials met last week to discuss a number of disturbing incidents that have taken place at the halfway house at 155 Central St.

By Donald F. Norton

A meeting was held last Wednesday evening at Winter Hill Community Innovation School to examine complaints by neighborhood residents concerning a halfway house located in the area.

By Matt McLaughlin, Ward 1 Alderman

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

Dear Mr. Chairman, Members of the Planning Board, and the East Somerville community:

The proposed development at 771 McGrath Highway/Stop and Shop is without a doubt the most contentious issue I have dealt with in my short tenure as Ward 1 Alderman. I agonized over the pros and cons of this development for more than ten months. I held four community meetings, canvassed the neighborhood and made phone calls to gauge the feelings of the community. I put together a community survey that generated more than 100 responses so that the voice of the community would be heard clearly. My ultimate goal was to negotiate an amicable deal between the developers and the neighbors that would move our community forward.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition is hosting the 6th Annual Tina DeLellis Luncheon this Friday, November 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Highland Kitchen at 150 Highland Avenue, Somerville. The luncheon is held in memory of Tina DeLellis, a founder of Johnny D’s, the popular Somerville restaurant and music venue. The luncheon recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to helping improve the quality of life for individuals in Somerville. DeLellis, who passed away in 2008, is survived by her daughter, Carla, who now manages Johnny D’s and continues the community involvement the business has supported for many years. This year’s honoree is Maryanne Manfra. Requirements for the Tina DeLellis Distinguished Service Award are that the individual “continues Tina’s spirit and values of straight-shooting, honesty and fairness,” said Mark Alston-Follansbee, Executive Director of the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to PJ Ryan’s Pub on Holland St. last Sunday at approximately 1:00 a.m. on reports of a large fight in progress at that location.

Upon arrival, police saw a man lying in the street, bleeding from his face. The man, later identified as David Leccese, 32, of Wilmington, was being tended to by his friend.

By The Times Staff

According to reports issued by the city, the search for Somerville’s next Superintendent of Schools is well under way with national outreach by the Somerville School Committee and the consulting firm of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) for the top educational leadership position in the City. HYA was engaged by the School Committee earlier this year to assist in the search for Somerville’s next Superintendent after current Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi announced his retirement effective July 2015 following 10 years of distinguished service with the Somerville Public Schools.

Winning team “Back to Basics” (Elliot Rippe, Arjun Singh, Daniel Portillo).

By The Times Staff

On October 26, eight teams of three high school students each from Somerville gathered in Gantcher Gym at Tufts University to compete in the tenth annual Scrapheap Showdown. Along with the usual interesting “junk” in the center of the room when the students walked in, there were many pieces of paper, some foam core, lots of string and tape. The students were given their challenge: to build two ziplines, one to move supplies to and the other to move logs back from a logging camp which lies across a river. The goal was to move as many logs as possible and return with as little as ballast as possible on the shuttle, without anything hitting the river and being destroyed.

The Somerville First Source Jobs Initiative’s Job Fair held at the Cambridge Health Alliance building brought job seekers and potential employers together to see what possibilities existed for job placements.

By Tom Bannister

On Wednesday of last week, the Somerville First Source Jobs Initiative (SFSJI) celebrated a job fair exclusively for residents of the Somerville area at the Cambridge Health Alliance building, in Somerville. It was the second job fair that the SFSJI held this year as part of their effort to connect Somerville residents with Somerville jobs, particularly those with barriers to employment.

For the past five years I have taught a College Writing Seminar at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston. Bunker Hill serves an inner-city, and multiethnic population. Many of the students are older than traditional college students; many of the students are working full and part time jobs, and many will go on to four year institutions to continue their education. The college even offers midnight classes to accommodate the needs of this student population, and provides technical, nursing, and traditional liberal arts courses. Here is an essay from one of my students describing her first weeks in college. — Doug Holder

Lee Varon is a writer and social worker. Her poetry and short stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and published in Artful Dodge, Blue Mesa Review, Euphony, Hawai’i Review, High Plains Literary Review, Painted Bride Quarterly, Pleiades, Permafrost, So To Speak, Soundings East, and Willow Review, among others.

(Updated as of 2 a.m.)

GOVERNOR OF MASSACHUSETTS

Charlie Baker (R) 979,127

Martha Coakley (D) 951,782

Evan Falchuk 66,915

Scott Lively 18,069

Jeff McCormick 15,161