By Dennis Fischman

If you’ve read any detective fiction at all, you’ve heard of Sherlock Holmes. You’ve probably made the acquaintance of Hercule Poirot. But do you know Lord Peter Wimsey? If not, you are in for a treat.

By Ian Halim

In 1979, Dr. Linda Laubenstein began seeing patients in New York City with a rare cancer called Kaposi’s sarcoma. Because the cancer was so rare, she knew there had to be an explanation for the growing cluster of cases with their telltale purple skin lesions.

The new Construction Advisory Group held its first meeting on Tuesday, October 8.

By Katherine Davis

On October 8, the new Construction Advisory Group (CAG), as requested by Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, held its first meeting to address the continued displacement of PK-8 grade students from the Winter Hill Community Innovation School (WHCIS). After the school temporarily closed in June 2023 after a chunk of concrete fell in a stairwell, and then indefinitely closed after the discovery of asbestos in August 2023, Winter Hill students have been attending the Edgerly Education Center and the Capuano School for over a year.

The Somerville Police Department would like to warn residents of a new spyware sextortion scam that is targeting users via email. It involves the emailing of Google Maps Street View photos of addresses to blackmail victims by saying their computer has been recording them and to send money via QR code to keep the information private. Recipients should not click any links or scan the QR code and instead file a police report. This article explains the new scam: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/sextortion-scams-now-include-photos-of-your-home/

— Somerville Police Department

All interested community members are invited to attend and speak at a Public Hearing before the Somerville City Council’s Land Use Committee and the Somerville Planning Board on Thursday, October 17, at 6:30 p.m.  

Community members will have the opportunity to provide input on a proposed amendment to the City’s Zoning Ordinance to remove requirements that developers create new parking spaces when constructing new buildings.  

While Jimmy is on hiatus, please enjoy this reprint of an article from September 11, 2010 that you may have missed or forgotten about.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Cabot Farms sits on Broadway just before the block of stores that includes an Asian restaurant, a caterer’s headquarters, and the convenience store and Dunkin Donuts.

Outside is the rusty skeletal remains of what was once a colorful awning and entrance way. The facade of the building boasts of an era gone by, with colors very faded and fixtures in advanced decay. It sits beneath what looks like at least six rental units, as the building is huge. In real estate terms it is known as a gold mine. The family that has owned it for decades still owns it as far as I know. A couple of  years ago when I spoke to the owner’s son, (a well known local musician back in the 70’s who is around my age), they still owned it.

The Ghost of City Hall haunted the City Council meeting on October 10 to ask permission for a public event license for the annual Truck O’ Treat event that will take place on October 24.  The item was approved. The Ghost of City Hall also mentioned that SomerStreets Monster Mash will take place on October 20.