By  Joseph A. Curtatone

(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.)

Just two months back, I wrote an opinion piece for the Somerville News in which I made the case that casino gambling might not be the best route to sustainable economic growth for the state in general and for Metro Boston in particular. I suppose you could say that I was gambling that my friend Governor Patrick was going to, at the very least, take a go-slow approach to the casino question.

I wasn’t trying to draw a line in the sand Рonly to raise some concerns. I pointed out that the two tribal casinos in neighboring Connecticut were located well away from urban areas in order to cut down on some of the costs and social problems that casinos can bring. I pointed out that cities and towns depend on local aid from the state lottery, which was likely to be undercut by casino gambling, and that any change in the state’s gambling policy would have to include some reasonable guarantees that cities and towns wouldn’t be penalized as state gambling revenues were siphoned off in new directions.

By Erin Souza

Walking into the newest addition to Davis Square, the scent of warm home-baked goodness wafts throughout the small but sleek bakery’s fire red walls and tantalizes customers of all ages. Dorchester resident and southern California native Sara Ross came to the East Coast four years ago with her husband to live the city life and to continue to do what she has been doing for the past ten years – bake some kickass cupcakes.

Kickass Cupcakes has been open at 378 Highland Avenue for just over two weeks and for proprietor and pastry chef Ross, business appears to be booming.

By Erin Souza

Heroin use is on the rise in Somerville because it is stronger, less expensive and easily available compared to other substances, said Cambridge and Somerville Program for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Rehabilitation (CASPAR) Executive Director Gail Enman at the Somerville News contributors meeting on Sept. 20.

“[Heroin] is cheaper than a pack of cigarettes,” she said. “It’s cheaper than a six-pack of beer.”

Heroin addiction was the second most abused substance of the 2,800 people admitted to abuse treatment facilities in Cambridge and Somerville in 2004, the most recent year for which data is available, according to statistics produced by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.