Not to anyone’s surprise, we wholeheartedly support smart development along the various economic corridors in this city – more mixed-use, transient-use and low to middle income housing is a vital aspect of Somerville’s future economic growth – the other two equally important aspects being Assembly Square and the Green Line Extension, of course.

With all that this city has done to improve the quality of life in general for its residents by taking a solid, long-term approach to development, there are still areas that show our weaknesses to mid-level developers and the general public alike.

Revitalizing certain areas of the city strengthen the various localized economic corridors, it is true, but completely ignoring certain neighborhoods doesn’t do anyone any favors, regardless of how many parks you plan to makeover.

By George P. Hassett

Somerville’s state delegation last week unanimously supported Gov. Deval Patrick’s bill closing corporate tax loopholes, reducing the corporate tax rate, and clarifying the corporate tax code. The bill was passed by both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The bill originated to close loopholes that large corporations have used in the past to avoid paying state income taxes. These loopholes included allowing corporations to shift profits out-of-state and to define the corporation differently on state and federal tax forms.

In a statement, Patrick said the bill will help Massachusetts businesses retain their competitive edge, while generating hundreds of millions of dollars in new revenue to sustain vital government services over the next few years.

By Matthew McLaughlin

Four years to the day have passed and the wall on the corner of Cedar and Warwick streets still draws young Somervillans to reflect on lost ones. Now years later, a stabbing incident re-opens old wounds and forces some to wonder what is going on in their city.

After last week’s stabbing incident during Somerville’s Independence Day fireworks, dozens of local youth remembered Ryan Sullivan, a 16-year-old Somerville native, who was killed on Warwick Street July 1, 2004 while rushing to the aid of a friend being assaulted. Friends of Sullivan lit candles and wrote messages of love on a picket fence adorned with writing, rosary beads and an Irish flag since the night he died.

By George P. Hassett

Somerville citizens who go to City Hall looking for their aldermen’s ethics reports will still be looking at a lot of black ink. The state’s Supervisor of Records issued a ruling last week upholding most of the city’s decision to redact personal and private information from the reports.

Massachusetts Supervisor of Public Records Alan N. Cote ruled that city lawyers should not withhold property information and the names of spouses from publicly released ethics reports as they had been doing. The ruling came in response to a petition from The Somerville Journal appealing the city’s decision to redact much of the information contained in the reports, which all candidates for office are required to submit.

By George P. Hassett

FBI agents have arrested a Somerville man they say is responsible for last year’s Memorial Day heist that started with the kidnapping of an East Cambridge Savings Bank employee and ended with the suspect emptying out the bank’s vault.

School considering former state champion Jack O’Brien

By Jack Nicas

Somerville High School is on the hunt for a new boys basketball coach. A six-person interview committee has whittled the field down to three, including Jack O’Brien, a five-time state champion with Charlestown High School and the subject of a bestselling book.

The three candidates for the position are current Somerville Junior Varsity coach Mark Antonelli, recently resigned Charlestown coach Steve Cassidy, a former Somerville resident, and O’Brien.

By George P. Hassett

A Somerville man was arrested Monday in connection with a rape near the campus of Tufts University.

Police said Michael K. Mahoney approached the female victim on Dearborn Road shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday, forced her under the porch of a house and raped her. The victim’s recollection of specific details of her attacker ‚Äúwas crucial‚Äù in helping police apprehend Mahoney the next day at St. Peter’s field in Cambridge, said Captain Paul Upton. Police would not release additional details.

Mahoney was arrested and charged with aggravated rape and kidnapping in connection with the assault.  He was arraigned from behind a wall Tuesday morning in Somerville District Court at the request of prosecutors.

Congratulations to our own Mayor Joe Curtatone for making Somerville one of the first municipalities in the area to have “Smart Cars” join the city’s fleet. Last week the mayor purchased four of them for city officials to drive as their assigned cars during work hours. The Somerville Fire Department has already switched over to hybrids for their upper ranks to drive as well.

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Did you notice on the Beacon Hill Roll Call this week that Prince Carl didn’t vote last week on several votes taken at the State House Рthe vote on the $28.22 billion dollar State Budget was last week and he didn’t bother to vote on it?

By Doug Holder

At the Friday June 27 Somerville News contributors meeting Patricia Wild was asked what brought her to Somerville, she laughed and said: ‚ÄúWhat else, a man.‚Äù But Wild’s roots in Somerville run much deeper than that. Her father was born in the city, and since the late 1970’s this School Street resident has contributed to Somerville in many ways: as an educator, journalist, writer and community activist.

For 17 years Wild was a fixture at the adult education program SCALE where she taught a women’s writing class. Her first novel, ‚ÄúSwimming In It‚Äù was set in Somerville. The protagonist was based on a young woman Wild taught in a homeless shelter. The girl was in the shelter due to sexual abuse at her home. Later this girl tragically died from a heroin overdose. The book created a strong reaction and a lot of feedback. Wild said that one in four women have been sexually abused at one point according to recent studies, so many were able to relate to this girl’s sad fate.

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.)

If you attended either our Independence Day fireworks celebration on June 26 or Family Fun Day on June 28, you know that community spirit is alive and well in Somerville.  The fireworks display on Thursday was our biggest ever, and even though the police had to arrest a few teens who got violent with each other just over the line in Medford, the atmosphere that evening was overwhelmingly one of family-friendly celebration, as residents of all neighborhoods and backgrounds came together to enjoy a night out in a city they are proud to call home.