Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

When Poet Afaa Michael Weaver walked into the editorial offices of The Somerville News his presence seemed to require a hush. He is a large, distinguished-looking, black man in his late 50s who has made considerable contributions to the contemporary poetry world.

This is not a poet who went straight from a top shelf college to an MFA mill. He is from the streets of Baltimore, a working class kid who wrote for The Baltimore Sun, and started his own small press while he toiled in the less than academic settings of a tin mill, and a Procter & Gamble factory. He was a member in good standing with the International Oil and Chemical Workers Union, and his hands were callused from hard physical labor, not pampered with a pen.

By Jack Nicas

The Somerville High School boys soccer team has a new face this season. The face is a familiar one, but as a foe rather than a friend. George Scarpelli has been with Medford High School, Somerville’s main rival in soccer, for the past 22 years. Last year he coached the Medford girls soccer team, and before that he was the head coach of Medford boys soccer from 1987 to 2006. However, one of his biggest goals of the 2008 season is to beat his former team.

On The Silly Side 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.)

A former classmate of mine got my e-mail address from this column and we started corresponding. We both graduated from the Western Junior High School in 1968 (the last graduating class before the big fire). He graciously sent me a copy of our graduation picture, you know, the ones that are all rolled up? Thanks Dennis K.

The timeframe benchmark of summer for old and new Somervillians has been Memorial Day to Labor Day for as far back as we can remember. For the last 20 to 25 years, the location benchmark has been Falmouth/Cape Cod. Only in the last couple of years has the Lake Winnipesaukee region grown in any kind of measurable popularity.

This usually means not much in the way of excitement happens in and around Somerville – other than the fireworks and maybe one or two trips back here for a cruise/fundraiser on Boston Harbor. That seemed to be the direction this summer was taking, but ended up being cut short, and for a number of reasons.

One need only look towards local news highlights over the last several weeks to get a snapshot of why this summer seemed to be cut so short:  an incumbent who lost his signatures, an elected official who lived up to the moniker ‚Äúvideo-boy‚Äù, a write-in campaign as a result of said antics, a charter commission farce, an even greater ‚Äúnew and improved‚Äù condo conversion ordinance farce and an indicted local attorney – and that’s the short list.

Winter Hill barber celebrates 60 years of business

By George P. Hassett

Outside on Broadway the year is 2008. But inside Tony Matarazzo’s barbershop ‚Äútime is frozen,‚Äù says his colleague Phil Vozella, as Matarazzo sharpens straightedge razors on a worn leather strop to the sounds of big band music under black and white pictures of Frank Sinatra and Rocky Marciano.

The scene is a throwback to the time when Matarazzo first started cutting hair in Somerville 61 years ago.

A man was struck and killed by a commuter rail train on the tracks near Conway Park last night around 11:45 p.m., according to an MBTA spokesman.

Joe Pesaturo of the MBTA said it is not known why the man was trespassing on the railroad tracks. The man has not been identified. Transit Police, Somerville police, fire and EMS units responded to the scene. The incident is under investigation by Transit Police and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office.

Gangster image leads to violent lifestyle

By Matthew McLaughlin

It was before high school when Kathia Blaise, 15, from Winter Hill, saw a change in her male friends. The athletic and popular football crowd began trading their jerseys in for blue and red bandanas and practice was replaced with hanging on stoops and playgrounds. Although she didn’t like the new change, she didn’t believe her friends were actual gang members. But fantasy mixed with reality on March 26 when a 15-year-old friend was shot in the rib on Sewall Street.

“He was just a boy in the wrong place, chilling with his friends who thought they were Bloods,” Blaise, a Haitian-American, said of her friend, who eventually recovered.

Mystic Learning Center picnic pulls community together

By Jack Nicas

On a beautiful summer day, The Mystic Learning Center held its 18th annual Mystic Avenue community picnic Wednesday, August 20. The picnic featured games, raffles, face painting, a DJ and a talent show, where youths from the community showcased their skills.

The Learning Center’s summer basketball league also officially wrapped up its season at the picnic. League Director Hugh Coleman announced league MVPs and handed out certificates and bags inscribed with players’ team names.

For the 18th consecutive year, many individuals and organizations from the community helped make the picnic happen. The Somerville Housing Authority, Century Bank and Middlesex Savings Bank contributed funds on top of individual donations from Learning Center Executive Director Florence “Fluffy” Bergmann, Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero, and housing authority members James McCallum and Paul Mackey.

Students lobbied for improved conditions

By Jack Nicas

After months of protests, petitions and political involvement, Tufts students and janitors’ hard work has paid off. On Aug. 11, the janitors received a new contract from ABM (formerly OneSource), the cleaning company through which Tufts contracts its janitors.

The contract’s ratification marked the end of summer-long negotiations between ABM; a bargaining committee made up of janitors; the Jumbo Janitor Alliance, a university-recognized student group; and SEIU 615, the local union representing the janitors. Tufts Vice President of Operations John Roberto said in an email that the contract goes into effect immediately.

By George P. Hassett

A 23-year-old Everett man who was shot in the face Friday night has refused to give police any information on who shot him.

The victim, whose name police are not releasing, was shot after an argument on Glen and Brooks streets Friday night, police said. When officers arrived there was no one in the area, police said.