State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, D-Medford, may be forced to mount a write-in campaign in September to retain his seat, after Judge Linda E. Giles today ruled against his bid to have his name placed on the ballot. According to Sciortino’s attorney, 12 nomination papers containing 72 signatures were taken by an unknown person from his State House office. That left Sciortino 36 signatures shy of the required 150.

By Matthew McLaughlin

The battle over a sober house on 31 Wilton St. took a new turn when city officials and residents met at the Visiting Nurses Association on Lowell Street Monday. The issue was no longer about the existence of the house, but rather a lack of sprinklers regulated by zoning laws.

The Somerville Fire Department sent a letter to Michael Cartolano and Russell Colombo, co-owners of the sober house and explained that since there are 12 unrelated individuals living in the house, the owners were required to install sprinklers in the building.  If they do not complete the task within 90 days, they can face a fine of up to $1,000 per day, with each day constituting a separate violation.

Residents say doctor is ‘steamrolling’ through neighborhood

By George P. Hassett

Mouhab Rizkallah doesn’t want to add a back stairwell to his orthodontics practice on College Avenue. His neighbors don’t want him to and his alderman doesn’t want him to either. But because of a complaint filed with the Architectural Access Board – a group that enforces the tenets of the Americans with Disabilities Act – he says he must.

And because he is following the law (and spending $750,000 to do so, he says) by adding a new stairwell and elevator to his 30 College Ave. office, Rizkallah says he has been vilified in Davis Square.

By George P. Hassett

State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, D-Medford, said today in a prepared statement that his nomination papers have disappeared and he has called local police for help. He said he has filed suit in Suffolk County Superior Court to appear on the ballot for the Sept. 16 primary against challenger Robert C. Trane, an alderman in the city.

Sciortino, who has been a state rep. for four years, has not returned repeated phone calls in the last two days. Today’s release also leaves many unanswered questions.

Medford and Somerville city records show Sciortino submitted a total of 186 valid signatures, 36 more than is required, before the April 29 deadline. According to Brian McNiff, spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office Sciortino has only submitted 114 signatures to the state — 36 shy of what he needs.

By George P. Hassett

Four juveniles were arrested in connection with today’s stabbing at Foss Park, according to police.

At 2 p.m. today police said a man suffering from a stab wound flagged down an ambulance, he was taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.

Acting on a tip police searched the area surrounding the park and arrested four juveniles. No information on what they are being charged with is available as of now.   

The victim‚Äôs injuries are not life threatening, police said. 

Interesting rumor around the city these past few days…if true it could mean that Alderman Bob Trane is going to be the only one certified to be on the ballot in the race for state rep. Rumor has it that Prince Carl (Sciortino) submitted to the Secretary of State a little over 100 signatures, shy of the required 150 valid signatures. All sorts of rumors flying around that he might have lost the remaining signatures he needs to be on the ballot for re-election Рwe find it hard to believe, but we been told he’s not the first State Representative to have lost his signatures and not be on the ballot.

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Funny how our Progressive State Delegation (PDSers) are pushing through a Home Rule Petition for a Municipal Hearing Officer…when Jack Connolly was being mentioned as a possibility for the job, Princess Rebekah of Ward 6 raised hell and she got Prince Carl Sciortino and Queen Pat Jehlen to oppose it as well – but now that Jack is back and beat t PDSer Chairman Marty Martinez for the Alderman-at-Large seat last year — now they want to pass it through. Funny how Prince Carl the Progressive is now the one pushing to get it through, we think it‚Äôs funny how competition makes people do things.

By George P. Hassett

In the winter they don’t shovel. And in the spring, they don’t clean up. That, according to Ward One Alderman Bill Roche, is how the MBTA keeps up their property in East Somerville.

‚ÄúThere is no cooperation,‚Äù he said of the MBTA’s response to neighborhood complaints about how they maintain their property. ‚Äú[Getting them to respond] is like pulling teeth.‚Äù

Senior center garden is spring mainstay in Davis Square

By George P. Hassett

For the last two years, spring in Davis Square has meant Charlie Vazzino in the courtyard of Ciampa Manor planting vegetables, herbs and roses. Vazzino is a steady sight for commuters coming and going from the College Avenue train station — he says he is out there from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. greeting passerby from his wheelchair.

In between, Vazzino, 59, passes his days cultivating the soil of West Somerville. He says he started his garden outside the Davis Square senior center as a way to stave off boredom.

By William C. Shelton

(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.)

News coverage of the race for the White House has been a blessing to its current occupant by eclipsing news of his performance. As we consider the coming election, it may be useful to compare what we want with how we’ve been had.

At 71 percent, George Bush now has the highest disapproval rating since pollsters began measuring it. But popularity is not a good measure of a presidency. Abraham Lincoln, for example, was broadly unpopular by the autumn of 1863.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Confessions of a White Hat by Ed Galing (Alternating Current c/o Propaganda Press POBOX 398058 Cambridge, Mass. 02139) propaganda.x.press@gmail.com $2

I speak to 91 year old Hatboro, Pennsylvania poet Ed Galing on a regular basis, and I am amazed that despite his advanced years his mind is still sharp, and he continues to regale the small press with his prolific output of poetry and prose. Ed at this stage in the game is being discovered and is being published in such top shelf magazines such as: Pearl, Margie, Rattle and others.