Surf’s up, kids! Let’s hit the beach, the woods, the art gallery – whatever gets you out there. Summer is here and it’s time to go places, see people, and enjoy life to the fullest.

Whether it be camping at its best while visiting our friends and neighbors to the north, or sliding down for a lazy sun-drenched weekend at the Cape, ‘Villens know how to make the most of what the season has to offer.

The Somerville Storm U14 increased their winning streak to three games this past week with a pair of wins over Belmont and Woburn.

After falling behind Belmont 3-0 in the first, Jen Toner took the mound and the Storm defense allowed only two runs in the next four innings to win the game 12-5.  The Storm defense recorded nine put outs in those four innings, anchored by solid shortstop play from Brianna Dell’Isola in the infield, Brenna Foristall in the outfield and a running catch at second by Dierdre Matthews to end the game.

Rep. Sciortino is regarded as a stalwart champion for rights and benefits to social workers, children, and families by the National Association of Social Workers. Photo by Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

Representative Carl Sciortino of Medford and Somerville has won the 2011 Legislator of the Year award from the National Association of Social Workers, Massachusetts Chapter, sharing the award with his colleague state Senator James Eldridge of Acton.

By Jim Clark

Somerville police and fire department officers were called to the Central Street and Highland Avenue area in the early hours of Saturday to reports of unruly crowds of people who were fighting and shouting in the middle of the street.

Authorities managed to break the gathering up into smaller groups, ordering participants to disperse and leave the area. Certain individuals, though, were reportedly not cooperating and continued to shout at local residents who were, in turn, yelling at the street rabble from the windows of their homes, complaining about the noise on the ground.

The Somerville District Court Probation Department and the Massachusetts Probation Service will join Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision agencies from across the nation and Canada in observing Probation, Parole, and Community Supervision Week from July 17 to 23. The agency celebrates its 170th anniversary, along with its unique status as the first Probation agency in the nation, with the theme “Building New Pathways to Enhance Public Safety.”

Somerville poet Kirk Etherton writes the LYRICAL: “I witnessed this little “scene” one morning last year in Union Square. (I had just parked my car, but waited to get out because there was some interesting jazz piece playing on Harvard’s radio station.) For some reason  it made a real impression on me, and I wrote this poem later that day.”

Co-sponsored by the City of Somerville’s Recreation Department, the Gosder Cherilus Foundation announced that former Somerville High School football star and NFL Offensive Tackle Gosder Cherilus of the Detroit Lions will host his annual NFL Football Camp at Dilboy Stadium on Wednesday, July 13^th from 9 a.m. – noon for all Somerville youth ages 7-14.  While the camp had originally been scheduled for the duration of the week, an NFL agreement earlier this week has led to the final day of camp on Wednesday.  The camp is free of charge, and will include skills demonstrations by Cherilus and SHS-teammate and Harvard University Football alum Wainwright Wint, as well as appearances by NFL players, and current and former Boston College Football players.  An autograph session will be held at the conclusion of camp on Wednesday.

While I was intensely reading a book at the Sherman Café in Union Square, Somerville artist Jodi Colella startled me when she simply stated,(behind my back) “Hello.” She laughed as she brings the same intensity and focus to her own work as I did to my book. And a big part of this work according to the Somerville artist’s mission statement is to transform ordinary material into “unexpected expressions.”

After nine months of testing an extremely popular zero-sort recycling pilot program in Ward 5, the City of Somerville has reached an agreement in principle with Casella Recycling LLC to take the program citywide this fall.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will submit a 10-year recycling removal contract with Casella to the Board of Aldermen. Pending approval of the contract, Casella will purchase 64-gallon, wheeled recycling bins for all residences by the City recycling program, and distribute them this fall in advance of the official switchover to the zero-sort program.

Arrests:
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Ashley Walsh, 23, July 5, 8:25 a.m., arrested at 199 Pearl St. on a warrant charge of larceny.

Stephen Kindell, 41, of 633 Shamut Ave., Boston, July 7, 7:30 a.m., arrested at 22 Mt. Pleasant St. on charges of abuse prevention order violation and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.