By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to a South Street residence Sunday night on a report of a fight in progress.

Upon their arrival the officers were met by the alleged victim, while another man stood in a hallway, reportedly bleeding from his hand. Emergency services were called in and the bleeding man, who called himself “Mr. Tan,” was transported to Cambridge Hospital for treatment, according to police.

By Harry Kane

Why remove water chestnuts from the Mystic River, you may ask? Patrick Herron, Water Quality Monitoring Director for (MyRWA) Mystic River Watershed, explained that these invasive plants clog the Mystic River. The organized removal of water chestnuts allows for the native ecosystem to continue. Otherwise the water chestnut plants (Trapa Natans) will displace and kill the native species.

Alderman William White said the GLX delay was a "middle finger" from the state.

By Andrew Firestone

Somerville Aldermen spoke out against the Green Line delay this last Thursday, August 25, one going so far as to call the action a “middle finger” to the people of Somerville. The board passed a resolution requesting that the Secretary of Transportation appear to explain the delay, inviting members of the Conversation Law Foundation to attend as well.

Somerville Chamber “Business After Hours” this Thursday, September 1, from 5-7 p.m., will be at the Olde Magoun’s Saloon located at 518 Medford Street, Magoun Square. Free appetizers, excellent networking, free business card drawing, cash bar. It’s a wonderful opportunity for local businesses to connect to each other as a network.

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So it’s the last weekend of the summer and lots of people in the ‘Ville have left to enjoy it. The only ones around, we hear, are the various candidates for public office (sad there isn’t more of them). We heard nothing other than congratulations to the city, Mayor Joe, and DPW Commissioner Stan Koty for a job well done in removing all the various debris of fallen trees. The DPW crews were out doing a good job. Visit our web site and view over 20 pictures of trees around the city.

Somerville’s happiness quotient has been quantified, and it seems to be fairly happy. - Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt

By Andrew Firestone

After months of data collection, and 6500 surveys completed through mail, Internet and phone, the city presented their findings on the “happiness survey” or well-being study that the city administration has undertaken. The mean life happiness score proved to be 7.5 out of 10, with the following demographics reporting. Mean life satisfaction, a different and more prescient form of happiness was placed at 7.7, and satisfaction for the city of Somerville was also at 7.7.

By Cathleen Twardzik

The Seventh Annual Massachusetts Motorcycle Ride for Recovery started its engines at the Somerville City Hall from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for people in recovery, families, friends and policymakers.

While hurricane Irene gradually leveled down to tropical storm status over the past weekend, all of the North East held its collective breath in dire anticipation of what would actually come.

Thankfully, there were no serious casualties here and property damage was relatively light. Still, between the fallen trees and downed power lines, many felt a somewhat significant impact nonetheless.

The Somerville Alibrandis pour it on in game one of the championship series. - Photos by Harry Kane

By Harry Kane

Somerville triumphed in game one of the Yawkey League’s 2011 championship finals Monday evening in a 7-3 victory over the Malden Bulldogs. The game began with a leadoff single from Mike Maguire. He stole second base right away and didn’t have to wait too long before Ted Dzuiba hit a stand up double to left field, bringing in Maguire and putting one on the scoreboard for the Alibrandis early in the bottom of the first inning. Andrew Babb and Matt Deeb both hit back-to-back singles and the bases were loaded for Marc DesRoches. Moments later DesRoches hammered the ball into left center clearing the basses and breaking the game wide open. “It was just a fastball upstairs and I ended up catching up to it,” DesRoches admitted. Pitcher, Sean Sullivan was in the catbird seat with a 4-0 lead on the bulldogs.

Scintillating Swamp, 2011 - oil, glitter, beads, graphite, and acrylic on cut-edge panel, 39h x 59w inches.

This year I taught the once controversial book Black Spring by Henry Miller in my college writing courses. This work deals with the mean streets of Miller’s Brooklyn youth: the sweaty press of the flesh, the cast of ner-do-wells, the street urchins, the duplicity of the swells and the hucksters and all that ugliness that Miller found beauty in. This is similar to the work of Somerville artist Resa Blatman. She sees beauty and ugliness and they live next door to each other. In fact much of her work is informed with the duality of the world.