Arrests:
*

Mibrahtu Sisay, 27, of 265 Columbia St., Cambridge, February 18, 10:54 a.m., arrested at Central St. on warrant charges of distribution of a class D drug, conspiracy to violate drug law, drug possession to distribute, and drug violation near a school or park.

Elen Frith, 64, of 163 Summer St., February 19, 6:37 p.m., arrested at home on warrant charges of destruction of property under $250, misdemeanor breaking and entering, and assault.

It does the heart good to know that we live in a community that cares, as well as one that knows how to put that sentiment into action.

It’s more than a mere P.R. gimmick, this relief effort the city has undertaken, intent on helping the hurt and homeless victims of Hurricane Sandy. We ourselves felt a bit of the bite that the super-storm took out of the northeast, and we can easily imagine how much harder it must be for those who bore the brunt it.

By Mike Stoller

It has hardly been a smooth ride for the Somerville boys’ basketball team, but the Highlanders are heading into the Division 1 North Sectional tourney as the No. 11 seed against No. 6 host Lynn English when the postseason gets underway tonight.

By William Tauro

Lotus Express Cuisine, a new Asian restaurant, opened its doors this past week where the old Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) once occupied the building for decades at 167 Broadway in Somerville. The building has been vacant for a couple of years, but since Lotus purchased the building last year it has been completely renovated and is now open for business. Lotus Express is one of a handful of new business that have been opening up in Somerville hoping to hit the ground running once the recession subsides.

Well, one of my colleagues at Endicott College, Linda Emma has contributed a poem to this issue of the LYRICAL. Linda is an author, educator and freelance writer for newspapers, magazines, online sites and private clients. Her first novel, Prime Meridian, was published in 2009 and she recently published an EBook version of her noted blog – Kidssuck.net. “Sailor’s Flight” is the story of addiction as seen through the eyes of a little sister watching as her brother succumbs to its peril.

Courtney O’Keefe.

By Courtney O’Keefe

(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.)

Slowly, but surely the empty storefronts in Magoun Square are, not only filling up, but being occupied with businesses that are offering important services to residents, patrons and current business owners! They are complimenting the other great occupants that are already here, helping Magoun return back to the bustling business district it once was.

Somerville to be first U.S. City to offer Adaptive Leadership training to residents; 20 residents will be selected for free training course

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced this week that he has established the Somerville Academy for Innovative Leadership (SAIL), a new initiative to encourage and empower more residents to be effective leaders in the Somerville community. To launch the initiative, which is coordinated by the city’s ResiStat program, residents are invited to apply to take part in The Art and Practice of Public Leadership, a free, intensive course on adaptive leadership led by leadership expert Dr. Hugh O’Doherty. The course will begin in March, making Somerville the first municipality in the nation to offer adaptive leadership training to residents.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston and the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development invite all interested community members to a follow-up meeting on the proposed Beacon Street reconstruction and streetscape project, on Tuesday, March 5 at 6 p.m. in the Argenziano School cafetorium (290 Washington Street).  More detailed information on the meeting and the project in general will be available on the project website, www.somervillema.gov/beaconstreet, in advance of the meeting.

By Kenneth Gloss

We will soon be able to say that “Spring has finally sprung!” As this season renews our energy it also reminds of us of the need to cleanup and clear out, especially if shelf-space is getting tight. But don’t dump those books – you’d be surprised that there’s a market not only for books that are very old but also for new fields of endeavor that change so fast that a 50 year-old book can be more valuable than a 150-year old book. For example, science and computer books engage collectors whether from the 1500s or from the 1950s.