The Search Committee Chair, Committee member Paul Bockelman of Ward 6, presided over Monday night’s meeting to announce the Committee’s selection of three finalists for the position of Superintendent.

By Jim Clark

The Somerville School Committee met on Monday evening in the Aldermanic Chambers to formally approve the nominations of three candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools, in replacement of retiring Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi, who will be stepping down in July 2015.

The Vinfen dialog continues. — Photo by Donald Norton

By Jim Clark

The state’s Department of Mental Health (DMH), along with healthcare corporation Vinfen, is reportedly taking the need to improve alleged poor supervision issues at the group home at 155 Central St. very seriously.

On Tuesday night the Board of Alderman met to discuss and vote on next year’s President and Vice President. Alderman at Large Bill White was elected for the third year in a row as the Board’s President for the coming year. Ward 7 Alderman Katjana Ballyantine was elected the Board Vice President. Katjana is a freshman alderman, just finishing her first year in office. The Board President appoints members to the various board sub-committees at his discretion. We wish Alderman Bill White the best of luck in this his third year as President. He certainly is knowledgeable in the rules of the board.

Open, honest dialogue between youth and law enforcement officers is helping to create more trust and understanding between the two groups.

By Tom Bannister

Seven police officers met with thirteen young people last week at the Somerville Police Department, the purpose of which was to speak one-on-one together, break through stereotypes and find some common ground as fellow Somerville citizens.

Eagle Feathers #66 – The Thanksgiving Miracle

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

If you look at the official city symbol of Worcester, Massachusetts, you will see that it is heart shaped. This image is symbolic because the city is located in the very center of Massachusetts, or the heart of the state.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Spring Hill Development Watch serves to channel community opposition to the ongoing McMansionization of Spring Hill, most recently at 139 Summer Street. Our members include many of the same people who resisted the gutting and subdivision of 3 Benton Road. In October, we submitted a zoning amendment that would penalize developers for destroying trees during condo conversions. A public hearing will be held on this amendment, December 11 at 6pm at the VNA on Lowell Street.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Assembly Square Marketplace on Middlesex Ave. Sunday evening on reports of a female shoplifter being detained by loss prevention personnel.

This was written for my late friend Jim Resnick. Jim passed away last week at the age of 54. Jim was instrumental in helping me put out the first issue of the literary magazine Ibbetson Street in 1998.

Ah … love … loss and gain – and all that pain. Poet Julian Gallitano gives us his take on “the same old story.”

This is no ordinary website overhaul. In the spirit of the open source movement, which makes code available for free to others, the City of Somerville is partnering with Code for Boston, the local volunteer branch of Code for America, to work with vendors on a full, user-centered redesign of SomervilleMA.gov that other cities will be able to borrow for free from—and in turn improve on. Community members or others with web design and development skills are also being sought for the Somerville Website Inspiration & Feedback Team (SWIFT).