Somerville Neighborhood News is a community service production of Somerville Community Access Television and the SNN team produces a bi-weekly newscast.

A couple of headlines in the latest newscast are:

By Blake Maddux

Howard Jones brings his musical artistry to Johnny D’s on Tuesday, November 3. — Photos by David Conn

Prior to becoming a mainstay of 1980s radio and Music Television (MTV), Howard Jones gave piano, keyboard, and synthesizer lessons as a way of “keeping money coming in whilst working on [his] grand project.”

When that project succeeded, it led to a string of Top 40 singles in Jones’s native UK and the US. Although he never reached the superstar levels of some of his contemporaries, his unique videos, distinctive synthesizer, and lyrics of a somewhat philosophical and optimistic bent made him one of the more memorable pop stars of the decade.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(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)

The term “anchor store” usually invokes the idea of a large department store, grocery store or some national chain in a big shopping center, but in our neighborhoods, it’s actually small local businesses that are collectively our anchor stores. Instead of one megastore trying to offer everything, our neighborhoods and squares have independent entrepreneurs who specialize in a particular product or service, often in a way you can’t get anywhere else. Nowhere is that more evident in Somerville than on East Broadway. From boutiques to eateries, the businesses along this newly reconstructed and improved stretch of East Somerville are intrinsic to the neighborhood’s identity and success. They are a cornerstone of its foundation. So, the City is targeting support for these businesses as we launch the next round of our Small Business Assistance Program.

By Donald Norton

The Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation celebrated its 25th Anniversary last Saturday evening, October 17, at the Holiday Inn.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Home Depot store on Mystic Ave. last Thursday on reports that a suspected shoplifter was being detained by store loss prevention personnel.

Upon arrival, officers were briefed by store employees and taken to the loss prevention office where the suspect, Noah Phillpotts, was being held.

The state-of-the-art DS 200 Precinct Scanner & Tabulator is scheduled to be in place in time for the March 1 presidential election. — Photo courtesy of Election Systems & Software

By Josie Grove

Somerville voters will notice something a little bit different when they cast their ballots in municipal elections in the future. Last Wednesday, the Finance Committee approved $188,344 appropriation from the Capital Stabilization Fund for new ballot counting machines.

— Photos by Kevin Dickinson

Somerville’s Haitian and Brazilian communities came together for “Haiti and Brazil Hit The ‘Ville,” a cultural festival on Sunday, Oct. 18, featuring music, dance, food, family-friendly activities and more for the entire community.

Weather permitting, on Thursday, Oct. 22, and Friday, Oct. 23, a MassDOT contractor will install a temporary pavement layer over the entire length of Beacon St. as an interim measure to improve roadway conditions prior to the full-scale reconstruction project.

All community members are invited to a Playground Design meeting for the new Argenziano School Playground on Saturday morning, Oct. 24, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. City staff and officials hope to hear from residents of all ages (children included!) about the proposed designs for the Argenziano Schoolyard, and the new children’s play and water spray area located at the core of the new park design. The meeting will be held in the Argenziano School cafeteria, and will include a walk outside to the park to review the new spaces.

Mayor Curtatone and City’s community-driven plan for area around new Green Line Station earn recognition from the Congress for the New Urbanism New England

The City of Somerville’s community-driven plan for the area around the future Green Line station in Gilman Square has won recognition for its people-centric design from the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) New England Chapter, which will also honor Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone for his leadership in urban planning and advocacy at the organization’s annual awards gala on Oct. 21.