Looking for a fight? You’ll be in the right place at Sityodtong Muay Thai Academy on Broadway, where the elite meet to beat — their opponents, that is.

By Ted Bodenrader

Sityodtong. In Thailand, it translates to “student of the master.” In Somerville, it means the ultimate haven for combat of the hand-to-hand variety.

The three adult arrested suspects (L to R): Jatquan Hyman, age 20; Jarrell Inge, age 26; and Jose Lopez, age 22.

On Thursday, January 15, Somerville Police received a call from Billerica Police relating that a Billerica resident had reported that he had bought counterfeit Patriots tickets (for the AFC championship game on January 17) from a person via Craigslist. This transaction had taken place at the Holiday Inn in Somerville earlier in the day. He had paid $900 for the four counterfeit tickets.

Play Popular Piano by ear! – A ”hands on” non-technical (no music reading necessary) approach to playing your favorite songs. Lifelong musician and published songwriter, Jimmy Del Ponte, teaches you how to pick a song off your iPod and figure out how to play it. Practice keyboard included for enrolled students to take home during course. Ages 12 and up. Meets Mondays from 3 to 4 p.m. starting Monday, January 19 through Monday, March 16. Class to be held in the Student Recording Studio, room 205 , Edgerly School, 8 Bonair St. Limited to 6. jdelponte@somervillema.gov 617-625-6600 ext. 2616 for info.

Commencing January 19th and continuing through the end of May 2015 it will be
necessary for the GLX Contractor, White Skanska Kiewit (WSK) to close the South
bound travel/bike lane and West side sidewalk between Boston Avenue and
Cedar Street to vehicular, bike, and pedestrian traffic for the purposes of erecting
a temporary utility bridge. Residents will be able to cross Broadway Street over to
the East side sidewalk to cross over the bridge and the north bound lane will be
re-configured to allow for 2-way vehicular and bike traffic.

By William C. Shelton

(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)

I’m not someone who gushes over consumer products. I’ve never written about them or the stores that sell them.

(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 developer of 139 Summer Street will appear before the zoning board of appeals on Wednesday January 21 at 6pm, to request Special Permits that would allow him to add a third dwelling unit, and avoid parking restrictions. His proposal makes a mockery of the SomerVision plan, which mandates preventing infill development in settled residential neighborhoods in order to preserve their unique character. His proposal would also cause numerous permanent harms to the abutters, including loss of open and green space, visual blight and loss of direct sunlight, increased noise and exposure to noxious gases from vehicles, and increased basement flooding due to runoff.

An overhauled ordinance that seeks to make zoning more predictable and fair while enacting more than 100 policies and goals called for by the community in the SomerVision Comprehensive Plan, has been submitted by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to the Board of Aldermen, and the city is seeking public input and feedback on the ordinance. The overhaul, which breaks ground for the city on inclusionary housing requirements and zoning to support the city’s arts and maker economy among other community-driven provisions, is the first major review of the rules for development and land use since 1990, and incorporates a review of many regulatory provisions and mapping decisions that were first put in place nearly a century ago.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to the U-Haul facility on Linwood St. last Friday on reports that a man had been found in the office prior to its opening on that day.

On these recently cold days I was craving a hearty meal that was both filling and satisfying. I opened up the cabinet and refrigerator and found the following ingredients, so I decided on a chili. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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)

Whenever we undertake any sort of planning process in Somerville, the specifics of the project may change, but the goal is always the same: building community. What does that mean? It means planning for our community’s future based on our shared values, hopes and dreams. That’s why we undertook an extensive community-based process to create SomerVision, a plan that codifies those values and asks not necessarily what we want to build, but what kind of community we want to be in 2030.