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).

Arrests:
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Gary Smith, November 17, 8:44 a.m., arrested at 82 Mt. Vernon St. on a warrant charge of fugitive from justice.

David Smith, of 49 Marshall St., November 18, 9:31 p.m., arrested at 96 Wheatland St. on a warrant charge of assault and battery.

Assessor to provide update on Fiscal Year 2015 Property Assessments; Aldermen to vote on  allocation of the tax levy, exemptions and other provisions; Public invited to speak

Each year in November, the Chief Assessor for the city presents an update to the Board of Aldermen on the new property valuations and the anticipated tax rate for the coming fiscal year (FY). This annual Classification Hearing is open to members of the public, who are invited to speak. This year’s Hearing is on Tuesday, November 25, at 7 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall, 2^nd Floor, 93 Highland Ave.

Fans of Vernon Street Studios attended the opening of their 40th anniversary celebration at the Somerville Museum.

By Mariya Manzhos

In 1974, the Rogers Foam Factory on Vernon Street made the sixth and seventh floor of their building space available to new tenants. However, the conditions were not exactly inviting. “When we first came there it was filthy dirty, there were no walls, it was just an empty space with pigeons everywhere,” recalls Karen Moss, an original member of the small group of artists to rent the space.

Somerville’s popular and festive holiday celebrations will return in December 2014, including the annual Christmas Tree lighting at City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 4, and the Somerville Arts Council’s Illuminations Tours on Saturday, Dec. 13. Mayor Curtatone and other city officials will also participate in a ceremonial Menorah lighting on the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 16, in honor of the first day of Hanukkah.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte 

(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)

My stories are usually lighthearted looks back at Somerville in days gone by or some other hopefully amusing local subject. This article however is a bit more serious because it is about safety. As a lifelong resident of the College Ave. area, it is time to speak out about the horrendous habits of drivers on the dangerous stretch between Powder House Rotary and the lights near Wedgewood-Crane and Connolly.

We have some interesting headlines for the latest Somerville Neighborhood News show, a community news production brought to you by the dedicated staff, volunteers and interns at Somerville Community Access TV.