Some 28 police officers from Somerville and surrounding communities partook in a special mental health crisis training program.

By Tom Bannister

More than two dozen police officers from Somerville, Belmont, Everett, Malden, and Cambridge, and received specialized mental health training last week through the Cambridge-Somerville Regional Crisis Intervention Team Training and Technical Assistance Center, created through a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). The program trains officers in the region in the latest techniques for safely and effectively responding to individuals and families experiencing a mental health crisis.

Get the latest on the possible plastic bag ban, hear about development across the City and over by the Stop & Shop, visit Greentown Labs and learn about a new partnership, check out the new parking app and get the story behind that marker across the street from the Somerville Police Department.

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)

When you walk into most retail stores these days, every single item has one of those plastic anti-theft devices attached to it. It is virtually impossible to shoplift in a store where these devices are visible on the merchandise. Some clothing items have the anti- theft device sewn into the product.

By Donald Norton

At about 5 p.m. on Friday, December 5, a crowd of 200–250 students from Tufts University marched down College Avenue into Davis Square, chanting “Black lives matter” and other phrases of protest.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 7 Alderman Katjana Ballantyne and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development invite all interested residents to a community meeting to discuss next steps for the future of the former Powder House Community School site. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powder House Boulevard. Based on feedback gathered at previous meetings, the city has edited a Request for Proposals to seek a partner for the reuse or redevelopment of the school site. The new RFP will continue to include a requirement for forty percent of the site to become publicly accessible open space. For more information, contact the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development at 617-625-6600 ext. 2500.

By The Somerville Times Staff

Hopes are high for the students and staff at Somerville’s Next Wave and Full Circle Alternative School. For nineteen years their annual tree lot fundraiser has provided a wonderful service to students, the community, and the school. However, last year many trees were left over due to inclement weather and the school suffered a loss. This year the staff and students are optimistic.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to a Beacon St. location last week on reports of a vehicular accident.

Upon arrival, the officers observed a car which had its passenger side front axle broken along with damage to the passenger side front fender on the side of the road. Additionally, a parked minivan with damage to the driver’s side rear was also spotted.

The officers spoke with the reporting party and were told the driver of the car, later identified as Jeffrey Costello, 33, was driving erratically along Beacon St., hitting several orange construction barrels that were set up along the street, according to reports.

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)

Those who call themselves “conservatives” attack those who call themselves “liberals” with a sustained hatefulness that I can’t recall from any other period that I’ve lived through. Yet if you ask a self-described “conservative,” or for that matter “liberal,” or “progressive,” what his or her chosen term means, you will be hard pressed to get a clear definition.

On Monday evening, Dec. 1, at approximately 6 p.m., two men claiming to be representing the Somerville Water Department gained access to a private residence and committed a larceny. While this appears to be an isolated incident, the City of Somerville and Somerville Police Department remind residents that any employee of the Water Department requiring access to any property will always show identification.

Adorable potential pets are getting the chance they need to find good homes, thanks to the generous efforts of Pets in Need in Somerville. — Photos by Claudia Ferro

By Laura Stiffler

Pets In Need Animal Shelter is a small animal rescue run solely by volunteers saving unwanted and abandoned cats and dogs.