Chef Jeffrey Stuart (left) enjoys teaching a new generation of culinary artists the finer points of cooking.

By Gabriela C. Martinez

When you enter Highlander Café at Somerville High School, you will be greeted and led to a table by talented, energetic teenagers dressed in formal waitressing attire. As a starter, you could order a creamy roasted butternut squash infused with ginger or a pear and apple salad. For your entrée dish, you may choose a homemade chicken pot pie topped with a buttery, flaky crust. There are also options for vegetarians. The vegetable lasagna is made with tender eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and roasted red peppers, all layered in between house made lasagna noodles and a ricotta-mozzarella cheese blend. All of this and more is created and prepared by Somerville High School’s culinary arts students at the Highlander Café.

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)

The beautification of lower Broadway in East Somerville is … beautiful. I passed by the old Broadway Theater building and started thinking about its history. The following is reprinted from The East Somerville Main Streets webpage. “…it used to be a magnificent theater which at one time was a great attraction for East Somerville. It was built in 1915 as part of an elaborate stock scheme but went bankrupt and was quickly sold to Arthur Viano in 1929. The Viano family ran the theater, which sat 1040 people, for the next fifty years until they closed its doors in 1982.”

The Boston Derby Dames are looking for a home, now that they know their time in Somerville is soon up.

By Tom Bannister

It’s a sad day in Somerville when The Boston Derby Dames get invited to leave their Somerville home to make way for expansion of the building by its new owners.

That is the current state of affairs as the Bay State’s premier WFTDA-sanctioned flat track roller derby league has been informed that it must vacate its current headquarters located in Somerville by January 2015.

By Jim Clark

While on walking patrol in the Davis Square area last week, a police officer noticed an altercation taking place between a man and two women in Statue Park.

As the officer approached, one of the women was reportedly heard to say, “You don’t talk to my wife like that.” According to the officer’s report, the man responded by making vulgar anti-lesbian statements.

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)

Boynton Yards will eventually produce more jobs and tax revenues than will a fully revitalized Union Square. For short money, the MBTA and the state could hasten that fate and make a critical investment in restoring the neighborhood to its former status as a center of commerce, employment, and connectivity, but without the unpleasant odors.

Check out the Multi Use Somerville Community Roaming Art Transport vehicle as she hosts Parts and Crafts for a series of kids maker workshops. Learn more about electronics, woodworking and craft projects with Parks and Crafts staff.

Here is what to expect on the latest Somerville Neighborhood Newscast. SNN is produced by the hardworking staff, volunteers and interns at Somerville Community Access Television. We hope you read, watch and share the latest Somerville news.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched the corner of Cross and Pearl Streets last Thursday on reports that a street level drug transaction was taking place.

According to a witness report, a woman was observed counting out pills in the presence of two men at that location, which is directly across the street from East Somerville Elementary School.

Location would improve emergency response time, offer more training for firefighters, reduce wear and tear on equipment, and make more efficient use of headquarters’ space

A new six-bay fire station on the vacant lot at 515 Somerville Ave. would provide a modern facility that would replace the current and inadequate Union Square and Lowell Street fire stations and improve response time to emergencies, expand training for the city’s firefighters, reduce wear and tear on equipment, and make more efficient use of the space at Fire Department headquarters. The city has submitted an order to the Board of Aldermen seeking to take the property at an appraised value of $4,875,000.

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)

Somerville voters have often turned out in higher numbers than the percentage of voters in other towns. And I hope that two weeks from now, we’ll see that same sense of civic duty continue that trend at the polls for our state election. But in September, Somerville had about an 18 percent turnout of registered voters for the state primary. That low number was unfortunately in line with turnout across Massachusetts for the primary despite several contested races—some without incumbents, such as the race for governor.