By Jim Clark

Somerville Police Department narcotics detectives, following up on information acquired in the course of their ongoing investigations, turned their attention last week to alleged dealing in oxycodone tablets by Malcom Powell, 23, of Malden.

Following a unanimous vote by the Board of Aldermen May 8, Mayor Joe Curtatone announces that the city became the first municipality in the state to pass a Complete Streets Ordinance, and the sixth community in Massachusetts to enact related policies.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Richard A. Davey were up at Somerville High School on May 15 to announce a contest… About what? Who can compete? What are the prizes?

Residents will need to keep a lid on it if they want to see fewer rodents in their homes and neighborhoods.

The city has mounted another offensive in the “war on rats” with the announcement that it will begin distributing 64-gallon rodent-resistant trash carts to residential units that receive trash service from the city. The carts, provided by Russell Disposal, will be given out (as in for free) beginning next month.

— Photo by Alonso Nichols/Tufts University

Anne-Marie Slaughter, the current President and CEO of the New America Foundation, gave Tufts University’s commencement address Sunday, May 18. She was formerly the Bert G. Kerstetter ‘66 University Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University and Dean of its Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. She is an academic, foreign policy analyst, and public commentator. She served as Director of Policy Planning for the U.S. State Department from January 2009 until February 2011 under Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She is an international lawyer and political scientist who has taught at the University of Chicago and Harvard University, and is a former president of the American Society of International Law.

Katrin Schumann writes on her website: I was born in Germany, but grew up in Brooklyn and London. As a child, I loved listening to my family’s stories—of war and death and love gone wrong—and later I would rewrite them in my head, filling in the details, the motives, and making up new endings. Soon I started writing my stories down and I’ve never stopped.

Alexander Levering Kern is a Somerville-based poet and writer whose work has appeared in Ibbetson Street, Georgetown Review, Spare Change News, MOBIUS, Caribbean Writer, Scout Somerville, anthologies from Pudding House, Meridian Anthology, and many others.   Currently he teaches and works at Northeastern University as Executive  Director of the Center for Spirituality, Dialogue and Service.  His local, national, and international work in Quaker and interfaith peace and social justice efforts have been covered by the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Harvard Gazette, and other publications. He is editor of Becoming Fire: Spiritual Writing from Rising Generations and his first collection of poems is forthcoming.  Alex lives on Spring Hill with his wife Rebecca Grunko (an ESL teacher in Somerville Public Schools) and his rapidly growing kids Elias and Ruthanna.

Low-income young adults aged 18-24 invited to apply to program; local partners working with residents to prepare for full-time employment

Applications are now available for the “Pocket Change” pilot program, designed to help low-income young adults, aged 18-24, gain full-time employment with local employers, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development announced today—and businesses, residents and community partners are encouraged to participate and help put the City’s youth on a path to prosperity

Arrests:
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Juan Portillo, 42, May 12, 6:16 p.m., arrested at Hawkins St. on charges of possession of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a public employee, and on warrant charges of nighttime breaking and entering of a vehicle or boat, furnishing a false name or Social Security number, and possession of a burglarious instrument.

Michael McMahon, 47, of 51 Dartmouth St., May 13, 2:53 p.m., arrested at 220 Washington St. on a warrant charge of unregistered motor vehicle or trailer.

Join Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville High School Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) on Thursday, May 29, to raise the Pride flag in honor of LGBT Pride Month. The ceremony will take place at 2:45 p.m. on the City Hall concourse, 93 Highland Ave. Mayor Curtatone, City LGBT Liaison Elizabeth Field, and a representative from GSA will speak at the event.