By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to Fasika Ethiopian Restaurant on Broadway at approximately 3:00 a.m. Sunday on reports of a fight in progress.

Arriving officers spotted a man sitting in an idling vehicle in front of the restaurant engaged in a verbal argument with two other males on the sidewalk.

Mayor Curtatone and friends invite one and all to take the Fitness Challenge, beginning this weekend.

The fifth annual Somerville Mayor’s Fitness Challenge kicks off March 29. The Fitness Challenge is a 10-week event that offers both a team fitness challenge as well as a non-competitive “lifestyle pledge” in cooperation with Wellcoin Positive Health Currency. Both offer rewards for participants ranging from better health to discounts at local businesses.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to a Cedar St. location last week as a heroin overdose had been reported there on the evening of the 17th.

The victim was found to be at the corner of Cedar Ave. and Cedar St. Upon questioning, the victim reportedly told police that he had bought the heroin from someone named “Sean.”

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 and its taxpayers received good news this week. We already had the highest bond ratings in our history. Now, Standard & Poor’s has raised our rating from AA- to a new high of AA+. That’s the second highest rating on the agency’s scale, only one spot from the rare AAA rating. This upgrade follows Moody’s Investors Service reaffirming the city’s Aa2 rating last year, only two spots from that agency’s similarly rare Aaa rating. These high bond ratings mean that anytime the city borrows money for a project, like rebuilding the East Somerville Community School or Argenziano School, building the roads and utilities that support our neighborhoods, or rebuilding parks and open space, we get phenomenally low interest rates, which means that taxpayers pay less for the projects that improve our community.

The Van Burens are not your run-of-the-mill, garden variety sort of party band.

By Nick Moorhead

The Van Burens are some of the most gifted musicians who play around Boston regularly. With multiple members of the group possessing degrees in music from Ivy League schools, you would expect a pretension similar to all the dime-a-dozen bands ripping off Vampire Weekend’s vibe these days. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Van Burens are too smart to put on airs. Not pretentious, yet bearing an overpowering intellect, fun loving without verging into goofball territory, the Van Burens are the party band for people who like to party but don’t like waking up with Sharpie-drawn genitalia marring their faces.

Come hear and play three centuries of keyboards at the Green Room, Saturday, March 29 1:00-4:00 p.m., 62 Bow Street in Somerville. The Green Room, Union Square’s newest art space, is in the unique position of housing three beautiful keyboard instruments: a double-manual harpsichord based on the popular 18th century Flemish style; a square piano by Broadwood and Sons, built in the early 19th century and painstakingly restored; and a modern grand piano from the height of Baldwin’s manufacturing from the middle of the 20th century. Visit the space to not only see three centuries of keyboard but get the opportunity to hear the instruments professionally played and even get to try them out yourself.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan announces today that Dale Harding, 27, of Somerville was found guilty on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm following a 9-day trial in Middlesex Superior Court.

By David R. Smith

Filling in a few circles could go a long way towards helping the city in its search for a new police chief well suited to Somerville.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

The Center for Career and Technical Education at Somerville High School hosted its annual Vocational Fair from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 22. The event offered students and parents a chance to learn about the many programs offered and a chance to tour the facilities.

Tonight (Wednesday) is the public hearing on the Powder House School. Now that Tufts is out of the picture, let’s hope the city now does the right thing in finding a real developer that will build something that the city can benefit from both in looks and taxes. The meeting is in the Tufts Administration Building on Holland Street (Old Western Junior High for those Villens out there) at 6:30 p.m.  Make your voices heard on the proposals – or lack of them. Don’t let hired outside planning department employees dictate what they want.