The COA’s Ralph & Jenny center is home to some thriving garden boxes. The boxes are being maintained by older adults who come to the center and by some of the members of the gardening group led by Vilma Sullivan. Pictured here are Tomaso and Tina Cuccinatta.  Tina said that Tomaso loves to garden and she loves to cook what he grows.

Checking out the new interactive whiteboards (left to right): Lucia Papile, Assistant Principal; Andrew Carvallo, Somerville; Ricky Brathwaite, Chelsea; Jamey Thompson, Everett; Jack Hartnett, Medford.

By Allison Caloggero

St. Clement is making big changes to the way things are going to be taught over on Boston Avenue in Somerville. Thanks to the great generosity of the Grew Family in memory of Paul M. Grew Sr., ’61 and the Ann Reppucci Memorial Trust.

By Jim Clark

Police were called to a Radcliffe Rd. residence to investigate a reported assault with a deadly weapon report at approximately 1 a.m. last Saturday.

The alleged victim reportedly told officers that he had gotten into an argument with the suspect, Gladison Sandes, 33, as they stood outside the Paddock Cafe on Pearl Street.

With the barbeque season upon us, the Somerville Fire Department is issuing an advisory warning to city residents about the proper use of portable cooking grills. Portable cooking arrangements are not permissible on piazzas, balconies, flat roofs or porches of any private dwelling units, apartment houses, condominiums, or any other occupancy in the city.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to reports of a car break-in in progress at 14 Myrtle St. in the early morning hours of last Sunday.

53 new corrections officers graduate at UMass Lowell Wednesday
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Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian welcomed 53 new officers to the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office in a ceremony at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Sheriff Koutoujian told those in attendance it’s his mission to educate the public about the work of corrections officers. “Corrections officers should be recognized in the way fire fighters and police officers are,” said Sheriff Koutoujian. “My job is to shed light on the work you do every day.”

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

The latest debate over how best to cope with the costs of our regional transportation system has been prompted by the June 25th release by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation of a list of “public ideas and recommendations received by MassDOT for interim emission offset mitigation measures needed to compensate for any delay in the implementation of the MBTA Green Line Extension project.”

Passengers get ready to board.

The Somerville Council on Aging had a great day cruising around Boston Harbor and then having a wonderful lunch in the North End.

The majestic tall ship at Boston Harbor.

State lists ideas for offsetting GLX delay
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By Elizabeth Sheeran

One of the interim steps proposed to make up for the Green Line Extension delay involves running more trains to Lechmere. – Photo by Elizabeth Sheeran

A 2007 legal settlement gave the state a 2014 deadline to either extend the Green Line through Somerville, or come up with other projects that would have the same positive impact on air quality. Now that state transportation officials have said they’ll miss that deadline for the Green Line Extension by years, it isn’t certain they’re going to have any better success with the “or else” scenario.

Somerville native Thomas Vasconcelos has taken out papers as a Republican candidate to run against Rep. Timothy Toomey, who represents part of Somerville and Cambridge. Also running is independent candidate Mike Connolly from Cambridge. The younger Vasconcelos is a SHS graduate.