Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced that the city is moving two of its SomerMovie Fest shows to new locations.  The July 19 showing of “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part I” will now be held at Blessing of the Bay Boathouse at 32 Shore Drive in Ten Hills, while the August 23 presentation of “Arthur” will now be at the City Hall Concourse, 93 Highland Ave.  All other film selections, dates and locations remain unchanged.

In a ceremony held at the Middlesex Sheriff’s Office training academy in Billerica, Middlesex Sheriff Peter Koutoujian swore in nine sergeants to the rank of Lieutenant.

By Tiffani Westbrook

Families braved the high temperatures to indulge in a day of fun and community togetherness.  The heat did not stop Somerville families from taking over Trum Field on Saturday afternoon from 12-5 p.m. The second part of a two-day event to kick off the city’s summer events series was a well-paced addition to the fireworks of the day before.  The event hosted by the City of Somerville offered a little something for every kind of kid, from balloon animal to live reptiles, and even a little something for the parents, information booths from Century Bank and City Hall. A representative from the mayor’s office reminded residents to “just call 311 to get any information you need” about the city while helping them make beaded jewelry. The family fun day is a great platform for such community building initiatives giving citizens the opportunity to see the real people behind the businesses of Somerville.

Trash and recycling that are normally scheduled for picked up this Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, will be delayed by one day due to the Independence Day Holiday.

Somerville School Committee unanimously voted to authorize the designation of the Winter Hill Community School as an Innovation School.

At their June 27 meeting, the Somerville School Committee unanimously voted to authorize the designation of the Winter Hill Community School as an Innovation School. Innovation Schools are in-district public schools that operate with greater autonomy and flexibility, providing opportunities to share best practices and provide ongoing planning and implementation support.

– Photo By William Tauro

By William Tauro

Friday, Somerville DPW workers power-washed pigeon feces with high power equipment under the McGrath Highway Overpass.

After numerous complaints by abettors of dozens of dead pigeons, a ground covered in white pigeon feces and rats actually running with and feeding on pigeon carcasses, Somerville City Hall decided to clean the mess that Mass DOT has neglected to do so.  Mass DOT is responsible for the area under the ailing overpass that falls on state property and is under the state’s jurisdiction.

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

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Oh, see the deer. Does the deer have a little doe? Yea, two bucks! Thank you, Curly Howard.

This past weekend my son and I were driving up to our little camp in New Hampshire. I had to work so we got up to the road that the camp is on at around midnight. We were talking casually back and forth when all of a sudden we saw a large deer and several babies. I thought there were two, but my son said he counted three. It was one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen. They were less than a foot away from the truck. At first I thought I was seeing things because a sight like that isn’t an everyday occurrence. There they were, Bambi and her mom and siblings, right out of a Walt Disney movie.

~Photos by Donald Norton

No Increase In FY13

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announces that water/sewer rates will remain unchanged in Fiscal Year 2013. Although the City’s assessments from the MWRA increased by a combined 2.6%, the City will maintain rates at the FY12 rate (please see below for breakdown of rates).