The Arts at the Armory achieved a major victory last week as it persuaded the Zoning Board of Appeals to ease restrictions on a number of important issues.

By Jim Clark

Friends and operators of Arts at the Armory were thrilled, while certain neighbors of the arts and entertainment venue were dismayed, as the Zoning Board of Appeals approved the requests that were made to ease restrictions on hours of operation and alcohol consumption limitations at a meeting held last Wednesday.

The public was recently invited to attend the inaugural activities as the “Somerville by Design” initiative began in earnest.

By Cathleen Twardzik

Recently, a new initiative entitled “Somerville by Design” began. It will implement the urban design, as well as land use goals of the city’s SomerVision Comprehensive Plan.

Question 4 on the November 6 ballot seems to be something of a hot-button topic for some Somerville voters.

It asks residents whether or not the city should adopt the Community Preservation Act (CPA), initially enacted in 2000 by then-Governor Cellucci, allowing communities to create a Local Preservation Fund to raise money through a surcharge on property taxes of up to 3 percent for open space protection, historic preservation and the provision of affordable housing. The City of Somerville has proposed a surcharge of 1.5 percent, which, in accordance with the state law, will be assessed on each piece of taxable real estate in the city.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a report of shoplifting at K-Mart last Thursday.

Officers en route were advised that store loss prevention personnel were chasing the suspected thief towards the rear of Middlesex Avenue running towards McGrath Highway.

– Photos by Donald Norton

On Sunday October 21, the Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation unveiled the scholarship’s brickwalkway. Engraved bricks from the Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation Engraved Brick Campaign graced the walkway leading to the atrium entrance of Somerville High School.

A 91st birthday party was thrown in honor of Mama Emily Tauro this past Sunday afternoon. All of Emily’s five sons, along with their wives, thirteen grandchildren with their spouses, and eight great grand children, as well as several nephews and nieces, were all in attendance for the joyous event.

Photo by Alonso Nichols/Tufts University.

Somerville Police Department’s Lt. Dan Cotter and Deputy Chief Mike Cabral have lunch at Carmichael Dining Hall on Wednesday, October 17,  as Tufts University Dining Services hosted local Medford and Somerville firefighters and police officers for the annual Chili Fest.

Writer Elizabeth Searle

Writer Elizabeth Searle talks with a rapid-fire cadence, has an engaging laugh, and an optimistic sparkle to her eyes. But beneath this lies a writer who is interested in the darker side of American culture; the side obsessed with competition and winning at all costs. According to her website she is :

Linda Larson

Well–Halloween is coming up and Linda Larson is haunting us with a couple of her very germane poems.

From 10:30 a.m. until noon on Tuesday, October 30, just one week before voters head to the polls, the Somerville Council on Aging will host a non-partisan Voter Information Forum to provide information on Ballot Questions appearing on the November 6, 2012 Somerville ballot. The Council on Aging hopes to provide an opportunity for the city’s voters to hear information from both supporters and opponents of each Question during the 90-minute forum moderated by the non-partisan League of Women Voters.