These Argenziano School students were all smiles on the last day of school (left to right): Theresa Romano, Adriana D’hooghe, Alexandra Marston and Genelle Vieira. – Photo by Elizabeth Sheeran

Choice of things to do this summer

By Elizabeth Sheeran

At midday on Tuesday, the 2011-2012 school year came to a close in Somerville.

That’s great news for students who have been counting down the days until summer vacation. But it presents a whole new set of challenges for parents, who know how quickly the “No more homework!” chant can give way to a chorus of “I’m bored.” And even if kids are perfectly content to lounge around all summer watching TV or playing video games, educators say there’s a downside to summer months filled with too much “doing nothing.”

The Somerville Arts Council is hosting Bazaar Bizarre this Sunday, June 24, at Union Plaza from 12 to 6 p.m. 50 local vendors will set up on the Union Square Plaza to sell a vast array of idiosyncratic handmade goods. As usual, they will create the mix of vendors for style, methods and materials offering shoppers a fresh mix. This year they have decided to turn the market into a full-on summer block party, nautical style. So wear your nautical stripes and slather on plenty of SPF. Union Made III will feature live acoustic music, demonstrations and hands-on art making. Continuing with the nautical theme, small craft advisory will offer washable stencil tattoos of ships, mermaids, sharks, anchors, and whatever maritime image strikes your fancy. You can also practice your knot tying skills at the market. For a few more tricks that you can check out go to www.bazaarbizarre.org as the event approaches.

The future of the McGrath Highway’s McCarthy Overpass was among the many issues discussed by the BOA last Thursday. – Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Jeremy F. van der Heiden

Last Thursday, the Somerville Board of Alderman held its regular meeting to discuss some of the goings-on around the city, including some important issues in need of action this spring and summer.

The session began with recognition of several long-time Somerville residents who had recently passed away, as well as a celebration of those who observed milestone birthdays. Following this, the Board of Alderman approved permanent appointments to three individuals entering the city’s fire department: Thomas Bellini, Eric Saulnier and Francis Otting.

– Photos by Donald Norton

Robert James Lamb Publicover and David John LeBahn, Jr. were married last Sunday at the Arlington Street Church (UUA), Boston, MA. Reverend Kim Crawford Harvey officiated with Reverend Rebecca Froom and Reverend Johanna Mak taking part in the Ceremony.

Eagle Feathers #3 – All Hail to Hale!

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Heroes come in many different shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. A hero could be a schoolteacher, a military officer or sometimes both.  Such is the case with Nathan Hale, a true American hero. In his brief 21 years on earth, the Yale-educated man managed to become an accomplished Connecticut public school teacher, as well as the first member of what is now known as the Central Intelligence Agency. Hale spent the last year of his life in what is now Somerville, training under George Washington in the newly formed Colonial Army.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to a Broadway residence last Thursday evening on reports of a fight in progress.

Upon arrival, officers reportedly found a man, Ryan Gallagher, 32, on the street screaming, “They beat me up! Look at my face! Look at this! For nothing!” A laceration on Gallagher’s eyebrow and scratches on his body were observed by the officers, police said.

The Somerville News Person of the Week, Patty Hamel Oppedisano.

Meet Patty Hamel Oppedisano, our choice for the Somerville News Person of the Week. A lifelong East Somerville resident, she attended Somerville schools, and still lives here with her family. Now, if you know her you’ll know she’s a little bit off center but that’s good. She’s not a conformist. Actually, no one from East Somerville is and that’s a good thing.

Nicole Genard was selected to the Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic team for her performances in the Javelin this season. The Globe will announce their selections on Sunday, June 24.

Genard had the three longest throws in Massachusetts this year:139’10”, 138’0, and 136’4″.   She won the Weston Twilight meet, the State Coaches Meet, and the Division 1 state meet.  She holds the SHS and GBL records in the javelin, along with setting the record at the Weston meet.

Next Wave School, Somerville’s alternative junior high school, graduated seven students on Wednesday night, June 13: Brendon Davis, Gabrielle Etienne, Shawn Soares, Carls Alphonse, Bobby Crump, (not in picture: Mercedes Reyes and Ronald Fuentes). Next Wave is designed to meet the special academic, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of troubled adolescents who for many different reasons have been unable to experience success in traditional mainstream settings. By combining the clinical concept of a therapeutic community with the educational concepts of individualized and specialized integrated learning experiences.

I  wrote this speech for a recent Grolier Book Shop fundraiser at the Bloc 11 Cafe in Union Square. Hope you enjoy it…

It’s tough being a writer. In my case even when I was born I was so ugly the doctors slapped my mother instead of me. My own father, not a literary man mind you, said ” What a treasure, let’s bury it!” I remember the tender moments with him though. He once said to me with love in his expressive eyes: “You are in the flower of young manhood Doug–you are a blooming idiot.”