Sunday morning truck fire at Broadway Brake Company, 45 Broadway. – Photo courtesy of Somerville Fire Department.

Somerville firefighters were kept busy over the weekend with two fires on lower Broadway. On Saturday morning at 5:53 a.m. , September 29, fire broke out in a second floor apartment at 16 Broadway above the Mount Vernon Restaurant. The fire was confined to apartment #6 and activated the buildings sprinkler system. The fire appears to have originated in a waste basket and spread to a wall and cabinets. Sprinklers controlled the fire and arriving firefighters completed the extinguishment which required opening up a wall to check for fire spread. The  occupant of the apartment was not at home at the time of the fire. The fire resulted in damage estimated to be in the area of $15,000. The cause of the fire is believed to be careless disposal of smoking materials. Firefighters cleared the scene by 7:25 a.m.

– Photos by Bobbie Toner

What the Fluff?: A Tribute to Union Square Invention honors the illustrious Fluff creator, Archibald Query, who concocted the gooey sticky spread  in Union Square in 1917.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville Commission for Women announce the Annual Candlelight Vigil in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Wednesday, October 3 at 6 p.m. at the Somerville Public Safety Building, 220 Washington Street. The vigil will include a presentation of the new “Somerville Against Violence” banner by Shamrock Sign & Lettering Co. owner Tisha Sullivan.

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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.)

Here is the third installment of places that no longer exist. I didn’t plan on it, but when I did the Woodbridge and Venice stories I also thought of the old Stephen James House. I tossed it out there on the social network, and reeled in some juicy stories about the old function hall/lounge/bowling alley. The place was on Davenport St. near the Somerville Cambridge line. Many, many Somerville people frequented it during its run. Davenport is the street behind Star Market/Shaws in Porter Square. I personally played in the lounge for a while with one of my bands. You could hear some pretty good country western music there too. The lounge was known for drawing divorced women and I can tell you there were always lots of well-dressed ladies there. The building is gone and there are apartments and condos there now.

Fluff Festival in Union Square Saturday, September 29

– Photo by Bobbie Toner

Film crews were on Hudson Street over the past few days to film parts for the Julia Stiles film The Makeover. Filming has been taking place in various parts of Boston. Hudson Street was one stop in Somerville.

MassBike Spins Presents: Historic Bicycle Tour of Middlesex Canal

On Saturday, September 29  MassBike, along with the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, the Middlesex Canal Commission and the Middlesex Canal Association will sponsor the 10th annual historic bicycle tour of the Middlesex Canal.  The Canal was the “big dig” of the end of the 18th century.  Completed in 1803 after 10 years of construction, the Canal connected the Merrimac River in what is now Lowell with the Charles River at Sullivan Square in Charlestown.  In many ways it served as a model for later canals including the Erie Canal. The Canal remained in operation for 50 years, providing both passenger and freight service, but could not compete successfully with the Boston and Lowell Railroad which began operation in the 1830’s.

Two men were indicted in connection with their involvement in an extortion scheme, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public.

Howard Winter, aka “Howie”, 83, of Millbury and James Melvin, 70, of Braintree, were indicted by a Middlesex Grand Jury on multiple charges of attempted extortion and conspiracy.

“The House at the End of the Street” promises much, but delivers…? Now playing at the Somerville Theatre. – Photo by by Maria A. Cortes

A horror, a thriller, or neither?

Review by Maria A. Cortes

Do you expect to be scared off your seat when you buy a ticket to see a horror movie? Do you think that a mix of a horror and a thriller sounds exciting and makes it a better catch? Well, director Mark Tonderai and screenwriter David Loucka are ready to blow away all of your expectations with their new movie The House at the End of the Street, which opened last Friday at The Somerville Theatre.