By Francisco L. White

Officials are making headway, regarding the proposed city budget. Acting under Section 24 of the city charter, Mayor Curtatone called for a special meeting of the Board of Aldermen, which was held on Thursday, June 21, as a public hearing to discuss the city budget for fiscal year 2013.

City officials and the public joined together to examine the needs of the Davis Square area. – Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Emmanuel Vincent

Voices were heard and opinions were taken into consideration this past Thursday evening at The Davis Square Streetscape Kick-Off Tour. Individuals gathered at the Davis Square Plaza, and then proceeded to walk around the square, finding the areas that need improvement.

This Thursday, June 28 (rain date July 5), join Mayor Joe Curtatone and the City of Somerville for the annual 4th of July Fireworks, with live entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. The entertainment lineup for the fireworks includes performances by the Somerville Sun setters, local Disco-Funk band Booty Vortex, the USO Metropolitan New York Performers, and the U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty, leading up to a 30-minute fireworks display at approximately 9:15 p.m.

The Somerville Alibrandis maintain a tenuous lead in the Ted Williams division.

By Benjamin Klein

Despite having their winning streak snapped, the Somerville Alibrandis have won five of their last six games and now hold a slim lead in the Ted Williams division.

Sure, everyone complains about the weather, but who’s doing something about it?

The city had to open cooling centers last week. Thanks for that. Beyond this there’s little to be done other than exercise a little common sense to minimize dangers of heat stroke. Watch your activity levels, get plenty of water, etc. We are blessed with a wonderfully diverse range of climatological effects in this part of the world. Going to great extremes at times. But we’re tough, aren’t we? We can pull through like champs when the going gets tough. Just be careful and do the right things. We’ll make it.

Somerville’s historic buildings need new windows, according the property’s owners.

By Tiffani M. Westbrook

Preservation Planner Kristy Chase led the monthly Preservation Commission meeting at Somerville City Hall, last Tuesday night. The Historic Preservation Committee representatives are all volunteers from Somerville with various backgrounds and connections to historical preservation.

The Somerville News person of the Week, Brian Roche

Meet Brian Roche, a life long resident and graduate of Somerville High as well as the New England Culinary Institute (NECI). Presently, he is the Executive Chef at Lolita Cocine & Tequila Bar and Restaurant at 271 Dartmouth Street in Back Bay Boston. Brian is the son of James (Brian) Roche and Virginia (Ginny) Roche of Gilman Square and, of course, points north at Old Orchard (not to far from Ocean Park).

Gene Brune steps into a new leadership role as President of the Somerville Lions.

By William Tauro

Former Somerville Mayor and current Middlesex Registrar of Deeds Gene Brune was installed this past Friday night as the next President of the Somerville Lions Club. The installation took place at the Somerville Lions Club House located in Somerville on Washington Street above the Ralph and Jenny Senior Center. With a large crowd of family, friends, Lions Club members and co-workers in attendance, Gene vowed to do his very best as president for the Lions charities and for a successful term.

The Somerville Rotary Club recently had the pleasure of hearing about the work Rotary is doing in Pakistan to both combat literacy and polio.  Rachel William is the local Rotary district literacy coordinator and goes to Pakistan twice a year. She brought with her two Pakistanis who she works with on these projects.  Rotary has been the leader in eradicating polio in the world with just three countries – Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria – still having cases of polio.

Joe Torra

Time Being: An Improvisation by Joe Torra (Quale Press, 2012.  http://www.quale.com/  $16)

The banal lives astride the profound. Life lives astride death. The comic dwells amidst the tragic. Joe Torra in his long poem/journal/improvisation titled Time Being takes it all in, in this stream of consciousness work that takes place in Somerville and the surrounding environs between Dec 2006 to Dec. 2007.