The Center for Teen Empowerment’s Somerville Youth Peace Conference provided an outlet for young people to express their hopes, fears, and ideas to the community and to one another. – Photo by Alexandra Botti

By Alexandra Botti

The high school auditorium was buzzing. This was no mandatory school assembly, and it was not a room full of disinterested teenagers who were somewhere they’d prefer not to be on a sunny Saturday. Instead, hoots and cheers went up as each new performer came to the stage, microphone in hand.

This month’s Somerville Chamber of Commerce, Business After Hours at the B2Green Expo & Networking event, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Holiday Inn, 30 Washington Street. Free appetizers, excellent networking, free business card drawing, cash bar amid a cool, mini-expo of local green innovators. Treat yourself and your select staff, customers, and clients. B2Green is sponsored by Bunker Hill Community College. After Hours sponsored by Century Bank. B2Green is produced by the Chamber’s Green Committee and City of Somerville’s Office of Sustainability & Environment. RSVP with name(s) and affiliation(s) to smackey@somervillechamber.org.

By Harry Kane

The Somerville Police Department has recently issued several $300 fines to gypsy cabs. These so called gypsy cabs, as well as licensed cabs from other cities, are masquerading as Somerville taxis on the Internet, says Sergeant James Rooney, who issues taxicab drivers’ licenses in the city of Somerville.

Details for the Gilman Street Bridge project were discussed at a design public hearing on April 25.

By Harry Kane

The Gilman Street Bridge will undergo construction next year, but some people are concerned that the reconstruction process will be detrimental to the flow of traffic and the parking for residents in the vicinity.

By Jim Clark 

Members of the Somerville Police Department Drug Control Unit took action last week against a suspected crack cocaine distribution ring. Investigators reportedly learned of the operation from information offered by a confidential source. The source reportedly named Denwich Bastien, 26, as the primary operator of the drug ring.

The Somerville News Person of the week, Bob "Monty" Doherty

Meet our pick for Person of the Week here in Somerville, Bob “Monty” Doherty, a retired Somerville Fire Fighter. He was assigned to the Fire Prevention Department as an Inspector, where he would go into many homes over the years and ask questions about the houses and the people who occupied them and learn the history of everywhere he went. Monty has been working since retirement with the Somerville Historical Society.

(L to R) Father Dennis Dever, Pastor of St. Clement's, Mrs. Ida Azzolino and her daughter, Mrs. Diane Blouin. Ida Azzolino was chosen to present the gifts during a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston. Ida Azzolino, who will be 100 years old in September, represented all 100 years of St. Clement's, as she knew all four Pastors who presided over the parish for the past 100 years. – Photo by Ross Blouin

Hundreds of parishioners attended the 100th anniversary of St. Clement Parish, Warner St., Medford/Somerville. The 100th anniversary was celebrated at a special Mass on Sunday April 29 with Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, and many of the former priests of St. Clement church.  St. Clement’s has had four pastors in 100 years.  The first Mass was celebrated by Father Thomas McCarthy in April 1912, in a tent at the same location on Warner Street. Father McCarthy was the founder of St. Clement Parish.  He built a stucco church, on the same site.  Monsignor Robert Barry dedicated the present church, on Warner Street, in 1942.  He was replaced by Monsignor Peter Hart who was replaced in 1984 by Father Dennis Dever, the current Pastor of St. Clement Parish.

– Photo by Bobbie Toner

Friends came together to celebrate Maryann Heuston’s campaign for Middlesex South Register of Deeds at the Dante Club Tuesday night. The rain was not enough to stop the “Friend Raiser” from having a great turnout and give Maryann a great base to build her campaign on.

Former Somerville High School basketball star Franklin Salvador is heading to Europe as part of the D3hoops.com All-Star Team.

Thomas College sophomore guard, former Somerville High School boys’ basketball star, Franklin Salvador  has been named to the D3hoops.com All-Star Team and will head to Europe from May 21-31 and is scheduled to visit and play against opponents in Paris, Amsterdam, and Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Community volunteerism is an uplifting thing to observe and, especially, to participate in. When the efforts involved result in making the community a bit cleaner and a more comfortable place to live then it is all to the better.