By William C. Shelton

(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.)

When I heard an advertisement promising that a personal hygiene product would “empower” the user, I knew that another concept had reached the end of its life cycle.  The cycle begins when the experience of some group produces a genuine insight.

Competition recognizes community’s efforts to reduce high school dropout rates
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Somerville achieved national recognition as one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People presented by ING for its initiatives to help young people. The competition recognizes communities across the country that focus on reducing high school dropout rates and providing service and support to their youth.

- Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Wednesday evening The Center for Arts at the Armory, located on Highland Avenue, hosted a reception and wine tasting event in honor of  Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone.

By Jim Clark

Somerville police were treated to some specific details of drug trafficking after serving a warrant upon  a man at his home on  South Street last Friday.

Roshawn Ballard, 35, confessed to being in possession of a sizable amount of cocaine and further volunteered details of his participation in distribution activities, according to police.

Four-year-old Luca Pignatiello sinks her teeth into a slice of Prima's cheese pizza at the Second Annual Pizza Challenge held October 8 to benefit the Emergency Food Pantry at The Elizabeth Peabody House.

Second Annual Pizza Challenge Supports Local Food Pantry

By Elizabeth Sheeran

Nine-year-old Erik Byfield has a whole strategy for picking a winning slice of pizza. “How much stuff is on it,” is very important, he said. So is the kind of “stuff.” It has to have enough cheese, but he’s not a fan of extra tomatoes. No small slices and no square slices. Like a lot of kids, he takes his pizza very seriously.

Representing the 99 percentile, occupation has come to Boston and the numbers keep rising. - Photo by Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

Occupy Boston has attracted some Somervilliens it seems. With little glamor, or glory, these young people camp out in tents out by South Station in Downtown Boston. They claim to fight for the “99 percent” or the percentage of the country they rally around who receive exponentially less wealth than the top one percent.

There will be a debate between the candidates for Alderman At Large this Monday night, October 17, at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square,. The doors open to all at 6 p.m. and the debate takes place from 7 to 8 p.m. All four incumbents and three challengers will be onstage. From our point of view, since our paper will be represented, do you have a particular question you’d like to have asked, put before the candidates, or any particular candidate? Let us know by going online to our web site and posing your question and we will take the most interesting question and make sure our panelist is made aware of it. Go online to www.thesomervillenews.com and under the Newstalk post your question or concern.

– Photos by Harry Kane

On Saturday, October 8, Shape Up Somerville, The Welcome Project, and the Somerville Housing Authority hosted a Block Party to celebrate the Mystic Mobile Market. The event took place at 530 Mystic Avenue in Somerville, on the lawn in front of the Mystic Activity Center at the Mystic Housing Development.  Events included pumpkin decorating, pumpkin recipe handouts (multilingual), cooking demonstrations, live entertainment and dance demonstrations, and arts and crafts.

As families struggle to make ends meet, businesses scratch and paw to stay afloat, and protesters occupy Wall Street, we here in the ‘Ville face our own share of challenges in this seemingly stalled economy.

Somerville cares about stopping domestic violence and demonstrated its resolve with a candlelight vigil. - Photo by Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

The people of Somerville spoke out against domestic violence this last Wednesday, October 5, holding a candlelight vigil and marching the circumference of Union Square. Joined by Chief Thomas Pasquarello of the SPD, Alderman John Connelly, and Rep. Denise Provost, the group assembled at the East Somerville Public Safety building afterwards, and shared their perspective on the problem of domestic violence.