The St. Clement Lady Anchors continued their winning ways with a victory over Mount St. Joseph Academy last week.

The St. Clement Lady Anchors basketball team won their second game on Monday, January 9, versus Mount St Joseph Academy 44-31. The Lady Anchors came out strong leading 25 to 13 after the first half. Elva Martinez (Somerville) continued to lead the Anchors defensively with nine rebounds and nine steals. Allison Caloggero (Medford) was a huge contributor scoring nine points, grabbing six rebounds to go along with three assists. Jessica Popken (Medford) led the team offensively scoring 23 points, including four from long range. Adding two more from long range was Diana Tran (Somerville) who also played great on defense recording 4 steals. The junior varsity team also secured a convincing 42-33 win. Captain Erika Lydon (Medford) nearly had a double double scoring 20 points with seven steals and nine assists. Senior Nicole Cella (Charlestown) had nine rebounds and Maria Martinez (Medford) assisted with 10 steals and six rebounds.

By Jim Clark

Somerville narcotics officers, conducting a narcotics investigation set up in the Assembly Square Mall parking lot last Thursday, made an arrest involving quantities of heroin, according to reports.

All-East Certificate holders (from left to right) Pristine Mei, Miranda DeSaulniers, Nicole Genard, Michel-le Meranda, Gelynne Berger, and Melina Garro-Duplisea.

At the Dartmouth College Invitational on Saturday, January 7, Nicole Genard placed fifth in the 55m hurdles with a time of 8.59. She also finished 8th in the long jump with a jump of 16’ 9”.  She was the only girl to score.

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.)

Last week, Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry attacked Mitt Romney’s claim to having created 100,000 jobs as owner of Bain Capital. Instead, they said, Romney had practiced “vulture capitalism,” neither venture capitalism nor free enterprise.

Somerville Firefighters Union Local 76 President Jay Colbert (l.), and Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone (r.) sign a memorandum of agreement for a multi-year collective bargaining accord. ~Photo by Jackie Rossetti

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Somerville Firefighters Local 76 President Jay Colbert announced today that they have signed a memorandum of agreement on a comprehensive eight-year collective bargaining accord covering Fiscal Years 2008-2015.  Mayor Curtatone said he planned to submit a new $3.3-million appropriation to the Board of Aldermen to cover the costs of retroactive and current-year increases in firefighter pay.  The new appropriation would supersede a $4.3-million appropriation that the Mayor submitted last week under the terms of a compensation award issued on December 13, 2011 by the Massachusetts Joint Labor Management Committee (JLMC).

By Savath Yong

Adventures Close to Home, an art exhibition and silent auction, presented by Boston Lady Fest and the Snow Project kicked off its opening day celebration on Friday, January 13 at the Washington Street Art Center in Somerville. The auction will take place throughout the month of January and aims to raise funds to benefit the Ladyfest Boston, a three-day festival that takes place February – 5 at the Cambridge YMCA. All proceeds from the festival will be donated to the Eastern Massachusetts Abortion Access Fund.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Director of the City’s Housing Division, Dana LeWinter, today released the results of the 2011 Continuum of Care renewals application.  The Somerville-Arlington Continuum of Care was awarded $2,237,821 in funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homeless assistance programs.  The funding for the Somerville-Arlington Continuum has steadily increased in the last several years, with $2,235,913 awarded in 2010, $2,233,788 in 2009 and $1.9 million in 2008.  Overall this year, the Obama Administration has awarded nearly $1.47 billion in homeless assistance grants.

The Mayor's 2012 inaugural address included plans to transfer control of Foss Park from the DCR to the city. – Photo by Elizabeth Sheeran

Mayor’s vision includes new recreation facility

By Elizabeth Sheeran

It is the largest open public space in Somerville. But Foss Park is not even a city park. And it has been plagued by a legacy of sub-par facilities, spotty maintenance, and vulnerability to crime.

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police Traffic Unit performing speed enforcement on Mystic Avenue last week stopped a driver who was reportedly exceeding the speed limit, according to reports.

Chief of Staff William "Mo" Cowan

Remembers the work of MLK