Several SHS track standouts traveled to Burlington, VT, last Saturday for the spring New England Championship meet, having previously qualified at the Mass All-State meet last week at Bridgewater State.

It was a long, rainy day but it was a successful one for Andre Rolim. As was the case last week, the officials changed the heat assignments, this time acknowledging that they made an error, and had Andre in the wrong heat. He was ready for anything, though, and led from the gun in his 3rd heat of 5 and placed 6th overall (49.81).

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police officer responded to a reported hit and run incident last week at Florence Street. The owner of the struck vehicle reportedly gave the officer a partial license plate number and a description of the vehicle, and also insisted that it could not have gotten far away due to damage that it must have sustained in the incident.

Precinct Chef Wesley Smith's take on Redbones: "good stuff." - Photos by Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

Chocolate fountains. Pulled-pork sandwiches and frosty cupcakes. Delicious wine, sumptuous shepherd’s pie. No, this isn’t heaven. This is Somerville.

The thirteenth annual Taste of Somerville was a cornucopia of restaurants serving up samples at the Holiday Inn, June 7, to benefit the elderly through Door2Door. Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Congressman Mike Capuano were on hand to share in the deliciousness.

I am always a sucker for a food poem. Poet Deborah Finkelstein, a colleague of mine at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and Endicott College in Beverly, Mass. sent me an evocative one recently.  Finkelstein has an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. Her poetry has been published widely, both online and print.

A singer/songwriter in the Paris of New England
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Well, Audrey Ryan thought I meant that the “Paris of New England” is meant for Boston – but of course I meant Somerville, Mass. But I can see her point. And this multi-talented artist fits well into our creative milieu on the banks of the Mystic River. On Ryan’s website it states:

“Audrey Ryan is a one-man-band multi-instrumentalist whose music is quirky and genre-bending. She tours regionally, nationally, and internationally supported by Folkwit Records (UK). She has opened for Suzanne Vega, They Might be Giants, Josh Ritter, Ra Ra Riot, Grace Potter among many others.”

Arrests:
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Robert Lara, 21, of 19 Dartmouth St., June 6, 12:13 a.m., arrested at 337 Broadway on various warrant charges.

George Silva, 52, of 32 Creighton, Cambridge, June 6, 10:47 a.m., arrested at 182 Cedar St. on various warrant charges.

Carolina Ortega-Vijil, 35, of 86 Wheatland St., June 7, 12:18 a.m., arrested at Prospect St. on a warrant charge of witness intimidation.

The talented athletes of Somerville High School’s girls track squad continue their winning ways. – Photo by Sasha Garczynski

The North Section Heptathalon held last week at North Reading High School saw Nicole Genard place 1st with 4478 points, outdistancing Karla Ganley of Wellesley High School, who had 4417. Last year Nicole finished 2nd with 4121, so she improved by over 300 points, which is a substantial gain.  The winner of the South Section of the Heptathalon was Kristin McDonough of Mansfield High School with 4011 points.

Karen Aqua. - Photo by Andrew Firestone

Dedicated to Karen Aqua
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SCATV and the Somerville Arts Council are excited to announce “Somerville in Shorts 2011,” an evening of locally made experimental and animated short films projected on a large outdoor screen in the heart of Union Square. Gather on July 8 in the Square at 7:00 for live music, and when the sun goes down, the films go up.

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.)

Last week I had a meeting at Johnny D’s for our big Somerville High School Alumni show in November at The Somerville Theatre. I walked to the meeting, so when it was over, I called home and asked if the boys wanted me to pick up a pizza at Mike’s. I called Mike’s and ordered a large pizza for take out, then I started to freak out. I was going to be the guy carrying a pizza through Davis Square and up College Ave.