By Jim Clark

A police officer was summoned into On The Hill Tavern, 499 Broadway, Saturday night when a customer reported that a fight was underway inside.
Upon entering the officer found that the altercation had been broken up, but a number of female patrons singled out a woman, Colleen Beattie, 27, of Medford, stating that she had smashed another woman in the mouth with a bottle. The alleged victim complained of a chipped tooth, and a broken bottle was found on the floor where the attack was said to have taken place.

By William Tauro

Somerville resident and student at the West Somerville Neighborhood School Brooke Metivier is shown here with The Matty in the Morning Crew, from Kiss 108 at the annual Walk for Hunger on Sunday May 1st. Pictured left to right: Lisa Matty, Bill Costa, Brooke Metivier and her cousin Michael Metivier. Brooke won the Heart and Soul Walkers title because she collected over $500.00 for Project Bread.

The vote to post bonds for the DIF was nine to one at the full Board of Aldermen vote.- Photo by Andrew Firestone

By Ashley Taylor and Andrew Firestone

In what one alderman called a “historic vote,” the Board of Aldermen voted at a special meeting on Monday, May 2, to post $25,750,000 in bonds for the Assembly Row District Improvement Financing (DIF) project, allowing the City to proceed with infrastructure improvements in Assembly Square. This development will be crowned by the Assembly Square Orange Line stop, provided by State and private funds, which depended directly on the City’s approval of the DIF project.

– Photos by Andrew Firestone

Take a look inside the Museum of Modern Renaissance on College Ave. The private home of Russian ex-pats Nicholas Shaplyko and his wife Ekaterina Sorokina, the museum opened to the public for Somerville Open Studios.

It looks like the Edgerly School that’s located on Bonair Street in East Somerville is the place to be on Wednesday nights at 6p.m. for its ever popular “Zumba Classes”! We hear that Somerville’s own Michelle Bowler, Donna Amenta, and, believe it or not, Jim Halloran are among the top ten “Zumbas Champs” here in the Ville, with their fancy footwork and funky moves.  Head down and check it out for yourself!

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First Thursday of the month is The Chamber of Commerce Business after Hours get together. B2Green Expo promises to be full of free appetizers, excellent networking, green invocations, and talk about what’s going on in the city and elsewhere, local economic development news. Running from 4 to 7p.m. this Thursday the 5th at the Holiday Inn. Contact the local chamber office for more information and for RSVP to smackey@somervillechamber.org. The 3rd annual B2Green Expo will be sponsored by Mayor Joe Curtatone and the Somerville Chamber of Commerce.

It’s been said that what’s good for the body is also good for the soul. This concept is debatable, of course, but we couldn’t agree more in the case of the annual Somerville Spring Clean-Up, which took place this past weekend throughout our city.
People of all ages and backgrounds came together to participate in an annual tradition that unites them in the common goal of making the town a cleaner and less cluttered place to live. As trash and random debris was gathered and disposed of, volunteer workers cheerfully created a holiday-like atmosphere as they labored unselfishly for the good of the community.

The many faces and customs of our multicultaural community are celebrated as the Somerville Reads Celebration unfolds at East Branch Library.- Photo by Carrie Stanziola

By Carrie Stanziola

On April 30, the Somerville East Branch Library launched its second annual Somerville Reads Celebration.  This year, the library chose The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, which chronicles one family’s journey from India to the United States. In the words of East Branch Librarian Marilyn Eastwood, “This time we thought it would be wonderful to get a book which would be expressive of the immigrant experience, what it’s like to come to this country and leave roots behind and grow roots here.”  The library also welcomes immigrants with free, volunteer-led ESL classes held at all three branches of the Somerville library. As part of the festivities, visitors were encouraged to take part in and “immigration quilt” to show their own family’s roots and the city’s diversity.

By Andrew Firestone

The Somerville BOA committee on legislative matters has approved a new resolution in a push for economic development, and is currently developing a strategic plan to introduce more Beer and Wine licenses to the city.

The debate was struck when the Chamber of Commerce visited the committee meeting and asked the aldermen to raise the limit from the 16 licenses that are currently available. There are also 10 more designated for the future Assembly Square district.

By Jim Clark

A reported robbery by an armed and masked man at the Quick Stop  store at 219 Highland Avenue last Wednesday brought Somerville police to the scene. One officer spotted an individual matching witness descriptions running up Porter Street so he pursued and ultimately apprehended him.
The suspect, a juvenile, was searched and was found to have in his possession a camouflage ski mask as well as a Desert Eagle BB gun, police said.

By Cathleen Twardzik

Dena Haibi of Somerville and her co-workers at Commonwealth Financial Network were recently named champions, as part of the Duncan Hines 1 MILLION Cupcake Challenge, which is a national baking and fundraising movement, the goal of which is to help to end childhood hunger in America, according to a press release.

Haibi and her co-workers hosted a Great American Bake Sale to benefit Share Our Strength and raised $2,635, which will be matched by Duncan Hines.