A Sergeant with the Middlesex Sheriff’s Department has been indicted on drug charges after allegedly receiving cocaine and money from an undercover state trooper, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public.

Michael Dell’Isola, 51, of Somerville, was indicted by a Middlesex County Grand Jury on a charge of trafficking cocaine.

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.)

June. Yikes! And what a month May was! Somerville, a city that is always pulling something new and exciting out of its hat, had a very festive May, especially toward the end. The Somerville Arts Council’s experimental Porchfest should be added to the likes of their successful Art beat and the Illumination Tour. And thanks to the Mayor’s Annual Fitness challenge, I actually enjoyed the festivities 10 pounds lighter.

Race winners from 2009 pose after having won.

By Cathleen Twardzik

The City’s annual Shape Up Somerville/Somerville Recreation Road Race, which was initially planned for April 10, has been rescheduled for June 5, and is part of the City’s first SomerStreets event of the year.

At 11 a.m., the children’s “Fun Run” will kick off with a race around Foss Park, which is a different racecourse from previous years.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police received a call last week from a frantic female who was reportedly being followed by a male who was aggressively pursuing her and making lewd remarks.

Crying and upset, the woman attempted to establish her whereabouts with police over the phone, even though she had to keep moving to try to get away from the man.

By Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

(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.)

As we prepare the budget for the next fiscal year, it looks as if Beacon Hill may deliver us some relief in the form of municipal health insurance reform.

We still do not know what the exact mechanics of the reform will be, but the House and Senate have both approved plans that would allow Somerville to move into the Group Insurance Commission (GIC), and the final version could get to the Governor’s desk in the next week or so. This could mean several million dollars a year back in the taxpayers’ pockets to pay for quality services in this city.

Equus runs June 10-18 at The Unity, 6 William Street, Somerville.

By Sanjeev Selvarajah

Somerville Theatre@First’s treatment of Peter Shaffer’s play Equus avoids many of the dramatic techniques contained in the script, but everything else, from plot to dialogue, is representative of its core themes of isolation and passion.

The moral seems to overlap with the French animosity towards ocularcentrism— a 70’s artistic movement that rejected obsession with visual culture. While religious iconography, television, and the literal eyesight of beasts and men feature prominently in the English play, this production is more pragmatic and relatable to modern audiences.

By Jim Clark

A man was detained by Loss Prevention personnel at the K-Mart on Middlesex Avenue last week when he was allegedly observed putting items under a coat he was carrying as he strolled through the store.

The man reportedly had secreted away two rotary power tools, four toothbrushes, one box of chocolate bars and one padlock.

Map of the area considered for the over-the-tracks development.

MBTA considers selling air rights over Porter Square commuter rail tracks

By Ashley Taylor

Owning a parcel of land is part of the fabled American dream. How about owning a parcel of air instead?  Air is less expensive and more plentiful than land.  The problem is, it’s a bit of a fixer-upper: in order to build a structure on your plot, you have to first build a deck.

Buying air rights instead of land is something developers may have the opportunity to do in Somerville.

By Carrie Stanziola

People may not associate Somerville with toy manufacturing, but in 1922, when Jennie Graves started making doll clothes out of her Liberty Avenue home in Somerville, she started a minor Massachusetts manufacturing empire.  As Evelyn Battinelli explains, the 8 inch tall Ginny doll went through several phases.  Initially, Ginny’s wardrobe was reflective of women’s roles, and she wore nursing and Girl Scout outfits.  However, her wardrobe evolved over time, offering girls a greater variety of clothes to choose from.

By Jim Clark

Somerville police officers responded to a request by Massachusetts State Police to investigate a claim of a man with a gun at a Rossmore Street residence last Thursday.

Responding officers were advised that the person calling in the tip seemed to be “covering up” their voice, and that there was a history of such calls made in the past.