(From the city of Somerville)

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and his wife Nancy attended a gathering at the White House Thursday, during which he praised President Obama for striking a bipartisan agreement to extend middle class tax cuts and restore unemployment benefits. The visit is the latest in a series of trips to the White House for Mayor Curtatone in 2010, which included participation in events and discussions surrounding the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” initiative. Curtatone provided remarks during the initiative’s nationwide launch in February.

- Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

After numerous complaints from residents reporting a gas odor and one day after a natural gas outage in Methuen  that has shut down most of that city’s heating source due to lack of gas pressure, a gas  odor opposite 231 Washington Street  is  being looked into by NStar.

“It appears to be an underground leak that’s causing the natural gas odor ” said a worker from Nstar who was at the repair site early Friday morning with a repair crew and a police detail.

By Neil Berman

(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.)

“It is the sense of Congress that States should develop curricula relating to the subject of personal finance, designed for use in elementary and secondary schools.”  Senate bill No. 256 §222. (109th Congress 2005)

This quote is from the “The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005,” which changed the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. It was written by lobbyists hired by the credit card industry and their allies, who believed that too many people were declaring bankruptcy. Their premise was that people were opting out of responsibility for their debts, going bankrupt because it was easier then paying their bills.

Chocolate cake lined with rolled white chocolate mikados.

By Ashley Troutman

Every morning, Linda Hein opens the doors of her new shop, The Chocolate Tarte, ready to serve her famous handmade tartes, truffles, cupcakes, and custom cakes. The cozy store at 199 Highland Avenue smells of rich chocolate, and houses decadent desserts guaranteed to make your mouth water.

Hein’s signature tartes are made with a Swiss chocolate shell, filled with Belgian bittersweet chocolate Ganache. The shop offers a selection of tartes filled with a tart curd and fresh fruit or mousse.

- Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Two SUV’s collided on McGrath Highway by the Medford Street Tunnel exit causing a commuter’s travel nightmare.
At the time of the accident traffic signals were on flashing mode during Thursday’s evening’s drive time.
No injuries were reported.

By George P. Hassett

Two masked men robbed a Mystic Avenue store at gunpoint Nov. 30, police said.

Police described the suspects as a black male, six foot two inches with a heavy build and approximately 18 to 20 years old and a white male, five foot nine inches with an average build. Both men were wearing ski masks when they robbed the Go Latino Market at 376 Mystic Ave., police said.

Exchange students from Gaeta, Italy and their Somerville hosts recently visited Plimoth Plantation.L-R: Marco Montagna, Aaron Nevin, Sara Di Florio, Sara Leccese, Siobhan Murray, Mitch Freitas, Nathilla Magalhaes Santos, Costantino Vecchio, Cristina Capomaccio, Fabiana Di Ciaccio. The two girls kneeling in front are Melissa Martinez and Lara Jimenez. ~Photo by Jackie Rossetti

Italian exchange students visit Somerville High

By Elizabeth Sheeran

American bagels get a big thumb’s up. American pasta? Well, let’s just say it’s not as good as the stuff back home.

Those were just a couple of the discoveries made by a half-dozen high school students from Gaeta, Italy, who recently spent two weeks visiting Somerville High School.

Ex-college coach to take over for terminated Harris

By Mike Rubin

A new coach can bring new hopes, outlook and opportunity, and that’s what Shannon Clark aims to bring to the Somerville High girls’ basketball team.

After the controversial termination of Brian Harris, who had won seven league titles in 18 years, Clark said he is looking forward to taking the reins.

By George P. Hassett

A woman was attacked from behind and robbed as she walked down Wallace Street on Dec. 1, police said.

The woman was walking toward Leonard Street from Holland Street at 5:29 p.m. when she was attacked. The suspect forced her purse out of her arm and ran down the street, police said.

A crowd of around 70 people, representing various unions and community organizations, gathered beginning at 6 am on Clyde Street at the site of a new residential development by KSS Realty and GFC Development to urge the developers to enter into a Project Labor Agreement with unions and to hire local, union workers for the project.- Photo by Ashley Taylor

Labor groups want local employment at condo construction site

By Ashley Taylor

Before the sun rose on Thursday, union painters, plumbers, electricians and bricklayers,  had already gone to work at the construction site of a new apartment complex at the former MaxPac industrial site on Clyde Street.

They were working not for pay but for the promise of securing local, union jobs on the construction of the 199-unit luxury condominium building.