DiFronzo, officer who fired, cleared of wrongdoing
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Photo by Bobbie Toner

By George P. Hassett

The fatal police shooting of a 33-year-old Somerville woman was ruled to be justifiable today by the Middlesex District Attorney’s office.
“Upon a completion of this investigation, our conclusion is that the responses of the officers were justifiable under the law to affect lawful objectives, bring the incident under control, and protect lives. The reckless actions of the decedent placed the lives of all three officers and others in danger. The officer who discharged his firearm did so to save his, Lieutenant Anzalone’s, and possibly others’ lives, including the officers who had been stabbed by the decedent and remained on scene. Having made our determination under the law regarding the legal justifiability of the shooting by the officer we have, per protocol, referred the matter back to the Somerville Police Department so that they can perform whatever internal administrative review of the incident they deem appropriate,” a statement from the Middlesex District Attorney’s office said.

- Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

The Sunsetters put on a command performance fit for a king for all the neighbors in the Ten Hills area that gathered in front of Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s house Wednesday evening.

Somerville’s own Jimmy Del Ponte set the tempo in high gear in front of one of the biggest crowds that the Sunsetters have ever played in front of.

By Andrew Firestone

How much is the power of incumbency worth? In a rematch for a Somerville state senate seat decided by only 170 votes four months ago, Senator Sal DiDomenico and Timothy Flaherty, both Democrats, are about to find out.

DiDomenico, former chief of staff for the previous senator Anthony Galluccio, defeated Flaherty in April and the two are now set for a Sept. 14 rematch. The district includes two precincts in wards one and two in Somerville.

Board member recuses herself from vote

By Andrew Firestone

Progress on the Green Line Extension hit another snag last Wednesday after a state official recused herself during a vote to extend the rail designers’ contract.

The surprise led members of the Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership (STEP) to say they were “frustrated” with what they perceived as a lack of honesty from state transit officials on a $24 million contract extension.

Last night was the second neighborhood meeting on the proposed Ocean State Job Lot to replace the vacant Winter Hill Star Market store. The City Planning Board meeting is scheduled for August 24 at City Hall at 6 p.m. if you would like to find out more contact Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero at wpero@comcast.net or call him at 617-628-0137.

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Happy Birthday to Courtney O’Keefe, well known lifelong community activist here in Somerville.    Also Birthday wishes to Judy Louchi Jacobs another lifelong activist, to both we wish a great day and good year, they are both nice people and love Somerville.

Somerville is funky. Here, we have ice cream showdowns, we go to oddball craft fairs and we party under highways.

Sure Somerville is many things to the many people who live here but the inventiveness and and art in the city is unique. Last week a short web video made by three Somerville residents in honor of a dead squirrel found in their neighborhood was a minor online sensation. It had all the ingredients for web success: dry humor, a mummified squirrel and a huge mustache.

And on Saturday, Somerville is full of exciting events at a time of year when other cities get lazy in the summer heat. Four arts events hit the streets, providing almost-free entertainment for all ages from 2 p.m. until 1 a.m.

There’s a “bizarre” crafts fair, an ice cream showdown, an art exhibition at Prospect Hill Park and a party underneath McGrath Highway.

We can all agree Somerville is different – maybe it’s the funk that sets us apart.

- Photo by Andrew Firestone

By Andrew Firestone

It’s been a long time coming, but after several years of planning, Assembly Square’s development is on schedule to break ground in the second half of 2011, bringing in new residential, professional and recreational features to Somerville.

Now entering the final phases of design, the Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) is clearing its last bureaucratic hurdles to begin construction of the first phase of long-planned square, which will include two new apartment buildings with 400 units between them, a cinema to replace the abandoned one, and a hotel along a brand new Main Street which will house small and medium-sized retail.

Somerville artist Michael J. Epstein's online video scored almost 2,000 hits in a few days last week.

Popular web video latest in string of hits

By George P. Hassett

A dead squirrel, city official and local rapper have this in common: they’ve carved out a spot for themselves in the world of Internet sensations and put Somerville on the cyber map for funky, irreverent web humor.

Last week, Somerville musician Michael J. Epstein released a satirical web video purporting to show the unveiling of Mummified Squirrel National Park – “a place where mummified squirrels will be allowed to roam free without bias, without mistreatment” – at a small spot on the sidewalk on Elm Street.

- Photo by Andrew Firestone

By George P. Hassett

Clearing poppy fields in Thailand is not the usual experience for new Somerville police officers but Tom Pasquarello is not coming onto the force as the usual officer: he’ll be starting as chief in about three months after Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone selected him last week.

Pasquarello, who has worked with Drug Enforcement Agency for 28 years, has spent the last five years in Bangkok, Thailand leading narcotics enforcement in 34 countries, from China to Austrailia.