By William Tauro

It
has been 10 years since the Somerville District Court Probation
Department began partnering with substance abuse service-providers in
its Court Recovery Program.

In the program, probation officers and therapists from the counseling agencies meet monthly for discussions.

~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Somerville police and fire units responded to a call in Union Square around noontime on Thursday for an accident involving a bicyclist. The bicyclist was treated at the scene and released.

(from the city of Somerville)

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites all residents and community members to the City's annual Fourth of July Fireworks Celebration, scheduled for Thursday, July 1st beginning at 6:00 p.m. at Trum Field. The evening's entertainment includes performances by the 2010 Somerville Sunsetters, local Disco-Funk band Booty Vortex, the USO Metropolitan New York Performers, and, because the week of June 30th – July 5th coincides with Navy Week, the final performance will be by the U.S. Navy Band Northeast Pops Ensemble, leading up to a 30-minute fireworks display at approximately 9:15 p.m. Also in attendance will be Rear Admiral Mark Boensel, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. A rain date has been set for Thursday, July 8th.

Jurors acquitted a Boston man Friday of a double shooting that shocked neighbors on a quiet section of Walnut Street three years ago.

Jean Roy, 27, walked out of court a free man after a jury found him not guilty of murdering Lesley College student John Micelin and shooting another man, who survived the attack, at 4 a.m. on May 6, 2007 – reportedly over a cocaine deal gone bad.

By George P. Hassett

Somerville is presidential. If you doubt it, just check out the history.

The city's last Civil War veteran to serve as mayor, John M. Woods, thanked citizens for their "pure patriotism and high character" during the event.

By Tom Nash

After two weeks of negotiations and scrutiny, Mayor Joseph Curtatone's proposed FY11 budget was approved by the Board of Aldermen early this morning, with few direct challenges to his new plan to cut 17 school custodian positions.

The last minute changes to a proposal that would outsource school custodian services seemed to appease all but one alderman, who spent much of Tuesday's marathon budget session proposing her own series of budget cuts.

***************

In the summer, it seems hotter in Somerville. Probably because it is.

And Somerville takes the heat every budget season in June because of our over-reliance on state aid and weak commercial tax base. This year was no different: more than 70 city employees found themselves sweating for their jobs and aldermen grilled the mayor on plans to outsource Somerville workers.