Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick has declared Monday, March 8th to be "Somerville All America City Day," and will visit the City of Somerville on Monday, March 8th for a ceremony in honor of the City's All America City status, and to discuss the importance of civic engagement with Somerville High School students. "All America City Day" will also honor the City's recent national recognition for Shape Up Somerville, the USDA's Healthier U.S. Schools Challenge, and innovative development projects. The event will be held at the Somerville High School's Centennial Auditorium, located at 81 Highland Ave., beginning at 9:30 a.m.

By Tom Nash

A potential firefighter candidate's plea to get on Somerville's reserve list led to a new clash in the Board of Aldermen over how the city uses the civil service system last week.

Iraq veteran Sean O'Brien sent a letter to the Board of Aldermen earlier this month asking them to allow him on to the firefighter reserve list. He took the test after the current group of 10 candidates because he had not yet returned from Iraq, but the list was compiled just two days before he was certified as a candidate.

A
man threatening he had a gun robbed the Sovereign Bank located at 125
Broadway around 11 a.m. this morning, according to the FBI.

Somerville High School students Brandell Ravelo and Lara Jimenez, Middlesex County Register of Deeds Eugene Brune, Somerville High student Joey Flynn, Teen Empowerment Executive Director Stan Pollack, Somerville High student Terrence Bordenave and Somerville Acting Police Chief Micheal Cabral. ~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

The
Center for Teen Empowerment hosted a "Celebration of Hope & Caring"
fundraiser at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse located
on Boston's waterfront Thursday evening. Teen Empowerment Youth
Organizers are made up of local high school students from the
Somerville, Boston and Rochester NY areas and receive intensive leader
training that empowers them to better understand themselves and their
communities. Through the training and the actions they take to help
their community, Youth Organizers learn sophisticated analytical,
organizational and communication skills that transform the trajectory
of their lives and implement powerful building and consciousness
raising activities that help lower crime and other dysfunctional
behaviors among their peers. Youth Organizers also work to bring the
voices of their peers into policy and community decision making. This
vital input helps create policies and practices that more effectively
meet the needs of young people.

~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Somerville Police Traffic Unit pulls over and cites a motorist on Somerville Avenue for a traffic violation. The unit has a variety of traffic enforcement vehicles within it's fleet that can detect vehicles that are speeding on our roadways to an unregistered registration from fifty yards away while either vehicle is in motion.

~Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Somerville Police are searching for three alleged female suspects who are suspected of shoplifting multiple items from the Family Dollar Store on Somerville Avenue. The alleged trio fled on foot down Somerville Avenue carrying the stolen goods. Police cruisers searched the area but did not locate the suspects. The incident occurred 3:48 pm on Wednesday and is under investigation