By George P. Hassett

In 1984 Cynthia Snow left Suffolk University with a 2.2 grade point average. In the next two decades she overcame many challenges – bankruptcy, divorce, single motherhood and a new career as a Somerville firefighter, where she was the third female on a force of 165 men – but still, something was missing.

“I longed to get myself back to where I thought I was meant to be: to finish my education,” she said.

On Sunday, May 18, 26 years after first entering Suffolk, Snow walked across the graduation stage to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. And that grade point average? After two years of almost straight A’s, it rose to a 3.3.

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.)

Drums beating, horns blaring, fire engine sirens screeching – parades are great! This year’s Somerville Memorial Day Parade is supposed to be the biggest ever, but let’s not forget that the main purpose of the parade is to pay tribute – it is to remember all those brave men and women who gave their lives, as well as those who continue to fight today – so we can continue to enjoy our basic American freedoms. We stand and clap with proud yet mournful hearts as members of Veterans units march by us – we say a special prayer as those matriarchs of the parade – the Gold Star Mothers – pass us.

We must never forget the reason we celebrate Memorial Day, we cannot.

Somerville is no stranger to greedy developers running through its neighborhoods grabbing all the cash and land they can. That is why residents and elected officials should always approach developments that affect our neighborhoods carefully and with a healthy dose of skepticism, maybe even paranoia.

But the dispute on College Avenue between Dr. Mouhab Rizkallah and his West Somerville neighbors does not fit the profile of some moneyed intruder here to make a buck and ruin the property value of all abutters.

Rizkallah must build a stairwell and an elevator by law to satisfy the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. By law. That means he has to. Get it? And because his property is zoned for commercial use he can. By law. That means he can. In fact he could build another multi-story building there if he wanted to. But he’s not. Just a stairwell.

State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, D-Medford, may be forced to mount a write-in campaign in September to retain his seat, after Judge Linda E. Giles today ruled against his bid to have his name placed on the ballot. According to Sciortino’s attorney, 12 nomination papers containing 72 signatures were taken by an unknown person from his State House office. That left Sciortino 36 signatures shy of the required 150.

By Matthew McLaughlin

The battle over a sober house on 31 Wilton St. took a new turn when city officials and residents met at the Visiting Nurses Association on Lowell Street Monday. The issue was no longer about the existence of the house, but rather a lack of sprinklers regulated by zoning laws.

The Somerville Fire Department sent a letter to Michael Cartolano and Russell Colombo, co-owners of the sober house and explained that since there are 12 unrelated individuals living in the house, the owners were required to install sprinklers in the building.  If they do not complete the task within 90 days, they can face a fine of up to $1,000 per day, with each day constituting a separate violation.

Residents say doctor is ‘steamrolling’ through neighborhood

By George P. Hassett

Mouhab Rizkallah doesn’t want to add a back stairwell to his orthodontics practice on College Avenue. His neighbors don’t want him to and his alderman doesn’t want him to either. But because of a complaint filed with the Architectural Access Board – a group that enforces the tenets of the Americans with Disabilities Act – he says he must.

And because he is following the law (and spending $750,000 to do so, he says) by adding a new stairwell and elevator to his 30 College Ave. office, Rizkallah says he has been vilified in Davis Square.

By George P. Hassett

State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, D-Medford, said today in a prepared statement that his nomination papers have disappeared and he has called local police for help. He said he has filed suit in Suffolk County Superior Court to appear on the ballot for the Sept. 16 primary against challenger Robert C. Trane, an alderman in the city.

Sciortino, who has been a state rep. for four years, has not returned repeated phone calls in the last two days. Today’s release also leaves many unanswered questions.

Medford and Somerville city records show Sciortino submitted a total of 186 valid signatures, 36 more than is required, before the April 29 deadline. According to Brian McNiff, spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office Sciortino has only submitted 114 signatures to the state — 36 shy of what he needs.

By George P. Hassett

Four juveniles were arrested in connection with today’s stabbing at Foss Park, according to police.

At 2 p.m. today police said a man suffering from a stab wound flagged down an ambulance, he was taken to a local hospital and treated for his injuries.

Acting on a tip police searched the area surrounding the park and arrested four juveniles. No information on what they are being charged with is available as of now.   

The victim‚Äôs injuries are not life threatening, police said. 

Interesting rumor around the city these past few days…if true it could mean that Alderman Bob Trane is going to be the only one certified to be on the ballot in the race for state rep. Rumor has it that Prince Carl (Sciortino) submitted to the Secretary of State a little over 100 signatures, shy of the required 150 valid signatures. All sorts of rumors flying around that he might have lost the remaining signatures he needs to be on the ballot for re-election Рwe find it hard to believe, but we been told he’s not the first State Representative to have lost his signatures and not be on the ballot.

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Funny how our Progressive State Delegation (PDSers) are pushing through a Home Rule Petition for a Municipal Hearing Officer…when Jack Connolly was being mentioned as a possibility for the job, Princess Rebekah of Ward 6 raised hell and she got Prince Carl Sciortino and Queen Pat Jehlen to oppose it as well – but now that Jack is back and beat t PDSer Chairman Marty Martinez for the Alderman-at-Large seat last year — now they want to pass it through. Funny how Prince Carl the Progressive is now the one pushing to get it through, we think it‚Äôs funny how competition makes people do things.

By George P. Hassett

In the winter they don’t shovel. And in the spring, they don’t clean up. That, according to Ward One Alderman Bill Roche, is how the MBTA keeps up their property in East Somerville.

‚ÄúThere is no cooperation,‚Äù he said of the MBTA’s response to neighborhood complaints about how they maintain their property. ‚Äú[Getting them to respond] is like pulling teeth.‚Äù