Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

I found myself on a cool evening in April walking to Dunkin Donuts in Harvard Square with Aeronwy Thomas, daughter of the late great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Aeronwy Thomas, a well-regarded educator and poet in her own right, is on a national tour talking about her father Dylan, who wrote some of the most revered verse in the 20th Century, as well as a critically acclaimed play “Under Milk Wood.”

Somerville resident, Wellesley College professor, and owner of the famed Grolier Poetry Book Shop, Ifeanyi Menkiti hosted a reading with Aeronwy Thomas, her husband Trevor Ellis, and Peter Thabit Jones, a respected Welsh poet and editor of the Swansea Poet Magazine. I asked Menkiti why he decided to host this event organized by publisher Stanley Barkan of Cross-Cultural Communications. Menkiti said:‚Äù I Love Dylan Thomas’ sense of community. His work releases a poetic impulse across the world. It travels across borders.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(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.)

Earlier this month, our police department unveiled a new weapon in the fight on crime.  As is so often the case these days, that weapon isn’t a firearm or a special vehicle, but a computer-based technology that enhances communication, reduces paperwork, and allows police officers to spend more time on the streets instead of behind their desks.

That new weapon is the VideOversight interrogation recording and case management system – and it is already changing the way the police conduct and manage interrogations. Anyone who watches ‚ÄúLaw and Order‚Äù or ‚ÄúCSI‚Äù knows that interrogations work best when they are viewed by multiple personnel – and when tapes are made to preserve the context and detail of statements made to the police.  Yet interrogations can be more productive if they are managed by one or two skilled police officers working to build trust and reduce apprehension on the part of a suspect. That’s why so many TV shows feature two-way mirrors with assistant district attorneys and police commanders watching from adjacent rooms.

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 neccesarily reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News)

34 years ago, I met a Somerville guy who I have been friends with ever since. We have become surrogate family members and he has remained one of my closest friends. We worked together for years and every day he would mention how his dream was to buy a little place and retire in Florida. I would just listen and casually nod and politely agree, but never thought much about it Рwouldn’t we all like to buy a little land and spend the harsh Somerville winters in Florida!

By George P. Hassett

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone wants to examine possible changes to how city government is structured but he does not want to limit his own power.

‚ÄúI believe in a strong mayor form of government,‚Äù Curtatone said in February. ‚ÄúI think it makes the mayor more accountable to the voters. I don’t believe in the Cambridge model of a city manager and a weak mayor. I’m accountable to the voters every two years, if they don’t like what I am doing they can vote me out of office.‚Äù

Cherilus expected to go late first round today

By Jack Nicas

Gosder Cherilus  has always been a mountain of a man. When arriving in Somerville from his native Haiti, Cherilus turned heads around the city for his then 6 foot 5 inch, 220 pound frame. Now, two inches and 100 pounds larger, the former Somerville High standout is about to become an NFL lineman. Cherilus completed his senior season at Boston College in January and is now predicted to go in the first round of today’s NFL draft.

Cherilus grew up with his mother in Haiti, kicking a soccer ball around. Yet, at an age when most young men are struggling to balance homework and videogames, his mother sent him off to America alone to help his father support the family.

Standing there at Foss Park on Monday waiting for Paul Revere to ride up on his horse, it made us think back to years past, when the crowds who would come out to take part in this annual tradition numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands.

How sad it was to stand there, in April 2008, and realize that: a) if it wasn’t for the dedication and hard work of the Somerville Historical groups; b) people who live within 8 blocks of the park itself, and c) the handful of elected officials who really care about our local history and traditions (read Newstalk to find out who they were) – Paul Revere would have shown up to an empty grandstand and maybe some illegal immigrants looking for day work.

By George P. Hassett

Calling him "elitist" and "out of touch with the district" Ward Seven Alderman Bob Trane today announced he will challenge State Rep. Carl M. Sciortino, D-Medford.

Trane said he will take out the necessary forms to run against Sciortino for his Medford and Somerville state representative seat today because the district is currently being "underrepresented" in the State House.

By George P. Hassett

It seemed Somerville was not supposed to get the Green Line. There may have been a legal agreement but the history of the project was full of neglect and broken promises.

In 1990, state officials promised city residents they would complete the extension through Somerville and into Medford as a way to offset air pollution caused by the Big Dig. In 2005, the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) sued the state because it had not taken the necessary steps to complete the project on time. In November 2006, CLF and the state settled and agreed on a binding commitment to complete the project by 2011. That commitment was pushed back to 2014.

By George P. Hassett

Cannes. Sundance. Somerville?

That may be a stretch but the Independent Film Festival of Boston, based mostly in Davis Square despite the name, has quickly carved out a niche for itself as an important, if smaller, attraction for celluloid fanatics craving a good flick.

From the opening night party Wednesday at Orleans until its close six days later, the festival features 74 movies — 22 narrative features, 28 documentaries, and 24 shorts – plus numerous panels, discussions, and parties.

By Mia Lamar

It is a sunny Saturday afternoon in Union Square, one of the first of the new season and a good day for a walk and some shopping. But on Somerville Avenue, home to a stretch of retail shops and eateries, the sidewalk crumbles into the street. Shattered glass glints in the warm spring sun. Heavy construction equipment lies in a heap at the intersection of Somerville and Bow.

This is no Fifth Avenue.