The Mayor’s trip (Somerville goes to Italy) is filling up fast Рas it’s scheduled for May 14 to visit Mayor Joe’s family’s ancestral home. So far we hear Mrs. Frump and The mouth of mouth’s from East Somerville are planning on attending Рwhich leaves the Demo Man’s wife in charge up at the Council on Aging. We wonder if Mrs. Frump and the Mouth of East Somerville got their rooms “comped” like we heard they do when they go on Council trips to the Casinos in Connecticut.

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Speaking of Demo Man and his buddy Butchie – we hear they‚Äôre quietly still running around the city shilling that 77-90 unit building/complex they want to build in Ward 2 – we heard that in the last few weeks they had private meetings with some aldermen ‚Äì we will keep you posted, because it would be very interesting to see if they get this approved.    Speaking of Demo Man, we hear that he has been moonlighting as one of the Soprano‚Äôs at the Koowloon in Saugus ‚Äì he plays Tony Sopranos brother-in-law, Bobby Bacala in the hit show based on the now ended HBO series. Perfect casting don‚Äôt you think?      

By Hilary Dyer

Congressman Mike Capuano, D-Somerville, filed a resolution requesting that President George W. Bush boycott the Opening Ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on the grounds of China’s inaction against the Sudanese government’s genocide in Darfur.

China is Sudan’s leading partner in trade, and enforces no trade sanctions on the nation. According to the non-profit organization, Human Rights Watch, China is the primary supplier of weapons and arms to Sudan. In turn, Sudan exports between 60 and 70 percent of its oil production to China.

The genocide in Darfur has killed nearly a half million people at the hands of the Sudanese government.

By William C. Shelton

(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)

Alderman Bob Trane has a vision of a community center in the now-empty Powder House School. Its auditorium and cafeteria could host dances, dramatic productions, self-defense classes, musical performances, and poetry readings. Its classrooms could, for a reasonable hourly fee, provide space for trainers, community groups, arts classes, and anyone needing meeting space. 

Not much youth programming exists west of McGrath Highway. Kids could use the community center’s safe and clean facilities for basketball, soccer, and general hell raising, helping to ease the city’s scarcity of gym space. The grounds could host ethnic festivals, seasonal celebrations, and neighborhood gatherings.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Poet Ed Meek is a new transplant to Davis Square, Somerville, and damn glad of it. Meek, an accomplished writer in both the fiction and non-fiction genre, moved from the staid and tony suburbs of Belmont to the hotbed of cultural activity: Somerville.

Belmont, once labeled the “most boring” town in the state by The Boston Globe, was a bit rarefied for the writer in the man. Meek, the author of a new poetry collection “What We Love” (First World Publishing) said of Davis Square and Somerville: “Somerville is a great community. It makes you feel like writing.”

By George P. Hassett

At the Dunkin’ Donuts on Somerville Avenue Maude Jones prepares coffee, breakfast sandwiches and makes change for customers. It is a long way from the violent, war-torn life she knew in Liberia where child soldiers with rifles were a familiar sight and gunfire a common sound.

And it is even further from the life she will know in September when she begins college at Harvard after spending the last two years as a homeless teenager living in a group home.

‚ÄúMaude has an amazing story,‚Äù said Dan McLaughlin, a youth counselor at the Center for Teen Empowerment, who has worked with Jones. ‚ÄúI’m just waiting for someone to make the movie version of her life.‚Äù

By Joe Lynch

(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.)

Four years ago, I got a call from Mayor Curtatone’s office asking me to attend a meeting with a developer who had recently purchased the five acre MaxPak site just down the street from my home. I had heard through the grapevine that the property would be developed, that a member of the Kennedy family bought it and that the developer was proposing 350 condominiums for the site.

Peace Conference was a preview of Somerville’s future. If the future of this city is in the hands of the young people who stood on stage and eloquently called for unity, increased recreation funding and inclusive city policies, we are in good hands.

And give Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone credit. The city sponsored the program and encouraged the critical views of the kids. “Hold my feet to the fire,” he told the crowd of 660.

And some of the speakers did. A spoken-word performance calling for the City of Hope resolution to pass took our leaders to task in the right fashion – with reason and skill.

By Mia Lamar

The Mystic River received a grade of "D" from US Environmental Protection Agency regulators last week,  marking the second year in row the river has barely passed agency standards. The report card announcement was made at the Mystic River Watershed Summit, a day-long event held by the EPA last Thursday in Boston.

The announcement was made before a packed assembly of state administrators, scientists, engineers and community advocates. Several speakers – including former state Senator Jarrett Barrios who is now president for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation — spoke of their efforts working to clean up the Mystic River.

By George P. Hassett

At Saturday’s Youth Peace Conference 17-year-old Tanisha Duchatelier stood on stage and did what 10 elected officials failed to do two years ago: argue passionately in favor of a resolution affirming the rights of all immigrants in the city.

Standing alone on stage, in front of more than 600 people Duchatelier, in a spoken word piece, called on city leaders to officially welcome foreign-born residents of Somerville. She said, ‚ÄúThis city was meant to be a sanctuary/For the people who make up our vast majority/So resolutions are passed to protect their liberties/So why must there be raids/To get rid of them in large quantities‚Äù and, ‚ÄúWho are we to discriminate/The people who helped build/This city/Just ’cause they don’t have/ Legal authority/ Although they make up one-third of our community.‚Äù

Reality Bites by James Norton

(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)

It has been way too long to go without “opening a vein” as someone once said to me. I used to relish the opportunity to rant and ramble in these pages because it is very cathartic and I truly enjoy writing, but putting your own opinion out there with your name on it is not as easy as it seems. Okay, maybe it is to the nut-jobs who enjoy sensationalizing things to get their point across Рthere are several of those mentally deficient people running around this city, no doubt.