By George P. Hassett

A prominent Somerville attorney and landowner will receive probation for his role in the death of a 22- year-old Tufts student.

Francis D. Privitera struck Boryana Damyanova on Nov. 22, 2005, on Broadway near Wallace Street, pushing her into an oncoming truck which killed her. His recent court appearances, in which he faced a charge of negligent motor vehicle homicide, were marked by reversals of agreements and feuding with lawyers and the press.

The Boston Marathon is next Monday and will feature our own Mayor Joe and Lt. Steve Carrabino, who have been seen all over the city early in the morning running and training for it – we wish them luck.

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The Irish-American Police Association‚Äôs 9th Annual Awards Dinner was very well attended by several from the Somerville Police Department ‚Äì showing support for Officers Dottin, Collins, Capobianco and St. Hillaire – as well as Det. Mario Oliveira (who all received awards). Also present that received an award earlier that day was Officer Warren Challie – who was recognized by SADD and MADD. Everyone there that night had a good time – the Chief Anthony Holloway and his wife, along with the Mayor were also present to congratulate everyone.    

By Elizabeth Bernardi

With mottoes such as “Save our Somerville” and “Save our Villens” screened onto their t-shirts, more than 600 Somerville youth came together on Saturday for the second annual Somerville Youth Peace conference, Uniting the ‘Ville: Real Stories, Real Change.

The event was hosted by the Center for Teen Empowerment and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. Though the afternoon was centered around peace-minded art and discussion on city policy it also served as a stark reminder of the breadth of struggles faced by city teens.

The main attraction was a 90-minute show, written and performed by Somerville’s own. Spoken word was interlaced with persuasive speeches, and the audience followed a series of vignettes about a clique of Somerville High School students as they faced typical challenges and decisions.

By George P. Hassett

When Mario Barros left Cuba for the United States in 1995 he spent one day in Miami. By the next day he was on his way to Somerville, where in the 13 years since, he has made his mark on the community as a teacher, writer and radio host.

Barros got a job teaching at Somerville High a month after coming to the city. He had friends here he had met in Cuba.

“I heard about the Red Sox and the Curse of the Bambino and I wanted to stay,” he said. “Of course, it was the summer and I didn’t know how cold it might get.”

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.)

Now that April has arrived (but with only a hint of warmer weather), we should note that that this month also marks the celebration of the National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign. Starting last week and running through April 11, educational events and lectures have been planned in communities across the country.  Here in Somerville, we will be recommitting ourselves to our continuing focus on the prevention of youth violence, and to intervene constructively in the lives of young people whose futures are threatened by gang involvement and gang violence.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Poet Heather Madden is in the midst of a love affair. She was in love at her first sight of Somerville. She loves the mix of artists, the generations of families that reside here, the Sherman Café, the eclectic shops of Union Square and the general enthusiasm for the arts the ‘Ville embodies. Madden, who lives in Union Square, told the News that her Somerville neighborhood is: “quiet enough” for her to write and she loves the view of a historic home across the way from her flat.

By George P. Hassett

Homelessness in Somerville is up six percent from last year, according to an annual city survey. However, the increase reflects expanded city services for people without shelter, not necessarily an increase of people on the streets, according to city officials.

The 2008 Homeless Census took place in the early morning hours of Jan. 31. Seven teams of volunteers from Somerville and Cambridge conducted their ninth annual census along with local homeless provider organizations, counting unsheltered people in the area. Led by street outreach workers from CASPAR’s First Step program, the teams followed a series of prescribed routes and also conducted a survey of all sheltered, previously-homeless persons residing in the city.

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.)

Elvis had just gotten out of the Army. Chubby Checker was making “The Twist” famous and my family had just moved into our new house near Davis Square Рthe year was 1960 and a stamp cost 4 cents. A McDonald’s cheeseburger set you back 15 cents and you could buy a brand new Chevy for $2,529.00.

It was around then that music came into my life in the form of a small plastic radio РI can’t remember exactly when I got my first transistor radio, but I can still recall its scent. There was nothing like the smell of that new plastic when you opened that little box. The earphone came in a separate, small clear envelope or with elastic wrapped around it. You only needed one earphone because it was mono, baby!

Some of us at The Somerville News are “life long democrats”, but it boggles our minds that the state Senate recently voted purely via party lines on a bill (S 271 – Allow appeals by teachers who fail certification test) which gives a teacher an appeal process to the Commissioner of Education because they couldn’t pass a certification test three times.

We love teachers, please don’t get us wrong – but how can we impose such a high level of double standard? Do our kids get to appeal when they just miss MCAS scores or fail a class here and there and can’t graduate (whether from high school or just to the next grade)?

There are plenty of us out there who have professional licenses – from doctors to real estate agents – does that mean we can test a number of times and get an automatic appeal because we really do deserve a chance to show what we are worth?

By George P. Hassett

Responding to several violent and drug-related incidents in Winter Hill, police this week increased patrols in the neighborhood, focusing on the area surrounding the Mystic Housing Development.

“We saw the area getting busier and the chief [Anthony Holloway] wanted to move some resources there,” said Police Captain Paul Upton.

On March 26, a 15-year-old Malden boy was shot on Sewall Street, hit in the lung with a bullet fired from a passing car.