More than 150 Somerville Democrats came together Monday night to elect citywide officers for the Democratic City Committee — outgoing chair Helen Corrigan said it was the biggest turnout she had seen in her 12 years of leading the party locally. Kate Chang was elected chair, she was unopposed, Elio Lorusso defeated Barry Rafkind to become first vice chair, male, Laura Leman was unopposed and became first vice chair female, Corrigan was elected treasurer and John Caruso defeated Rafkind to be the party’s affirmative action officer. Pictured, Democrats applaud 20-year members of the city committee honored before the elections.

By Keith Howard

Advocates promoting a new green power device claim their product can lower carbon dioxide emissions while saving homeowners hundreds on gas and electric bills by spinning electric meters backwards. 

Honda Motor Company has teamed up with Climate Energy, a Medfield based manufacturing company, to develop a generator that reuses energy from home heating systems.

By George P. Hassett

The trial of a man caught in the biggest drug bust in city history begins Tuesday in Middlesex Superior Court.

Raymundo Baez, no address, was arrested in June and charged with trafficking in heroin, committing a drug violation near a school zone and conspiracy to violate a drug law. He was arrested along with three others – Fiorlenis Jiminez, 22, of Mattapan, Xiomara Ortiz, 43, of Jamaica Plain and Ricardo Gomez, 38, of Providence, — in connection with what police allege was a large-scale heroin operation being run out of 49 Franklin St.

By George P. Hassett

Developer Stephen Smith estimates he has organized at least 20 community meetings over the last five years to learn what neighbors think of his plan to develop the old Max Pak paper factory site to luxury condo buildings. As a result of the meetings traffic plans have been redesigned and the number of units slated to be built have been cut in half.

“We welcomed the input,” Smith said. “And it is a stronger development because of the neighbors.”

Monday night at the Democratic Ward and City Committee meeting saw probably one of the largest turnouts in recent history – some knew why, and others laughed and made comments like: ‚Äúthere must be something going on tonight‚Ķ‚Äù Yup, the so-called Progressives were on hand with their leaders – Queen Pat and Princess Rebekah and of course – he who doesn’t live in Somerville anymore – Prince Carl – to run their own PDSers and to take control. Apparently the ‚Äúregular‚Äù democrats defeated every candidate they popped up for election. There were over 125 present at the VNA for the meeting and as soon as Helen turned over the gavel to the newly elected Chairperson – Ms. Helen Chang – she was caught up in the middle of a fight for First Vice-Chair‚Ķseems the Democratic Party wants ‚Äúpaper ballots‚Äù but, you have to sign your name to the ballot – some of us are still trying to figure out the logic on that one. Others also wondered, along with us, as to why the PDS feels the need to be separate from the regular Democrats – isn’t this supposed to be the ‚Äúinclusionary party‚Äù? Like we have said many times before, we believe that the PDS isn’t interested in working with others – just interested in taking over – so remember that at election time.

By George P. Hassett

After Somerville Police officer Timothy F. Donovan was struck and killed by a driver on the old Northern Artery Bridge, his sacrifice went officially unnoticed for decades.

But 65 years after his death, with help from the son of one of Donovan’s pallbearers and a Somerville cop with experience in getting fallen officers recognition years after their demise, Donovan’s name will be added to a Washington, D.C. memorial that honors officers killed in the line of duty.

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 reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

The winter after the Impossible Restaurant incident, a family of four moved in across the street from us. Paul was so big that a neighbor started calling him “the mountain that moves.” He worked in a scrap yard and had the physical strength to load engine blocks onto a truck bed by hand.

Emma had lost a leg to advanced diabetes. She spent most of her time in bed or blunted from drugs. Without much adult supervision, the boys ran wild, terrorizing neighborhood kids.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Lisa Beatman has penned a new poetry collection “Manufacturing America: Poems from the Factory Floor ( Ibbetson Press) that was inspired by her stint as an Adult Literacy teacher at the Ames Safety Envelope Factory in Somerville.

Beatman, after being outsourced from the factory, now manages the adult literacy program at the Harriet Tubman House in Boston. She has won honorable mention for the 2004 Miriam Landberg International Poetry Peace Prize, and was awarded a Massachusetts Cultural Council Grant, as well as a fellowship to Sacatar Institute in Brazil. Her work has appeared in Lonely Planet, Lilith, Harvard Pacific Review, Rhino, Ibbetson Street and others. Her first collection of poetry was titled “Ladies Night at the Blue Hill Spa.” I spoke with Beatman on my Somerville Community Access TV show “Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.”

By Matt McLaughlin

(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.)

It’s October and there is yet another funeral for a fallen comrade.

Yet another friend who will never be heard from again. Yet another soul that succumbed to the struggle that has consumed so many young lives over the past last five years.

Sadly, this struggle and loss has nothing to do with a foreign war.  It does not involve, at least directly, the two years of my life spent in Iraq.  It isn’t about soldiers dying heroically in battle. The struggle I speak of is experienced constantly by the people in my hometown of Somerville.

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.)

This past Sunday was a beautiful day – all the snow from that humungous storm had melted away, so my son and I decided to walk down to Rockin’ Bob’s music store next to Johnny D’s to get a new set of guitar strings. I noticed he was bringing his iPod with him, which was kind of a slap in the face – it made me think that he didn’t want to chat with dad on the way, but I got over it.