By George P. Hassett and James Norton

Somerville now has three newspapers. Last week, The Powderhouse —- a “regular journal” covering West Somerville —- debuted with its first issue. The paper was eight pages, printed in black and white and gave prominent advertising and editorial space to progressive democrats running for city office.

The Powderhouse is owned and edited by Neil W. McCabe and funded, in part, by former lieutenant governor Thomas P. O’Neill III. O’Neill said he is one of three investors in the paper. In its first issue, the paper’s name is alternately spelled as one word and two. In an advertisement it is two words but at the top of its pages it is one. The West Somerville boulevard and square the paper shares its name with is spelled as Powder House.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

Playwright John Shea doesn’t get his inspiration by writing about some exotic locale, or from tales of international intrigue, but from the streets of Magoun Square right here in Somerville. In fact Shea told me during our early morning interview at the Au Bon Pain in Davis Square that all his plays are set in the city. Shea’s latest work will be staged at the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre at Boston University, Nov. 1 through Nov. 18. The play “Comp” concerns two Somerville brothers’ conflict around a serious work related injury. With a background of a perfectionist dyed-in-the-wool Catholic mother, and the eternal suffering of an ever-present plastic Jesus, the play flames a hellfire of drama.

By Lazarus Morrison

One of the first things you might notice about C.D. Collins is the cast and sling on her right arm, tagged in marker with the phrase ‚ÄúPlease do not bump me.‚Äù The request, like the woman who wrote it, is polite but firm. 

The broken arm is a recent accident, but ‚ÄúSeptember has always been a bad karma month for me,‚Äù she said, motioning to older scars on her back and shoulder.  ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs a karmic curse.‚Äù 

A conversation with CD Collins leaves no doubt the woman is tough. She ran away from home in Kentucky, lived on Beacon Hill, and has taken residence in Somerville for the last decade.

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.)

Remember your first job? My first job was delivering newspapers РI used to pick them up at Abe’s office (Davis Square News Agency) on Highland Avenue where the new cupcake place is. I had the “Francesca” route Рwhich included my own street.

Balancing the papers in the basket on the front of the bike took some getting used to, but I mastered it pretty quickly. I didn’t master getting the paper on people’s porches though. I also took out a couple of windows and dented a few screen door panels, which I had to pay for (remember, Mr. Larsen?).

Seems like we are the only ones who think that this year’s regular snooze fest of an election cycle is something to write home about (or write about here anyways). Gone are the funny moments of the mayoral primary election – we will miss them. Nov. 6 may seem even more boring knowing that there will be no candidates in old beat up limos driving around with bullhorns trying to attract votes.

What we now have are videos, broken yard signs and ignorant/arrogant (take your pick) candidates for election and reelection. Okay, so we have always had ignorant and arrogant candidates for public office, but it seems extra silly to us that some of them don’t even have Web sites – especially when their opponents have professional sites with streaming videos.

Lynch: One more video coming before election

By George P. Hassett

The candidate challenging Ward 5 Alderman Sean T. O’Donovan released a video campaign advertisement last week accusing O’Donovan of putting his own business interests and real estate deals ahead of the neighborhood’s needs.

Joe Lynch’s slickly produced campaign video looks more like a television advertisement for a candidate running for statewide or even national office than what it actually is —- a video posted online for a candidate trying to reach approximately 2,400 voters in Ward 5.

Lynch said his campaign spot, which can be found at www.lynchforalderman.com, is the first time video has been used in a Somerville campaign. And, he said, it is working.

By George P. Hassett

The city’s 311 constituent services hot line is moving beyond potholes and getting tough on crime. The almost two-year-old call center has traditionally been used by residents to report constituent concerns or ask for city services in neighborhoods, but beginning this week 311 will be used to help stem the rising tide of car break-ins and portable electronic thefts.

Somerville Police have partnered with the city’s 311 Call Center to create WRAP, the Web Registry Anti-Theft Program. City officials say WRAP will use online and over-the-phone registration of serial numbers to help police track lost or stolen devices from Somerville. It will come in particularly handy, they said, in combating the skyrocketing increase in car break-ins.

But will it bring jobs?

By George P. Hassett

Swedish furniture retailer IKEA has received the necessary permits to begin building one of their stores in Assembly Square. The permits were issued 10 years after the company first expressed interest in coming to Somerville. 

On Thursday, the planning board approved construction of a new IKEA and a realignment of Assembly Square Drive which will be “the backbone” of the new Assembly Square, according to developers.

Seems pretty quiet with the alderman at large race and even though we have even seen Tony LaFuente out there working hard, as well as Fred Berman, we don‚Äôt see these two upsetting the present incumbents – Desmond, Sullivan, White and Connolly. It has been a while since an incumbent alderman at large was voted out of office ‚Äì the last being Vinny Ciampa ‚Äì and before him we can‚Äôt remember the last one.      

                                                                           *********

Ward 5 candidate for Alderman Joe Lynch is causing quite a stir with his Web site and the videos about his opponent РAlderman Sean O’Donovan. We have to admit we didn’t think Sean was that big of a developer here in the city Рit doesn’t make him a bad person Рbut now we understand why he defends certain developers. Check out the videos for yourself at www.lynchforalderman.com

By George P. Hassett

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone addressed over 100 young Somerville residents Tuesday night at the first annual State of the Young City address at the Somerville Theatre.

Curtatone said he wanted to reach out to people between 21 and 35 and get their ideas and feedback on how he is running the city.

“I want to sustain a conversation with you,” he told the crowd from the theatre’s stage. “We want a give and take with young people in this city to be on a continuum.”