By George P. Hassett

The driver who allegedly caused a deadly May 27 crash was indicted this week on two counts of manslaughter, two counts of motor vehicle homicide and failure to stop for police.

Javier Morales, 29, of Somerville, allegedly led State Police officers on a chase May 27 that ended with a crash that killed Paul V. Farris, 23, of Medford, and Walid Chahine, 45, of Methuen.

Officials also released new details of the chase that led to the fatal crash. Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard T. Leone said Morales’ flight from police led to tragedy.

By Andrea Gregory

Somerville police and bomb technicians from the Cambridge Police Department were called to check out a suspicious package at Target over the weekend. The package, made up of wires, a cylindrical object and a bottle turned out to be harmless, but authorities did not take any chances.

By George P. Hassett

A pioneer of the black arts movement sat in the audience watching, but the young authors from Mystic Ave. were at the center of attention. Books of Hope, a literacy program for kids at the Mystic Ave. housing project, had its culminating event at Porter Square Books when its young writers read aloud from their latest books.

Observing the performances was the program’s official writer in residence, Askia Toure, a protégé of Langston Hughes who taught African history in the first Africana Studies program at a major American university in 1967 at San Francisco State. Toure said he sees great potential in the young writers of Mystic Ave. and looks forward to mentoring them so he can continue a tradition he experienced under Hughes.

By Chloe Lutts

The Board of Aldermen met at city hall Tuesday, June 18th, to hear budget presentations by a number of city departments. Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston, Finance Committee chair, presided over the proceedings.

School Department
Somerville School Superintendent Anthony Pierantozzi, accompanied by a number of school committee members, presented the School Department’s budget and accomplishments over the past fiscal year, as well as its plans for continued improvement.

Somerville was one of 30 outperforming school districts in the state this fiscal year, Pierantozzi told the board. In the coming fiscal year, the department will focus its efforts on improving in eight main areas: instruction, compliance and equity, fiscal responsibility, facility planning, communications, technology, the learning environment and human resources. Recent accomplishments in these areas include continuation of free extracurricular activities, excellent audits, a student-teacher ratio of 19-to-1, a student-to-computer ratio of 3.6-to-1, the introduction of adult ID badges, introduction of diversity through new hires and the reorganization of personnel for better efficiency. The high school dropout rate is 2.3 percent and the overall attendance rate is 95 percent.

For the fourth time in as many years, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone brought fireworks to Trum Field. The patriotic explosions capped off the city’s July 4 celebrations Thursday night.

A little boy waves his American flag during the fireworks display at Trum Field,Thursday night.

Spectators watch the fireworks with amazement

It‚Äôs time for a change around here.  The city charter is in need of revision in many ways ‚Äì but most specifically with respect to elected officials.

There is strong merit in having four-year terms for the Mayor and the Board of Aldermen.  It would cost the taxpayers less money ‚Äì assuming there will finally be a lull in special elections.  It would allow for more long-term changes and more cooperative efforts between the Mayor and the Board.

In the end it would be a long overdue change welcomed by everyone.

Location: Trum Field, Broadway
Dates: Saturday, June 30

Independence Day celebrations continue with one of the City’s most enjoyable days for the entire family. Scheduled from 12:00-5:00 p.m., the day’s activities include: softball games, face painting, BBQ and DJ, numerous children’s games, and even an opportunity to dunk an elected official in the dunk tank!

Rain date: Sunday, July 8

By George P. Hassett

Will Assembly Square development price longtime East Somerville residents out of the neighborhood? How can we keep families in East Somerville? How do we promote alternative transportation methods in Somerville? How will commercial development in Union Square and Assembly Square affect the city’s immigrant community?

Those were just some of the questions concerned community members raised and tried to answer at the East Somerville Summit June 19. The summit is part of the Somerville Community Corporation‚Äôs effort to prevent displacement in the neighborhood as it becomes a more desirable place to live and rents and property values increase.   

Rhetoric heats up on the Municipal Partnership Act

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.)

At a packed State House rally on June 21, I joined Governor Deval Patrick, Lt. Governor Timothy Murray and many of my fellow Massachusetts mayors in urging the legislature to pass the Municipal Partnership Act.

The pushback from the legislative leadership was strong and immediate.  House Speaker Sal DiMasi said that, instead of asking for property tax relief, cities and towns should do a better job of controlling their spending.  Besides, he said, the legislature had already increased local aid seventeen percent between FY2006 and FY2007.

 
Location: Trum Field, Broadway
Date: Thursday, June 28th

For the fourth time in as many years, Mayor Curtatone presents the first of two Independence Day celebrations in Somerville – complete with patriotic entertainment by the USO Metropolitan New York performers, the Somerville Sunsetters, and of course, fireworks. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. in front of Trum Field, capped off with a spectacular fireworks display at 9:15 p.m. Festivities are free and open to the public

Rain date: Saturday, July 7th

Check for our site for any rain cancellation updates

The following is a list of street closures, parking bans and bus schedule changes: