Goodbye Star Market – you don’t know how much you will be missed.

The Winter Hill area has seen its share of change over the last 30 to 35 years and has had to fight the whole “Winter Hill Gang” characterizations for so long that nobody ever notices when important events happen which affect the entire neighborhood of thousands who live within five blocks of the intersection of Temple and Broadway.

Arguably, this area of the city is busier and more utilized by its immediate neighbors than any ‚Äúsquare‚Äù in the city – other than Davis of course. We see it every day – people who don’t live that just don’t see it – and that’s a shame.

By Doug Holder

On an early Friday morning a slightly soggy Gloria Mindock came out of a torrential rain to talk to the staff of The Somerville News about her longtime involvement in the Somerville arts scene.

Mindock has an impressive literary pedigree in our artistically endowed city. She moved from a small town in Illinois to Somerville in 1984. She told the News it took her 3 years to get used to the relatively fast pace of her new hometown.

By George P. Hassett

With the Green Line’s expected arrival in Somerville running three years behind schedule, aldermen this week proposed adding a temporary commuter rail stop in Ball Square to ease traffic and improve transit options for city residents. Currently two commuter rail lines run through Somerville yet neither stops in the city.

At Thursday’s Board of Aldermen meeting Ward 5 Alderman Sean T. O’Donovan suggested at least one rail line have a stop in the city until the oft-delayed Green Line extension through Somerville is completed. The $600 million Green Line project is scheduled to be finished by 2014.

By George P. Hassett

Allegations by five Somerville women that they were harassed and assaulted because of their sexual orientation outside a Magoun Square bar on Nov. 18 and then rebuffed by responding police officers when they called for help are without merit, according to witnesses and video store surveillance, a Somerville police investigation concluded this week.

“[The incident] is just not what it was made out to be,” Capt. Paul Upton said.

By Kimberly Geronimo

One winter day a few years ago, Somerville resident Kellyann Binari rode her motorized wheelchair out to go food shopping for her family after a snow storm. But as she rode over what seemed to be even ground, she suddenly found herself sunk deep into a snow-covered dip in the sidewalk, her motorized wheels uselessly spinning. A very cold twenty minutes later, with the help of five men Binari was finally set free.

The snowstorm this past Monday was further proof that our DPW deserves another round of applause from us residents – the North/South streets were all plowed nicely as well as the main streets in short order. Only about 300 illegally parked cars were towed – which isn’t bad considering that the snow emergency was called around 4pm on Sunday. 

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Recently, former Mayor and present Registrar of Deeds Eugene Brune hosted the Somerville Lions annual “Speech Contest.” Arogya Khadka, a sophomore at Somerville High, was selected in the first round Рand then on January 8th, Rebecca Joy, a senior at Arlington Catholic (who will go to the finals), defeated her. Congratulations to both students for a job well done.

By George P. Hassett

Gov. Deval Patrick stood in the library of the Kennedy School Tuesday, surrounded by the eighth grade civics class and announced a $368 million increase in education funding in his next budget.

“Our budget will reflect the priority our administration places on providing Massachusetts students with the top quality education opportunities they deserve,” he said. “Every teacher, legislator and parent knows investing in schools is the single best tool for ensuring economic success tomorrow.”

Mayor’s reversal allows complimentary car for new top cop

By George P. Hassett

New Police Chief Anthony Holloway is eager to hit the streets and learn more about Somerville. The question is, what will he be driving when he does?

Holloway, who took the reins of the Somerville Police Department earlier this month, has told city officials he wants to drive the same car other officers in the department use – a Crown Victoria – and in the contract he agreed to with the city he is allowed complimentary use of just that – a 2008 Ford Crown Victoria.

Off The Shelf by Doug Holder

This is the first in a two-part series on my recent trip to Israel

Up until this December I had never been overseas. I’m not a kid. At 52, I have arrived at the second half of the roller coaster ride, or as Camus put it by now I am ‚Äúresponsible for my own face.‚Äù I have never been the adventurous type. I have been content to travel back and forth to my ancestral grounds of New York City, or to my favorite isle in Maine, or perhaps the rare trip to the heat and swamps of Florida to visit an old friend.