by Christopher Pineo

A popular pundit will host The Somerville News candidates’ night debate March 5 at the Independent restaurant in Union Square.

"These are a lot of fun. It is good to get a mixture of political and regular people, politicians and their bosses, and inject a little comedy," said political satirist, Baratunde R. Thurston.

Candidates vying for the position of alderman-at-large, vacated by Denise A. Provost in October, will address members of the community.

Kenneth M. Kelley, the owner of The Independent said he has a long-working relationship with the paper and that he immediately agreed to the event when the editor approached him.

"I’ve been very involved with the development of Union Square since we opened, and becoming this place where politics goes on was a byproduct of that," he said.

"I always get sort of charged up for things like this," said candidate John M. Connolly.

"We’ve been host to people from all ends of the political spectrum," said Kelley. "I get along well with some, less well with others, but all are welcome," he said. 

The Independent has become a sort of political hub over the years hosting a number of debates, said Connolly.  "I’ve been there many times. It’s a very comfortable place to be, and there could not be a better spot for the debate."

by Keith Howard

City leaders met Tuesday with representatives from Arlington’s human rights commission at City Hall to resolve tensions stemming from the Feb. 6 taunting of Somerville High School basketball players by Arlington students at Arlington.

At the Feb. 8 meeting of the board of alderman, Alderman-at-large Bruce M. Desmond compared the incident to something that would have occurred in Mississippi in the 1950s.

“Its one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever heard of in recent years. Our boys heard taunting that in my opinion were derogatory and not one person did a single thing.” said Desmond, “They’re just stupid kids but the fact that nobody stopped them is what makes me crazy.”

But Monday, Desmond said he convinced both Somerville and Arlington officials were taking the matter seriously and he was confident the proper steps were being taken.

Desmond said he is now aware that the Arlington taunts of “We’ve got daddy’s! We’ve got futures!” came in response to calls of “Who’s your daddy?” from Somerville fans after SHS had taken a commanding lead in the game.

“None of our coaches, police officers, or teachers present heard what
was said at the game,” said Nathan L. Levenson, Arlington’s
superintendent of schools.

Levenson said he first learned of the incident over the weekend from phone calls.

"On Feb. 14, 1902 we all won the lottery," said Albert L. DeAngelis (standing center), the son of Elvira DeAngelis (seated). "We just didn’t know it yet, because that was the day my momma was born."

Raising his glass, he said, "She never told us, she showed us everyday."

The centenarian was recognized Feb. 8 by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone (far left) and the board of aldermen with citations and a hearty reception held in the mayor’s office during a special recess of the board’s regular meeting.

News Photo by Neil W. McCabe

by Nuria Chantre

A chocolate factory on Windsor Street capitalizes daily on a non-traditional way of grinding, giving people a unique taste of chocolate. 

“We are chocolate men,” said W. Alexander Whitmore, who runs the Taza Chocolate factory in Union Square with Laurence J. Slotnick.

Whitmore said the entrepreneurs use millstones imported from Mexico to meticulously cut cacao beans. The stones cut the beans and grind the chocolate just right in a fast mill-rotating process, he said.

Initially, the beans contain water and are hard to grind, he said. When roasted, the cacao beans are chemically changed and, once ground, the chocolate renders its natural oils.

‚ÄúI haven‚Äôt tried their chocolate but these guys sound like they really pay attention to detail in the manufacturing process.  They sound like they are true artisans,‚Äù said Steven B. Almond, author of Candyfreak. ‚ÄúChocolate is such a sophisticated and complicated medium to work with.‚Äù

In a typical day, Whitmore said he spends 11 hours inside the chocolate factory where he handles the roasting, the grinding and the mixing.  ‚ÄúIt‚Äôs a passion in my life,‚Äù he said.

by John Kudlicka

A Tool tribute band will play in Somerville for the first time Feb. 16 at Assembly Square’s Good Time Emporium.

“We really love that venue,” lead singer of the band Triad, John “Bo” Boroyan, said.

‚ÄúIt‚Äôs really big and professional, and it‚Äôs a great outlet for performing Tool‚Äôs music, and hopefully bringing some visual elements into it for the first time.‚Äù  Bo said he hopes Somerville becomes a regular stop for the band‚Äôs performances.

Bo said the difference between a cover band and a tribute band is that tribute bands play only one band’s music. “A cover band’s job is to sell beer and keep people on the dance floor.”

Fronted by Bo and founded by Armenian bassist Mano Khach, Triad maintains that they only care about bringing the power of Tool‚Äôs music to their fans, he said.  Triad is the only Boston-based tribute band modeled after the iconic and mysterious metal band Tool, said Bo.

“We are not trying to be or duplicate Tool as a band. That’s what separates us from other tribute bands that try to dress and act like the bands they’re modeled after. We represent the power of Tool and our aim is to promote their music,” said Bo.

Triad also features members Dave Nichols on guitar, and Scott Perkins on drums, he said.

by Julie Burba

Ten days into the new year, my favorite gourmet food store began stocking shelves with ribboned boxes of candy intended for Valentine’s Day sales. I wasn’t so surprised that the season had moved on to the next big sales opportunity, since retail stocks for Christmas the day after Labor Day, I was more surprised at the “sameness” of the candy. Beautifully handmade, papered, ribboned, and decorated boxes contained what seemed to be exact replicas of molded and filled confections from chocolatier to chocolatier. Each little bon bon was indistinguishable from Swiss maker to Belgian maker to Vermont maker. My self-imposed mission became finding new and tongue-temptingly delicious chocolates.

After a visit to four other gourmet locations, a drugstore, a coffee shop, and a grocery store, I found two products worth noting. Mind you this is not an exhaustive search into the best chocolate shops in the area, but a commentary on the confections made to sell in retail outlets.

The “pretty darned good chocolate bar” goes to the milk and dark chocolate bars manufactured by Bloomsberry & Co., a designer chocolate business out of New Zealand. I first “discovered” these bars at Pemberton’’s Market in Cambridge a week before Halloween.