DA: No prosecution for Traffic and Parking theft 
By George P. Hassett

On a snowy day last December, news broke that between $6,000 and $9,000 in cash and checks had been stolen from the city’s Traffic and Parking Department at 133 Holland Street. Eight months later, the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office has concluded that there is insufficient evidence to further pursue any prosecution in the case.
  ‚ÄúThis is a frustrating outcome to a frustrating episode,‚Äù Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone said.

Off the Shelf by Doug Holder for the week of August 2

Legendary alternative press writer to feature at Somerville News Writers Festival

For the last forty years or so poet, scholar, and critic Hugh Fox, has played an integral role in the small press. Like Lyn Lifshin, A.D. Winans, and Len Fulton, Fox’s name is a ubiquitous presence in the national small literary magazines scene. Fox was the first to write critical studies of the legendary bad boy poet Charles Bukowski and the prolific poet-queen of the alternative press Lyn Lifshin. He was a founding member of COSMEP, the seminal small press organization founded in the 1970’s. He served on the organization‚Äôs board of directors for over twenty years.

Reality Bites by James Norton for the week of August 2

In case you all have forgotten, we were all teenagers once, get over it

It‚Äôs so convenient the way we look at teenagers these days ‚Äì and forget where it is we came from and how we all were when we were younger.  Don‚Äôt give me that crap that you were a saint growing up and never got into trouble ‚Äì if that‚Äôs the truth then you didn‚Äôt grow up around here ‚Äì and you certainly didn‚Äôt go to public school then.

Delaney cleared in Lexington Park assault

By George P. Hassett

An Essex Street man was cleared by police of taking part in a vicious assault at Lexington Park Sunday, but was mistakenly included as a suspect in a police report released to the media.

Steven A. Delaney, 20, of 8 Essex Street, was alleged in a police report and, consequently an article in the Somerville News, to have been a suspect in an assault that left a Medford man with a broken jaw, fractured nose and missing teeth.

Chief’s hiring process removed from civil service
Next top cop to be appointed by mayor
By George P. Hassett

The next chief of the Somerville Police Department will be appointed by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone after making it to the final round of a new recruiting and hiring process. Curtatone announced Friday that the city‚Äôs November 2005 home rule petition on police chief hiring procedures has received final approval from the state.   

News Talk for the week of August 2

The recent SMEA Unit B elections are finally over and after three attempts, El-Presidente Mike Browne can be proud that he has personally given new meaning to the phrase ‚Äúfree and open elections.‚Äù  It took him three times to get the good news for the administration.  The SMEA was running out of excuses to keep opening up the process.  We suggest at the next contract or vote taken by the SMEA that maybe the members might want to bring in former President Jimmy Carter to monitor the process.  The old saying ‚Äúkeep doing it till you‚Äôre right‚Äù is slightly twisted in this instance to be ‚Äúkeep doing it till we get what we want at any excuse.‚Äù  We congratulate Unit B or should that be to the President.

Police union has a grievance, will seek damages from city
By George P. Hassett

  The Somerville Police Patrolmen‚Äôs Union will seek monetary damages against the city because Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone refuses to administer the civil service exam used to promote patrolmen to sergeants, said Jack Leutcher, president of the union. 
  ‚ÄúWe‚Äôre going after monetary damages for the men and women who have had their rights, clearly stated in our contract with the city, denied to them because Joe Curtatone wants to play politics with people‚Äôs lives,‚Äù Leutcher said. ‚ÄúI expect we‚Äôll win.‚Äù

Yuppie hater perpetrates violence in Lexington Park
By George P. Hassett

The former Somerville resident who scribbled messages such as “Kill a Yuppie” all over the city last year allegedly broke a man’s jaw Sunday morning over an argument over which city is better, Somerville or Medford.
  Jason Cutter, 20, of 26 Allendale Ave., Billerica, pushed the victim and said, ‚ÄúI hate Medford punks‚Äù before he and three or four other males violently converged on the victim, punching him repeatedly in the face, police said.