Hypodermic needles in her purse led to arrest in the park
By Andrea Gregory

  She said she was clean, but that did not stop police from giving Marissa Roy a set of handcuff bracelets to match the drug paraphernalia found in her purse and her car.
  A pain-clothes officer spotted Roy, 18, of Medford, with a group of other girls at Trum Field late Sunday night. The girls were headed toward a car. And at 9:30 p.m., there was some concern about just what the girls were up to.
  The office called dispatch. Shortly after that, two marked cars arrived on the scene. Police made their way across Trum field from Broadway. Roy, the driver of the car, was asked to hand over her license and registration. Then she was asked if there were any drugs in the car.

Police Chief, civil servant or mayor’s employee?
By Andrea Gregory

   Police say they will not back a plan to reorganize their department if it means taking the chief’s job out of civil service.
    Last Tuesday, Patrolmen Union members addressed aldermen with concerns about the mayor’s plan to drastically change the structure of the Somerville Police department. A major problem for the union is that the plan includes taking the chief’s job out of civil service.
   Under the new plan, the mayor would appoint the police chief. This would eliminate the importance of scoring high on the test that currently decides who can be considered for the job.
   The mayor has already said Acting Police Chief Robert Bradley is his first pick for the position.
   It also would mean the chief has to answer to the mayor for any problems or concerns with the department.

It’s Christmas time in November for elders, Assembly Square
By George P. Hassett and Andrea Gregory

Hundreds of shoppers normally don’t crowd into Assembly Square at 8 a.m., but Tuesday Nov.1 was different. The Christmas Tree Shop held a special sneak preview for the elderly citizens of Somerville.
  “I have a little soft spot for seniors,” said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone. “I think they knew the construction schedule better than I did.”
The Christmas Tree Shop was the first store in the new Assembly Square mall to open. Before Christmas, three more stores – TJ Maxx, Bed Bath and Beyond and Staples – are scheduled to open. Shortly after, Sports Authority and AC Moore will complete the project.

Building the learning blocks
By Tawna Rathe

  New schedules were handed out to Somerville students in grades one through eight as part of an innovative learning plan.
  School officials say block scheduling will help educators and school officials keep better track of what kids are learning.
   As of this week, 100 percent of first through eighth grade classrooms are now using block scheduling. 
   “The goal is to be more accountable to our kids,” Said Somerville Public Schools Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Bob Snow.

The View From Prospect Hill for Nov. 2
      
      If there is one thing people in this city never fail to do it is express how they feel. From screaming matches at public meetings to Jason Cutter spray painting aggressive anti-gentrification messages on walls, the denizens of Somerville, as different as they may be, can be counted on to tell you what is on their mind.
      That is what makes our own web site so compelling. We are not patting ourselves on the back, because we are not to credit. It is the readers who post comments that often stir up as much controversy as the news stories we report. Even when The Boston Globe praised our “terrific blog” in September for being “the richest source of information” on the 2nd Middlesex state Senate race, writer John Palfrey used most of his ink to discuss the blog’s space for comments.

Arts editor Doug Holder announces “The Somerville News Writers Festival III"

Three years. In the world of literary ventures, venues, etc…. this can seem like a lifetime. Tim Gager and I started “The Somerville News Writers festival,” a few years ago, when “The Somerville News,” was undergoing big changes with new ownership and staffing. I asked Tim to join me in this venture because of his reputation for running an excellent reading series for fiction writers: “Dire Reader,” at the “ Out of the Blue Art Gallery,” in Cambridge. Since then Tim and I have presented poets and writers like Andre Dubus lll, Tom Perrotta, Jack Powers, Marc Goldfinger, Deborah Priestly, Robert K. Johnson, Steve Almond, Harris Gardner, and others, at the “Jimmy Tingle Theatre,” in Davis square.

To tell you the truth, I am surprised that we lasted this long. It takes a lot of work, and a cadre of loyal interns, not to mention money, to put on these literary gigs. There is always the clash of personalities and considerable egos, along with the attempts to attract an often indifferent media to contend with. But with the backing of The Somerville News’ owners and board of directors, we have presented what we believe is fitting for the impressive literary community Somerville has become.

This year, Nov. 13 to be exact, we are moving to a larger space at the historic Somerville Theatre, in Davis Square. We will be housed in a 900 seat theatre, and have an impressive roster of readers. On board will be two Pulitzer Prize winners: poet Franz Wright and novelist Robert Olen Butler. Louisa Solano, owner of the famed “Grolier Poetry Book Shop,” will be presented with the “Ibbetson Street Press LifeTime Achievement Award,” and poets and writers such as Sue Miller (“The Good Mother”), Alex Beam (“Gracefully Insane”), Lan Samantha Chang, the new head of the “Iowa Writers Workshop,” Susie Davidson (“I Refused to Die…”), Steve Almond (“My Life in Heavy Metal”), Afaa Michael Weaver ( “These Hands I Know), Tim Gager (“Short Street), Hallie Ephron and Donald Davidoff ( “Delusion,”), will each read from their impressive bodies of work.
The music will provided by gifted poet/singer/ songwriter Jennifer Matthews. Matthews is a published poet, who has just released a critically acclaimed CD “The Wheel,” (Thunda Moon Records).

We are keeping the ticket prices low at $9, to make this an accessible festival. Both Tim and I feel strongly that the rich artistic milieu of Somerville, Mass. should have a festival that aspires for national recognition, but still stays true to its local roots.

*For info. About tickets contact: ctgager37@aol.com The festival will start at 7PM.
Doug Holder

News issues apology for haste

The Somerville News wishes to retract its story, “Mayor places new resident on ‘no call’ list.”  The story was based on an email received by the editorial staff from an individual who wished to remain anonymous.  Quotes were derived solely from this information source and it was published before it could be verified and before comment from the administration was obtained.  We regret the haste in which the story was published on this web log and sincerely apologize to Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and his administration.

George P. Hassett

Editor