Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Somerville Chief of Police Charles Femino have confirmed that April Monroe, 48 of Somerville, has been charged with strangulation and assault and battery on a person over 60 causing serious bodily injury in connection with an alleged assault on her mother, Gail Gasperini, 73 of East Boston, who was found dead inside the defendant’s Summer Street apartment on May 28, 2023.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Marshall’s store at McGrath Hwy. last Saturday on reports of a shoplifter.

While en route to Marshalls, Somerville Police Dispatch informed the officers that the shoplifter had just made threats to employees of the store that he was going to shoot up the store.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

When I was a kid me and my buddies used to march with the Italian American war veterans in the Memorial Day parade. We wore oversized helmets, leggings and stuff like that. We thought it was the greatest thing in the world. We were so proud to march and then go to the party at the club’s headquarters afterwards.

By Ana Celerier Salcedo

This month’s Rodent Issues Special Committee met right in the middle of rat breeding season. The city’s Environmental Health Coordinator, Colin Zeigler, brought the committee a presentation about the new and ongoing initiatives to manage rodent activity within the community.

Olivia Marujo, SHS Class of 2023 Recipient of the “Class of 1960 Scholarship” with Diane Suffredini, representing the Class of 1960.

Last week Somerville High held its Awards Night for the Class of 2023 where scholarships are awarded to the deserving students who have worked for, and won, these accolades.

Program begins June 1 at 5:00 p.m.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Schools GSA invite all community members to honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month by joining the annual Pride flag raising ceremony on Thursday, June 1. The ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m. on the City Hall Concourse and include remarks from Mayor Ballantyne, City of Somerville LGBTQ+ Liaison Izzy Starr, and representatives from the John F. Kennedy School GSA.

After a five-year closure due to soil contamination,the remediation process concludes at Conway Park.— Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Beatriz Leite

Last Thursday evening, the City of Somerville gathered through Zoom for the last community meeting to conclude the remediation process at Conway Park. The park and the adjective splash pad officially reopened on May 27 after being closed since 2018 after research revealed soil contamination.

By Ana Celerier Salcedo

Following the formal recognition of the Gilman Square Neighborhood Council, members and community members of the Union Square Neighborhood Council voiced their concerns regarding transparency in the city planning and development department.

By Khoa Tong

The Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC) held their monthly meeting on Thursday, May 25, hosted by Alessandra Seiter, chair of PTAC. The primary focus this month was to present and discuss with the Somerville Traffic and Parking Department their plans for automated parking enforcement as well as reviewing the Committee’s letter to the mayor and City Council on FY24 budget priorities.

The Somerville City Council Traffic and Parking Committee will hold a virtual (online) public hearing on Wednesday, May 31, on the City of Somerville Bike Network Plan. The hearing will start at 6:00 p.m. Community members may submit testimony either at the hearing or in writing. The hearing will offer an opportunity for community members to share thoughts, ideas, and concerns about the Bike Network Plan. The plan was developed via a one-and-a-half-year public engagement, research, and analysis process. Visit the city’s website to learn more about the plan and how to attend or submit testimony at www.somervillema.gov.