by David Taber

As of Jan. 29 two candidates have taken out nomination papers to run in the special election for alderman-at-large.

“We are going to have a race,” said Nicholas A. Salerno, chairman of the Board of Election Commissioners.

The first day candidates could take out papers was Friday, but former Provost campaign field coordinator Marty Martinez and former Ward 6 Alderman John M. Connolly, who had previously declared their intentions to run, are the only two to have begun the process of getting their names on the ballot so far, he said. 

The board of aldermen set the date for the special election Thursday, ratifying a recommendation made by the board’s legislative matters subcommittee on Tuesday. Salerno presented the sub-committee with three timeline options.

A fast-track option would have citizens casting their votes May 10 and a drawn-out version would set the general election date for June 26, he said. The third option held the preliminary election April 10 and the general election May 22, he said.

by John M. O’Hara Jr.

Black clad paddlers sit poolside and paddle for 30 minutes. Paddles flail like the legs of a giant centipede, pulling water to the point where it whirlpools. The only thing missing is a drummer.   

‚ÄúOur drummer just moved to New York,‚Äù said Rachel Zucker, a history teacher at Burlington High School.  Zucker, along with a battalion of enthusiastic paddlers, practices for the Living Root Dragon Boat Club of Greater Boston twice weekly at the JFK middle school on Elm Street half the year, she said.

When the weather is warm, the team moves to the Charles for practice, said Zucker.

“Out on the river you can see the sun setting over the city. The river practices are amazing,” she said.

“It’s great exercise,” said Margo Mungovan, a Montessori teacher from Beverly.

Coach Bob Lee said he begins each practice with a twenty minute warm-up, drawing points from martial arts and yoga.

‚ÄúIt helps you build mental and physical strength,‚Äù Mungovan said.   

by Nuria Chantre

The Somerville News called the MBTA today  for clarification on a pile of trash outside the Davis Square T station.

‚ÄúI oversee the contracts in maintenance.  It‚Äôs my responsibility,‚Äù said Rich Hart, assistant superintendent of MBTA station support services.

Rich Hart

Hart said he oversees grounds clean-up.

The pile, which included furniture pieces, debris and token collection boxes, was inexplicably dumped by a sidewalk outside the Red Line station in Davis Square.  ‚ÄúI think this is where they pick it up from; those are from the toll trash.  I don‚Äôt know what they‚Äôre doing here,‚Äù said Brian Holland, an MBTA inspector.

Construction debris is not picked up along with regular trash,
Holland said.  It must be from when they did re-did the station and
added the new equipment, he said.

‚ÄúI will have to check with Porter Square to see,‚Äù Holland said.  The
city does not pick up the MBTA trash.  MBTA has its own contractors who
may have left the trash behind for a later pick-up, he said. 

Hart, an MBTA employee for six
years, said he would work on getting the trash removed right away.

by George P. Hassett

Police are asking for the public’s help in locating a man suspected of breaking and entering into a local woman’s home.

The man, described as a well groomed and black, 5-foot 10-inches tall and wearing a dark coat, allegedly followed the female victim from the Davis Square train station up College Avenue and tried to strike up a conversation. Police said the victim walked away but the suspect continued to follow and watched the victim as she entered her Ball Square home.

Two hours later, the victim heard noises from inside her home. Police said it was her back door being forced open. 

Download Burglary_Suspect_01092007.pdf

Police: Three committed by one man

by George P. Hassett

Police are looking for a white, heavyset male who they say committed four armed robberies in less than five hours Monday night. The robbery spree was part of a day in which six armed robberies or attempted armed robberies were committed in Somerville, said Capt. Paul Upton.

“The robbery detectives are up to their eyeballs in work,” Upton said.

The day of theft began at 3:30 p.m. when a man walked into Shaw’s
Supermarket in Twin Cities Plaza and made off with an undisclosed
amount of cash, police said. At 5:00 p.m. the Dunkin Donuts at
Somerville Avenue and Central Street was hit, possibly by the same
individual, police said. Just fifteen minutes later the Union Square
Food Market at 18 Bow St. was robbed, allegedly by the same heavyset
man who committed the previous crimes.