Medford establishes 'Reverse 911'
Medford recently implemented a "Reverse 911" system, which allows the city police to dial all phone numbers to notify residents about situations in their communities.
"Reverse 911" has already been used to inform residents in a North Medford neighborhood about an area lockdown that allowed for a police investigation of several liquor store robberies there.
The Department of Homeland Security provided a grant to establish Medford's new system in 2001. "Reverse 911" will also require $3,000 annually to maintain, but the Medford police say the cost is worth the benefits.
"It's not a lot for what we're getting out of it," Captain Barry Clemente told the Medford Transcript. "It's a minimal cost really."
The system is also open for use by other city departments, like the Department of Public Works, which may use it to notify residents of water leaks or other problems in the future, said Wallace Kountze, 911 Center project manager.
Somerville strikes down activists' appeal on Assembly Square
The Somerville Zoning Board of Appeals turned down an appeal by the Mystic View Task Force (MVTF) last Monday that sought to stop the renovation of the Assembly Square Mall.
"This is a major, tangible step forward in the development of Assembly Square," Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone said in a press release on Tuesday. The decision removed obstacles to the building of a Christmas Tree Shops store by next summer.
But the MVTF has threatened to call for summary judgment in a lawsuit it filed against the city this summer in the Superior Court claiming that the city's new zoning laws for Assembly Square are illegal. This would cause the court to make its decision more quickly.
The zoning laws give leeway to companies seeking to develop Assembly Square and heavily favor speedier development. Groups like the MVTF are trying to ensure that any new development will preserve a large enough part of the waterfront and traffic patterns in Somerville.
Gang member charged with assault on Somerville teen
A member of the Somerville gang MS-13 reportedly held up a local teen last Thursday.
The 14-year-old victim was walking to school that morning at about 7:30 when the accused, Christian S. Lemus, 17, stopped the victim and asked if he were part of another gang.
When the victim responded in the negative, Lemus reportedly pulled a gun on the teen and said he was lying. The victim again denied having any gang affiliations, and Lemus walked away.
Later, the victim identified Lemus in a book of pictures of known MS-13 gang members held by the Somerville Police. The police subsequently obtained a warrant and arrested Lemus.
--compiled by Zosia Sztykowski from the Somerville Journal and the Medford Transcript
