By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone go over what was accomplished in 2012 and what lies ahead this year in his State of the City address Monday night.

Incoming Alderman Chairman Bill White and School Committee Chairwoman Mary Jo Rossetti will also deliver speeches, according to an announcement from the city.

Ceremonies will begin at 6 p.m. in Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JarretBencks.

By Samantha Laine, Town Correspondent

The José Mateo Ballet Theatre in Harvard Square will be hosting an open house on Sunday, January 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

The ballet theatre, a nonprofit organization that opened in 1986, is the second largest professional ballet company and school in the Greater Boston area. Scott Fraser, the managing director, said the school’s mission is to use dance and ballet training to reach out to the diverse community of Greater Boston. Hosting open houses is one way the theatre accomplishes this mission.

“When the school was founded, the whole premise was to change the face of ballet: who participates, and who has access to that training,” Fraser said.

Julie Hayen Miller, the director of communications, said the school strives to open its doors to areas of the Greater Boston community where ballet is not easily accessible.

“We’re working really hard in Dorchester and those surrounding areas,” she said. “We did a real marketing push and held auditions in September in Dorchester [for The Nutcracker].”

About 60 kids from the Dorchester area participated in the ballet theatre’s 2012 production of The Nutcracker, which Miller said was a very rewarding experience for the school.

“The hope is that some of those kids will continue and become part of our scholarship program and take ballet classes,” Miller said.

The Young Dancers Scholarship Fund provides subsidized tuition for 100 children from low-income families to receive ballet training at the school. Scholarships are need-based, and are not contingent upon previous ballet experience or talent.

Molly Wheat, a former student and now instructor at the theatre, said the school is unique in its diversity and community-focus. She said there is no differentiation between scholarship students and those who pay full tuition, and that as an instructor she does not know which students are on scholarship. She said her goal is simply to show them her love of ballet and impart on them her joy of dancing, not because of where they come from, but because everyone deserves that opportunity.

“Ballet schools have been known in the past as being very competitive and not friendly,” she said. “But not at the ballet theater. Everyone is included and accepted.”

The open house will take place on Sunday, January 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the school’s location at 400 Harvard Street. The ballet theatre staff encourages everyone in the community to participate, regardless of any previous dance experience. The afternoon’s schedule includes:

2:00 pm - Level I for girls ages 7 & 8
2:00 pm - Creative Dance for ages 3 & 4
2:00 pm – Pre-Ballet for ages 5-7
2:30 pm - Adult Introduction to Ballet
2:30 pm - Boys Class for ages 8-12
2:30 pm - Story Time for ages 3+
3:00 pm - Performance by YouthWorks (the ballet theatre’s pre-professional troupe)

All classes and performances are free. Miller encourages participants to wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing. There will also be refreshments and an opportunity to win tickets to the ballet theatre's winter repertory concert, How Do I Love Thee?

For more information, visit the José Mateo Ballet Theatre’s website

The following was submitted by Visiting Nurse and Community Health, Inc.:

Harry Allen of Arlmont Fuel (pictured left) was the MC for Visiting Nurse and Community Health’s (VNCH) 7th annual “Pot of Gold” event at the Sons of Italy Hall in Arlington. Pot of Gold attendees enjoyed a tasty buffet dinner from Blue Ribbon BBQ, and the top silent auction bidders walked away with great items. As the night progressed and numbers were eliminated, hope was kept alive as fantastic “loser prizes” were periodically distributed. The final and “Luckiest Loser” of the night received a night stay at the Westin Hotel! This year, the top 10 finalists unanimously decided to split the “Pot of Gold”, which made for 10 very excited $1,000 winners! Pot of Gold Committee members were, Harry Allen, Bob Bowes, Bowes Real Estate; Harry Allen; Kathleen Darcy, Cambridge Savings Bank; Tim Haley, Prakash Ellenhorn, LLC; Meredith Lambroff of VNCH; (pictured above at right); Lisa Lorgeree, Brookline Bank and Starry Poe, Brookline Bank. VNCH serves the following communities: Acton, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Billerica, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chelsea, Concord, Everett, Lexington, Lincoln, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Newton, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Tyngsboro, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Wayland, Westford, Weston, Wilmington, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

City planners in Somerville will present visions for the future of neighborhoods around the Green Line Extension project on Jan. 8.

Neighborhood plans for Ball Square, Magoun Square and Gilman Square will be shown in the meeting, set for 6:30 p.m. at the Somerville Armory, according to an announcement from the city. The presentations come after a visioning session in October and two-day workshop in November.

The city's Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development will take feedback following the presentation, which will be used to finalize long-range plans for the neighborhoods.

More information on the program can be found at somervillebydesign.com.

The Somerville Armory is located at 191 Somerville Ave.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

Foreclosure actions dropped in Somerville in November, in line with statewide trends, according to recently released real estate data.

Three foreclosure petitions were filed by banks on Somerville properties in November, down from eight in the same month in 2011, according to The Warren Group, which tracks real estate data statewide. Year-to-date, foreclosure petitions were down slightly in Somerville, from 56 to 54.

Foreclosure deeds, the final step in selling a foreclosed property, fell from six in November 2011 to two last November, according to the data. Foreclosure deeds were down more than 40 percent year-to-date, from 36 to 21.

For town-by-town stats, click here.

November had the fewest recorded foreclosure petitions in a month since May 2011, according to a statement from The Warren Group. A total of 1,015 foreclosures were initiated in November 2011 compared to 983 in 2012, the statement said. Foreclosure deeds dropped about 60 percent, from 731 to 295.

"We're beginning to see a brighter picture - with less foreclosures and more home sales," Timothy Warren Jr., CEO of The Warren Group, said in a statement. "An improving employment picture combined with government-backed programs are leading to fewer mortgage delinquencies."

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

The City of Somerville has pulled the occupancy permit of a nightclub where a large fight broke out early last Friday morning, closing the business indefinitely, according to a statement from Mayor Joseph Curtatone's office.

Night Games, the late-night lounge located inside the Holiday Inn on Washington Street, previously announced it would cancel its New Year's Eve celebration after the fight, which involved about 10 to 12 women, according to police. But the revocation of its occupancy permit closes the nightspot indefinitely, and it is at risk of losing its license to serve alcohol, the statement said.

"We take incidents like these very seriously, and intend to take every action necessary both to address this particular issue, and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future," Curtatone said in a written statement.

The city found "life and safety" violations in the building's backup systems in an inspection the day after the fight, leading to the decision to pull its occupancy permit, the statement said.

The city's licensing commission will hold a hearing in January to consider whether to revoke the lounge's license to serve alcohol, the statement said.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

Single-family home and condo sales in Somerville continued to rise in November, as the city outpaces statewide trends, according to recently released real estate data.

A total of 34 condos were sold in Somerville last month -- up from 25 in November 2011 -- and 424 have sold year-to-date in the city, according to data from real estate publisher The Warren Group. 

Single-family home sales are up over 60 percent from last year, with 103 sold through November, compared to 63 in the same span last year, according to the data.

The median sale price of a condo in Somerville is up about 5 percent, from $360,000 to $379,750, according to the data. Single-family home sale prices are down slightly, from $437,500 to $435,000.

For town-by-town single-family stats, click here; for condos, click here.

Statewide, there was a 22 percent increase in home sales through November 2012, according to the data. A total of 43,652 homes have been sold through November this year, compared to 35,718 through November 2011.

With one month remaining to be reported, this year is trending toward having the most home sales statewide since 2006, according to Warren Group CEO Timothy Warren.

"We're winding down a pretty strong year of real estate in Massachusetts. It looks like sales will be the highest since 2006," Warren said in a written statement. "We're also seeing median prices start to creep up, another positive sign of a healthy market recovery."

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.

(Jeremy C. Fox for Boston.com)

East Boston’s American Legion Playground, photographed in August 2011, is one of seven sites around Greater Boston selected for a $400,000 Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Program grant.

By Jeremy C. Fox, Town Correspondent

The state has announced a set of grants to support the creation and enhancement of parks and recreation areas in seven communities in Greater Boston.

The Parkland Acquisitions and Renovations for Communities Program grants — each worth $400,000 — will support improvements in East Boston, Chelsea, Lynn, Marblehead, Salem, Somerville, and Brookline, according to a statement released by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

The PARC Program, previously the Urban Self-Help Program, is financed by the state’s environmental bond fund. It was created in 1977 to help cities and towns acquire land and develop it for outdoor recreation.

“Investing in public parks will help provide additional recreational opportunities for residents throughout the Commonwealth,” Rick Sullivan, the state’s secretary of energy and environmental affairs, said in the Dec. 19 statement announcing the grants.

“I want to thank community leaders, municipal officials and local-area legislators for working with us on these projects that will contribute to the health and economic wellbeing of these communities,” Sullivan said.

At the American Legion Playground in East Boston, the money will support the renovation of basketball courts, a play lot, ball fields, and bleachers, as well as the construction of a new soccer field and a waterfront observation platform.

“I am very happy that the American Legion Playground will benefit from this grant,” Representative Carlo Basile said in the statement. “This is one of the most highly used parks in East Boston, and its refurbishment has long been overdue. I look forward to seeing it redone and creating an attractive, fun and safe place for all families to use and enjoy.”

In Chelsea, the grant will support the creation of four paved play areas, three play structures, connecting paths, benches, waste receptacles, retaining walls, lighting, and landscaping at the 141 Washington Ave. Park.

At Neptune Boulevard Park in Lynn, funds will help install a new play area, a basketball court, soccer nets and goalposts, a storage building, picnic tables, benches, new irrigation and landscaping, as well as new backstops, infields and perimeter fencing for existing baseball fields.

The Town of Marblehead will use the grant to buy the 4.9-acre former Chadwick Lead Mills “brownfield” site.

In Salem, the funds will be used to install synthetic turf at Bertram Field and renovate the track.

Somerville will use its $400,000 to install new entrances, play features, water activity features, a community/performance space, lights, and seating at the North Street Veterans Playground, as well as to replace some fencing and gates.

Brookline will add a new athletic field, play space, outdoor classroom, seating areas, viewing platform, and a promenade with benches, landscaping, and interpretive signage at the Fisher Hill Reservoir.

“It is crucial that we continue to support parks and green recreational spaces, so I am delighted that Fisher Hill Reservoir will be receiving this grant to aid its transformation into a multi-use park,” Representative Frank I. Smizik, who represents Brookline, said in the statement.

“It will offer residents and visitors another opportunity to enjoy the outdoors as well as a picturesque view of our town,” Smizik said.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs will award a total of 25 PARC grants worth more than $8 million to cities and towns across the Commonwealth.

Email Jeremy C. Fox at jeremy.fox@globe.com.
Follow Jeremy C. Fox on Twitter: @jeremycfox.
Follow East Boston on Twitter: @YourEastBoston.

Yoon S. Byun/Globe Staff

The flag, with 13 red and white stripes and a Union Jack framed in the upper left corner, was raised to the top of the Prospect Hill tower on New Year's Day 2012 as the climax to the celebration of the 236th anniversary of the Raising of the Great Union Flag in Somerville.

Somerville will hold its annual "Grand Union Flag Raising" on New Year's Day, featuring a processional led by a reenactor portraying General George Washington on horseback, according to announcement from the city.

The procession will leave City Hall at 11:30 a.m. and arrive at Prospect Hill Park at 12 p.m. The celebration commemorates the raising of the the first official flag of the United States atop Prospect Hill on New Year's Day in 1776.

Members of the public are invited to participate, and are encouraged to wear traditional colonial clothing, the announcement said.

By Jarret Bencks, Town Correspondent

A Somerville man has been indicted on a charge of armed assault to murder stemming from a shooting outside of his parent's multi-family home on Broadway in November, according to Middlesex County District Attorney Gerry Leone's office.

Santano Dessin, 33, was indicted by a grand jury on seven charges from the incident on Nov. 11 on the front porch of his parents' home, according to an announcement from the district attorney's office.

Police were called to the three-family home at 196 Broadway about 11:30 p.m. and found a 28-year-old man shot in the neck. He was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he remains in serious condition with life-threatening injuries, prosecutors said. The man had been visiting relatives who were tenants in the building and was preparing to leave when he was shot, prosecutors said.

Dessin's attorney and family members have argued that the shooting was self-defense. The victim and two other men wouldn't let him back into his parent's home, and when he threatened to call police they attacked him, his brother Jacques Dessin, previously said.

But prosecutors said a recording Dessin made of the incident on his camera phone shows he escalated the confrontation with the men and that the shooting was not self-defense.

Dessin is also charged with mayhem, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, assault and battery, discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.

He has been held without bail since the shooting by order of Somerville District Court Judge Maurice Flynn. He is expected to appear in Middlesex County Superior Court for an arraignment Jan. 7.

Jarret Bencks can be reached at bencks.globe@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter @JarretBencks.