Week in Review: Robbery at Victory Park, Bestsellers Cafe Progresses

A group of teenagers at Victory Park were surrounded by five men who robbed them using a gun and knives Friday night, according to a police report. The suspects were spotted by police shortly after the incident and three of them attempted to flee, leading police on a brief manhunt before being apprehended and positively identified by the victims, the police report said.

It's been over five years since Bestsellers Cafe last opened its doors for business, but it looks like the end of the hiatus is now almost in sight for the former Medford Square staple. Rob Dilman, the cafe's owner, appeared before the City Council Tuesday night seeking a common victuallers license, which was granted unanimously. A food permit from the board of health is the last obstacle remaining for the bookstore/coffee shop/lunch spot located at 24 High St. to re-open for business. "It’s a fantastic spot and I’m looking forward to getting back into the community," Dilman said Tuesday.

As the Medford Housing Authority recovers from recent scandals, city councilors took more caution in approving a new member for the authority's board Tuesday. Heather Merchant, of 15 Light Guard Drive was approved as the newest appointee to the Medford Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners by a 5-2 vote by the council Tuesday night. Merchant, a resident of federal housing development LaPrise Village, will be one of the board's resident representatives. Merchant is a paraprofessional in Medford Public Schools and was selected by Mayor Michael McGlynn out of four applicants for the spot on the board. The approval is contingent on clearance by the State's Ethics Commission, since Merchant was appointed by McGlynn, who serves at the School Committee's chairman.

Over four miles of retaining wall and two miles of noise barriers will be part of the Green Line Extension project, according to a recent MassDOT presentation. And, while the new trains will bring noise, planners believe the new walls will leave abutting neighborhoods quieter than they are now. "Future noise levels are expected to be lower than existing noise levels with the noise barriers at most locations along the existing commuter lines," one presentation slide said.

Medford Men Sworn In As Middlesex County Corrections Officers: Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian pulled no punches when he described the job of corrections officer as "difficult" and "stressful." He also expressed great pride in the 53 men and women who graduated from the Middlesex County Department of Corrections 35th Basic Training Academy in a ceremony at Dargin Hall on the South Campus of UMass Lowell.