The Massachusetts Tournament of Champions (MTOC) is a season-ending tournament sponsored by Mass. Youth Soccer that brings together age/gender group champions from participating travel leagues. Each league establishes its guidelines, including league playoffs, to determine tourney representatives. The Arlington Soccer Club's GU18 team, coached by Clint Schwamb, at left, and Mark McCabe, won the GU19 Sportsmanship award at the MTOC. The squad made the U19 division by coming in second place in GU18 Division 1 for this past spring season.  Photo by Mohameb Benabdallah; published with permission.

The Arlington selectmen voted July 14 to invite Barack Obama and John McCain to a debate at Arlington Town Hall. But will they come? Only the campaigns of the presidential candidates know for sure. State Rep. Sean Garballe, who is involved in the invitation, wrote in an e-mail July 17 that he is "an eternal optimist."

Following a lengthy police foot chase, Arlington police July 2 captured a man suspected in numerous break-ins in town. Bennet Mesgoun, 22, of 35 Fremont Court, was to be arraigned in Cambridge District Court on charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit a felony, larceny over $250, malicious destruction of property and resisting arrest. 

The Arlington Fire Department fought a three-alarm fire at 260 Broadway, an apartment building, on Wednesday, July 2.  The initial alarm was received through an automatic fire alarm. The first reponse was Engine 4, they were quickly joined by all Arlington trucks and units from surrounding cities and towns. Deputy Chief Bob Casey served as incident commander, as the fire occurred on group 4, which Deputy Casey commands.  Neighbors reported that the fire began after a lightning strike.

UPDATE: Superintendent says search was conducted

The Ottoson principal is among nearly 100 retired school leaders in Massachusetts who were paid full salaries while collecting pensions in the past  school year, The Boston Globe reported June 28 in a page-one story. Judith Malone-Neville was paid $196,700, including a Newton pension of $102,700, the Globe says.

Stop & Shop closed July 6, and the Arlington store is expected to reopen about a month later after a complete renovation, according to manager Ed Kalenoski. “People will be pleasantly surprised,” he said of the Arlington store on Mass. Ave. “It will be a huge positive.”