Townie Town Hall

The interns at Boston Daily read the weeklies so you don’t have to.

Oil Leak Improves River’s Aesthetics

The Allston-Brighton Tab reports that an electric line leaked thousands of gallons of mineral oil into Leverett Pond, coating the banks of the Muddy River with a “slick, bluish sheen.” Which is actually better than how it normally looks.

That Name Again is Mr. Skunk

The Somerville Journal profiles a local artist whose robots made of bike parts and other garbage will be on display at SPACE 242 starting this week. The 38-year-old man, who will officially change his name to “Mister Skunk” this month, cites science fiction and Parliament Funkadelic as his sources of inspiration. Mr. Skunk, you intrigue us.

Man Fails at Robbery, But Succeeds in Living Out Cliche

The Cambridge Chronicle reports that a bank teller hid a dye packet in the money a robber stole Monday. When the robber tried to escape, the packet exploded and left a cloud of red dust behind the man’s bike, even getting some on the robber himself. The guy was caught…red-handed. (Rim shot!)

What? No Sewer Grates?

According to a report in the Brookline TAB, Keith Fitzgerald, a Brookline Water Department employee, allegedly stole a 250-pound water meter. The meter’s size didn’t discourage the resourceful Fitzgerald, who simply commandeered a town-owned truck for the heist. Apparently, water meters fetch up to $1,200 (we’re assuming that’s on the booming scrap metal black market). Maybe Fitzgerald would have gotten away with it had he adopted the clever fake goatee approach instead.

—Lisa Lombardi, David Mashburn