— Photos courtesy of Theatre@First

By Jeffrey Shwom

Around forty audience members enjoyed the final show of an 8-day run of Water by the Spoonful by Quiara Alegría Hudes (In The Heights). Performed at Unity Somerville and produced in special arrangement by Theatre@First with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., this play “explores how people begin to heal … and how they step up to support each other in times of need” through the eyes of a community, online and familial, dealing with recovery and mortality.

After a long wait, a timeline for the replacement of the blacktop space at Kennedy School has been established. —Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Harry Kane

For the past five years, students and parents at the John F. Kennedy School (PK-8) have eagerly awaited a new schoolyard to replace the blacktop space. At the City Council meeting on November 14, Ward 5 City Councilor Naima Sait requested that the Director of Infrastructure and Asset Management provide an update on the redesign plan for the playground at the Kennedy School.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the city’s Public Space and Urban Forestry (PSUF) Division, is announcing the release of the Civic Space Design Guide, that provides a framework for developers and municipalities to collaborate to create Privately Owned Public Spaces (POPS) that serve and welcome all Somerville residents and visitors.

Join Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Department of Health and Human Services in the auditorium at the Central Branch Library (79 Highland Ave) on Wednesday, November 20, at 5 p.m. for a Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony in honor of those who have lost their lives to violence. This event is open to the public and all community members are welcome.

A list of stakeholders and a timeline for the future disposition of The Somerville Armory have been established.

By Jeffrey Shwom

In an effort to provide further detail to our readers, we offer the following list of stakeholders and timeline for ongoing conversation about the future of The Somerville Armory.

List of Key Stakeholders

The Somerville Armory – the physical space at 191 Highland Avenue, which has at least five independent current tenants, including the Center for the Arts at the Armory and Acoustic Strings of New England.

Once again the democratic process has run its course and those of us who chose to participate can rest assured that we have done our parts in having a say in who governs  as we head into the future.

We congratulate all who participated as candidates, not only those who were elected, but also those who missed achieving their victories. Everybody benefits when clearly diverse choices are presented to voters. Without that, the process could only be regarded as a hollow covenant. It takes a lot of courage and self-confidence to put oneself on the block in this way.

— Photos by The Times Staff

On Sunday, November 17, the Somerville Fire Department hosted a drill with the MBTA Commuter Rail on New Washington Street. Fire apparatus and ambulances from numerous surrounding departments took part in the drill of a commuter train on fire with injuries. Civilians volunteered as the injured to help prepare all emergency personnel in case they are ever presented with a similar situation. 

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I never purchase store bought cranberry sauce anymore because homemade is easy to make, and tastes so much better. The rosemary and orange essence compliments the tartness of the cranberries perfectly. Feel free to substitute a cinnamon stick for the star anise.

Nov. 12, 2024 was my last night of hosting the Newton Free Library Poetry Series. I have directed it for 23 years, and I have booked 100s of poets in that time span, with a fair amount from Somerville.