By The Times Staff

It was a year that saw many of the previous one’s issues and challenges repeated, and in some cases amplified. In spite of the worldwide accessibility of COVID-19 vaccines, the incidences of infections continued to fluctuate, frustrating business’ – both small and large – efforts to recoup and recover.

The continuing pandemic of course took a human toll in death and serious illness. Locally, residents of Somerville and its immediate environs were hardly shielded from these issues, and were forced to deal with them as thoughtfully and resolutely as any other community. The city responded dynamically by regulating face coverings and other measures throughout the year.

Here are some of the other stories that were covered in The Times in 2021:

The year began much like any other. The City of Somerville held its annual tradition of raising the Grand Union flag at Prospect Hill Tower for the twenty-first time on January 1, and the spirit of the New Year blew a fresh breeze of optimism throughout the city.

In spite of this, in 2021 there were some 100 COVID-19 deaths, while mask mandates and indoor gathering restrictions came and went throughout the year.

In February, the Somerville School Committee tackled the difficult problem of scheduling the much-desired reopening of schools. A tentative agreement between public schools to allow groups 1 and 2 – special needs and ELO students – back into in-person classes beginning in March was agreed to.

The return of all students largely depended on maintenance work, specifically ventilation in the classrooms. By April, a hybrid approach to returning students to classrooms was phased in.

While several previously restricted places of businesses were allowed to eventually reopen, a number of clubs and restaurants were forced to close their doors permanently. Customers went from restaurants being closed to outdoor seating, back to indoor, then back to the mask mandate for all indoor places in Somerville, which is still in place.

Governor Baker’s order at the end of May brought live music back to Massachusetts. Somerville residents returned in huge numbers to local venues such as The Burren and The Jungle to hear live music once again.

The year was not easy for many local venues. Each one had its individual struggles and handled their hardships in different ways.  The one similarity between them is that they did their best to bring music back to Somerville in full force by summer.

The Somerville Theatre reopened in September after being closed for 18 months.

Certain outdoor events and festivals made a return in 2021. Familiar favorites such as the popular SomerStreets events Carnaval, Strike up the Bands, and Monster Mash-Up, along with Riverfest, Porchfest, and the Ignite! Global Food and Fire Festival helped to instill a sense of a return to normalcy in the community.

Aside from the struggles experienced in the schools and local businesses, progress was made in other areas of the community. Several parks and playgrounds were renovated and reopened to the public.

The massive renovation and rebuilding project for Somerville High School reached its conclusion as the new building opened to students in March to support the district’s return to in-person learning while final renovations continued on a 750-seat auditorium. Those renovations finished in early November, and all building construction is now complete.

Following a comprehensive search process, Somerville Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Mary Skipper announced that Matthew Buchanan, currently Principal at Hope High School in the Providence Public Schools in Rhode Island, would be joining the district’s school leadership team as the next Principal of Somerville High School.

Sadly, an inordinate number of shootings and stabbings took place in the city throughout the year, and traffic fatalities made the headlines as well. At the end of May, Somerville residents and elected officials gathered to show their outrage after there had been a spike in pedestrian fatalities and injuries. The rally was held to demand that MassDOT prioritize the safety of people over the speed of cars.

Marshall Mac, a 72-year-old Vietnam veteran who was severely injured in a hit-and-run crash died on April 29 after failing to recover from injuries sustained in the incident. Mac was struck by a vehicle on McGrath Highway in Somerville on April 12. The vehicle did not stop after striking Mac and fled the scene. The driver subsequently surrendered to police, and a proper pedestrian crossing was installed at the site later in the year.

The city added more bike and bus lanes and traffic routes at rotaries like Powerhouse Circle. The improvements to Powder House Circle were officially underway by mid-August as the city made a series of safety upgrades to benefit all road users. The city converted the high-speed, chaotic rotary into a modern roundabout intersection using low-cost “quick-build” materials including pavement markings, signage, and flex posts.

Other events of note include Governor Charlie Baker signing An Act Ensuring Safe Patient Access to Emergency Care (S.2931) as a direct response to the death of Laura Beth Levis, who suffered an asthma attack on September 16, 2016. After driving herself to the hospital at about 4:00 a.m., she found the door to the emergency room locked. Unable to reach the other entrance, she called 911 and stated her whereabouts. The EMTs found Levis right in front of the hospital about ten minutes after the call. Unfortunately, she died several days later. Thanks to the efforts of Levis’ husband Peter DeMarco and state legislators Pat Jehlen and Christine Barber, “Laura’s Law” requiring “hospital emergency departments in the state to have entrances that are properly monitored by security, clearly marked, and easily accessible, particularly to patients in distress” came into effect.

The City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee undertook to establish a Surveillance Technology Use Policy. Impact reports, drafted for the use of each type of surveillance technology, were examined by the Committee. The ordinance language was reviewed to ensure that effective oversight could be carried out in every instance of surveillance technology use by a city department.

After several years of negotiations, the city and the Somerville Police Employees Association (SPEA) union, which represents Somerville patrol officers, reached an agreement to implement body-worn cameras. The agreement represents a collaborative breakthrough for policing transparency in Somerville and establishes the city as an early regional adopter of this important technology.

A new public safety building was set to be built on 90 Washington Street to replace the original building that has become obsolete and outdated, with a plethora of structural issues that would cost more to fix than to build a new building. The new facility will house both the Police and Fire Departments as well as community-decided development that has yet to be determined.

On the political scene, Denise Provost, State Representative for 27th Middlesex district for 15 years, resigned her seat and swore in her new successor, Erika Uyterhoven, on January 6.

In March, during his midterm address, Mayor Joe Curtatone announced that he will not be running for re-election in November. Curtatone served Somerville in that office for nine terms, making him the city’s longest serving mayor. In September it was announced that he was going to become the new president of the Northeast Clean Energy Council and NECEC Institute.

A number of candidates for the mayor’s seat emerged, along with several challenges to City Council positions.

City Councilors Katjana Ballantyne and Will Mbah were among those who vied for the Mayor’s Office. While both became the front runners following the September preliminary election, it was Ballantyne who prevailed and became the mayor-elect after the November General Election, becoming the first new mayor in 18 years.

With all its triumphs and challenges, the year ended with a feeling of refreshing change in the air. May 2022 be generous in its possibilities for a safe and secure future for us all.