By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and  do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

The New Year is an opportunity to reflect on the past year and on our progress and accomplishments. Somerville had no shortage of accolades in 2013. Here’s a look back at only a few of our community’s awards and achievements over the last 12 months:

• Somerville Public Schools’ improvement in student growth on the 2013 MCAS exams puts Somerville on par with some of the highest-performing districts in Massachusetts. Somerville High School is now a Level 1 school on the state’s five-level Accountability scale, making a two-level leap to the highest rating, and was named one of the Boston Globe’s 15 “Dreamschools.” The John F. Kennedy School is also now a Level 1 school, rising from last year’s Level 2.

• We are now the 7th most walkable city and the 9th most transit-friendly city in the nation, regardless of population size, according the 2014 national Walk Score ratings. Somerville continues its climb up these rankings, rising three spots from number 10 last year. The new Orange Line MBTA stop at Assembly Square opening this coming year and the Green Line MBTA stops on track to open in 2017 will boost the city’s transit-friendly score in the future as well.

• Somerville is now a Silver Bicycle Friendly Community according to The League of American Bicyclists, a designation the city earned only two years after earning a Bronze level designation. Somerville now joins a number of cities including New York City, Philadelphia and Boston receiving this level of recognition for its efforts to promote bicycling.

• Somerville became one of just 18 member cities and 12 affiliate members of the National Association of City Transportation Officials, which lauded Somerville for its “[commitment] to sustainable transportation initiatives, aiming to strengthen cities and improve quality of life through better street design and transportation policy.”

• The National League of Cities awarded Shape Up Somerville two gold medals and one silver medal for meeting key health and wellness goals for Let’s Move! Cities, Towns and Counties, a major component of First Lady Michelle Obama’s comprehensive Let’s Move! initiative that is dedicated to solving the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.

• The City of Somerville earned the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR), which demonstrated a spirit of full disclosure and motivated people to read the report, according to awarding nonprofit Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada.

• Moody’s Investors Service reaffirmed the City of Somerville’s highest ever long-term credit rating of Aa2, citing the city’s commitment to redevelopment, conservative budgeting approach and ample reserve levels. Moody’s also assigned its highest rating of MIG 1 to the city’s short-term borrowing, effectively lowering the cost of borrowing for the approximately $22 million in bonds already approved by the city for a number of projects including the $8 million Union Square Revitalization Plan, school and municipal building renovations, the purchase of a ladder truck for the Fire Department and other capital needs.

This small sample of accolades was actually earned by all of you because we do not achieve any of this without you. It is our students, teachers and parents working together who have driven our schools to greater success. It is all of you who proclaim repeatedly that you value a walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented city that’s accessible to all forms of travel and to all residents. We depend on the intellect, diversity and creativity of our community. We go to you for your vision and your values, both of which have been codified in SomerVision.

We know we’ll garner more accolades in the coming years, but the best accolade we can get is the satisfaction of the people of our city. On our happiness survey, when asked “is Somerville headed in the right direction,” 97 percent of residents surveyed said “yes.” That’s a resounding affirmation of our approach: rooting our policies and initiatives in the community’s values and guiding ourselves by our core principle of making Somerville an exceptional place to live, work, play and raise a family. I can’t wait to see what 2014 brings. Happy New Year!