By Joseph A. Curtatone

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

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

150 new trees, 1.25 million gallons of stormwater, and more: We know that access to quality green space isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity in urban areas like ours, not just for our physical and mental well-being but also to bring our community out of their homes and into the fresh air together. That’s what made last week’s highly anticipated celebration of the re-opening of Lincoln Park so special.

While new features include towering play structures, a skate park and parkour area, a basketball court, water features, fitness station, a toddler area with climbing logs and a sandbox, and more, the new Lincoln Park is much more than just a playground. With 150 new trees, community gardens, and an underground storage system that can hold 1.25 million gallons of stormwater, it’s also an essential community asset that’s helping us achieve some of our most important environmental goals.

Construction on the lawns and fields isn’t complete and will continue through the fall and spring. And I know that may be frustrating, but we needed to take the time to do this right. In the meantime, we hope that you and your friends and family take advantage of what is opening and get outside and get playing and moving together.

14.3 million tons of clothing in landfills: Approximately 85 percent of clothing is thrown away instead of being recycled or donated, and 14.3 million tons of it ends up in landfills across the country each year. It’s important that Somerville does our part to change this.

Beginning July 30, in an effort to help residents more easily recycle clothes, shoes, jewelry, dishes, and other small household items, the City will begin offering curbside textile recycling pick-up to residences already receiving City trash and recycling services. The collection days will operate on the same schedule as normal trash and recycling pick-up.

Residents who are eligible to participate in the program should have already received pink Simple Recycling bags in the mail along with informational materials. To request more Simple Recycling bags and for information on what items are able to be recycled, visit www.simplerecycling.com. For more information on the Somerville Curbside Textile Recycling Program, visit www.somervillema.gov/textilerecycling.

52,547 registered Somerville voters: It’s already that time of year again – time to start thinking about elections. As of Friday, July 20, there were more than 52,000 voters registered in Somerville, and this year they’ll be deciding many races for statewide offices, including governor, secretary of state, representative and senate in General Court, and representative and senate in Congress. Sample ballots for the September 4^th State Primary are already available, so you can research, learn more about the candidates, and make an informed decision.

As a reminder, the last day to register to vote for the State Primary or to amend your registration (change your address, political party affiliation, etc.) is Wednesday, August 15. For more information on this year’s elections calendar – and for the sample ballots – visit www.somervillema.gov/elections.

A hole as small as 12 millimeters: It’s no secret that no one wants to live with rats. And it’s certainly no one’s favorite topic for discussion, but it’s an important one.  While many may chalk up rodent activity to an inevitability of urban life, there are some steps we can take together to reduce their impacts, and that includes education.

A startling fact I learned recently is that holes as small as 12 millimeters (just under a half-inch) can allow rodents entry into a space. This means that we must carefully examine and rodent proof our homes, businesses, and trash receptacles.  More information on how to correctly do this can be found at www.somervillema.gov/rodentcontrol.

The City is working hard to continually advance our efforts around rodent control. We hired the top rodent management consultant in the country (a video of his walkthrough around Somerville Ave. can be found at the address above), and the inter-departmental Rodent Action Team meets regularly to review the data and develop interventions. But we need your help. Please continue to report any sightings of rodent activity to 311, and review the information on the website to learn what you and your neighbors can do on your property and in your neighborhoods to help us curb rodent activity.

Data-based decision making is at the core of how the City of Somerville develops policy and sets priorities. Every day we check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. The Data Download column shares some of the data we’ve been reviewing recently, as well as interesting updates. To see more Somerville Data, visit the online Somerville Data Farm at www.somervillema.gov/datafarm.