Historic Milk Row Cemetery.

Historic Somerville  in collaboration with the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission presents an Opening of the Milk Row Cemetery Sundays through Nov. 10, 1:30–4 pm; and Wed. Oct 2 and  Thurs. Oct. 17, 5:30-7pm; heavy rain cancels.

By Kenneth Gloss

Kenneth Gloss appraising books at one of his open talks. Visit his Brattle Book Shop website for more info at http://www.brattlebookshop.com to get info of talks where he’ll do appraisals

What the Job of the Appraiser Is

Thanks to programs like PBS’ Antiques Roadshow in combination with the recession of the past few  years more people than ever have been taking a look at their personal libraries to see if perhaps they have a book or two or more that might have a surprising or even a suspected financial value. People  request appraisals of their books for a variety of reasons. The volumes may be part of a current or future estate settlement, whether for death or divorce. Appraisers are also called in for insurance estimates and even in criminal cases.  One criminal case in particular that I worked on, the appraised value of the books was a deciding factor in the length of the accused person’s jail term.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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)

This past weekend’s Dogfest at Trum Field got me thinking about the dogs that we loved growing up. Pooches used to run around unleashed on the streets of Somerville when I was a kid. We had Fluffy and Shep on my street. Shep lived across the street and he was very friendly. The following “tails” are accounts of some of the dogs we knew and loved, in their owner’s words.  I’ll start with my own story.

One week left to apply for one the four public positions on the committee

Time is running out for members of the Somerville community to help shape the future of the city’s open space, affordable housing and historic preservation.

Join in the fun at Riverfest this coming Saturday at Baxter Park.

Local anticipation is growing for the 6th Annual Riverfest at Somerville’s Assembly Row on September 21 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Riverfest’s popularity has grown substantially with over 5,000 in attendance last year. This year’s festival has expanded the fun by doubling the number of food trucks and artists and increasing bands, all to take place in DCR’s newly renovated Baxter Park along the Mystic River.

The 6th Annual Half Way to St. Patrick’s Day 4 Mile Road Race benefitting the Brian Higgins Foundation was held on Sunday, September 15. This year the race was run in honor of Sean Collier, SPD #310.

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)

We need your help. Four house fires this summer in Somerville are considered arson and five suspicious fires remain under investigation. Somerville Police and Fire are relentlessly investigating these fires, deploying every resource at our disposal with help from our state and federal partners. We need the public to partner with us, too. Our public safety officials remain vigilant and ask that the public remains vigilant, because one tip could serve as the crucial lead that brings this investigation to a close and keeps our residents safe.

The City of Somerville’s ADA Coordinator announced today that the city’s second and final public meeting to receive feedback on its report detailing an exhaustive six-month evaluation of the city’s accessibility will be held on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall.

By Jim Clark

A man ran to a police cruiser last Friday evening and told officers that his brother-in-law had just been robbed in the Mystic Projects, and he offered police a description of the vehicle that the alleged perpetrators were driving.

– Photos by Harry Kane and Claudia Ferro

By Harry Kane

It was a hot day on Sept. 15 and the good weather brought out the crowds to the fourth annual 2013 Somerville Dog Festival. The event was packed with the gamut of dogs wagging their tails, barking, sniffing, and doing doggie things.