By Mayor 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)

Somerville celebrates its 175th birthday this year, and we’ll be looking back at our past as part of the year-round festivities – including into any personal memories and stories community members want to share. There are of course plenty of historical City facts to delve into – like the fact that we used to be a part of Charlestown until we split off to become Somerville in 1842. But the history of Somerville is so much more than what is written in history books or found in the archives. It’s also the personal stories and memories of the people who have and continue to live and work here. We’re kicking off a storytelling series today to honor and celebrate those anecdotes that tell the true story of Somerville – the story of its people.

By Erica Voolich

Many teachers have great ideas on how to make their classrooms a better place for their students to learn math. The teachers’ ideas frequently outrun the budget schools have for supplies and their own ability to subsidize their classroom.

Mayor Curtatone made it clear during a press conference last week that the City of Somerville will remain committed to its Sanctuary City commitment.

By Joe Ruvido

Mayor Joe Curtatone doubled-down on his promise to keep Somerville’s Sanctuary City status in the face of threats from President Donald Trump to revoke federal funding from such cities.

Trump issued an executive order last week that calls for the building of wall along the US-Mexico border, an increase in the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Troops, and an end to federal funding for Sanctuary Cities. Somerville began its Sanctuary City status in 1987 under mayor Eugene Brune.

By Aaron Smith

Shortly before the Winter Break, two Somerville High School students were transported to the hospital, displaying signs of disorientation and fatigue. School officials determined that the students had consumed baked goods that contained marijuana.

The parents of the students affected were notified immediately and were invited to meet with school administrators. A Somerville High School student was identified as the provider of the baked goods, and disciplinary action has been taken.

The Chamber of Commerce’s monthly “Business After Hours” is this Thursday, 5:00-7:00 p.m. at Daddy Jones, 525 Medford St., Magoun Square. No cover, excellent networking, free appetizers and business card drawing. Sponsored by Morton Design. Hosted by Chamber Business After Hours Chair Dana Iacopucci of Cubby Oil & Energy.

By Courtney K. O’Keefe

(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)

We all have those words in our vocabulary that upon being spoken or heard ignites a level of anxiety that makes our bodies shutter and our hearts race. Mine is “appoint.” For those of you that may not know why, feel free to Google my name.

Villens United by Jenna Pflieger

(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)

When my husband found out I was attending the Boston Women’s March for America he immediately asked me to write an article about my experience for this column, and to his surprise I immediately said yes.

The Prospect Hill Academy Lady Wizards are currently enjoying an 8-0 record going into the second half of the season. ~ Photos by Correen Demers

By Ashley Richardson

The Lady Wizards of Prospect Hill Academy enter the second halfway of the 2016-2017 basketball season in Division I of the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Organization (MCSAO) with no setbacks and in first place with a record of 8-0.  Not a bad way to start after completing last year’s campaign as undefeated league champions at 19-0.

For some it’s a clear-cut case of following the law or breaking the law. For others, human compassion overrides these concerns and there seems to be no other way than to aid and protect those who are in the most need of help.

The Sanctuary City issue has come to a head with the federal government’s new policy of cutting off funding to cities that participate in this practice.

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Longtime Somerville resident, former philosophy professor, Bagel Bard, and occasional movie reviewer William Falcteano chimes in:

Twentieth-Century Women is a coming-of-age period piece set in Santa Barbara, California in 1979. The story is not just about the central character Dorothea, played with uncanny appeal by the incomparable Annette Bening, but also about a small circle of women who are a part of Dorothea’s life at this confusing, transitional moment in American history. The confusion is mainly over gender roles and love-expectations but it applies to the much larger question of life itself and how it should be, could be, or might be lived.