It was announced Thursday, January 19, at the Annual Meeting of Somerville Community Access Television (SCATV) that Massachusetts’ oldest cable access television station is going by a new name (and accompanying logo) in an effort to better signify the activities that it encompasses. Brian Zipp, as part of his Executive Director’s report, introduced Somerville Media Center (SMC) as the new moniker. Citing the numerous activities  happening both at and beyond its Union Square facilities – Boston Free Radio (BFR), Somerville Neighborhood News (SNN), among them, the hope is that “Somerville Media Center” better reflects the organization’s efforts to address the ever-evolving and expanding media landscape.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

A three alarm fire that broke out at 8- 10 Appleton St. three-family home at approximately 2:00 a.m. on Friday forced several residents to jump from second floor windows to escape from the blaze.

According to reports, four individuals were taken to the hospital for various injuries related to their jumping from the building.

By William C. Shelton

(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)

Late on a hot and muggy July night in 1995, my girlfriend and I were returning from the Assembly Square Cinema to our Summit Avenue apartment. Flashing lights from a mass of police, fire, and EMS vehicles assaulted us as we turned onto Boston Street.

~Photos by Jason Corey
 

The Somerville High School Girls Varsity Basketball team played Notre Dame Academy – Hingham last Wednesday night, losing with a final score of 23 -51. They picked up a game at home against Malden on Friday, with a winning score of 48-36. This week they played Medford at SHS, Medford won 54 to 38, Friday, January 27  at 7 p.m., they will play Everett at Everett High School.

The Somerville Community Growing Center is looking at getting a makeover in the near future, thanks to efforts by generous volunteers and funding by the City of Somerville’s Community Preservation Act.

By Jessica Kenney

The Somerville Community Growing Center is a quarter-acre site located by Union Square. It was created twenty years ago as a means of educating people on the environment and hosting cultural performances. It is open to people of all ages and backgrounds, and allows chances to mingle with others, despite cultural or ecological differences. At the Growing Center, people are encouraged to develop ideas and learn through exploring the outdoors. It is also a center for arts and music, a spot people can go to for peace.

Senate approves pay hikes
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By Bob Katzen

The Senate today 31-9, approved the $18 million pay raise package for legislators, judges and constitutional officers. The House yesterday approved the package on a 116-44 vote.

Only final House and Senate approval are needed before the measure goes to Gov. Charlie Baker who is likely to veto it. The House and Senate each have the necessary two thirds vote to override a veto.

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)

Twenty seconds: That figure represents the time within which our 311 customer service representatives strive to answer resident calls, and 79 percent of the time they achieve that goal. This is a notable feat considering that Somerville 311 is one of the smallest constituent service centers in the country, but nationally 78 percent of 311 calls take up to 30 seconds before they are answered. Perhaps this is made even more impressive when considering the more than 90,000 service and information requests 311 responded to and resolved in 2016.

By Bob Katzen

The House approved 116-44 and sent to the Senate a pay raise package including hiking the salaries of the two leaders who filed the bill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), by $45,000 from $97,547 to $142,547. The measure also hikes the pay of the Legislature’s two Republican leaders, Sen. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) and Rep. Bradley Jones (R-North Reading) by $37,500 from $85,047 to $122,547. Another provision hikes the salaries of the state’s judges.

Today Mayor Joe Curtatone spoke about Somerville’s commitment to remain a Sanctuary City.