Families who enroll by the February 23, 2024 deadline are eligible for the first round of school assignments.

The Somerville Public Schools’ (SPS) annual school enrollment period for prekindergarten and kindergarten students opened on January 3, 2024, and SPS staff are ready to support families through the process of enrolling their student(s). All students who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2024 are eligible for the district’s PK program. All students who will be 5 years old by August 31, 2024 are eligible for Kindergarten. 189 Somerville families enrolled a student on the first day of the enrollment period on January 3, 2024. 

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Saturday, 6:00 p.m. Here we are expecting our first significant snowstorm in two years and everybody’s parked on the even side of the street. I don’t know where people find parking spaces during snow emergencies but they do. Too bad they have the old Star Market on Broadway all fenced in because that would’ve been a good place to park during the storm.

Members of the Groundwork Somerville Green Team program. ~ Photo courtesy of Kenzie Ballard

By Bridget Frawley

Groundwork Somerville is a nonprofit organization dedicated to facilitating environmental sustainability and food justice in the Somerville community. It approaches this goal through the avenues of youth education, community engagement and urban farming.

(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)

By Chris Dwan

I have written previously about Rafi Properties’ proposal to demolish the buildings at the old Ames Safety Envelope site between Park and Dane streets, the campus that they call “Somernova.” They want to replace the century-old one- and two-story fabrication buildings with sleek modern towers up to 16 stories tall and provide expansion space for their major tenants – mostly technology companies like Form Energy.

CultureHouse and the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) announced today that CultureHouse Union Square, a large-scale pop-up community center created by and for the community, will open on January 10 in what was originally a vacant storefront at 64 Union Square.

The Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development is working to update the city’s Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP). This plan will guide the next seven years of city work on parks, sports fields, open space, conservation land, and recreational programming, and it needs your input. Attend an upcoming in-person or virtual community meeting to share your thoughts on open space. First up is on Wednesday, January 10, at Somerville Public Library West Branch (40 College Ave.) from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Give feedback now through the OSRP survey or visit the project page https://voice.somervillema.gov/open-space-and-recreation-plan-update to learn more.

August 28, 1925 ~ January 4, 2024 (age 98)

Louise Sabella, a lifelong Somerville resident, Louise (Weezy or Lou Lou Bell) died at Mass General Hospital on January 4 after suffering a stroke on New Year’s Day.

She is predeceased by siblings Yolanda Fontes, Gaetano Sabella, Angelina Gill, and Rose Agostino. She is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great great nephews, and a great great niece, all of whom she treated specially, and all considered her their most favorite and fun auntie.

The annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day reminds us of the importance of tolerance and embracing diversity in this modern age, just as it was in the days when Dr. King walked among us.

The civil rights movement of the 60s may seem like a distant and detached part of American history for some, perhaps as remote as the civil war itself in the minds of the young who did not live in that time. And yet, there was never a time in our history when the principles involved in that struggle were more relevant and meaningful than today, and even more so as we step forward into the future.

Eagle Feathers #295– Three’s company

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

During the 1800’s, Somerville was a preferred location for new homes and attracted various business-minded people because of its proximity to Boston. Many of these professionals wanted their businesses to have a Boston address, but still desired to live in a suburb just outside of the city. It became one of Boston’s most coveted bedroom communities. While this prompted many companies to set up shop near and around the Somerville border, three in particular come to mind as being true industry giants.