With contact football-related injuries on the rise nationally, Somerville joins growing list of communities making the switch to flag football for younger residents

Courtesy of Somerville Recreation

Somerville Recreation announced this week that, following a national trend due to increased risk of injury, and due to declining enrollment, the City’s Youth Football program will be discontinued and will switch to a non-contact Flag Football Program for Somerville youth in grades one through eight.

Arrests:
*

Mary Allen, of 3600 Mystic Valley Pkwy., Medford, December 22, 5:28 p.m., arrested at College Ave. on charges of operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor, operation of a motor vehicle without ignition interlock, and child endangerment while operating a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor.

Adam Leal, of 199 Pearl St., December 22, 7:16 p.m., arrested at Memorial Rd. on a warrant charge of defacing property.

Annual celebration of America’s first flag raising to be celebrated by City and State officials, residents, and “George Washington” on horseback.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Historic Preservation Commission Director Brandon Wilson announced that the 240^th annual “Grand Union” flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park will be held on Friday, Jan. 1, 2016, at 12 p.m. A processional led by a re-enactor portraying General George Washington on horseback will leave from the City Hall Concourse at 11:30 a.m. As always, members of the public are invited to participate, and are encouraged to wear traditional colonial clothing. The annual ceremony commemorates the raising of the nation’s first official flag, featuring thirteen red and white horizontal stripes, atop Prospect Hill on New Year’s Day, 1776. At the time, Prospect Hill was a key site in a string of fortifications created by Washington and the Continental Army in their siege of British troops in Boston during the first year of the American Revolution.

By Haley ED Houseman

Somerville students are getting their hands dirty while getting their minds enriched with first-hand experience in agricultural and nutritional education.

With the award of a USDA grant to expand Somerville’s farm to school programming across the district, the city’s school system is set to lead the way in connecting students to local foods. From school gardens to regionally sourced ingredients in school lunches, the program directly impacts students eating habits daily, in the classroom and in the lunchroom.

(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)

Dear Sirs & Madams/To whom it may concern;

I am writing this document for both Nursing & Rest Home Residents!  The present amount of $72.80, is not enough to exist on. Many of our residents have no outside support, no one to turn to for assistance. Many of our families cannot give us aide.

Somerville Neighborhood News, a community service production of SCATV, brings you the latest Somerville headlines. One featured story is: City Offers East Somerville Business Boost.

By Rand Wilson

(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)

After a spirited public hearing on December 10, the Somerville Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to support four bills before the state Legislature which in a small way would help to address the problems caused by rising income inequality.

Terry Adams and NRBQ is set to perform at Johnny D’s next Tuesday, December 29, presenting both Adams’ solo works and band favorites. — Photo by Dave Yandell

By Mark Casale

Pianist/founder of NRBQ Terry Adams chose to take a long and winding path to the recording of Talk Thelonious: NRBQ+ plays Terry Adams arrangements of Thelonious Monk Songs, his new album of compositions by jazz legend Thelonious Monk.

Faulkner Fuel on the corner of Cedar St. and Alpine St. conducted their annual collection of TOYS FOR TOTS with the United States Marine Corps. The toys pictured here are just a few that were donated by The Somerville Municipal  Workers Union and the Somerville Department Of Public Works. Special thanks and a “well done” goes out tothem and Michael and Peter Dupuis, Annie DiBenedetto, Elaine Anderson and the gang at Faulkner Fuel.

The winner of our Christmas Poem contest for 2015, chosen by the staff of The Somerville Times, is Daniel Spinosa of Somerville. The winner will receive a gift certificate for Mount Vernon restaurant in the amounts of $100. We thank everyone who participated and submitted their poems.