Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

This article originally appeared in the February 5, 2014 edition of The Somerville Times.

Remember that bright orange roof? I think they made it bright orange so you could see it when you were coming home early in the morning from a bar…in a fog. Howard Johnson’s at Wellington Circle was a very popular spot for after-hours meeting and eating.

One of the reasons that the city is establishing new outdoor dining fees for restaurants is to account for the revenue lost by blocked parking meters. — Photos by Maile Blume

By Maile Blume

After three years of encouraging outdoor dining in response to the pandemic, the city is establishing new fees for businesses with outdoor seating areas.

A public meeting was held last week by the Arts at the Armory to provide information and to receive comments by the public concerning the city’s “Armory Master Plan Process.”

By Jim Clark

On Tuesday, August 15, the Center for Arts at the Armory (CAA) hosted a community meeting where they shared their perspective on the City of Somerville’s “Armory Master Plan Process,” educating their audience about their non-profit arts organization and provided opportunities for attendees to speak, ask questions, have the meeting recorded and a petition delivered to city government.

(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 Will Mbah
Candidate for Somerville City Councilor at Large

At the end of July the City Council approved a series of amendments to the Condominium Conversion Ordinance, which are designed both to conform to a recent court decision and strengthen the protections for tenants, facing displacement.

The Annual Vintage Night Market at Bow, 1 Bow Market Way, takes place on Thursday, August 24, from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. Once a month, from now through October, Bow Market invites you to discover new vendors in our evening Night Market Series. Next up is Vintage Night Market, featuring dozens of new vintage vendors carrying the hottest vintage finds. You can expect to find 30 vendors showcasing their favorite treasures and there will be no shortage of clothing, jewelry, home décor, housewares, LPs, books, art, and even small pieces of furniture for you.

Comedy duo Girl God will be performing at Arts at the Armory on Friday, August 25.

Girl God, a comedy and writing duo featuring April Clark and Grace Freud, will be performing at Arts at the Armory’s Performance Hall on Friday, August 25.

Once again it is time to shift gears and power down a bit as we roll out of the high-octane frenzy of summer time and into the laid back breezy days of autumn and on into the winter months ahead.

We all need to become a bit more aware of what lies ahead of us on the road, and to be especially alert to activities near our schools and playgrounds as the kids are now back to their normal schedules.

Eagle Feathers #286 – Freedom

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Happy Birthday Powder House! You are the most ancient, historic structure in Somerville and the most distinct antique ruin in Massachusetts. After standing on Quarry Hill for the last 320 years, the renowned Old Powder House has earned our respect. A forty-two-inch plaque on the northerly side of this ancient arsenal records:

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According to Sam Fein’s website, “Sam Fein is a contemporary painter who explores human relations and emotional conditions within social frameworks of power. Drawing upon her upbringing in the American Southwest, Fein fuses memory and imagination with present-day events.”
I recently caught up with her to talk a bit about her life and work.