Community encouraged to join city’s efforts to keep local storm drains clear 

 Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, in partnership with the Mystic River Watershed Association, is inviting residents and business owners to help protect the health of our local environment and reduce flooding by adopting a storm drain in their neighborhood. 

The Somerville Fair Housing Commission, a nonpartisan group of citizens serving the community, asked candidates for Mayor and City Council  a set of questions about Fair Housing in 2021 and again this year, in 2023.

Question 1: Have you ever seen or personally experienced discrimination in housing (either in renting, buying, or getting a mortgage)? What did you observe, how did you handle it, and how did you feel about it?

— Photo by Claudia Ferro

Highlights include Story Collecting, Fundraising Campaign, Archive Building, Events & Staff Expansion

 As it marks the start of its 30th anniversary celebration, exactly three decades after its groundbreaking in the fall of 1993, the Friends of the Community Growing Center in Somerville, MA announces a brand-new storytelling project, fundraising campaign, nascent YouTube channel and newly created Operations Manager position, all while planning public events to highlight the anniversary throughout the year. All anniversary events and related projects coincide with the Growing Center’s ongoing Strategic Planning process, begun in the summer of 2022 with the intention of looking back at its past 30 years in order to advance and inform its future. 

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

In May of 1971 there was to be a huge anti-war demonstration in Washington DC.

I was a 16-year-old hippie with the hair, the beads and the bell bottoms. I had made friends with a bunch of people from Harvard Square and one of the guys was driving his Volkswagen bus to the demonstration. I decided that I had to go because of my deep beliefs against the war in Vietnam. But my problem was what was I going to tell my parents? They would definitely not let me go. But I went anyway and I was gone for two days.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

HONK! Festival 2023 took place last weekend, with this year’s participants hailing from all across the United States.

HONK! is a very unique musical movement that first began right here in Somerville back in 2006. Out of those humble beginnings, HONK! has become a recognizable worldwide phenomenon.

The future of Winter Hill Community Innovation School was recently discussed at a meeting of the city’s The School Building Facilities and Maintenance Special Committee. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Beatriz Leite

“It’s a decision for the next 50 years, so whatever choices we are making are the things that are going to impact the next several generations of students,” said Laura Pitone, Elected Ward 5 Representative for the Somerville School Committee.

By Jennifer Purcell

The Legislative Matters Committee held their bi-weekly meeting last Tuesday to once again discuss more potential changes to several of the ordinances and other laws that have already been set in motion.

(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

Last week I met with members of the Somerville Chamber of Commerce to discuss their issues of concern on city policies and plans. As always, in these meetings I got insights about how the city’s economy is performing and how recent government actions are impacting business in positive and negative ways.

Moving Somerville Forward Climate Forward is a free event open to the entire Somerville community. At this event, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about Somerville’s climate action plan update, speak with city staff and volunteers about plan topic areas, provide your ideas and suggestions, and celebrate the progress we’ve made as a community already. Whether you’re an environmental enthusiast or just curious about ways to reduce your carbon footprint, this event is for you. Wednesday, October 11, Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Program will include an overview of the update process at 7:00 p.m. A gallery walk with refreshments starts at 7:30 p.m. Featured speakers include Mayor Katjana Ballantyne.

The 11-mile Historic Bike Ride on Sunday, October 8, collecting ingredients to make fluffernutter sandwiches included 25 hardy cyclists, including young Simon who traveled in his mom Jamie’s e-cargo bike. The group started at City Hall at 2:15 p.m. and almost all made it back to create and enjoy fluffernutter sandwiches in the Somernova courtyard with key donations from Lyndell’s Bakery (bread), Teddie’s Peanut Butter (plant in Everett) and Marshmallow Fluff from Union Square Main Streets, plus historic Somerville root beer and other craft sodas from Tower Beverages (originally based and known as Prospect Hill Bottling and Soda Water Co. launched in Union Square in 1914) and Aeronaut beer to wash all of the stickiness down. The rides leaders were Brandon Wilson, Dick Bauer, Jeanine Farley, and Alan Moore.