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Recently, I was contacted by Rachel Ranie Taube about a project she is working on. She has created a website https://somervillewrites.wixsite.com/place that collects comments from Somerville writers about how they view Somerville as a ‘place’ to write. After she contributed her article about the project to Off the Shelf, I decided to interview her about her own writing life.

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Lynne Viti’s fourth poetry collection is The Walk to Cefalù (Cornerstone Press, 2022). A faculty emerita in the Writing Program at Wellesley College, she serves on the Board of the New England Poetry Club and facilitates a poets-in-the schools program in Westwood, Massachusetts.

Arrests:
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 Stephen Bolton, of Stoneham, December 7, 3:45 p.m., arrested at Mystic Ave. on warrant charges of unregistered motor vehicle, uninsured motor vehicle or trailer, improper turn, state highway traffic violation, speeding, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, failure to signal, failure to stop for police, number plate violation, attaching wrong motor vehicle, marked lanes violation, and failure to stop or yield.

Xuan Xin, December 9, 12:23 p.m., arrested at Alston St. on a warrant charge of larceny under $250 by false pretenses.

Kiwanis President Haley Adams, Private Matthew Rankey Gunnery Sergeant Curtis Dunham, and Distinguished Past President James A. Lynch, present the check from Middlesex Federal Savings Bank to the Marine Corps Toys For Tots program.

On Thursday, December 8, the Kiwanis Club of Somerville, along with their friends from the Somerville Lions Club and Somerville Rotary Club hosted their annual Toys For Tots luncheon at the Mount Vernon Restaurant. Gunnery Sergeant Curtis Dunham and Private Matthew Rankey of the United States Marine Corps, joined them as they collected toys donated by members of the three clubs for the Toys For Tots campaign.

Plan Establishes Vision for an 88-Mile Network of Connected Bike Facilities Citywide 

 After a year of community engagement, data analysis, and policy research, the City of Somerville has published a draft of Somerville’s first Bicycle Network Plan. The Bicycle Network Plan is a visioning document intended to guide the next few decades of work to improve and expand Somerville’s bicycle facilities.   

Celebrations for the opening of the five new Medford Branch Green Line stations are scheduled for December 12 and 17.— Photos by Bobbie Toner

It’s finally real. After decades of advocacy, a lawsuit, endless planning, delays, a miraculous win of federal funding, more advocacy, an 11th hour save via a $50 million payment, bridge closures, travel disruptions, and several years of less-than-welcome construction impacts, the Green Line Extension is finally here.

Six members of the Somerville Public Schools (SPS) staff were recognized for outstanding work by regional, state, and national organizations in 2022. Awards went to teachers at Somerville High School, our Athletics staff, and to the Director of the SPS’ newly-formed Office of Basic Needs and Housing Support.

Cash prizes up to $500, incredible inflatable Festivus Village, Elfie Selfies supporting local food programs & more.  

Union Square Main Streets (USMS) and 30+ local businesses crank up the jolly for the 8th Annual Holiday Stroll featuring rad retail, unique eats, an incredible inflatable Festivus Village, the Keep Small Strong Challenge, and much more. This free and family-friendly celebration makes spirits bright on Saturday, December 10 from 12-6pm throughout Union Square.