In recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on Wednesday, August 31, and Recovery Month in September, the City of Somerville will plant 15 purple flags on the City Hall lawn in memory of the 15 Somerville residents who died of an opioid-related overdose in 2021. A larger flag will also be on display in recognition of all Somerville residents who have died of an overdose. City Hall will be illuminated with purple lights through September to bring awareness to Recovery Month.

(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 Ian Halim

About 20 miles north of New York City, a massive stone dam, nearly 300 feet high and almost as wide, holds back as much as 19 billion gallons of water. The New Croton Reservoir, behind that dam, helps supply New York City’s 8.8 million residents with water. Across the crest of the dam runs a foot path. Part of that crossing is formed by a steel arch. Under that arch, water from the reservoir pours over a spillway.

Britney Flores of Somerville is one of eight recipients of four-year, full-tuition Berklee City Music Scholarships this year. She has participated in Berklee City Music programming for three years, focusing on vocal performance.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to a Newton St. location last week for a check condition call.

The reporting party stated that her neighbor, Christine Harding, was attacking her, and it has been reported that there is an extensive history of disputes between the reporting party and Harding, and they have even been physical with each other in the past.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

There’s so much construction throughout the city that safe sidewalks should be a top priority. I live near Davis Square so the photos are from Elm St. Where the sidewalks are particularly bad? Here’s what you said.

By Maeve Lawler

Somergloom Festival returns on Saturday, August 27, for a day filled with music, art, games, food, and more.

The festival’s lineup features “Junius, Glacier, SEA, Dreamwell, Consumer, Queen Elephantine, Ashen Veil, Crone Visions, Lesotho, Dysthymia, Heavy Hands, and visuals by The Dregs Liquid Light Show,” as stated on Somergloom’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/301663368752310.

Mayor Ballantyne, Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen Campen and members of the Somerville Community Land Trust celebrate the first property acquisition of SCLT, located at 7 Summer Street.

By The Times Staff

The Somerville Community Land Trust hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the first community land trust project in Somerville on Wednesday, August 17. The project, funded by the City of Somerville, the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and Winter Hill Bank, brings five permanently affordable homes to Somerville’s Union Square Neighborhood.

Father and son literary power duo Paul and Charlie Carafotes.

By Jim Clark

In the years following the publication of Somerville native Paul Carafotes’ delightful children’s book, The Adventures of Charlie Bubbles, the author has followed up that initial offering with a successful string of sequels. And now, the actual inspiration for the first book – his own son Charlie – is following in his father’s footsteps by penning his own forthcoming contribution to the series, Charlie Bubbles! Zena the Great!

The Somerville Flea is now open every Sunday in Davis Square now through mid-October. ~ Photo courtesy of Somerville Flea

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Local Somerville resident Greg Ghazil is the founder and operations director for The Somerville Flea, a local flea market. Open for the last 10 years, the market has grown and become a large part of the Davis Square community every August.