It began as a way to memorialize the military casualties of the Civil War, and was originally termed Decoration Day.

Decorating the graves of the countless multitudes of fallen soldiers helped to console the grieving survivors of the debacle while uniting the once divided nation in a worthwhile common cause.

(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)

Good afternoon,

The recent MBTA Communities Law requires cities served by the T to zone for multifamily housing in about 50 acres around at least one transit stop. This policy addresses both our regional housing shortage and our global climate crisis, because people living in homes near transit have dramatically lower per-capita carbon emissions. Leaders in some communities have tried to reject the law or find ways to avoid actually creating any housing, and it’s encouraging to know that Somerville City Council isn’t trying to do that. However, we can and should do more than the bare minimum. As a city with multiple T stations, this law presents Somerville with an opportunity to take a leadership role on both climate and housing. Instead of applying the revised zoning to an area near one train station, we should apply it around every train station. And instead of the bare minimum 50 acre space, we should apply it evenly within a half mile of a train station, just as we do with our transit-oriented development parking rules. Our policy leadership can help encourage other cities to do the right thing as well, and truly begin to address the twin threats of housing scarcity and climate change.

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I wrote this for a distinguished academic journal sponsored by the university, “What’s a matter U”

A bottle of seltzer has always been a comforting, humorous beverage to me. A bottle of seltzer can interrupt the ravings of a pompous ass, it fizzles and sizzles with comic energy – it is the great whoopee cushion of the beverage world. The fizzle of seltzer down my throat brings to mind my father and me as we watched the antics of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, The Three Stooges, not to mention the Marx Brothers, on the black and white TV. One of my close friends jokes that I have not entered the 21st century yet – I am decidedly a man of the 20th. He is probably right. I always talk to my colleagues about ways to engage students in the classroom. I had a crazy idea to use seltzer as an educational prop in class.

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Julia Kanno writes: “I am the mother of two amazing young men. I am from Appalachia and Botswana. I am an artist and also work in healthcare. I have self-published with my co-pilot levin pfeuffer two books of prose a storm is cuming and The hardest helmet. My first reading was done at Northeastern University and since then I have read at the Somerville Armory two times. I consider myself an introverted artist/writer. I give birth to my works including those that have been displayed at the Decordova Museum as well as Howard University and local gems such as The Middle East and Out of the Blue gallery. I will be published in Tell magazine featuring my textiles and art in the spring. Currently, I am studying behavioral science and psychology because there is a need for more people of color to be there for people of color to help end the stigma of seeking mental health.”

Arrests:
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Junior Descoma, of Malden, May 18, 9:24 p.m., arrested at Somerville Ave. on a warrant charge of identity fraud.

Luciano Delira, of Cambridge, May 18, 11:29 p.m., arrested at Broadway on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

After a five-year remediation and renovation process, Somerville will celebrate the park’s full reopening with a ribbon cutting open to all 

After five years of extensive soil testing, remediation, and renovation, including the removal of 8,700 tons of contaminated soil, Somerville’s Conway Park is set to reopen in its entirety on Friday, May 27.  

The City of Somerville’s Office of Sustainability and Environment along with Somerville Public Schools held a “Flip the Switch” event on the concourse of the East Somerville Community School on Thursday, May 12. It was a way to celebrate the installation of 940 solar panels atop the school building, and the positive impact it has in the pursuit of the city’s goal to achieve net-zero carbon-negative status by 2050. It is the largest solar array in the city, and produces more than half of the ESCS’s energy use. This solar array will increase the city’s solar photovoltaic capacity by 700%.

Eighteen local teens created artwork in response to the questions, how do you share your cultural identity? How would you like to take your place in the museum? The teens’ work challenges stereotypes and will be featured in a museum display which invites visitors to consider cultural identity.

Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and Medford Chief of Police Jack Buckley have confirmed an ongoing investigation into the death of Barbara Novaes, 61 of Medford who was located in an enclosed area outside her home on Emery Street Monday morning.

Open Positions: Two; Term: Five years

The Somerville Housing Authority (SHA) Board of Commissioners seeks two new members, and all Somerville residents are invited to apply. These positions do not have to be filled by SHA residents, but SHA residents are encouraged to apply. Boards and commissions offer an opportunity for residents with a range of experience, skills, expertise, and perspectives to share their talents and insights with their community.