(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

It seems like only yesterday me and my pal Charlie were pulling wheels off of a shopping cart that we found in the alley of Stop ‘N Shop in Davis Square to build a go-cart or, as we called it, a buggy. Now Charlie is in Florida tooling around in a golf cart and I’m still driving kids to school.

The Somerville Board of Health nixed the proposed vaccine mandate that would require patrons of various indoor venues to show proof of vaccination to gain entry and be served.

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

On Thursday of last week, the Somerville Board of Health held a vote on a vaccine mandate for the city. The Board subsequently rejected this proposal in a 2-1 vote.

During the previous weeks’ meeting, when the vote was originally slated to be held, it had to be abandoned and rescheduled due to a protest organized by Diana Ploss of Peabody.

By Ryan DiLello

Somerville is undergoing a renaissance. Already one of the densest cities in New England, data forecasts from MassBuilds predict Somerville will see about 4,000 new housing units and 4.7 million more square feet of commercial space constructed or planned in the next nine years.

Somerville saw 2,357 positive COVID-19 tests in December, more than double the previous monthly record of 1,138 in December 2020. This is part of a national surge in cases fueled mainly by the Omicron variant. While Omicron can result in milder infection, especially for those who are both vaccinated and boosted, please remember that this variant spreads so easily that it finds its way to the people it can hurt the most, such as the elderly, the immunocompromised, and the unvaccinated.

The city is taking up the challenge of reconciling the recharging needs of e-car owners and the concerns of their landlords.

By Kyle Dante

On January 20, the Somerville City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee raised budget concerns addressed at their previous meeting in December’s meeting. According to the meeting’s discussions, Somerville faces numerous issues going into the new year.

In spite of the vastly divergent range of opinions held by all of us here in Somerville and in our neighboring communities, we can unite in the spirit of bipartisanship as we congratulate and honor those who have served us well as they take their final bows and step down from their respective roles as public servants.

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Ropa Vieja, or old clothes as translated to English, is one of Cuba’s national dishes. This dish is perfect for serving a group of people since it can be made ahead and is perfect for a buffet or served family style. Packed full of flavor the tender flank steak takes on the smoky flavor of the cumin and paprika and has a slight acidic flavor from the wine and tomato purée that make it a perfect marriage of flavors. Recipe courtesy of Fermin Rojas.

Dean Curtis Brunel, born November 21, 1940, died on December 21st, 2021 at the age of 81 after a formidable fight with cancer. He was a practicing attorney, loving father and grandfather and an extraordinarily gifted pianist and composer who loved playing tennis. He grew up surrounded by farmland in East Cazenovia and Nelson, New York, on Brunel Road. He told many stories of 7’ snow drifts and changing huge tires on farm equipment.