Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Somerville High School’s class of 1971 had their 50th class reunion on October 23. It was a fun night of food, dancing and catching up for about 50 classmates. Fifty years! Yikes. I decided to look back over those fifty years to reminisce.

In ‘71 the train still rolled through Davis Square, there were no bus or bike lanes, no social media and no cell phones. At our fun-filled reunion we danced to songs of that era. Here are some of those songs:

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

The last SomerStreets festival of the year, the spooky and fun “Monster Mashed-up” took place last Sunday on Somerville Avenue between Hawkins Street and Laurel Street. Activities will included live music on two stages, “Ghosts of Milk Row Cemetery” tours, a Roller-Skating Disco Party with DJ Brother Cleve, a Halloween costume parade led by the School of Honk!, Face Painting by Flor Delgadillo, Dia de los Muertos Celebration Activities with Andrea and Angelica Menchaca and food with Nibble Kitchen’s Estela Calzada, Handstands, juggling, acrobatics, and comedy for all ages with Cate the Great, Magic with Just Felice, Parkour and Pumpkin carving with Somerville Recreation.

Katjana Ballantyne prevailed in her bid to become the next mayor of Somerville in Tuesday’s General Election.

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Katjana Ballantyne defeated Will Mbah on Tuesday night in the Somerville mayoral race. With about 56 percent of the vote, Ballantyne became the new Mayor-Elect of Somerville. She will be the first person not named Curtatone to hold the office in almost 18 years.

Ballantyne, who has represented Ward 7 in Somerville City Council for about eight years, faced off against Mbah, who has been an At-Large City Councilor for approximately three years now.

By Eileen Qiu

The most recent data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health show there were nearly 300 suspected opioid related emergency medical service incidents in Somerville from 2019-2020, 31 of which were suspected overdoses.

The Director of Health and Human Services Doug Kress motioned to declare the opioid addiction and overdose epidemic as an existing public health emergency earlier this month during a routine health meeting.

Outgoing Somerville Mayor Curtatone took some time look back on his challenges and accomplishments in office last week at Thursday’s town hall meeting.

By Joe Creason

It is the end of a long and popular run for Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone. Since announcing that he would not be running for tenth term back March 1, the community has had time to think about what a new city administration is going to look like. In order to answer some of these questions and reflect on the legacy of Curtatone’s 18-year career as mayor, a town hall was held at the East Somerville Community School last Thursday, moderated by Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Bryon Barnett.

Congratulations to those who were elected to public office in Somerville this week, and thanks to all who tossed their hats into the ring, whether successful or not. Every candidate should be proud of their efforts in contributing to the diversity of choice in every office. Our new mayor, Katjana Ballantyne, faces many challenges as well as opportunities in their upcoming term. Let’s wish her and our new and returning Councilors the best as they head into the new year.

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Don’t forget daylight savings time. It’s almost time to turn our clocks back one hour. Daylight saving time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 7.

Eagle Feathers #241 – Holland

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

In the late 1860’s the Middlesex County Commissioners authorized the building of Holland Street which connects Davis Square to Teele Square. This opened up West Somerville to post Civil War development.

Holland, correctly acknowledged as the Netherlands, is a low-lying country on the Northwest Atlantic Coast of Europe. It is popularly known for its art, cheese, windmills and its reputation as the flower exporting capital of the world, particularly tulips.

Full Circle School student Makayla Lancaster models her latest costume creation. She hopes to go into costume design professionally in the future and has been designing them for a few years.

Arrests:
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 Herbert Smith, of Boston, October 26, 5:29 p.m., arrested at Assembly Row on charges of drug possession to distribute and trafficking in heroin-morphine-opium, and on warrant charges of malicious wanton defacement of property, trespassing, possession of a burglarious instrument, construction of larceny tools, larceny under $1200, possession of a class A drug, receiving stolen property under $1200, carrying a dangerous weapon, shoplifting by asportation, felony daytime breaking and entering, and drug possession to distribute.

Here we are again, setting our clocks and watches back an hour this coming Sunday. The days are growing shorter, and this will only shorten them further.

So, who thought this thing up anyway? Spring forward, fall back. Or is that fall forward, spring back? The only way we can ever be sure is if we’re early or late for church Sunday morning, or whatever it is you do on Sunday morning.

To be fair, there’s usually someone around smart enough to know the difference, if it isn’t you yourself.