Difficulties with those who frequent Seven Hills Park were among the topics addressed at the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council. ~Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Parker Garlough

The city council met on Thursday, August 22, to discuss a wide range of topics, including the E911 union, funding for the Argenziano school kitchen, drug use in Davis Square and Seven Hills Park, and support for senior Somerville residents.

Block 9 of Assembly Row remains in planning stages.

By Cathleen Twardzik

The Assembly Row development team held a virtual neighborhood meeting on Wednesday, August 21, at 6:00 p.m.

“In this meeting, the development team will present the conceptual design(s) for Block 9 at Assembly Row. There will be an opportunity to discuss ideas and feedback. The development team will respond to this session when preparing the site plan application to be considered by the Somerville Planning Board,” according to the meeting notice.

(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)

From the Mayor’s Desk
By Mayor Katjana Ballantyne

We all hold our core beliefs. For me, I believe when any one of us is harmed, we are all harmed. I have no tolerance for any form of hatred whether it’s antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia, or any other hateful view. My immigrant experience has taught me to value and champion differences. It is also why I am opposed to all war. And war is what I wish to address today.

(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 Fred Berman

Kathleen Hornby has chosen character assassination as her strategy, presumably hoping that if she throws enough out-of-context misrepresentations and misstatements at her Democratic Primary opponent, incumbent Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, some of her claims will stick, whether or not they are true.

The Labor Day holiday is Monday, September 2. City offices will be closed. Trash pickup will be delayed by one day for the full week. We wish everyone a safe happy Labor Day weekend!

Once again it is time to shift gears and power down a bit as we roll out of the high-octane frenzy of summer time and into the laid back breezy days of autumn and on into the winter months ahead.

We all need to become a bit more aware of what lies ahead of us on the road, and to be especially alert to activities near our schools and playgrounds as the kids are now back to their normal schedules.

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I absolutely love salads during the summer months. We have a small garden in our yard and usually just grow tomatoes and herbs. But this year, we added zucchini and cucumbers to the mix. Needless to say, we had an abundance of great vegetables. About 50 tomatoes, some picked already, and some still growing on the vines. Many zucchinis, I was able to make zucchini bread and zucchini meatballs, all meatless of course.

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Origami Night, a choreo poem based on the poetry of Pamela Annas. Performed by Elenaluisa Alvarez; narrated by Luz Nicolàs; choreographed by Graham Cole; libretto, set design and lighting by Christopher Annas-Lee; costumes designed by Virginia Belt. At the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts.

 Review by Off the Shelf correspondent Tom Daley

Recently I went to see Origami Night at the Black Box Theater at Boston Center for the Arts. I want to most enthusiastically encourage anyone who is able to brave the heat wave we are enduring in the Boston area to get out and take in this riveting, brain-shimmering, thoroughly engaging fifty minutes of theater, which has three performances remaining (the theater is air-conditioned, in case that wasn’t clear!).

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Eric Benson Taylor is a multifaceted artist whose talents span music composition, poetry, and film producer. As a music composer and performer, he is best known under the moniker The Dystopian Rhythms, captivating audiences with dynamic performances that blend poetic lyrics and evocative melodies. His approach to songwriting is deeply rooted in poetry, adding an extra layer of meaning and resonance to his music. Eric’s passion for storytelling extends beyond music into the realm of film. He has produced notable documentaries such as City as Canvas: Above the Free Walls, Turning The Page, and Art In Public. His poems, such as Long Ago, Summer Sky, and Pendulum of Memories, weave rich tapestries of imagery and emotion.