City officials, member of the Police and Fire Department, and the general public gathered on Saturday to observe the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

On Saturday, the City of Somerville held a ceremony and procession in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Services, honoring the 20th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center.

The procession began at Cedar Street and followed the Somerville Community Path towards Davis Square. It was led by members of the Somerville Police and Fire Departments.

MAYOR

Katjana Ballantyne – 4,162
Mary Cassesso – 4,083
Wilfred N Mbah -4,498
William B Tauro – 2,215

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(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 Matt McLaughlin
City Councilor, Ward 1

This is a particularly difficult 9/11, both because of the 20th anniversary as well as the recent events in Afghanistan. Today I honor the selfless service of our first responders and service members who rush towards danger even when it is not always appreciated by everyone. I also mourn for the people of Afghanistan who are often forgotten and will continue to suffer long after we are gone. September 11 was a moment when the world united under universal suffering, but that universal empathy was quickly forgotten.

Congratulations to the winners of the preliminary election. Once again, the people have spoken. Best of luck to all in the general election in November.

Thanks to the efforts of grassroots organizers, the City of Somerville now has the longest continuous municipal eviction moratorium in the state of Massachusetts. On September 9th, the Somerville Board of Health voted unanimously in favor of extending the moratorium until April 30, 2022, providing seven more months of residential protections from eviction and foreclosure, rather than the originally proposed two months.

(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 Kristen Strezo
Somerville City Councilor At-Large

My Dear Somerville,

I wouldn’t have envisioned myself taping a wire hanger to my front door a week ago.

Last week, the Supreme Court declined to stop a Texas law that bans abortions after 6 weeks of pregnancy. The new law also implicates anyone in Texas who supports or assists a pregnant person pursuing an abortion – by driving them, providing financial assistance, counseling them, or staffing the procedure – and subjects them to a $10,000 fine.

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This is a time saver for a weeknight meal. The results, crispy skin and succulent meat. It’s all ready in 45 minutes! Serve with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots or asparagus or any other vegetable you like.

A lot of public events used to come and go through the city over the course of each year: road races, music festivals, family events … you name it.

Then came the pandemic and we pretty much went without all of it for a while. But as we slowly make our way back to some degree of normalcy, a few of our favorite outdoor events are poised to make a comeback.

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I met Somerville artist Alexandria Rozenman, under the thick, tangle of vines, in the courtyard of the Neighborhood Restaurant in Union Square, Somerville. Trying to make small talk, I told her that I was of Russian Jewish heritage, like her. She looked at my bagel, dripping with onions and smoked fish and said, “Yes, I can smell it.”

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Pamela Gemme is a poet, artist, and a social justice advocate. Pamela is the co-editor of Essential Anthology forthcoming 2022, Borderless Books West Virginia University. She has recent or forthcoming publications in many journals and anthologies and is working on two poetry manuscripts and has work in or forthcoming in many journals and anthologies. Pamela’s artwork can be seen in commercial settings on magazine covers and in galleries. Pamela can be reached at ArtSense@yahoo.com.