John Burgess to receive 2021 Governor’s Awards in the Humanities on October 24. Additional recipients include Annette Gordon-Reed, Heather Cox Richardson, and Sonia Nieto

Mass Humanities announced John Burgess as one of the recipients of this year’s Governor’s Awards in the Humanities 2021 which recognizes individuals for their public actions, grounded in an appreciation of the humanities, to enhance civic life in the Commonwealth. Each year the Mass Humanities Board of Directors selects nominees who are confirmed by Governor Charlie Baker of Massachusetts. 

The deadline to register to vote or update your party affiliation or address for the September 14 preliminary election is Wednesday, August 25, at 8:00 p.m. Massachusetts voters have the option to register online or via a paper form. You can download one from the Elections website or visit the Elections Department in City Hall (93 Highland Ave.) to register in person. Please note face coverings are required in all City buildings. Don’t forget that your form must be returned to the Somerville Elections Department by 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25. 

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to an Assembly Row location last week on reports that a suspected shoplifter was being followed by a TJ Maxx security officer.

Upon arrival, officers were directed to the suspect, Brandon Tracy, who is reportedly known to Somerville Police from previous interactions.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

This article was first published on July 14, 2010.

My kids had turned just about every light in the house on and went out. When they came back, I said, “who do you think I am, Rockefeller?” They looked at me with a very strange expression.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

Yart Sale took place on Sunday, August 15 (delayed by rain from Saturday). This unique event, organized by the Somerville Arts Council’s (SAC), invited artists, craftspeople, and anybody else with a creative bent to display their works outside of their own homes for spectators to enjoy and art lovers to make some fine acquisitions. A Google map to participant’s locations was prepared by SAC for use by attendees.

The depths of the suffering borne by the people of Haiti in recent decades – whether hunger, disease, natural disaster, or economic crisis – seems fathomless. But the gauntlet of hardship faced by this island nation has not extinguished the spirit of its people. Even after Saturday’s earthquake, Monday’s tropical storm, the ravages of COVID-19, and the recent assassination of President Moïse, Haitians continue to strive to help one another. They are determined, as we should be too.

— Photo courtesy of City of Somerville

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

On August 5, the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) hosted a virtual town hall in regards to the rising number of COVID cases around Somerville and throughout the Commonwealth.

The meeting, hosted by Economic Development Assistant Nicholas Schonberger and Mayor Joseph Curtatone, mainly focused on the spread of COVID in the city and vaccine statistics throughout the last couple months.

A third virtual town hall meeting covered possible impacts on businesses and the community at large. — Photo courtesy of the Dr. Peter Center

By Camille Andersen

The third virtual town hall on the proposed supervised consumption site (SCS) took place on Thursday, August 12. This meeting focused on the community and business impact of a site in Somerville.

The panelists included Mayor Joe Curtatone, Mélanie Renaud who is a Canadian business owner next to a SCS, Michael Pizziferri who works for the Quebec government from Boston, and TJ Thompson who is a harm reduction specialist.

The Somerville Fair Housing Commission asked a series of six questions of the mayoral and City Council candidates concerning housing issues in the city. Last week we published the first two questions and answers. The questions were presented to all of the candidates, and the answers presented here were the ones received by the Commission. The remaining two questions and answers will be published next week.

(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 Justin Klekota

The recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that global temperature increases are accelerating underscores the urgency with which Somerville and Cities worldwide must transform our economy to be free of fossil fuels. Along with concerted efforts to transition to renewable energy (cleanchoiceenergy.com), increase energy efficiency (masssave.com), and transition our buildings and vehicles to all-electric (masscec.com), we must prepare our students and workforce for the green economy of the future. This means increased resources for our schools and expanding public education to guarantee after-school programs including extra courses in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), as well as life-long training opportunities for in-demand job skills as we transition to a greener economy.