This summer, Somerville Prevention Services is hosting a series of free virtual presentations about a range of substance use prevention topics as one way to continue to educate and support community members during the coronavirus pandemic. Session themes include tobacco/nicotine, marijuana, problem gambling, anger management in recovery, and alcohol. Upcoming presentations will be held on August 20 and August 27 at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom. Visit somervillema.gov/preventionservices shortly before the meeting to join live. Each session will also be recorded and posted online following the presentation. For more information, please visit somervillema.gov/preventionservices.

(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)

Dear Somerville Neighbor,

Statewide Preliminary election day is September 1^st, and long-time   MA state Rep. Denise Provost is NOT running for re-election. Please join those of us who are signed on to this letter, as well as many others, in supporting Ms. Catia Sharp to succeed Rep. Provost  as the state representative for the 27^th Middlesex district (Wards 5 & 6, and certain precincts in Wards  2& 3) for the Ma House of Representatives.

Eagle Feathers #210– Swashbucklers

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

It was close. The English Redcoats retreating from Lexington and Concord barely escaped to freedom. They had to wade through the swash or shallow waters of Charlestown’s Neck, which was an island during high tide. It is near the site of today’s Schrafft’s City Center at Sullivan Square.

Once again, we’re facing the harsh fact that that the reopening process is not just moving along slowly, but has virtually come to a standstill.

The recent announcement that the city is holding back on going into Phase 3 Step 1 has been a dagger in the heart for some. Mainly, the small business owners who feel the need to get back to some semblance of normal operation in order to simply survive after being closed down or severely restricted for so long.

Roxbury Community College (RCC) is making sure every college student at RCC has the technology to complete courses online through its new RoxSTARS: Scholars with Technology Achieving Results program.

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By Betsy Lenora

It took a third move from spot to spot to find the most comfortable place for my picnic. Noise was the biggest obstacle. A leaf blower chased me from riverbank to park bench & finally, to my quiet perch on a concrete ledge. Sitting over an outlet to the Mystic River, my legs dangled freely. Below my feet were a pile of rocks. Straight ahead, the river flowed towards the ocean. The banks on both sides were lined with trees & provided welcoming shade. Nearby, Alewife Brook emptied itself into the river, merging with the faster water on its way to the sea. While I ate my lunch, I watched as canoes, kayaks, & rubber rafts passed by in a colorful flotilla. The river is not terribly wide, at least not in this area. It was easy to see the riverboat people along with an occasional dog.

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Tali Cohen Shabtai is a poet. She was born in Jerusalem, Israel. Tali studied at the David Yellin College of Education for a bachelor’s degree. She is a member of the Hebrew Writers Association and the Israeli Writers Association in the state of Israel. In 2014, Cohen Shabtai also participated in a Norwegian documentary about poets’ lives called The Last Bohemian – Den Siste Bohemien, and screened in the cinema in Scandinavia. By 2020, her fourth book of poetry will be published, also in Norway. Her literary works have been translated into many languages as well.

Rusty water may result briefly
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The Somerville Fire Department will conduct its annual inspection of all fire hydrants between approximately August 17 and August 29. Inspections are expected to conclude on or around Saturday, August 29. This procedure requires the flushing of water from the hydrants as well as a check of the mechanical operation of the hydrant. The inspection/testing program will take approximately two weeks to complete. 

Arrests:
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Robert Loper, of Cambridge, August 13, 4:16 p.m., arrested at Woods Ave. on charges of discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, possession of ammunition without FID card, and possession of firearm without FID card.

The Somerville Public Library is seeking to fill two vacancies on its Board of Trustees, and all Somerville residents are invited to apply.

The Board of Library Trustees is the governing body of the Somerville Public Library, working with the Library Director to oversee the operating and administrative policies for the Library.