On Friday afternoon, police responded to a person hit by a commuter rail train near the Porter Sq. T stop.  Due to police activity near the right of way, Fitchburg Line Train 416 (12:05 p.m. from Wachusett) will terminate at Porter Square today. Passengers seeking service to Boston can connect with the Red Line.

The incident is under investigation.

On Thursday night, around 11:30 p.m,  shots were fired in the area of 20 River Rd in Somerville. There are no reports of injuries but bullet holes were found in a car park nearby.
Last month four people were also shot at in that area.

Somerville Police are investigating.

ROOTED: Armory Cafe & Farmstand at the Center for Arts at the Armory is now open and offering fresh produce and other food items on a daily basis.

By Isabel Sami

The Center for Arts at the Armory (CAA) has been closed since March 13, but opened last week on July 21 with a fresh look for its cafe, ROOTED: Armory Cafe & Farmstand. Now the Armory introduces a new menu of sandwiches, coffee, pastries, and more, using products from local farms and small businesses including Boston Smoked Fish Co., Doris’ Peruvian Pastries, Beverly Bees honey, and Red Fire Farm. Only eight people are allowed to occupy the space at a time, but staff set up outdoor seating for up to 20 people and distanced tables to follow guidelines.

Inside the “Museum of Modern Renaissance.”

By Rachel Berets

“We think that the main purpose of art is to make the human soul soar,” said Nicholas Shaplyko, one of the founders of the “Museum of Modern Renaissance” in Somerville.

The museum, which Shaplyko owns with his wife Ekaterina Sorokina, is not a museum in the traditional sense – it’s Shaplyko and Sorokina’s private residence, filled with art that the two have created together.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Bicycles are everywhere. Parents can transport up to three kids at a time. Two in the back in an attached carrier (they scare the hell out of me when I see them in traffic), and maybe even one child sitting in front of the adult in a gizmo attached to the handlebars. They can also hook a kid’s bike onto the back of the parents’ bike and go tandem.

Summer programs offered by Somerville Parks and Recreation are continuing under established safety guidelines. — Photo courtesy of Somerville Parks and Recreation

By Elizabeth Long

The Somerville Parks and Recreation Department bounced back after Covid-19 caused many to question whether their programs would reopen and do so safely. Although the programs were shortened in length, they were still able to open their summer programs, which was a big plus for many parents and their kids.

Mayor Curtatone addressed the media on the plan for the upcoming school year at a press conference in front of Somerville High School.

By Alberto Gilman

Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced the decision concerning the reopening of schools in Somerville on Friday, July 24 to local and city news outlets. He began by discussing the impact of the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic was not something anyone was prepared for,” Curtatone said. “It has not been easy.”

Senator Ed Markey spoke at Gracie’s Ice Cream’s fundraiser as part of the Ice Cream for Change’s campaign. — Photo courtesy of the Ed Markey campaign

By Shira Laucharoen     

When Aaron Cohen, owner of Gracie’s Ice Cream, heard through Instagram that Ice Cream for Change, a platform for ice cream lovers and makers advocating for social justice, would be a holding a fundraiser on July 19, he knew he had to participate. The campaign, held on National Ice Cream Day, would be using the power of ice cream to address systemic racism experienced by Black people, with funds being donated to organizations leading the fight.

Quincy Thomas outside of his father’s home on Somerville Avenue. — Photo by Anna J. James

In his final years, a veteran finally finds peace in Somerville
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By Anna J. James

On a warm summer day, my partner Quincy and I arrived in Somerville, three thousand miles from our home in Victoria, Canada. Just two days earlier, I discovered from a social worker at the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) that his father had passed a month before.

The City of Somerville and Somerville Public Schools has decided to try reopening the schools this fall under specific guidelines that are currently being worked out. Some are wary that it is too soon and there is still too much risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, while others argue that keeping kids out of school is detrimental to their development and an unnecessary burden on their parents and guardians. We can only trust that the city will come up with a plan that is safe and sustainable. What do you think about it?