(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.)

— Photo by Matt McLaughlin

By Matthew McLaughlin
Somerville City Council President

Every Memorial Day television networks show war movies filled with heroic acts and graphic violence.  Prior to World War II, however, military personnel were more likely to die from disease than bullets, bombs or bayonets. No camera could ever capture their struggle against an invisible enemy, one that does not recognize borders or sides.

Street sweeping has begun and parking enforcement will begin the week of June 1. Until then, the city is asking for voluntary compliance. On Monday, June 1, parking control officers will start issuing tickets for not observing street sweeping rules. Street sweeping allows more debris to be cleaned off the streets, which means it doesn’t end up in the storm drains, which can cause flooding. Make sure you know where you can park by checking out the signs on your street and visiting somervillema.gov/sweeper. Policies are being developed to account for per-sons ordered to isolate due to COVID-19 who are thus unable to move their car.

— Tufts University Photo

Thirty-four local organizations in Tufts’ four host communities have been awarded $28,000 in grants from the Tufts Community Grants (TCG) program. The grants, which are fully funded by donations from Tufts University faculty and staff, are awarded each year to community-based charitable organizations in Boston, Grafton, Medford and Somerville.

Eagle Feathers #205 – Memorial Day

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

The tradition began in 1868 with the men of the Grand Army of the Republic. They designated May 30 as a day for decorating the graves of those who had fallen in the Civil War with flowers. It later became a day when parades and orations celebrated the victories of both Armies, the Blue and the Gray. The graves of these veterans numbered over 600,000, and they are found in thousands of their hometowns throughout the country.

It began as a way to memorialize the military casualties of the Civil War, and was originally termed Decoration Day. Decorating the graves of the countless multitudes of fallen soldiers helped to console the grieving survivors of the debacle while uniting the once divided nation in a worthwhile common cause.

On Monday of this week we took some time to pay homage to those who made the supreme sacrifice for their country. For us all. We had to do it differently this time because of the restrictions and precautions being followed due to the coronavirus problem.

Raymond Joseph Martinez Jr. (1945-2020)

Raymond J. (Butch) Martinez Jr., of North Reading, MA, died April 11, 2020 at Blueberry Hill Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Beverly, MA, following several years of declining health.

Born on December 13, 1945, in Everett, MA, Butch was the son of the late Agnes (Nowak) Martinez and Raymond J. Martinez. He attended Everett schools and graduated from Everett Vocational High School. Initially working in the plumbing field, Butch later found his true calling as a Policeman. He ended his career as a Police officer for the City of Somerville, MA, retiring with a disability after 22 years of service. While in good health, he enjoyed body building, stamp collecting and especially, travel. He sought out paternal relatives in Colorado and maternal relatives in Poland. A Norway to Poland road trip, with cousins Marianne and Frances in pre-GPS days, left many amusing memories.

Arrests:
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Yosvani Hernandez, of Somerville, May 23, 9:29 p.m., arrested at Cross Street E. on charges of attaching wrong motor vehicle, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and receiving a stolen motor vehicle.

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In July I will turn 65, and will join the fraternity of the Golden Years. I also have a 94-year-old mother. I remember when she was in the back of a cab with me and the driver asked, “How old is she?” My mother – no wallflower – said in response, “I can answer for myself, young man!” So for a while now I have been thinking about ageism and getting older in this country. Then I got a press release about a new online series, Old Guy. This seemed right up my alley, and I contacted the Director/creator Jennifer Burton. I had the pleasure to interview Burton for this column.

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Susan Tepper is the author of nine published books. Her most recent is a poetry chapbook Confess (Cervena Barva Press, 2020) and a road novel What Drives Men (Wilderness House Press, 2019). The recipient of many awards and honors, Tepper is a native New Yorker. www.susantepper.com

Dear Community Members,

Here is a COVID-19 update for Tuesday, May 26.