(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 Editor:

Animal shelters in Massachusetts are under intense pressure from a Utah-based group, Best Friends Animal Society, to achieve its dangerous and shortsighted fixation on making every shelter in the U.S. “no-kill” by 2025. This push may make for good marketing, but it ignores the reality of the animal overpopulation and homelessness crisis, and it fails animals and communities.

By Dennis Fischman

The epistolary novel is a story that’s told mostly or entirely in correspondence between two people or more. It’s a classic genre, with examples as old as Pamela (1740) and Frankenstein (1818) and much more recently, The Color Purple (1982) and The White Tiger (2008). There have even been murder mysteries in this format: think The Documents in the Case by the classic mystery writer Dorothy Sayers (better known for her series starring Lord Peter Wimsey).

Michette restaurant will be participating in the 13th annual Foodie Crawl on Tuesday, September 17. — Photos courtesy of Michette

By Harry Kane

In the spirit of friendship, teamwork and mutual support among local restaurants in East Somerville, an annual fundraising event hopes to build camaraderie among businesses and bring new patrons to their establishments. 

Life in the Ville By Jimmy Del Ponte

(This article first ran in the August 31, 2013 edition of The Somerville Times)

My fear of the first day of school changed entering grade 9 in 1968. I was going to public junior high fter eight years of parochial school. Let me elaborate a little. Eight years of bossy, grouchy, mean spirited nuns. I still can’t believe my parents paid good, hard earned money to send their three kids to a place where they were berated, embarrassed and abused. I got off easy, but some of the poor kids may have been scarred for life.

(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)

On the September 3 primary ballot, Democrats will nominate their candidates for Congress and State offices including the contested State House race in the 27th Middlesex District in Somerville between incumbent Erika Uyterhoeven and challenger Kathleen Hornby. Last week, the elected members of the Somerville Democratic City Committee “SDCC” voted overwhelmingly to endorse incumbents Sen. Warren, Rep. Pressley, state Sen. Jehlen, and state Reps. Connolly and Barber along with first-time candidate for state rep. Kathleen Hornby. Erika Uyterhoeven’s subsequent public comments calling duly elected members of the SDCC “out of step with the clear progressive values of this district” is yet another example of Erika Uyterhoeven’s tactics that are hurting the progressive movement in Somerville and beyond.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition is currently holding a school supplies drive for back-to-school items for Somerville students.

By Cathleen Twardzik

It’s that time of year again – time to start a new scholastic year. Sniff that new backpack smell, show up with that spiffy lunchbox, and jot notes down in that shiny and colorful notebook that you selected after you stepped with satisfaction into the school supply aisle of your local store or online go-to spot.

(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 Fellow Somerville Democrats,

As long-standing Democratic Party activists in Somerville, we are writing to respectfully dissent from our City Committee’s endorsement and express our full support for the reelection of Erika Uyterhoeven to represent the 27th Middlesex district in the State House of Representatives.

(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 Ken Brociner

The ongoing controversy over the war in Gaza has, once again, brought to the surface the dividing line between the two wings of the American Left.

The largest and most effective wing of the Left is made up of millions of progressive activists, writers, voters, and elected officials who are pragmatically working to achieve fundamental changes in our domestic and foreign policies. They do so by strategically challenging the powers that be in ways that unite as many people as possible.