The Presidents’ Day holiday puts us in mind of those great leaders who governed us throughout our country’s tumultuous history: The American Revolution, the Civil War, two world wars, the Great Depression, the Civil Rights movement, Vietnam, and so on.

Arrests:
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Steven Garcia, of Boston, February 10, 4:58 p.m., arrested at Mystic Ave. on warrant charges of larceny under $1200, failure to stop or yield, trespassing, operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license, possession or use of counterfeit receipts, utter false prescription, and  obtaining drug by fraud.

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On any given meeting of the literary group Bagel Bards in Somerville, amidst the bobbing, hoary heads you might notice a strapping young Indian man taking in all the chatter around the table.

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Poet Barbara Reynolds writes: “The evolution of the vacant lot between Central Street and Laurel Street in the Union Square area has always caught my attention when I walk by: not only the changes in vegetation that occur each season, but also, the changes in usage. For a while the lot was allowed to grow wild, then, became a storage spot for trucks and building materials. Now, it is to become the location of a six-story luxury hotel. As recently as last summer, I saw rabbits roaming.”

Latest quarterly opioid data shows continued impact of fentanyl in overdose deaths

The rate of opioid-related overdose deaths in Massachusetts fell an estimated 5 percent from its peak in 2016, despite the growing presence of the synthetic opioid fentanyl as a driver of opioid-related overdose deaths, according to preliminary data in the latest quarterly opioid surveillance report released by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

On January 22, the City of Somerville community meeting on police-community relations following the “Boston Straight Pride Parade” and Counter-Protest was held to gather additional public comment. The Draft Report on Community Feedback is now available online and open for public comment on the city website here: somervillema.gov/CBIDraftReport. The city is continuing to work on a number of initiatives following these events as noted in the City Response Memo posted here, and will now begin efforts to respond to input gathered at the meeting and elsewhere.

L to R: Director of Nutrition at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) Meghan Ostrander and Director of Outreach and Community relations at SCES Nathan Lamb.

By Meghan Ostrander and Nathan Lamb

Elder services is about providing supports that help people maintain health and independence. The assistance Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) provides is often life changing, and we had a vivid reminder of that through a recent survey that illustrates how nutrition programs support Aging in Place.

City offices and public schools will be closed on Monday, February 17, in observance of Presidents’ Day. Trash and recycling will be on a one-day delay for the rest of the week. Meters and resident permit parking will not be enforced on Monday.

For more information, call 311 or 617-666-3311.

Somerville Media Center offers a set of free Digital Literacy Workshops for anyone wanting to improve their ability to navigate and participate in the digital media sphere. These sessions aim to expand digital inclusion with expert guidance on savvy smartphone use, better internet research, media production skills, graphic design, building a user friendly website, becoming a community journalist, deepening media literacy and critical consumption. These workshops will run from January – June and you can view the full list of workshops online here.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro and Makayla Lancaster

Hosted by Connexion, Hopeful Hearts & Local Arts, a market featuring a curated collection of makers, artists, designers, and small business owners took place Saturday, February 8, at Connexion, 149 Broadway.
In addition, there was be food, music and a raffle. Raffle ticket funds and all donations were pledged to help Connexion continue to be a staple in the Somerville community through its many works.
For more information about Connexion, go to https://connexionumc.org/