Discuss Upcoming Improvements Holland St., College Ave. to undergo mobility, roadway improvements in 2020

Join the City of Somerville, Ward 6 Councilor Lance Davis, and Ward 7 Councilor Katjana Ballantyne for a community meeting on Monday, February 24, to discuss planned improvements to Holland St. and College Ave. The meeting will be held in the Atrium Room of the Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland St., from 6:30 to 8 p.m. City staff will introduce the purpose and scope of this project, provide existing conditions data, and present concepts for potential roadway improvements to support sustainable, multi-modal transportation and improve traffic safety. Community members are invited to provide input about the conceptual designs and priority locations for different types of improvements.

The students of West Somerville Neighborhood School held their fundraiser to raise money for field trips, including an overnight one to Washington, D.C. School Principal Kathleen Seward challenged them to get pledges from all 50 states and whichever class got the most would be able to tell her which super hero she would have to dress up as. Kate Anaya’s kindergarten class won and they chose Captain America for her.

(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 Joseph A. Curtatone

Voting is one of the most fundamental aspects of our democracy, so it makes sense that throughout history the trend has been to expand voting rights. But along with expanding voting rights, we need to keep looking at how we can make it easier for everyone to participate in elections. There are often barriers that keep people away from the polls, but when we remove them we get broader participation in our democracy.

On Wednesday, February 12, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a car rolled down the hill at Harden Rd. opposite of the West Somerville Neighborhood School with no occupants in the vehicle. At noon time school was being dismissed due to a half day with several several school buses present and children in the crosswalks. Fortunately, there were no injuries. The incident is being investigated by the Somerville Police Department.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Dunkin’ Donuts at 220 Broadway last Friday evening on reports of a woman having hit a man with a chair.

Upon arrival, the officers were met by the victim, who told them that while he was sitting inside the Dunkin’ Donuts, conversing with friends, a woman approached the group and asked to use a cell phone.

An attempted robbery at a 7-11 store brought Somerville, Medford and Cambridge police units, along with a SWAT team, to a Medford church in the early hours of Thursday morning.

According to reports, Cambridge police officers had an encounter with the suspect in Somerville at approximately 1:45 a.m., at which time the suspect got away and reportedly made his way towards College Ave.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I’m writing this on my Grandpa’s birthday. He was born on February 10, 1892. He would have been 128 years old. I knew him until I was 11 years old in 1964 when he passed.

Boston Medical Center’s rooftop farm manager Lindsay Allen spoke at an event sponsored by the Somerville Public Library where the benefits of urban rooftop gardening were discussed.

By Isabel Sami

The Somerville Public Library hosted an event on urban gardening held at Remnant Brewery on Wednesday, February 5. Speaking at the event was Lindsay Allen, a farmer and educator who is currently the farm manager at Boston Medical Center’s rooftop farm and also operations director at Higher Ground Farm.

Somerville Police have been exploring measures aimed at mitigating gang violence among the city’s youth, according to a report to the Public Health and Public Safety Committee by Chief David Fallon.

By Anna Schaeffer

Members of the Somerville community and Somerville City Council Public Health and Public Safety Committee gathered on Wednesday, January 29, in the City Hall Sub-Committee Room to discuss matters of public health and safety.

First to be discussed was a request for information from the Somerville Police Department regarding a new restorative justice program formed in early 2019, similar to that used in Cambridge, Arlington, and Boston.

A February 6 article in the Boston Globe described  Encore Boston Harbor’s proposal to replace an 800-foot pedestrian bridge connecting Assembly Row across the Mystic River to the casino with an aerial gondola. The next day, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a $13.7 million contract to complete the 11.5-mile Northern Strand Trail, which would now dead-end at the site of this long-anticipated bridge.