The annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day reminds us of the importance of tolerance and embracing diversity in this modern age, just as it was in the days when Dr. King walked among us.

The civil rights movement of the 60s may seem like a distant and detached part of American history for some, perhaps as remote as the civil war itself in the minds of the young who did not live in that time. And yet, there was never a time in our history when the principles involved in that struggle were more relevant and meaningful than today, and even more so as we step forward into the future.

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By Off The Shelf Correspondent Gregory J. Wolos

The Split Man

Heroin’s harbor is the addict, as Somerville Bagel Bard Marc D. Goldfinger’s collection of poems and stories, Heroin’s Harbour makes harrowingly clear. Heroin is the body of the addict that craves the drug, and it’s the mind of the addict that cooperates with the insistent body, paradoxically rationalizing any action that might provide safe harbor for a poison. Human beings are frail things, ultimately, Goldfinger’s poems and stories illustrate, too weak to commit to our resolutions or to stave off gratifications that have become needs. Goldfinger’s work does more than merely describe the habits, lifestyle, and thoughts of a junkie; he takes his reader hostage, straps us to the back of his motorcycle so that we do more than simply observe – we participate. Goldfinger’s craft enables us, along with him, to feel the needle and the need.

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Poet Dan Sklar pays tribute to a much-loved watering-hole in New York City, McSorley’s.

Arrests:
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Edgar Macias Pasos, of 740 Saratoga E., Boston, January 14, 11:20 a.m., arrested at Tower St. on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Tevin Nyachero, of 259 Lantern Rd., Revere, January 16, 7:17 p.m., arrested at Mystic Ave. on charges of distribution of a class B drug and unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

(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,

I am writing to thank Somerville residents for sharing the true meaning of Christmas with children in need this past holiday season.

Because of the generosity of donors in Somerville and across the United States, Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, collected more than 8.9 million shoebox gifts in 2019. Combined with those collected from partnering countries in 2019, the ministry is now sending 10,569,405 shoebox gifts to children worldwide.

As part of its multi-pronged response to resident concerns regarding the “Boston Straight Pride Parade” and counter-protest of August 31, 2019, the City of Somerville invites all members of the public to participate in a community dialogue. The forum will be held just outside of Union Square, in the Argenziano School Cafetorium at 290 Washington St., on Wednesday, January 22, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Join the Somerville Engineering Department, Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, and Ward 5 Councilor Mark Niedergang on Monday, February 3, for a community meeting to discuss upcoming sewer and roadway infrastructure upgrades planned in the Spring Hill area. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Somerville High School cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave.

Somerville residents can now easily license their dogs directly through their smart phone.

Somerville residents will now be able to license their dogs online and on their mobile device thanks to a new partnership with Cambridge startup GoPetie.

The annual MLK Day Celebration will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 20 at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St. All city offices and public schools will be closed for MLK Day. Parking meters/resident parking won’t be enforced on Monday. Trash/recycling pickup will be on a one-day delay for the rest of the week.

(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

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers.  We recently released a draft of the City’s Vision Zero plan. Below are some of interesting numbers from it, and you can see the full plan and learn more about getting involved at https://www.somervillema.gov/visionzero.

0 traffic fatalities or serious injuries: Somerville is one of around 40 communities in the U.S. to join the international Vision Zero movement. The idea behind Vision Zero is that there should be no traffic fatalities and no serious traffic injuries and that communities have the power to reduce and even eliminate crashes with severe consequences. Vision Zero also emphasizes that drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians are people who will make mistakes on the road, so communities need to adopt policies and design their roads and other infrastructure to account for human error.