~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Stinky’s Kittens & Doggies Too held a pet adoption event during the Ball Square Festival on September 22. Animal lovers got an opportunity to give forever homes to some special individuals. Stinky’s Kittens & Doggies Too is located at 110 Bristol Rd., Somerville.

Sunday, October 6, please join  Tufts University’s Distler Performance Hall at the Granoff Music Center for a “Faith in a City” community concert presented by the Somerville Museum! “Faith in a City” is a project exploring religion in Somerville through music, photography, interviews and history as a way of better understanding our community. The focus is how religion is meaningful to people across the City.

(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.  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s heartbreaking each year to see the statistics about domestic violence, but it’s also necessary so we can support victims of domestic violence in Somerville.

1 in 3 and 1 in 4: Nationally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner. In Massachusetts, 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner. As we confront the issue of domestic violence and intimate partner violence, it’s important to remember that it can take many forms including physical abuse, sexual assault, verbal and psychological abuse, and financial abuse. There is no one model for domestic abuse and no singular profile of victims or abusers.

On the first Saturday of every month Somerville’s legendary comic store Comicazi, converts its Davis Square showroom into a comedy club, appropriately named League of Laughs. A comedy show created for the geek in all of us, past performers have appeared on Netflix, Funny or Die, The Late Show, Conan, and Comedy Central while all sharing a singular credit, they are “nerds who tell jokes.”

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the area of Pearl Street at Cross Street last week on reports of an accident involving a man who was passed out behind the wheel.

Upon arrival, the officers met with a witness to the incident. Also on scene, standing outside of his vehicle, was the driver of who allegedly struck a parked vehicle, identified as Gaetano Silvestri.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Stair lifts, hearing aids, reverse mortgages, and walk in tubs. Welcome to my world. My TV world. When you watch a lot of TV these are the ads you see. Being retired, I have a lot of time on my hands. A lot of that time is spent in front of my big TV. I don’t mind the senior citizens targeted advertisements, except the ones for final plan insurance. I’m too busy flicking around the channels.

Patricia R. (Manahan) Norton– Of Somerville October 2, 2019.

Beloved wife of Donald F. Norton.

Loving sister of Michael Manahan of Penn Yan, NY, Mary Ellen Avery and her husband Oates of Endicott, NY the late Carol Bellanger and her surviving husband Ralph of Syracuse, NY.

Mothers Out Front member Bonnie Cohen made an impassioned plea to the Somerville City Council last week asking for its support of legislation aimed at improving gas safety and promoting renewable energy.

By Jim Clark

The Somerville City Council, at its latest regular meeting last Thursday, voted on and approved two resolutions, one supporting House H.2848, an Act to Ensure Gas Safety and Consumer Fairness, and the other Supporting House H.2849 and Senate S.1940, an Act for Utility Transition to Using Renewable Energy (Future).

(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 State Rep. Mike Connolly

Over the past few weeks, my office has received numerous reports of intolerable, chaotic traffic conditions on weekday mornings at the intersections of Broadway and McGrath Highway, as well as Pearl and McGrath Highway and other nearby locations. In response, I reached out to the Massachusetts State Police and requested a police detail to help ensure drivers do not continue to block these major intersections.

The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission’s walking tour of historic sites throughout the Ball Square area brought dozens of participants out on Sunday. — Photos by Jeanine Farley

On Sunday, September 29, the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) hosted Boulders, Bricks, and Brunch: Exploring Somerville’s Ball Square, a lively walking tour of Somerville’s Ball Square led by Ed Gordon, President of the New England Chapter of the Victorian Society in America, and HPC Executive Director Brandon Wilson.