The Somerville Fire Department will begin the annual inspection of all fire hydrants on Monday, August 19, and conclude on Saturday, August 31. This procedure requires the flushing of water from the hydrants as well as a check of the mechanical operation of the hydrant. The inspection/testing program will take approximately two weeks to complete.

The Somerville Foundation for Animals (501(c)3) announces the 10th Annual Somerville Dog Festival. The festival will be held at Trum Field on Sunday, September 8, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Admission is free and donations are accepted for activities to support the fund. All well-mannered dogs on leash and current on their vaccinations are invited! Please be aware the bridge in Ball Square is under construction, so anyone driving in from the West should plan to reroute via Cedar Street. Parking is limited, so public transportation is encouraged.

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I go out every day hunting for things that I can resell or reuse. While driving to stores, I’ve been known to trash pick items along the way and then donate them for a 20% off coupon when I arrive at the store. Any legal way to make/save a buck.

Copies of “The Haunting of Hill House” now available at all three library branches.

The Somerville Public Library is excited to announce the title of its tenth annual Somerville Reads campaign, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Copies will be available at all three Somerville Public Library locations as of September 3.  Somerville Reads is a citywide reading initiative that encourages all Somerville residents to read and discuss the same book to promote literacy and community engagement.

(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. 

50%: This summer marks the halfway point on construction of the new Somerville High School and the first portion of the new building is on schedule to open at the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year. In 2016, 72% of voters approved a ballot question that allowed the City to fund the construction of a new high school. Somerville High School was made up of a series of additions that had been built from 1852 through 1986, which meant it had not been designed for modern educational needs and presented a variety of challenges around maintenance and heating and cooling. 

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The 16th Annual National Night Out takes place on Tuesday, August 6, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Foss Park, featuring first responders and vehicles, community partners, performances, family fun, music and food.

By Jim Clark

While performing traffic enforcement on Monday, July 29, parked at Broadway at Kenneson Rd., a public way with a 30 mph posted speed limit, a Somerville Police officer’s attention was drawn to a vehicle that was following another car, dangerously close.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Every time I drive by Somerville High School my memory starts going wild. The term “old school” takes on a new meaning now that the “old school” is mostly gone. I can’t help but think about my days at Somerville High in the hectic late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s “Old Time” Senior Picnic took place on Wednesday, August 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Powder House Park. It was a wonderful day of food, dancing, music, entertainment and prizes galore.

City staff updated the public on the current state of planning for construction of traffic mitigation and safety measures for Powder House Blvd.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville held a community meeting at the West Somerville Neighborhood School where developments in the planning and implementation of construction plans for Powder House Blvd. were presented to the public.