Director of Outreach and Community Relations at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Nathan Lamb.

By Nathan Lamb

They say the best things in life are free, and the same goes for many of the services and programs offered at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES).

As a state and federally designated elder services access point, our mission is helping people live in the setting of their choice, which is usually their own home. We offer a wide range of programs to help with that goal. Some are free and available for the general public, others are free for those who meet eligibility requirements.

Please join Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Somerville Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper for a “topping off” ceremony at Somerville High School on Monday, August 12, at 2:30 p.m. on the SHS concourse. This celebration marks a major milestone in the construction of the new high school when the final steel beam of the new building’s western wing – and the highest point of the new school – will be set into place. A second ceremony will be held later this year when the final beam of the new eastern wing is installed.

Monica Fernandes, Jay Landers and Julie Schneider congratulate Charlotte Kafka-Gibbons, Ben Botner, Henry Zou, Max Nadeau, Robert McCarthy, Bishan Rai, Simran Jeet, Isabel Silva on winning Somerville Math Fund renewable scholarships for outstanding work in math and science.

The Somerville Mathematics Fund recently announced the winners of their renewable mathematics scholarships for 2019. The Math Fund was founded to celebrate and encourage math achievement and these students deserve to be celebrated for their work in math and science while in high school. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals and a few organizations, this year we were able to award a record nine scholarships, totaling $36,000 over four years.

Do you believe in the importance of urban green space? Do you want to create healthy ecosystems for pollinators? Do you support safe unstructured play for all children? The Somerville Community Growing Center (“The Growing Center”) in Somerville has been at the forefront of urban nature innovation for the past 25 years. In one of our country’s most densely populated cities, the Center is a quarter acre oasis where all of these things happen every day.

The City of Somerville is accepting applications to fill 10 seats on the newly formed Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee. The committee’s input will support and guide city policies and plans to make improvements for public transit riders and pedestrians. Committee members will promote riding transit and walking and will work to create a more comfortable, safe, and enjoyable built environment for doing so. Community members committed to advocating for a robust multimodal transportation system are encouraged to apply to serve on the committee as members.

Construction crews will be working in the MBTA right-of-way adjacent to Granville Avenue (across from the future Ball Square Station) in Medford this weekend. The purpose of the work is to install a new storm drain line that will eventually run to Granville Ave. and tie into the line at Winchester St. at a later date.

(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

One in three low-income households reports not having enough food when children are home over the summer, and two out of three have to make tough choices between buying food and covering other important expenses like utilities or medical bills. While those are national statistics we know that there are families in Somerville having to make those same choices. This shouldn’t be the case and, as a community, we need to work together to address childhood hunger.

Thirty-fourth Middlesex District State Rep. Christine Barber.

Massachusetts State Representative Christine Barber’s bill to require health plans to regularly update their provider directories was included in a bill passed unanimously in the House of Representatives this week.

Speaker Robert DeLeo’s package related to children’s health and well-being included a policy initiative championed by Representative Barber (Somerville and Medford). “People seeking health care are often unable to find a provider that meets their needs because of outdated and unclear provider directories,” Rep. Barber explained. “This initiative will help people find the right health provider through better access to accurate information from their health plan.”

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to a Broadway location on reports that a man had broken into the residence and had fled. The reporting party knew the male as Jamari Ellcock-Davis.

An officer located a man on McGrath Highway matching the description given and was able to identify him as Ellcock-Davis.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

This inner city tale can be an “insert name here” story. Let’s call him Bill. In 1986, Bill was a young, quick witted, energetic and lovable cut up. Everyone loved him. He worked in a very popular business in a busy part of Somerville and would occasionally come out of nowhere singing and joking especially if someone he knew was in the store. A one-man show.