The Davis Square Neighborhood Plan comment period has been extended to allow additional input from community members. Comments will now be accepted through Friday, August 30. The plan will then be presented to the Planning Board on September 5, 2019. Planning Board meeting details will be posted to the city calendar, so please check there for details.

The house at 135 Highland Avenue is home to a unique display of creative splendor, lovingly rendered in glass and found objects by resident Martha Friend.

By Erin Nolan

Plastic babies waving multicolored wands sit atop plastic, pink horses in Martha Friend’s backyard at 135 Highland Avenue in Somerville. The babies purse their bright red lips and arch their dark eyebrows.

L to R: Matthew Mitchell, Patricia Contente, Maryanne Frangules, Elizabeth Addison, JoAnn Rivvecio, and Stuart Roelke.

By Melissa Rosales

From My Heart To Yours, a documentary education project screened for the first time for the public on July 31 at VOX POP, Somerville Media Center’s summer community arts and events space. The documentary is a collaboration between the City of Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department and the Somerville Media Center.

Mothers Out Front have been highly visible and vocal as they try to draw attention to the issues involving gas leaks in the area and force responsible parties to do something to fix them. ~Photo courtesy of Mothers Out Front

By Jennifer Grimes

On July 25, mothers of the Somerville community came together to protest National Grid’s inaction and demand that the gas leaks in East Somerville be repaired.

Come out to Aeronaut tonight, August 7, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for a monthly Bike Talk Social Hour. August’s talk features Silvia Ascarelli, who will be talking about her adventures biking the length of the East Coast Greenway, a 3000 mile bike route from Maine to Florida. Silvia is a prolific bike blogger and a member of the East Coast Greenway Advisory Board. Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler St, Somerville.

The area’s top creative minds took a bite out of the Washington St. Gallery’s recent themed exhibition, Tasty, exploring artistic interpretations of the snackable side of life.

‘Armadillo’s Picnic’ and other ‘Tasty’ snacks at the Washington St. Gallery
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By Nancy Kalajian

A busy ant farm hanging on a wall encased in a greenhouse with anteaters getting ready to make their move – this assemblage caught my eye as I strolled through the curious Tasty art exhibited in the small Washington St. Gallery, close to Union Square in Somerville.

This fall, Somerville voters will have the opportunity to cast ballots for Mayor, Ward City Councilor, City Councilors-at-Large, and School Committee members. A preliminary election for Mayor and Ward 3 School Committee, similar to a primary election, is scheduled for Tuesday, September 10. On this date, voters will be voting to narrow down the Mayoral candidates to two candidates, and the Ward 3 School Committee candidates to two candidates. This is a nonpartisan preliminary and all voters may vote for any candidate running for either office. The general election will be on Tuesday, November 5.

The City of Somerville recently passed an updated Tree Preservation Ordinance, setting guidelines and certain restrictions for homeowners and developers to cut down trees on their private property.

Somerville property owners must apply for a permit to take down any tree over eight inches in diameter, which is considered a “significant” tree.

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A while back, I wrote an article about the technique of Sous Vide cooking. Click on the link for more in depth information, https://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/79454. In case you’re new to it, or are thinking about getting into it, I thought I would share a recipe that I use quite often. This can either be served hot or cold. I use it mostly for salads.

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Susan Tepper is the author of seven published books of fiction and poetry. Her newest book is a novel titled What Drives Men, from the Wilderness House Press. www.susantepper.com