Chris Allen, Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advocacy Group member, presented possible solutions to Somerville’s traffic crisis.

By Denise Keniston

On Wednesday, April 3, members of the public attended and spoke at a public hearing on traffic safety, traffic calming, and the Traffic Calming Petition submitted by the Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advocacy Group and signed by approximately 350 people.

The Parkour Spring Fling Workshop and Community Day took place on Saturday, April 6, at Winter Hill Community School. — Photos by Jackson Ellison

By Jackson Ellison

The Parkour Spring Fling Workshop and Community Day, an event where anyone in the community could give parkour a try, was held at the Winter Hill Community School on April 6.

Parkour is an activity where people go from one point to another, it usually requires people to navigate through or over different obstacles. Over the past few years, parkour has become a popular form of exercise in America.

Attention shoppers and those that have frequented the several food establishments in Ball Square: it’s the second week of the Ball Square Bridge being closed. Letting you know that the square is not that difficult to get to, especially since the bridge has been out. All the businesses would appreciate you still dropping by to shop, eat, or just say “Hi” – it would be very welcome. The Ball Square Café, Sound bites, Kelly’s Dinner – or almost everyone’s favorite, Victor’s Deli – don’t forget Lyndell’s Bakery and, of course, True Grounds is open for business as well. Traffic around the square is good, with plenty of parking. So there’s no excuse for not shopping there.

(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 Jack Connolly

US2, the master developer selected by the city to redevelop Union Sq., presented the office lab building for the corner of Prospect St. and Somerville Ave. in close proximity to the Green Line Extension station nearby.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

On Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, the remainder of the Homans building, on Medford St. near the Pearl St. intersection, was demolished as part of Green Line Extension construction. Demolition began at the rear of the building in mid-March and has progressed incrementally since then.

It’s as if, for some of us anyway, that we’ve grown numb to the endless cavalcade of outrages thrown our way as we patiently await the completion of the grand Green Line Extension.

After years of debate, false starts, and massive cost overruns, the dim light at the end of this seemingly endless tunnel grows brighter and we can almost see our way to its end.

Somerville residents Sara Gaeta and Rachel Richardson are training hard to run the Boston Marathon on April 15. Gaeta and Richardson’s goal is even bigger than completing 26.2 miles, though. They are raising funds in support of FamilyAid Boston, a local nonprofit that empowers parents and caregivers facing homelessness to secure and sustain housing and build strong foundations for their children’s futures.

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John Babin, a thoughtful looking man in his 70s, met me at my usual perch at the Bloc 11 Cafe in Somerville. I have seen him around town for many years, walking around with this broad-rimmed hat and a couple of newspapers under his arms. I had never spoken with him but after our meeting I was glad that I did.

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Sally Cragin is an award-winning journalist whose arts writing and theatre reviews appeared regularly in the Boston Phoenix, Boston Herald, and most recently, the Boston Globe. She has won two Penney-Missouri Journalism awards for feature writing. From 1999 to 2001, she was the chief drama critic for the St. Louis Riverfront Times. She has also taught critical writing at Harvard Extension School, Webster University (St. Louis), and Fitchburg State University. She also lived in Somerville when it was cheap – those were the days!