(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 Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

2/3 renters: About 2/3 of Somerville residents rent. Put another way, more than 50,000 of our roughly 80,000 residents are renters. Housing is one of the biggest issues in both Somerville and the Boston region, and looking at ways to alleviate the housing crisis means we need to know our population. Some policies affect homeowners and renters differently, so it’s important to keep both perspectives in mind. A recent example of this is proposed changes to the City’s condo conversion ordinance. Condos can be the affordable option for people entering homeownership and, for some people, condos are their preferred choice, so we don’t want to completely end condo conversions. At the same time, condo conversions remove rental units from Somerville’s housing stock and often displace renters. When we look at these issues, we have to keep in mind the needs of all of our residents and try to balance them.

(L to R) Noor Saadan, Carrie Bell, and Sophia Beckmann. — Photos by Correen Demers

By Katie Harris

This Friday, March 8, at 6:30 pm, the girls’ basketball state tournament championship game in the Massachusetts Charter School Athletic Association (MCSAO) will be played at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of the University of Massachusetts in Boston.

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police officer was dispatched to Robbins Smoke Shop in Davis Square, on reports of a larceny.

Upon arrival, the officer met with the reporting party, who said that approximately ten minutes earlier a woman inside the CVS dropped a credit card belonging to her boyfriend on the ground after making a purchase, and left the store without realizing she had dropped it.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

The other day I was at East Cambridge Piano, at 343 Medford St. Somerville. Hey, if Malden Auto Body can be in Everett then I guess East Cambridge Piano can be in Somerville.

The old building is across from that gutted concrete shell of a structure on Medford St. behind the new high school project. Let’s call it near the soon to be T stop at Gilman Square. A stone’s throw from where The Paddock used to be. How’s that for directions?

(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. Christine P. Barber
Thirty-fourth Middlesex District

With so much divisiveness throughout the country, coupled with hateful rhetoric and ill-conceived policies from the Trump Administration, right now it can feel like fear and despair are everywhere.

The silver lining of these challenges is the renewed interest in local politics and activism to support our communities. As a state legislator, I look forward to continuing to partner with people in Somerville, Medford and other communities in Massachusetts to uphold our shared values and push back against the harmful Trump policies that divide us, rip apart our safety net and make so many people feel unsafe. As we begin the 2019-2020 state legislative session, I am working to fight back against decisions being made in the White House and find opportunities to move forward and work together on issues at the state and local levels.

~Photos by Bobbie Toner

Tufts dining workers and student supporters picketed for a fair contract on Tuesday, March 5, at Carmichael Dining Hall on the Tufts University campus.  The workers say that Tufts University refuses to put forward a contract that ensures a living wage and affordable healthcare for their workers.

The property at 90 Washington St. is being purchased by the City of Somerville by right of eminent domain for the purpose of building a new Public Safety Building.

By Denise Keniston

On Thursday, February 28, Somerville’s City Council unanimously approved a land purchase by eminent domain for $8,735,000. The parcel at 90 Washington St. (formerly Cobble Hill Shopping Center) will be the new site of Somerville’s Public Safety Building.

At the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council on February 28, the Council voted unanimously in favor of a resolution supporting Tufts University dining hall workers in their fight for their first union contract. The workers say they are seeking the same affordable healthcare and wage standard as dining hall workers at Harvard, Northeastern, Simmons and other Boston universities where food service workers have joined Local 26 over the past decade.

(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

In the last few weeks, a handful of motivated concerned citizens got together, planned and held a meeting, with city engineers and elected officials agreeing to fix everything that was detailed in a powerful PowerPoint display of and what’s been termed the “disinvestment of Davis Square.”