Good looks, health and fine grooming are being taught in Somerville High School’s Cosmetology program. Instructors Grace Torino and Gregory Wright see to it that students learn everything they need to know about hair cutting, manicuring, doing facials, and even practicing CPR and AED.

Officer Thomas Lambert.

On the evening of January 24, officers were called to Cypress St. The nature of the call was that a house had experienced some damage to the heating and water systems the previous day. The house was deemed to be unsafe to inhabit, and the family was able to secure a hotel room for the evening. The problem that ensued was that the following day the problems were not resolved, and after exhausting their resources, the family had no place to stay.

(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 Laura Pitone
Somerville School Committee Representative, Ward 5

This is the question the Somerville School Committee has been considering and is scheduled to vote on this Monday March 4th: Will the Somerville Public Schools (SPS) adopt the proposed Powderhouse Studios as an in-district Innovation School? An Innovation School is a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) designation that allows for the creation of in-district public schools (different from a Charter School) that employ creative approaches and differing practices from district or DESE mandates. This January the School Committee (SC) initiated the last component of the DESE defined authorization process for the proposed school under development since 2014. The SC is very interested in community opinion on this decision, and here I share my best understanding of the opportunity, as well as what I will be considering as a Somerville SC Member when I make my vote on March 4th.

– And Yes, we’re annoyed too!

·        Vehicles may remain parked in City lots; parking meters back in effect at 11:30 a.m.

·        Property owners must clear sidewalks within 6 daylight hours following end of snowfall

·        Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. No cars were towed for snow. Snow tickets will be canceled.

 So we’ve had yet another forecast for plowable snow where apparently Mother Nature didn’t get the memo. We’re looking at less accumulation than expected and less certainty now for the Sunday night snow. So the City of Somerville’s snow emergency will end Saturday, March 1, at 9:30 a.m. and normal parking rules will resume at that time. Vehicles may remain parked in City lots, but parking meters will go back into effect at 11:30 a.m. Plowing will continue, but we’ll be clearing just the middle of the roads because no cars were towed.

The 2019 Summer Camp and Activities Fair will take place on Tuesday, March 5 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School gymnasium, 50 Cross Street.

Representatives from more than 40 regional camps and organizations such as the Somerville YMCA, City of Somerville Recreation Department’s Somertime Program, Parts and Crafts, Somerville Community Schools’ Adventure Summer Program, and the Somerville Media Center, along with many others, will be in attendance.

(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

Let’s talk about buses. Every day, roughly 16,000 riders hop on a bus in Somerville. We have 15 bus routes that serve our residents, but MBTA buses are only on time about 60% of the time. While we like to blame the MBTA for that, that’s not entirely fair. Anyone who tries to negotiate peak hour traffic knows it can slow to a standstill. We cannot pretend that if the MBTA simply funded more buses or drivers our bus service would improve. Buses can’t pass through solid objects.

8- to 12-month detours planned around work zones on Broadway, Washington St., and Medford St.

To complete the next phase of work on the Green Line Extension (GLX) Project, the Broadway bridge, between Ball Square and Magoun Square, will close for construction for approximately one-year beginning March 22. This is the first in a series of three 8- to 12-month closures planned for 2019: Closures on Washington St. and Medford St. will follow in April and July, respectively. Wider bridges will be constructed at each location to accommodate the new light-rail service, among other improvements.

The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is currently playing at AMC Assembly Row 12

By Michael LoPilato

Everything is still awesome in this world of talking toy bricks. The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is playful, colorful, hilarious, and has a lot of heart to boot. Screenwriters Phil Lord and Christopher Miller continue their animated movie magic, and present a near perfect continuation of their hit, The LEGO Movie, of five years past.

By Jim Clark

A police officer on conducting traffic enforcement at the corner of Mystic Ave. and Grand Union Blvd. observed a vehicle run through a solid red light at the intersection. The officer immediately activated the cruiser’s blue lights and pulled behind the car.

The vehicle reportedly slowed down but did not stop. While following the car, the officer ran the vehicle’s registration, and it was revealed that the registered owner may have had a license to carry a firearm.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Larry Harmon’s Bozo the Clown character originated in 1946 as a read along kids record. Bozo became a part of popular culture and was even the center of a Seinfeld episode. But more importantly Bozo is a piece of our Somerville/Boston childhood.