~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Teens from Somerville’s Center for Teen Empowerment and elsewhere gathered at the Arts at the Armory on Wednesday, February 13, for an Open Mic event where kids from the community presented their poetry, music, etc., to an appreciative audience of their peers. The Been Out Here Teen Open Mic takes place at the Armory every second Wednesday of the month.

(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

A monthly look at ways to get involved with your city: Don’t just live in Somerville, be Somerville!

One Stop Shop Small Business Event, February 28
There’s a lot to think about if you run your own business and the City’s Economic Development Office is here to help. Stop by the One Stop Shop Small Business event on Thursday, February 28, between 5 and 7 p.m. to get your questions about alcohol permitting, hosting a temporary event, financing, City business support programs, and more. The event will be held at the Somerville Media Center, 90 Union Square. Register for the event at bit.ly/OneStopSmallBiz or by calling 617-625-6600 ext. 2537. 

Somerville residents and neighboring commuters are gritting their teeth and girding themselves for the tough times ahead following the Ball Square bridge closure.

Beginning March 22, 2019, three major bridges in Somerville, MA will be closed to facilitate construction of the Green Line Extension (GLX) project. Traffic detours will affect local and regional commutes through Medford, Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston. Motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists should plan accordingly and may want to seek alternate routes.

(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 James Healy

2018 was recently announced the fourth hottest year on record. A year in which we saw California burn while normally moderate regions like Ireland experienced unseasonal snow storms. This tale of fire and ice will be our future reality, as climate change accelerates the frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the area around the Market Basket store on Somerville Ave. last week on reports of an armed robbery involving a gun that had taken place.

According police, a victim had reported that he had been robbed by a man, later identified as Rahkeen Gray, of Brooklyn, NY. The victim told police that Gray said he had a gun, but the victim never saw it.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

My first cousin, who is more like a sister to me, now owns our paternal grandparent’s house off Holland St. between Teele Square and Davis Square.

Cha-Ching! Not so fast! We are a very passionate, nostalgic, and emotional bunch. Since her mom (my dad’s sister), who lived there her entire life, passed in March at 94 years young, decisions had to be made.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Somerville seniors enjoyed a night of dinner and entertainment on Valentine’s Day. The Council on Aging hosted at the dinner at Dilboy Post in Davis Sq.

Clean and Open Elections Task Force member Ariel Horowitz, along with Somerville High School students Felix Brody and Jack Torres, presented their case to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections to the Legislative Matters Committee.

By Jim Clark

A request put forward to the Somerville City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee by Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone that a Home Rule Petition (HRP) to provide legal voting rights in municipal elections for residents aged 16 and 17 years old be approved for submittal to the state was taken into consideration at the Committee’s February 7 meeting.

The panel featured Nadia Cheng from RightHand Robotics, Zach Baum from Bow Market, Julia Travaglini from Greentown Labs, and Dan Bartman from the City of Somerville as panelists.

By Denise Keniston

On Wednesday, February 13, a panel of local talent and new arrivals to Somerville’s business and entrepreneurial scene joined WBUR’s Senior Innovation Reporter Callum Borchers at Greentown Labs in Union Square for The Future is Now: A Somerville Panel.

(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.)

There’s been a lot of discussions about community participation and the newest buzz word “equity” in our city. We talk about how we’re building a community through processes that allows the public to be active participants in decision making.

Of course, Somerville has always been on the leading edge in instituting community participation. We’re a city full of activist, organizers, and we’re home to some of the most progressive people in the state if not the country. One of the earliest forms of community involvement in government has been our boards and commissions. We have over 35 standing boards, commissions, and authorities in the city and there are many more ad hoc committees formed.