This award recognizes Cambridge Health Alliance’s impact and commitment to diverse and equitable care for its patients and communities

Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a community health system serving Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston’s metro-north communities, was recently named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity for 2024 by Newsweek. CHA received a 5-star rating, the highest available recognition.

On Tuesday, March 19, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc. (Teen Empowerment) as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. Teen Empowerment, which works in Boston and Somerville, MA and Rochester, NY to engage youth as agents of social change, received $2 million.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

This is a tale of two mischievous and bored Somerville kids back in the late 70’s.

The year was 1979 and the month was January. I was working at a foreign auto dealership delivering parts. I bought an old Toyota with a bad motor for pretty cheap money and a mechanic friend of mine rebuilt the entire engine. It was a 1972 Toyota Corolla with a manual transmission.

National coalition advocates in favor of cash-based policies to create opportunity

Today, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne joins more than 100 mayors from across the country as part of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), a coalition of mayors who establish and advocate for local and national guaranteed income programs. Guaranteed income programs provide unrestricted cash payments directly to vulnerable residents to create greater financial stability for those most in need. Somerville’s program goes beyond that general goal; it also specifically aims to support housing stability. The city’s program will serve a group of the city’s lowest-income households who are at risk of losing their housing.  

— Photos courtesy of Somerville Council on Aging

The Somerville Community Police and Somerville Fire Department made the Somerville Council on Aging’s St. Patrick’s Day luncheon at The George Dilboy Post a success. The Rebecca McGowan School of Dance entertained everyone with a fantastic step dance performance.

The Somerville City Council will be working with city staff to establish a plan for removing mandatory parking space requirements.

By Jim Clark

At the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council on Thursday, March 14, a resolution was put forward by Ward 3 City Councilor and Council President Ben Ewen-Campen and City Councilor At Large Willie Burnley Jr. that the Administration collaborate with the Council to draft a zoning ordinance to remove the requirement to build unnecessary new parking spaces.

By Joei Chan

On Saturday, March 16, the City of Somerville, partnered with CultureHouse and Neighborways Design, threw a block party at the East Somerville Community School to show and educate those in attendance the safety improvements for Glen and Otis Streets.

Cambridge Mothers Out Front, along with 350 MA-Cambridge/Somerville and the First Parish of Cambridge UU Environmental Justice Team, is hosting a public forum on March 20 about transitioning off gas to heat our buildings, including a presentation about networked geothermal energy, an innovative solution that is gaining momentum, and an update from Mass. Representative Steven Owens about state legislation currently in process. Wednesday, March 20, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m., First Parish in Cambridge, Unitarian Universalist, 1446 Mass. Ave., Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA.

Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll with Adeline Mannion, Liam Mannion and former City Councilor Bob McWatters. The Governor and Lieutenant Governor were spoofing the commercial Matt Damon and Ben Affleck did for the Super Bowl.

Liam Mannion, proprietor of Sally O’Brien’s, and former City Councilor Bob McWatters hosted a celebration of  Irish Heritage on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17 at Sally O’Brien’s. Sally’s featured an Irish fare of corned beef and cabbage, spirits, Irish music, and appearances of local and state elected officials. All were welcome to join the festivities.

(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)

March 8.
Yellow tulips for International Women’s Day were distributed to participants after thirty-five had gathered in Somerville at Davis Square to mourn the indiscriminate killing in Gaza. Alan Jehlen, attending the protest on Friday said “Ceasefire is the only way to be human.”