Expanded voting rights among 16 recommendations in Clean and Open Elections Task Force report

A recently released report by the Somerville Clean and Open Elections Task Force includes 16 recommendations to increase voter participation, lower barriers to candidate participation, and increase the openness and transparency of the election process. At the request of Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, two of the recommendations will soon be under debate by the Board of Aldermen: that for City and School Board elections only, the City seek home rule petitions from the State Legislature to lower the voting age to 16 and expand voting to non-citizens who would otherwise be eligible to vote.

An estimated 589,000 river herring migrated upstream to spawn at Mystic Lakes in 2018 according to numbers just released by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF). If you stacked the fish end-to-end this would be over one hundred miles of river herring—enough to get you from Boston to Provincetown-in a river that is only 7 miles long.

 Info Session on Resources for Lead Paint Mitigation on October 23

Lead Paint Safe Somerville staff are using Lead Paint Poisoning Prevention Week, which runs from October 21 to 27, to remind residents about the dangers lead paint poses to young children. Although lead paint was banned in 1978, it is still present in many older homes and nearly 90 percent of Somerville’s housing was built prior to the ban.

There will be a Public Hearing before the Board of Aldermen’s Committee on Finance on Monday, October 22, 2018, at 7:00 PM, in the Aldermanic Chambers, 2^nd Floor, City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue, on the Order of Alderman William White, Jr., Chair of the Committee, for public input related to the transfer of a city-owned parcel in the North Prospect Block to the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (#204755).

Guests enjoy The Elizabeth Peabody House Fall Fundraiser at Winter Hill Brewing Company.

The Elizabeth Peabody House held their Fall Fundraiser on  September 27th at Winter Hill Brewing.  Supporters of The Elizabeth Peabody House came together to celebrate the start of the school year and raise money for the organization’s preschool, after  school, summer camp and food pantry, which serve families in Somerville and surrounding communities.

Mayor Curtatone, the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD), and Assembly Row Condominium, Inc. are pleased  to announce an affordable homeownership opportunity for fifteen (15) condos at 275 Foley Street for income-eligible households with a combined gross income at or below 80% or between 81 to 110% of the Area Median Income. Please see the sales prices and descriptions of the affordable units below:

(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)
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By Joseph A. Curtatone

Construction on the Green Line Extension is underway, so this month we’re taking a closer look at notable project data – and interesting numbers.

85 percent of residents to live within a half mile of rapid transit: One of our biggest community goals is to help our environment by reducing dependency on automobiles. However, we know that people have places to be and things to do, and when public transportation isn’t easily accessible, a car is often times the most convenient and most reliable way to get to work every day, make it to those appointments on time, grocery shop, and more.