~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The St. Ann Senior Fall Bazaar took place on Saturday, October 13. St. Joseph’s Annual Bazaar will be held on Saturday, November 3 and Sunday, November 4. Gift cards of $25, $50, and donations for their Country Store ($40-$60 value) are greatly appreciated. Help make their 45th Bazaar the best ever. Contact the Rectory at 617-666-4140 or Michele Taylor at 617-776-4680. St.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I found a tin of shoe polish that still had that familiar though very faded Bradlees price sticker on it. There were so many stores in our past.

Sears Roebuck and Company used to be in that big concrete building on Mass Avenue just past Porter Square which is now owned by Lesley University. The news of Sears’ closing is just another blast from the past that will soon just be a memory. We are actually still using a Sears Kenmore washing machine that my parents bought over 40 years ago. Honest! The dryer just bit the dust last month. OK let’s all join together and say “They don’t make them like that anymore.”

~Photos by Bobbie Toner

Revelers joined in at the last SomerStreets festival of the year, with the spooky and fun “Monster Mashed-up” on Sunday, October 14, on Somerville Ave. between Union Square and Park St.

The City of Somerville and the Somerville High School Student Council encourage eligible residents to register so that they are able to vote in the upcoming election on November 6. Eligible 16- and 17-year-olds may also pre-register now to be automatically enrolled as voters when they turn 18.

There are multiple ways to register (see below), and Somerville High School students, as well as Tufts University students, are conducting voter registration and pre-registration drives on their respective campuses.

The city is considering restricting the hours of use for the Lincoln Park Skate Park due to complaints of excess noise by area residents. — Photo courtesy of Spohn Ranch Skate Parks

By Jim Clark

An order was put forward members of the Somerville Board of Aldermen at their latest meeting last week asking the Board’s Committee on Legislative Matters to consider amending Ordinance 12-48, relating to the hours of operation of skate parks.

The intent of the order, co-sponsored by Alderman At-Large Mary Jo Rossetti and Alderman At-Large Stephanie Hirsch, was to engage in conversation about the ordinance as a response in part to concerns expressed by constituents who reside near these parks.

(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 Amy Mertl
Assistant Professor of Biology, Lesley University

This past August, Chris Dwan and Renée Scott sounded the alarm at the increasing destruction of Somerville’s urban forest in their Somerville Times letter. As they argue, the loss of our tree canopy is concerning due to the many ecological benefits trees provide our city such as CO₂ sequestration, storm water uptake, and climate change mitigation. However, recent studies have shown that our connection with urban trees is even more personal, with trees providing a wide range of health and social benefits. It is time that we consider our urban trees to be more than decorative ornaments to be removed when inconvenient, and instead view them as a vital public health resource that requires protection and support.

Dylan Hartigan, a finalist from The Voice this past season, will be playing a show at Thunder Road this coming Thursday, 10 at 8:00 p.m. with local bands as his special guests: Binge Magick and Hunter.

Hartigan was a fan favorite of his season, being stolen by both Blake Shelton and Kelly Clarkson. His battle with Voice Winner and Massachusetts native, Brynn Cartelli, was a best of the season.