City doubles down on upping the green
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Where have all the flowering trees gone? And why are they going? These and many other questions are being explored by city officials after many have said enough is enough.

By Jim Clark

City of Somerville officials have been feeling the heat over the past several months, and not strictly from the summer sun, unfortunately so for the many who are concerned concerned with the issue keeping enough healthy trees around.

In a flurry of arboreal zeal, the city’s Board of Aldermen have bandied the issue about for some time now. From questions about why certain numbers of trees have been taken down, to proposals for regulating tree removal on private property, a lot of talk has been going down, with much more to come.

(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 Jack Connolly

Battle lines between the mayor and his administration are being drawn as Somerville aldermen failed to re-appoint longtime accomplished native Somervillians Nancy Busnach and Joe Favaloro to the Somerville Redevelopment Authority and the Planning Board at its latest BOA meeting on September 13.

This Sunday, September 30, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., it’s the very first “A Ball for Squares” block party in Ball Square. Join all the merchants of Ball Square in celebrating Somerville’s bounciest square for a beer garden from The Pub, food from all of Ball Square’s wonderful restaurants, crafts, activities, bands, and more. Sponsored by the Ball Square Business Association and Mayor Joe Curtatone. More information to come as time goes by. It’s going to be a great day here in the square and city.

By Kristen Strezo
Co-chair of the Somerville Commission for Women

The Somerville Commission for Women and RESPOND invite you to attend our annual Candlelight Vigil to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Our vigil this year will be held on Wednesday, October 3, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Statue Park in Davis Square.

Our focus is threefold. First, we wish to recognize those whose lives were lost to Domestic Violence in Massachusetts over the past 12 months. We do this by reading their names and observing a moment of silence.

— Photo by Frank J. Kautz II

By Donald Norton

The local Masonic lodge here in Somerville, King Solomon’s Lodge A.F. & A.M., had their yearly installation this past Saturday evening on September 22. The installation was held at the lodge hall located at 125 Highland Avenue (rear) here in Somerville.

Pictured seated left to right: Stephen Post, Jonathan Bower, Zachary J.A. Atwell, John Kendzierski, and Donald Norton. Back row left to right: Bill Chambers, Jeffrey Rhodes, Stan Locke, David Byron, Christopher Cipoletta, Mark Aubuchon, Richard Nilsson, Peter Mee, Joey Lacey, and Donald Coutoumas.

The United States Postal Service, in cooperation with the Somerville Police and Fire Departments and Cataldo Ambulance Company hosted a special dedication of the recently released First Responders Forever Stamp on Wednesday, September 19 at the Post Office at 18 Bow St. in Somerville.

USPS Postal Service Operations Manager Jerry O’Connell, Somerville Police Chief David Fallon, Somerville Fire Chief Charles J. Breen Jr. and Danny Riendeau of Cataldo Ambulance were all in attendance at the public ceremony.

Carb up and get on your mark for the the 23rd Annual Somerville Homeless Coalition Road Race on October 6.

The 23rd Annual Somerville Homeless Coalition Road Race takes place on Saturday, October 6, at 9:00 a.m., taking off from Davis Square in Somerville. The race starts and ends at the end of the bike path, behind Rite Aid on Highland Ave. and Grove St.

All proceeds from the race benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition, an innovative non-profit organization which has the mission to provide homeless and near homeless individuals and families with individualized supportive services and tailored housing solutions with a goal of obtaining and maintaining affordable housing.

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We are coming to the end of the tenure of Gloria Mindock, Somerville’s second Poet Laureate. She has done a great job. The Poet Laureate Committee is looking for new candidates for the position. Please read below:

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Here at the Lyrical we can write about anything, even the death of a sandwich. James Lewis is a junior at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts. He is studying nursing and is on the football team.