A public service announcement from Somerville Media Center. Vote Tuesday, September 4!

Tuesday, September 4, is the statewide primary and polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to  8 p.m.

Visit the Elections Department website where you can look up where you vote and see sample ballots.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services recently launched an Elder Mental Health Outreach Team to help at-risk older adults. The team includes (left to right) SCES Clinical Director Annie Fowler, and Social Workers Cassie Cramer, Courtney Johnson, and Lisa Waxman.

By Nathan Lamb

Older adults facing mental health conditions are an underserved population, but Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is looking to fill that gap with a new Elder Mental Health Outreach Team (EMHOT).

Launched in April, the EMHOT is dedicated to helping older adults who are at risk due to untreated behavioral health conditions. In practice, it gives SCES flexibility to work with elders who are facing a crisis, such as suicide risk or eviction for hoarding, explained SCES Clinical Director Annie Fowler.

Join Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Ward 4 Alderman Jesse Clingan, and Superintendent of Schools Mary Skipper on Monday, September 10, at 10 a.m. for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. The ribbon cutting will celebrate school improvements including: roof, window and door replacement funded by the City and its partners at the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), as well as the second phase of renovations to the schoolyard.

City offices will be closed on Monday, September 3, for Labor Day. Trash, recycling, and yard waste collection will be on a one-day delay all week. There’s no street sweeping on Monday and parking meters and resident permit parking won’t be in effect.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

The Greenline extension … meh … New High School, wonderful. Union Square revitalization … God Bless!

Somerville isn’t just the new train stops, the fancy donut shops or the festivals. Without people, real people, there is no Somerville.

My Somerville is the person who I see at Dunk’s who tells me about their grandkids. My Somerville is the new neighbors on my street who invited us over for brunch. My Somerville is seeing two of my SHS class of ‘71 in one day. My Somerville is reading a positive, uplifting comment on Facebook by my friend and the best mayor this city will ever see, Gene Brune. My Somerville is having a laugh filled 10-minute conversation with Jack Connolly while walking our dogs on College Ave. Somerville is bumping into my pal Bobby McWatters in Davis Square.

Co-Chair of the City of Somerville’s Commission for Women Kristen Strezo.

By Kristen Strezo
Co-Chair Somerville Commission for Women

The cold reality is that some Somerville residents will be the victim of violence, domestic or otherwise. Based on last year’s statistics, Somerville is projected to have 671 reports of domestic incidents and 140 domestic assaults in 2018.

One of the Somerville Commission for Women’s (SCW) goals is to connect citizens with as many resources as possible so that each Somerville resident may live their best, supported lives.

The Somerville Home has been serving the needs of area seniors for 120 years.

The Somerville Home, a licensed residential care facility for senior citizens, today announced the difficult decision to discontinue operations and close the building by the end of the year.  The decision to close is voluntary and due to financial reasons.

The Somerville Home, a private, nonprofit organization incorporated in 1898, operates a 59-bed Level IV rest home located at 117 Summer St. in Somerville.  The current building was constructed in 1927.  There are 46 residents currently in the facility and most have their care paid for by the state.