By Jim Clark

A police officer on duty in the Davis Square area last Friday morning was flagged down by a citizen that was concerned about the welfare of a man who was sleeping on a bench in front of the MBTA station on Holland St.

The man sleeping on the bench was identified as Stephen Remick, who is reportedly well known to Somerville Police.

(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 Joseph A. Curtatone

We have 17 food pantries operating in Somerville. When you travel around the city it may not look like local families are suffering the kind of deprivation that would make so many active food pantries necessary, but it is here.  Truth be told, it’s in almost every city and town even if it’s not always easily seen. The people living at the bottom of the economic scale can’t keep pace with the cost of living and one of the places that can hurt most is in food access.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Somerville’s 15th Annual National Night Out Against Crime and Drugs, hosted by Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP), took place on Tuesday, August 7, at Foss Park on Broadway in East Somerville.

Environment Massachusetts and State Representative Mike Connolly advocated to end the use of polystyrene, during a cleanup of the Mystic River. — Photos by Shira Laucharoen

By Shira Laucharoen

Staff members from advocacy organization Environment Massachusetts participated in a cleanup of the Mystic River on August 9, during which they spread the word about their campaign to ban foam cups and containers in the state.

At the event, held at the Mystic Wellington Yacht Club, State Representative Mike Connolly, who serves East Somerville and East Cambridge, voiced his support for legislation that may come out of the campaign.

(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 Chris Dwan and Renée Scott

Somerville’s urban forest is under attack. Take a walk near the commuter rail line, by the High School, along Cedar Street, on lower Beacon Street, or in Union Square. You will find barren, sun-baked streets and sidewalks where most of the trees have been removed to make way for construction. Stop and listen while you walk. Do you hear the unexpected and beautiful sounds of nature, or the silence of a recently flattened habitat? Breathe the air, is it fresh?

“Soaring Through the Matrix” – a retrospective exhibition and sale of the work of the late Magnus Johnstone – runs through Sunday, August 19.

Magnus Johnstone paintings at the Nave
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Magnus Johnstone, known to many Bostonians from his tenure in town from the ‘70s through the ‘90s as a trailblazing radio DJ (on WZBC 90.3 FM and WMBR 88.1 FM) as well as a visual artist – passed away on February 22, 2013, after a full life filled with art, music and community.

It seems like a complete no-brainer, that we should want to work towards assurance that our local and regional waterways remain clean and uncluttered.

Still, year after year, we turn to the generous volunteer clean-up crews, such as those from Environment Massachusetts collaborated and the Mystic River Watershed Association, to pull out the trash and give the magnificent Mystic River a fresh start once again.

Somerville Pop Warner Football is looking for support from the community through AmberRose Osiris’s GoFundMe campaign.

This is an all-volunteer run organization that supports children in our community by providing them with an opportunity to join organized sports. While costs have been steadily rising they support the children in our community, 2/3 of which receive free or reduced lunch, by keeping their fees low and offering scholarships to those who simply cannot pay but have a passion to play.