Another harsh New England winter has thankfully come to an end. As the colder time of year comes to a close, allergy season is right around the corner. Itchy and watery eyes, runny noses, coughing and sneezing, and pollen make for a difficult few months for many as we all try to enjoy the outdoors and warmer weather.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

Aloud, along with Samantha Farrell and Benjamin Cartel, performs at ONCE Ballroom this Saturday. left to right: Charles Murphy, Chris Jago, Henry Beguiristain, and Jen de la Osa. — Photo by Jennifer Esteban

By Blake Maddux

Musicians Jen de la Osa and Henry Beguiristain, who first “got together over a shared love of The Beatles and Oasis,” moved to Boston from their hometown of Miami in 2001.

According to de la Osa, “There wasn’t a lot going on in Miami at the time regarding rock and roll bands and venues.”

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Holiday Inn on Washington St. on reports of an individual who was using fraudulent credit cards.

Upon arrival, the officers spoke to the reporting party, who stated that a man had come into the hotel and attempted to obtain two hotel rooms that were reserved via an internet website, for which he used a fraudulent credit card to hold as a deposit.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(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)

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

$500,000 in minibonds available for residents to purchase: Many people are familiar with U.S. government savings bonds as a way to invest while also supporting civic goals. But less than 1 percent of U.S. households have direct access to municipal bonds, which allow you to do the same thing at the local level. To help pull back this process from Wall St. to Main St. (as my colleagues in Cambridge so aptly put it when they put their minibonds on sale), Somerville residents will soon have a chance to invest directly in the future of our community by purchasing minibonds.

~Photos by Bobbie Toner

City of Somerville, Groundwork Somerville, and Comcast Cares held its annual Spring Cleanup and Community Barbecue on Saturday, April 22.

Ward 3 Alderman Ben Ewen-Campen put forward a resolution to the Somerville Board of Aldermen to focus attention on affordable housing issue faced by municipal workers in the city.

By Jim Clark

A resolution was put forward at the latest regular meeting of the Somerville Board of Aldermen asking that the Administration establish a dedicated fund within the Affordable Housing Trust Fund to provide direct housing assistance for municipal employees struggling to remain in Somerville, which could be funded through revenue from a real estate transfer fee.

Somerville’s Starting Over Festival raised environmental and social awareness on April 22 as part of SustainaVille Week. — Photo by Greg Cook

By Shira Laucharoen

With inspiration from the idea of spring as a time for renewal, event planner Greg Cook envisioned Somerville’s Starting Over Festival as a celebration of rebirth and a metaphor for new beginnings. Set in the urban wild of the Quincy Street Open Space, a garden filled with a plethora of flower varieties and plant life, the Festival gave visitors a chance to revel in the environment and consider a new page, both socially and politically, on April 22.

Tonight, it’s Giggles Comedy Night, this time for the Masonic Lodge on Highland Avenue, with special comedians Lenny Clarke and Tony V. Specifically, the Building Association is having its 6th Annual Giggles Comedy Night at Giggles on Rte. 1 in Saugus on Wednesday April 25 at 6:30 p.m. Lots of laughs with 3-4 professional comedians, over 23 gift baskets specially made for the event, and a great time for all. Only $25 per ticket for all the pizza you can eat and all the laughs you can stand. It’s not a tax deductible night but a funable night. Tickets at the door or email Donald Norton at donaldfnorton@gmail.com.

(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)

To the editor:

Regarding the proposed real estate transfer tax, a few points need to be made.

1. A transfer tax is a sales tax, and sales taxes are regressive by nature and disproportionately burden those who can afford it least.