A rendering of an evening event at Powderhouse Studios.

By Emily Blackwood

Shaunalynn Duffy spent most of her time in high school trying to decide when to drop out. Her mother, confident in her daughter’s abilities to independently educate herself, even offered up the idea of “unschooling.”

“Something about hearing the bells ring and just feeling really disrespected and unseen by many of the adults in my life,” she said. “Even with the extreme confidence my mother saw in me, I couldn’t feel that confidence in myself.”

Thirty-fourth Middlesex District State Rep. Christine Barber.

State Representative Christine P. Barber of Somerville and Medford joined her House colleagues in voting last week to engross the PATCH Act, An Act to protect access to confidential healthcare.

Confidentiality is a critical aspect of the patient-provider relationship, but one that may be compromised under the current insurance framework in Massachusetts. When a person accesses health care, health plans typically send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) to the primary subscriber of the plan. This notice is not a bill, but details the type and cost of medical services accessed, and can often include sensitive information about sexual and reproductive health, mental health, domestic violence, or sexual assault. For patients receiving health insurance as a dependent on the health plan of a family member or spouse, the confidentiality they expect from a provider may be compromised when an EOB is sent to the primary policyholder.

Pete Fulweiler, 17, held up a sign honoring Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the Parkland school shooting. ~Photos by Emily Blackwood

By Emily Blackwood

As the snow began to fall and the winds of Winter Storm Quinn started to pick up, a seed of doubt was planted by a random passerby.

“Think they’ll still come?” he asked volunteers as they were continuing to set up tents and tables.

Groundwork Somerville will conduct its annual Maple Syrup Boil Down Saturday, — Photo by Bobbie Toner

Did you know that every year, Groundwork Somerville makes maple syrup in a wood-fired boiler (made by Somerville High School students), and you can come watch? Join them for their  annual maple syrup boil down festival, Saturday March 10, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at The Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave.

They will be boiling all the sap collected this year from sugar maples at Tufts and serving up pancakes from Cuisine en Locale. There will be live music, games, and Groundwork Somerville gear for sale!

By Jim Clark

A Somerville police officer on patrol in the early morning hours of last Wednesday, February 28, noticed a car illegally parked at a Bonair St. location. The vehicle was reportedly more than two feet from the curb and parked in a no parking zone. A query of the license plate showed that the vehicle was registered to a rental company.

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)

A monthly look at ways to get involved with your city: Don’t just live in Somerville, be Somerville!

Zoning Meetings Hosted by Ward Aldermen

Members of Somerville’s Board of Aldermen are hosting a series of meetings to discuss the City’s proposed zoning overhaul. All residents are invited to attend the remaining meetings, as follows:

While the City of Somerville will NOT declare a snow emergency for Thursday, March 8, Somerville Public Schools will be closed. All Somerville Public Libraries will be open on a regular schedule. The Somerville Recreation Department will host public skating hours from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink on Somerville Ave. Trash and recycling pickup will remain on a normal schedule Thursday.

Shortly after Somerville Police shared information regarding a backpack found containing a broken Airsoft soft pellet rifle and related materials, the owner quickly identified himself by contacting police. It appears that a 17-year-old Somerville resident received the Airsoft equipment from a friend moving overseas. He intended to use it for Airsoft sports once he turned 18. Upon finding the equipment in their home, the youth’s Aunt and Uncle ordered it be broken, taken out of the house, and thrown away. The youth broke the guns and then disposed of them in a trash can near the Capuano school. The ski mask (balaclava) was part of the Airsoft gear. The youth apologized for causing any alarm. 

Community Engagement Specialist and Spanish Liaison for the City of Somerville, Irma Flores, seen here speaking at the Charlottesville vigil held in the city last year.

By Ahmed Sorour

“Good ideas spread.” That is, according to Irma Flores, who spoke this past Saturday as Harvard Law School hosted Advocacy in Times of Crisis, a 2018 symposium organized by the Harvard Immigration Project.

Born in El Salvador, Flores graduated from the University of El Salvador with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Affairs. In 2001, she immigrated to the United States with her son and daughter, and now serves as the Community Engagement Specialist and Spanish Liaison for the City of Somerville, a role she assumed the March of 2013.