Director of Membership and Outreach at the Somerville Media Center, Erica.

By JT Thompson

Erica, in her early 30s, is the Director of Membership and Outreach at the Somerville Media Center (formerly SCAT). We meet at a window table at bloc 11; she has short brown hair, large, black framed glasses, a loose blue cardigan over a white t-shirt, and a calm, open, good humored manner that must put newcomers to the Media Center at ease.

Erica loves facilitating people’s projects – “the Media Center is a place where people can make dreams a reality” – and her relaxed generosity of spirit makes her both easy and inspiring to talk with. She had a childhood of being considered ‘other’, of having to suppress herself, and she has devoted most of her adult life to working with community access media organizations – helping people to find their voice and communicate openly with their communities.

Baker-Polito Administration Awards over $3 Million for Municipal Public Safety Staffing

Today, Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito and Public Safety Secretary Daniel Bennett announced that 14 police and fire departments have received $3,015,000.00 in state grants to assist municipalities in maintaining public safety and emergency response core services. These funds may be used to restore, retain or hire police and fire personnel or for overtime if needed to provide adequate shift coverage to maintain appropriate staffing levels.

As a joke last week, a few students made prank calls to 911. After Officer Isaacs made his way over to the school, he was able to locate the parents of the students and speak with the students about the importance of 911 for emergencies. A student was so sorry for the prank calls he made, he wrote Officer Isaacs and the department a letter of apology.  (see below)

This unorthodox family photo has Ed on the left, Martha on the right, and Augusta and her fiancé, Carsten Stuhr, in the window.

By William C Shelton

In November, ‘villens Martha Friend and Ed Smith joined a Habitat for Humanity team in Yogyakarta on the Indonesian island of Java. In the process of building two homes, they discovered that they were simultaneously building relationships of trust, goodwill and cooperation that form a habitat for “humanity’s” second meaning – mutual kindness and compassion.

Oscar De Marino picked a perfect carrot for his mother, Kelly De Marino.

By Emily Blackwood

Neil Kapitulik’s foot powered the spinning wheel while his hands guided a mound of blueish-green raw fleece into a strand of yarn. His booth was quiet in comparison to the chaos of shopping locals who surrounding him in the middle of the Somerville Winter Farmers Market. And if you watched him long enough, you might find yourself mesmerized by the spinning wheel

Last year, we wrote to tell you that we were going to slow our pace in 2017 to think through our plans for the Nave in 2018. It is with mixed feelings that we announce that we will close the Nave Annex in Davis Square at the end of January.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Home Depot store on Mystic Ave. last Thursday on reports of an alleged shoplifter being detained by loss prevention personnel.

Adapted from Mayor Curtatone’s speech at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration.

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)

Last year at the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day event I reminded us all that Dr. King’s mission remains acutely relevant today. Looking back at all that’s occurred in our nation over the past year, I’m not sure that I realized just how much his words are still needed to help inspire and guide the many who continue to fight for social justice today.

The East Somerville Community School and Somerville High School debate teams made impressive showings in their first tournament appearances. Under the guidance of Ms. Gouvea and Mr. Weaver, ESCS sent six middle grades student teams and four individual debaters to compete in a tournament at Suffolk University.

Koty, Barbara G. (Magrath) – Of Somerville January 16, 2018. Beloved wife of the late Stanley M. Koty. Loving mother of Stan Koty and his wife Gay of Somerville, Diane Glenn and her husband Brad of North Reading. Dear grandmother of Stanley “Chip” M.  III and his wife Jocelynn, Russell Koty, Alison Fernandes and her husband Mark, Caroline Koty, Kassondra Glenn, and Jason Glenn. Sister of the late George Magrath. Aunt of Lorraine and Paul Magrath.

Funeral procession from the George L. Doherty Funeral Home, 855 Broadway (Powder House Sq.) Somerville, Saturday morning at 9am, followed by a Funeral Mass in St. Clement Church, Somerville at 10:00. Relatives and friends invited. Calling hours Friday 4-8. Interment Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge. Late employee Somerville Public Schools.