The Somerville Public Library and Somerville Media Center are still seeking people to enroll in their collaborative training program for improving people’s digital and technology skills called, Getting Comfortable in the Digital Age. This program offers free computer, media and technology classes, and will be held at SMC at 90 Union Square, on the third Tuesday of each month from 12:00 to ​2​:00 p.m​.

Cornelia “Lee” (Kelly) O’Keefe passed away suddenly at home on January 10, 2018. Born in New York, Mrs. O’Keefe was a proud Somerville resident for over 50 years.

Born on June 21, 1954, Lee was the loving wife of the late William J. “Billy O” O’Keefe Sr – former Magoun Square business owner.

The Company’s Innovation and Commercial Teams will move to the Cambridge/Somerville Location in 2020

The Cities of Cambridge and Somerville announced that international health technology leader Philips will move its North American headquarters to Cambridge Crossing in 2020. Cambridge Crossing is a 45-acre development site where Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston converge and is owned and under development by an affiliate of DivcoWest. Philips’ offices will occupy 243,000 square feet of the 250 North Street building, which is under construction and straddles the Cambridge and Somerville city line. The location will become home to more than 2,000 Philips employees. 

City offices will be closed this coming Monday, January 15, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Trash and recycling collection will be on a one-day delay all week and parking meters and resident permit parking won’t be enforced on Monday.

Zones aim to eliminate double-parking in traffic lanes and increase safety for all modes of transportation

In an effort to increase safety in one of Somerville’s busiest areas, new street signs are up and five spaces across Davis Square are now designated as passenger drop-off and pickup only zones. The pickup and drop-off zones are open to all users including the public, taxis, and ride share services. Parking and idling more than five minutes in the designated zones are prohibited.

The spaces are located at:

By Bob Katzen

State Auditor Suzanne Bump has recommended that a total of $1,063,978 be reimbursed to the state’s 351 cities and towns to cover the costs incurred for complying with a 2014 state law requiring that all voters be provided the option of early voting in the 2016 General Election. The early voting law requires that municipalities set up a system that will allow voters to vote during a 12-day early voting period instead of just on Election Day.

Today I am announcing that it will be the practice of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office not to request cash bail in non-violent, low-level cases in the district court. Recognizing that even a short period of incarceration can cause tremendous upheaval in one’s life, including loss of employment and housing, this practice seeks to prevent incarceration solely due to a lack of financial resources and in cases where we don’t intend to seek a jail sentence.

(L-R) Medford High School boys basketball coach and Tufts alumnus John Skerry, Tufts President Anthony P. Monaco and Somerville High School boys basketball Coach Mark Antonelli pose at the 2017 Tufts Classic (Credit: Paul Rutherford, Tufts University)

The Medford High School Mustangs and Somerville High School Highlanders girls and boys basketball teams will continue their rivalry at the 2nd Annual Tufts Classic on Sunday, Jan. 14, at the Cousens Gymnasium on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus. The girls’ game will tip off at 2:30 p.m., and the boys’ game will tip off at 4 p.m.

Last year, the Highlander boys defeated the Mustangs, 60-49. This is the first year in which the girls’ teams will compete in the Tufts Classic, and it is the only time Medford and Somerville will meet all season.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to a Willow Ave. convenience store last week on reports of a robbery having taken place.

Police dispatch operators provided a license plate number for the suspect’s getaway vehicle.

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

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)

At last week’s inaugural ceremony, Governor Charlie Baker, new Board of Aldermen President Katjana Ballantyne, new School Committee Chair Andre Green, and I all spoke about what’s to come this year. We discussed the priorities we have for the communities we serve, initiatives we’re working on or that we expect to work on soon, and even some of the challenges we anticipate. During her speech, Alderman Ballantyne said that our strongest asset is our diverse, engaged community. And she’s exactly right.