Join Mayor Joe Curtatone, the Somerville Public Library, and Somerville-based Publisher Candlewick Press for an afternoon story time on Saturday, October 21. Mayor Curtatone will read Windows — a new picture book set in Somerville!

Julia Denos and E.B. Goodale, author and illustrator of Windows, will join the mayor for this very special story time to answer questions about the book.

​​​Friday, October 20 from 3:00 – 7:00 p.m.​, is the 2nd Annual Community Media Day! Come down to Union Square, say hello and celebrate ​Somerville’s Media Center. It will also be live-streaming it on SCATV Ch.3, on Boston Free Radio and Facebook Live.​

Somerville Media Center joins other community media centers across the country for th​is​ newly sanctioned free speech holiday called “Community Media Day.”

Somerville High School maintains Level 1 designation for fifth consecutive year, posts highest Science/Technology achievement to date

This week,  the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released results of the next-generation MCAS, administered for the first time in grades 3-8 last spring. These spring 2017 results will serve as the baseline for the new assessment and for target-setting for 2018 and beyond, and should not be compared to previous years’ achievement scores. Student achievement score levels for the next-generation MCAS are different from what the Department now refers to as the legacy MCAS, with next-generation scores falling into one of four new categories that measure where a student falls in terms of grade-level expectations: Exceeding Expectations, Meeting Expectations, Partially Meeting Expectations and Not Meeting Expectations.

By Jim Clark

While on assignment at Assembly Row last week, a Somerville police officer was contacted via text message by the manager of Express Outlet. The message included a picture of a man, explaining he had allegedly concealed several shirts in his backpack.

On October 8, 2017 Officer Louis Remigio of the Somerville Police Department was involved in a motorcycle accident while off duty in North Hampton, NH.  Louie passed away a day later at the Portsmouth,NH Hospital.  Lou left behind two young daughters who also lost their mother just 18 months ago.  His brothers and sisters at the Somerville Police Department would like to help make sure that his daughter s are provided with financial support as they face this difficult and tragic time in their lives.

Compiled by City of Somerville staff

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

 Davis Square Neighborhood Meeting, 10/19

Join City planning staff, area experts, and your Davis Square neighbors as we take a deeper dive into the community-selected topics from a previous meeting and identify action steps to address the goals and needs related to each. Whether your concerns are open space, traffic, parking, accessibility, streetscape, bicycle infrastructure, housing or more, we hope you’ll join us. For more information, please contact planning@somervillema.gov.

When/where: Thursday, October 19, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave.

Statue Park in Davis Square is home to the City of Somerville’s newest public reusable water bottle refilling station thanks to the city’s residents who participated in the Somerville Energy Efficiency Now (SEEN) campaign in 2016.

“Statue Park is the intersection of public transit, the community bike path, local business, and culture,” says Christine Andrews, Housing and Environment Programs Coordinator for the City of Somerville. “By providing a way to refill water bottles at a central and accessible location, we are hoping to encourage everyone to reduce waste, whether they are passing through or enjoying the sights and sounds of Davis Square.”

The Somerville Board of Aldermen and the Mayor’s Office took immediate action to determine what went wrong with the oversight process at the Beacon St. reconstruction site. — Photos by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

The repercussions of the seemingly unauthorized removal of trees as part of the Beacon St. reconstruction project hit a fever pitch last week as the Somerville Board of Aldermen took up the issue, demanding answers from those who were responsible.

After receiving complaints from residents of the area, members of the Board, most notably Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston, made sure that the matter was put on the agenda for last week’s regular meeting.

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, Somerville voters will cast their ballots in a City Election for the offices of Mayor of Somerville, various Board of Aldermen members, and School Committee Members in Wards 1 and 2. This week, the Somerville Times asked each of the qualified candidates for Alderman At-Large to describe why they would be the best choice for the office they are running for and what specific policies they would advocate or implement in that position, along with a bio if they choose to include one. Their responses are presented here in alphabetical order based on their last names, ward by ward.

Masonic Open House is coming up on Saturday, October 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., right here in Somerville. It’s one of the oldest Masonic Lodges in existence, since 1783, at 125 Highland Avenue. King Solomon’s Lodge AF & AM is still very active and very much alive and doing great. It has a huge amount of historical artifacts dating back to the 17th century, some of which will be on display for anyone to see. Come up the driveway to the rear parking lot. They will answer all the questions about Masonry that you may want to ask. Light refreshments will be served. The public is cordially invited.