By Darcie Fisher

Citizen Schools, a national nonprofit that partners with public schools to provide academic enrichment in underserved communities in four states, announced on Tuesday a major financial investment of $500,000 from Google.org, bringing the company’s total support of Citizen Schools to over $4.5 million.

By Jim Clark

As part of an ongoing surveillance operation last Thursday, Somerville Police Drug Unit officers observed a man known to them walking along Mystic Ave.

The man was known to members of the unit from previous drug related offenses.

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.

44 percent: Earlier this year, I used this space to discuss the realities of the national opioid epidemic and Somerville’s challenges within the crisis. As I indicated then, Somerville – like much of the Commonwealth – had been seeing an alarming trend of an increase in opioid-related deaths, rising from three in 2012 to 21 in 2016. I told you there were signs of hope, and those signs are still there and getting stronger. Preliminary Somerville Police data shows a 44 percent decrease in opioid-involved fatalities for the first six months of 2017 when compared to 2016. In recent years, we had seen a spike in fatalities during the spring months (averaging 7 each spring from 2014 to 2016). This year there was one reported opioid-related death in the spring.

The new traffic pattern in Union Square is galling to some neighborhood locals as well as commuters passing through. — Photo by Erin Wade

By Erin Wade

Monday’s rush-hour debut of the new traffic pattern in Union Square saw cars and buses driving through a lane reserved for parking and confusion over a new right-turn arrow on the traffic signal at the intersection of Prospect Street and Somerville Avenue, despite orange cones and police directing drivers through the new pattern.

Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston reported the latest findings of the Special Committee on Rodent Issues to the Board as a whole at their last regular meeting.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville Board of Aldermen heard a report by the Special Committee on Rodent Issues at the most recent regular meeting of the Board.

Committee Chairperson, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann M. Heuston, updated the status of the city’s efforts to curb the rodent infestations that have plagued the city for many years.

Next Tuesday night, Elio LoRusso, who is a candidate in Ward 1 for alderman, is having his campaign kickoff on Tuesday, August 8, at Casey’s on Lower Broadway from 5:30 p.m. on. It’s a campaign kickoff and fundraiser.

State Rep. Christine P. Barber.

From the Office of State Representative Christine P. Barber

Somerville and Medford State Representative Christine P. Barber voted with House colleagues on Wednesday, July 26, to reject an amendment Governor Baker made to the fiscal year 2018 budget that would have cut eligibility and benefits for MassHealth, the Commonwealth’s Medicaid program for low-income families.

It seems as though we have been fighting this battle for such a long time. Surely, we must start seeing some signs of progress soon. One would think so anyway.

After all, we take pride in the special qualities that make our city such a great place to live and work in. Quaint residential neighborhoods co-exist with our urban centers in a seamless patchwork that blends comfort with efficiency in so many ways. Why then are we saddled with the seemingly never-ending problem of rodent infestation?

*

This week I made two recipes that I shared here in the past. The first, Ropa Vieja http://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/76448 and the second, Cuban Style Black Beans http://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/63333. I added another dish to share with the above recipes, fried plantain chips.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The Somerville Sunsetters, pictured here, visited Lincoln Park Playground on Thursday, July 17. Led by Somerville Youth Arts Coordinator, Jimmy Del Ponte, the singing group has eight more performances scheduled for their 2017 season: Thursday, August 3, at 49 Russell Rd.; Monday, August 7, at 57 Bay State Ave.; Tuesday, August 8, at Little Sisters of the Poor, 186 Highland Ave.; Wednesday, August 9, at Capen Court; Thursday, August 10, at 130 Ten Hills Rd.; Monday, August 14, at 10 Henderson St.; Tuesday, August 15, at 20 Kensington Ave.; and Wednesday, August 16 at 50 Hudson St.