L to R:  Assistant Chief Sean Tierney, John Tivinis, Sergio Rodriguez, Nicholas Cantone, Derek Doane, William Deeks, Jack Haigis and Chief Charles Breen. ~ Photos courtesy of Somerville FD

Six new Firefighters were appointed to the Somerville Fire Department at the April 11th City Council Meeting. The new Firefighters are: Derek Doane, Jack Haigis, John Tivinis, Nicholas Cantone, William Deeks and Sergio Rodriguez. In addition, District Chief Kenneth Silva was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief.

Thursday, April 18 , 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. by  Zoom

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Recreational marijuana stores are popping up all over the city. Ball Square, Davis Square and East Somerville to name a few. I surveyed people from around the city on their feelings toward this. Each new comment is in quotes.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, and the City of Somerville Municipal Scholarship Committee are reminding Somerville residents graduating high school in 2024 to apply now for five municipal scholarship opportunities. Selected applicants will receive $1,000 to help with post-secondary education expenses. 

Martha MacLeish Fuller, of Somerville, MA, and Prudence Island, RI, died on April 10, 2024, after an extended attempt to coexist with colon and pancreatic cancer.

She was the daughter of Kenneth MacLeish and Carolyn deChadenèdes. She leaves her beloved husband, Herbert Fuller; her sons, Drew Glazier and Levi Fuller (Meghan), and granddaughter, Rowan Loch Fuller. She also leaves her brother, A. Bruce MacLeish (Patricia), her sister, Ellen Zale, and her brother, Kenneth Ian MacLeish (Donna) and their children, as well as great-nieces and great-nephews.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne invited community members to attend a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, April 10, at the Dilboy Auxiliary Fields. Construction kicks off this spring to transform the Dilboy Auxiliary Fields into a state-of-the-art sports and recreational facility with natural turf fields. Highlights of the work include full reconstruction of the baseball and softball fields, installation of a sand-slit drainage system, new sports lighting, and more.

Somerville residents were caught off guard when they received much higher than expected water bills following the city’s metering upgrades.

By Jim Clark

A large number of Somerville residents are steamed up over the water bills they received recently. Many have reported figures in the thousands of dollars – some even in the tens of thousands.

(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)

By Jack Connolly
Jackconnolly422@gmail.com

Somerville City officials attended a meeting called for by Davis Sq. merchants last week to discuss the unhoused people, addicts frequenting Davis Sq. on a daily basis, and their open drug use and drug dealing happening in area parks, including the plaza next to 7/11. Much mention was made about disturbances apparently arising from patrons of the Brightview clinic on Highland Avenue, acting up throughout Davis Sq. Before and after visits to the Brightview office.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Somerville’s Inspectional Services Department announced Somerville’s 2024 Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan. Aimed at enhancing rodent management efforts, the updated plan incorporates Integrated Pest Management principles to effectively address rodent issues across residential, public, and commercial areas within the city. The detailed presentation of the City of Somerville’s Integrated Pest Management will take place at the city’s Board of Health meeting on Thursday, April 18, at 6:00 p.m. Community members, stakeholders, and interested parties are encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be hosted on Zoom, and participate in discussions surrounding rodent management strategies. Interested attendees can join the meeting here: somervillema.gov/events/2024/04/18/board-health-meeting.

(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)

By Chris Dwan

Budget season in Somerville is starting off with a cool tone that approaches austerity. The School Committee has been told to expect a budget that will fail to cover mandatory increases like seniority-based pay raises. The City Council heard last Thursday that any new initiatives will need to fit in less than $15M.