Girls on the Run, an empowerment program for girls in grades 3-8, now has a team at Winter Hill Community School. The Girls on the Run Spring 5k takes place on Saturday, June 3 at Hopkinton High School. For more information contact Program Coordinator, Kristen Bonito at Kristen.bonito@girlsontherun.org.

(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)

To the Honorable Board of Aldermen:

Following review by board members and staff, our organizations would like to share the following points regarding pending matters related to the development of Union Square:

• We support the Community Benefits Ordinance and urge its adoption to advance responsible Union Square development and community benefits.
• We find the Covenant as written to be a sufficient indication of Union Square Station Associates’ commitment to a suitable role for the Union Square Neighborhood Council.

Ed Halloran, co-chair of the Somerville Labor Coalition (SLC), delivers testimony to the Board of Aldermen, petitioning for a resolution to encourage that evergreen clauses be in contracts with city negotiators.

By Jordan Deschenes

Representatives from Somerville city unions and worker’s associations were in attendance at last week’s Board of Alderman meeting to petition for a resolution. Both groups asked for the aldermen to add their signatures to the motion, which would prohibit city negotiators from denying unions the ability to include evergreen clauses in public-sector contracts.

Music lovers gathered at a College Ave. residence to enjoy the music of The Ellen Degenerates as part of the 2017 edition of Porchfest Somerville. — Photo by Joe Ruvido

By Joe Ruvido

If measured by thousands of concertgoers enjoying an afternoon drink while seeing live music, Porchfest 2017 was a success.

Though the event, which is held annually on the second Saturday of May, was met with mediocre spring weather, it wasn’t stopping revelers like Antonio Escobar of East Somerville from enjoying the festivities. “I liked it a lot,” said Escobar, who was attending his first Porchfest with a group of friends. “The concept of walking around Somerville and listening to music and meeting up with my neighbors is nice.”

Alderman At-Large Dennis Sullivan is having his campaign kickoff this Thursday night, May 18, at the Old Magoun’s Saloon, 518 Medford Street in Magoun Square. Dennis has been a solid voice on the Board for the residents, asking the right questions all the time. He’s the only one that does “meet the Alderman” out in public in various parts of the city, and is very accessible to the community. Step up and join him this Thursday night.

Left to right: Middlesex DA Marian Ryan, Revere Mayor Brian Arrigo, Ward 3 Alderman Bob McWatters and Alderman At-Large Jack Connolly.

By Donald Norton

On Tuesday night well over a 100 friends and supporters jammed into Sally O’Brien’s Pub on Somerville Avenue for Ward 3 Alderman Bob McWatters’ campaign kickoff/fundraiser. At one point the crowd was so large it was out the door and onto the sidewalk, with no room to move around.

Members of Mothers out Front, including Randi Soltysiak of Somerville, delivered over 2000 postcards to Governor Baker last Friday in honor of Mother’s Day. These postcards asked the Governor to take a stand and speak out against new pipelines in the state.

By Anne Goodwin

Members of Mothers Out Front Massachusetts, a grassroots movement of mothers and other caregivers focused on climate change, delivered 2,163 postcards to Governor Baker’s Beacon Hill office last Friday.

The postcards, signed by Massachusetts citizens, urge the Governor to “unite with mothers to create a healthy environment today and a livable climate tomorrow for all children.”

By Donald Norton

A good sized crowd was present at Somerville High School’s Highlander Café last Friday, hoping to not just win the grand prize of $10K but to raise a lot of money for the SHS Scholarship Foundation.

Eagle Feathers #129 – Everett

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Edward Everett’s political rise began in 1825 while living in his mansion-like home on the summit of Winter Hill. From this elevation, he enjoyed a panoramic view of South Malden.

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Somerville Bagel Bard Lawrence Kessenich reviews a new book of poetry…

Before We Were Birds

Susan Richmond (Adastra Press, 2017)

A sentence from the blurb by Fred Marchant on the back of Before We Were Birds is a good jumping off point for this review: “Richmond’s poems … continually ask us to imagine the natural world as rife with spirits, ones that for a moment in the ongoing metamorphoses have taken on the form of dolphin or snowy owl … or a fox that stops and stares right back.” Nature, spirits, and metamorphoses are the common threads that run through this collection – and there’s a quality of nature staring right back at us that lends it power as well.