*

Julia Monaco is a freshman at Endicott College from Sandy Hook, CT. She is double majoring in International Business and Marketing, and has always enjoyed poetry and writing creatively.

By Union United

(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)

Somerville may be a sanctuary city where the mayor celebrates the diversity of the local community, but when presented with an opportunity to help preserve that diversity and ensure that developers make good on their commitments to vulnerable residents, Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s appointees just put the celebration on hold to ensure that the developer’s profitability was not threatened.

Celebrate Somerville’s 175^th anniversary with a film festival featuring short films about Somerville

The City of Somerville, in collaboration with the Somerville Arts Council and the Somerville Media Center, present this year’s “Cinema Somerville” short film festival featuring short films about Somerville.

Join us the Saturday evening of Somerville Open Studios weekend, May 6, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., in the Union Square Plaza (or inside Somerville Media center in inclement weather). To celebrate the City of Somerville’s 175th Anniversary, this year’s theme is “Somerville old and new.” The screening will feature short films about Somerville, ranging from Somerville music, food, politics and history.

Arrests:
*

Jose Hernandez, of 51 Morris St., E. Boston, April 25, 12:58 p.m., arrested at McGrath Hwy. on a charge of shoplifting by asportation.

Marise Pierre, of 227 Malden St., Revere, April 27, 8:57 a.m., arrested at Washington St. on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

By Tom Bannister

On Saturday, May 20, students and staff members East Somerville Community School, West Somerville Neighborhood School, Dr. Albert F. Argenziano School, and Benjamin G. Brown School, will participate in the 8th Annual Playworks Run for Recess 5K presented by Playworks New England, New Balance, Positive Tracks, and Social Boston Sports. Funds raised through the family friendly 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run, which will take place along Franklin Park’s world-famous cross country course adjacent to the zoo in Roxbury, will support play and physical activity in 75 elementary schools across New England.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville Board of Aldermen invite residents to the Spring 2017 ResiStat Community Meetings, a twice-yearly effort to share the latest City news, data, and neighborhood updates directly with residents and gather their feedback. ResiStat isn’t just a great way to get an overview of what’s happening in your neighborhood and around the city. A social half hour before the meeting and time after the meeting provide an easy opportunity to talk one-on-one to the Mayor, your Aldermen, and City staff and police—and to connect with your neighbors. (We serve pizza and kid-friendly, healthy snacks to make it more fun to come and chat.)

About once a year or so, I send my ‘junk’ precious metals off to be refined. It’s spring here now and it’s time to clean up. For the past few weeks, I’ve been looking hard at trophy bowls with odd engravings to people long dead, miss-matched flatware, broken jewelry and other bits that I’ve collected over the year. This year, I have about 30 lbs. of sterling and 2 lbs. of karat gold to refine.

Community Path to be repaved between Davis Sq. and Cedar St. Path will be closed to all pedestrian and bicycle traffic for two days during repaving.

 On Tuesday, May 2, and Wednesday, May 3, 2017, a portion of the Somerville Community Path (Davis Square to Cedar St.) will be closed as city contractors repave this section of the path. During this work, this portion of the path will be closed for all users, and both pedestrians and cyclists are advised to use the detour route, Morrison Ave., which provides access to Highland Rd., Willow Ave., and Grove St., during construction. This portion of the Community Path is expected to close again, temporarily, within the next several weeks as lane markings will be painted at a later date once pavement has settled.

Owner of backbar, Sam.

By JT Thompson

Sam: shaved head and full beard, the young white owner of backbar, a hipster cocktail bar located behind an anonymous looking metal door in a little alley just off the main plaza of Union Square.

When I walk into backbar one sunny afternoon at 4:30, Sam is sitting at the bar, wearing brown jeans, red sneakers and a mauve, long-sleeved t-shirt. I was looking for a bartender to approach, and he was wearing an apron, with leather straps across his back, serious looking things, like what a whiskey barrel craftsman or gunslinger would wear.