Click on link below to read December 5th, 2017 The Somerville News Weekly Print Edition Online:December 5th, 2017 The Somerville News Weekly Print Edition Online

Turn your favorite photos into “Somerville News Weekly Magic Moments!”

Sent in by our readers!

Continue reading Somerville News Weekly Magic Moments Series →

CAMBRIDGE, MA – On Sunday, December 17th, from 1:00PM – 2:50PM, FMC Ice Sports will be hosting a special Winter Wonderland Public Skate event at the Simoni Ice Rink in Cambridge, MA. Continue reading THE SIMONI ICE RINK PRESENTS A WINTER WONDERLAND PUBLIC SKATE EVENT →

The Tewksbury Police Department is seeking any information as to the whereabouts of Martin Omar Crespo, 37, formerly of 191 Charles Street, Lowell for stealing a woman’s purse while she was shopping at the Tewksbury Wal-Mart on October 31, 2017.  He fled the area before police arrived and could not be located.

Continue reading Tewksbury Police:Wanted Person – Purse Snatching   →

By Bob Katzen

Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a bill that gives public school districts the power and flexibility to offer other English Language Learner (ELL) programs in addition to or instead of the current sheltered English immersion program.

Continue reading LEGISLATION FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS Signed →

By Bob Katzen

Gov. Baker signed into law a bill designed to ensure free access to FDA-approved methods of birth control for women in Massachusetts. The measure allows women to get a 12-month supply of a contraceptive of their choosing after an initial 3-month prescription and mandates coverage of emergency contraception at pharmacies without a copayment or a new prescription.

Continue reading GOVERNOR SIGNS CONTRACEPTION COVERAGE BILL INTO LAW →

By Bob Katzen

Last week the House voted 119-34 and upheld the ruling of Acting House Speaker Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) that prohibited consideration of an amendment that would authorize police officers, court officers and other law enforcement officers to detain a person under certain circumstances, at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on the grounds that there is probable cause that such person is a removable illegal alien.

Continue reading PROHIBIT CONSIDERATION OF DETAINING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS →

By Bob Katzen

Sponsors of several possible ballot questions for the November 2018 election faced their second deadline in the long process to get their proposed law or constitutional amendment on the ballot.

Continue reading SOME 2018 POSSIBLE BALLOT QUESTIONS CLEAR ANOTHER HURDLE →

By Bob Katzen

The Public Health Committee held a hearing on legislation that would give cemeteries the authority to allow the burial of people and their pets in the same location.

Continue reading TALKS ON BEACON HILL ON LAWS TO BURY PETS WITH OWNERS →

Eleven local children chosen to sing holiday classic song before December 15th performance

BOSTON, MA – DEC. 4 – Somerville’s Cameron Alexander Wolf was chosen from over 30 entries to perform the holiday classic song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” before the December 15th performance of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” at the Shubert Theatre.

Continue reading SOMERVILLE’S CAMERON WOLF CHOSEN FOR “RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL” SINGING CELEBRATION →

Amsterdam-born creative workspace pioneer, Spaces, has chosen Somerville for its second site in Massachusetts. Located at 240 Elm Street in the heart of Davis Square, Spaces will offer professionals in the area an impressive 15,450 square foot business hub built around the concept of shared ideas and innovation.

Continue reading Workspace Pioneer Spaces to Open in Somerville →

Just in time to complete your holiday shopping, the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission has “Preserving Somerville” merchandise available for sale. Continue reading Historic Somerville Merchandise on Sale for Holiday Season →

Annual All City Middle School Winter Concert which will take place on Thursday December 14th  6:30pm in the Auditorium of Somerville High School Continue reading Somerville Annual All City Middle School Winter Concert →

Many Villens celebrating their birthdays this week in the Ville! Happy Birthday greetings go out to Brenda Moschella, Kathleen Bereznoski, Estee Vered, Peter Anthony, Rachel Calabrese, Michelle Sousa, Laura Dupont Vellucci, Danielle Connell, Sharon Borges Colleran, Ray Zonghetti and Frankie Santangelo

Sent in by our readers!

Continue reading The Somerville News Weekly Favorite Birthday Photos of the Week →

Charles “Chuck” Gerlach is the Graphic Design & Visual Communications Instructor at the Somerville High School.

Continue reading THE SOMERVILLE NEWS WEEKLY SPECIAL PERSON OF THE WEEK CHARLES “CHUCK” GERLACH →

Courtesy photo/A Gloucester man has been arrested in the case of an illegally caught tuna, beheaded and left in some Gloucester woods.

Continue reading Arrest Made In Case Of Headless Tuna →

Continuing a multi-year planning and design process, all interested parties are invited to join Mayor Joseph Curtatone and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development on Tuesday, December 5, at 6 p.m. at the Brickbottom Artists Association, 1 Fitchburg St., for a meeting to discuss the future of the ARTFarm site.  Attendees will be updated on next steps for the project.  Continue reading Meeting ‪Tuesday, December 5‬, to Discuss ARTFarm Updates →

The Allstate Foundation grant to support nonprofit’s work to help end domestic violence and financial abuse

SOMERVILLE, Mass. – Seven Allstate agency owners from the Greater Somerville area recently came together to secure a $7,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands® grant to benefit RESPOND, Inc. in addition to providing the organization with much-needed supplies collected from the multi-agency donation drive. The grant will support the nonprofit organization’s mission to help end domestic violence and financial abuse.

Continue reading Seven Allstate agency owners earn $7,000 grant for Somerville’s RESPOND, Inc. →

ONGOING PROGRAMS

Join the SCOA’s email group – The email group is for Somerville Council on Aging Seniors and / or Caregivers who are interested in the latest information on resources, events, programming, etc…in and around the Somerville area. Continue reading Somerville Council on Aging Weekly Organizational Updates & Information →

By Bob Katzen

THE HOUSE AND SENATE. There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local senators’ roll call attendance records for the 2017 session through December 1.

Continue reading Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 42 – Report No. 48 November 27 – December 1, 2017 →

GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS MONDAY, December 04, the 338th day of 2017 with 27 to follow. Sunrise in the Boston area is @ 6:5 and sunset is @ 4:1. The moon is waning. The morning stars are stars are Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury. The evening stars are Mars, Neptune, Uranus & Venus.

ON THIS DAY IN:  1783 – Gen. George Washington said farewell to his officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York.  Continue reading GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS by John Dwyer →

The following is a brief summary pertaining to incident #17072574

On November 29th, 2017 at approximately 16:31, Somerville Police Dispatch received a call for shots fired in the area of Myrtle Street at Perkins St (see incident #17072516). Continue reading Real Life Somerville Police Stories: Michael CASTILLO (Carry Weapon), Justin MYRICK (PWID D) & Mario MESTANZA-MORAN (Reckless Op. MV) →

On Wednesday November 29, 2017, I, Officer Marra, was in full-uniform and assigned to marked cruiser 782, patrolling area E2, for the Somerville Police Department. At approximately 1600 hours, I was dispatched to T-Mobile, located at the Twin City Shopping Plaza, 14 McGrath Highway Somerville, for the report of an unwanted patron causing a disturbance in the store.

Continue reading Real Life Somerville Police Stories: Bonnie DWYER (Trespass, Disorderly) →

On November 29, 2017, I, Officer Bork was patrolling area East 1 for the Somerville Police Department. At approximately 01:06, East 3, Officer Beckford, and I, were dispatched to 76 Franklin Street for a report of a male threatening another male with a possible knife or hammer after he asked him to turn down the music. East 4, Officer Ruf, and Sierra 8, Sgt. Perrone, responded as well.

Continue reading Real Life Somerville Police Stories: Rudy ADAM (Assault w. Dangerous Weapon – Knife) →

On Tuesday 11/28/17 at approximately 8:50 P.M., I was travelling southbound on McGrath Hwy (Rte28) in an unmarked police cruiser with Det. John Thermidor and Sgt. Michael Capasso.  Continue reading Real Life Somerville Police Stories: David McCollin (Traffick Cocaine) →

Continue reading Somerville Police Department Weekly Arrest Log 11/27-12/04 →

Photos by Frankie Saint

By William Tauro

This past Saturday night dozens of guests filled the ballroom of the Somerville Holiday Inn for the 10th Annual Toys for Local Children Dinner Dance.

Continue reading Somerville Toys for Local Children (TLC) 2017 Hits The Ground Running During This Season of Giving →

By William Tauro

The Somerville News Weekly thought that this Facebook story might be of interest, especially to the newer residents in Somerville.

Continue reading Somerville Pride-Who Was Your Favorite Somerville Mayor? →

GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS SUNDAY, December 03, the 337th day of 2017 with 28 to follow. Sunrise in the Boston area is @ 6:55 and sunset is @ 4:11. The Full Cold Moon is exact @ 10:48 AM EST. The morning stars are stars are Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury. The evening stars are Mars, Neptune, Uranus & Venus.

ON THIS DAY IN:  1792 – The trial of France’s King Louis XVI began. He was eventually put to death for the 33 charges.

1818 – Illinois was admitted as the 21st state of the union.  Continue reading GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS by John Dwyer →

By William Tauro

Our condolences go out to the Albano, the Lisi and the Buonopane families for the recent passing of Maria Albano Lisi.

Continue reading Somerville Remembering Maria Albano Lisi →

By William Tauro

A supporter of President Donald J Trump who owns a pick up truck has been vandalized for a second time at 3:00 AM Saturday morning.

Continue reading Trump Supporter Truck Gets Trashed Second Time In Somerville President Threatened →

By Bob Katzen

An unusual week at the Statehouse ended with Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) reading a statement to a throng of reporters about the allegations in the Boston Globe that his husband, Bryon Hefner, groped three men and kissed another one against his will.

Continue reading ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE SENATE PRESIDENT’S HUSBAND →

Join Mayor Joseph Curtatone and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development for a meeting to discuss the future of the ARTFarm site.

Continue reading Somerville ARTFarm Update Meeting, ‪12/5‬ →

Tickets for the annual Illuminations Tour go on sale starting December 3. You can buy tickets at Blue Cloud Gallery in Ball Square. (The Illuminations Tour takes place December 16.)

When/where: Opening hours at the Blue Cloud Gallery, 713 Broadway, are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Erika Nesse, November’s Artist of the Month, composes fractal music, which she says is “similar in spirit to visual fractals such as the Mandelbrot set, but at least in my case not made directly from them but by a similar mathematical process.” If this fascinates you, read more about Nesse at somervilleartscouncil.org. On December 7, join the Somerville Arts Council to celebrate all the 2017 Artists of the Month. This gala is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Arts at the Armory Cafe, 191 Highland Ave

For more news about sustainable energy and Somerville’s efforts to confront climate change, sign up for the SustainaVille newsletter. Here are some highlights from the most recent edition:

• There’s still time to take the SustainaVille survey

• The deadline to receive a HeatSmart/CoolSmart discount on air source heat pumps has been extended to February 15. Continue reading SustainaVille News →

We’re preparing for an odd winter this year, but hopefully not in a record breaking amount of snow kind of way. This winter season begins in an odd year (2017), so during any possible snow emergencies vehicles need to be parked on the odd side of the street (unless nearby street signage says otherwise). Continue reading Get Ready for an Odd Winter in Somerville →

Somerville is getting three new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Charging points in Teele Square and East Somerville (across from the Mount Vernon Restaurant) were installed in November, and another station in Magoun Square is coming in the next few weeks. Continue reading New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Somerville →

The City of Somerville and Cambridge Health Alliance have released a wide-ranging 175-page report on the health and wellbeing of Somerville residents that will kick off a public process to develop a long-range Community Health Improvement Plan as noted by the Mayor in this week’s Somerville Times.  Continue reading Somerville Releases Comprehensive ‘Wellbeing’ Report  →

You’re probably more interested in zoning than you think. Do you want to be able to easily make basic home modifications? Do you want to make sure a noisy factory doesn’t move into your residential neighborhood? Do you want our zoning to support the creation of affordable housing, open space, or arts and maker spaces? If so, then you care about zoning.

Continue reading Somerville-Come Chat About Zoning →

In November the MBTA awarded a contract to GLX Constructors, a joint-venture of several companies, to build the bulk of the Green Line Extension. The $1.08 billion winning bid is under the $1.3 billion budget set by the MBTA, according to the Boston Globe. Continue reading Somerville-Green Line Update →

Upcoming Holiday Fun

Save the dates! Celebrate the holiday season in Somerville with these fun events:

• Thurs., Dec. 7: Join us on the City Hall concourse starting at 5:30 p.m., for the annual Christmas tree lighting. Afterwards head over to the Somerville High School atrium for refreshments and a visit with Santa. Continue reading Upcoming Holiday Fun in Somerville →

Union Square Main Streets, in partnership with local businesses, will bring you the 3rd Annual Holiday Stroll on Saturday, December 9 from 11am-5pm. Participants are invited to kick off the holiday season with a stroll through the Square with many exciting activities to explore!

Continue reading Somerville Fun and Shopping at the Union Square Holiday Stroll →

GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS FRIDAY, December 01, the 335th day of 2017 with 30 to follow. Sunrise in the Boston area is @ 6:53 and sunset is @ 4:12. The moon is waxing. The morning stars are stars are Jupiter, Saturn & Mercury. The evening stars are Mars, Neptune, Uranus & Venus.

ON THIS DAY IN:  1835 – Hans Christian Andersen published his first book of fairy tales.

1909 – The Pennsylvania Trust Company, of Carlisle, PA, became the first bank in the in the U.S. to offer a Christmas Club account.

1913 – Ford Motor Co. began using a new movable assembly line that ushered in the era of mass production.  Continue reading GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS by John Dwyer →