The City of Somerville reminds residents that excise tax payments are due Monday, March 19, 2018. Payment methods accepted include cash, checks, and credit cards, and payments can be made online at http://www.somervillema.gov/payments, in person at City Hall during normal business or by using the payment box out front, or by mail addressed to Attn: Treasurer/Collector, City of Somerville, 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143. Please note that the credit card processor charges a convenience fee for using a card to pay.

Continue reading Excise Tax Payment Due Monday, March 19 →

All cars must be moved to the ODD side (unless otherwise posted) by Monday night at 9 p.m. to avoid ticketing and towing.

Continue reading SOMERVILLE DECLARES SNOW EMERGENCY EFFECTIVE MONDAY, MARCH 12, AT 5 P.M. →

Stephen Jones is lifelong resident of Somerville and a graduate of Somerville High School. He went on to receive his masters in Criminal Justice from UMASS Lowell.

Continue reading THE SOMERVILLE NEWS WEEKLY’S SPECIAL PERSON OF THE WEEK STEPHEN JONES →

By Bob Katzen

THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

This week Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on some of the bills that were approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker so far in the 2017-2018 session.

Continue reading Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 43 -Report No. 10 March 5-9, 2018 →

By Bob Katzen

The House 154-0, Senate 37-0, approved and the governor signed into law a measure cracking down on the misuse of handicapped parking placards including increasing the period of license suspension for wrongful use or display of a placard from 30 to 60 days for a first offense and from 90 to 120 days for a second offense.

Continue reading HANDICAPPED PARKING MISUSE CRACKDOWN MEASURES IN PLACE →

By Bob Katzen

The House 155-1, Senate 37-0, approved and Gov. Baker signed into law a bill that would give 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. The current immersion program, approved by Massachusetts voters on a ballot question in 2002, requires all students, including those not yet fluent in English, to be taught English by being taught all subjects in English and to be placed in English language classrooms.

Continue reading ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS BILL (H 4032) APPROVED →

By Bob Katzen

House 136-11, Senate 32-6, approved and Gov. Baker signed onto law a bill changing some provisions and adding other provisions to the law, approved by voters on the 2016 ballot, legalizing the possession, growing and sale of marijuana.

Continue reading SENATE APPROVES TO REGULATE MARIJUANA BILL (H 3818) →

By Bob Katzen

House 150-0, Senate 38-0, approved and the governor signed into law the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act that prohibits an employer from discriminating against, refusing to employ or firing a woman because she is pregnant or has a condition related to pregnancy.

Continue reading SENATE APPROVES FAIRNESS FOR PREGNANT WORKERS →

By Bob Katzen

House 116-43, Senate 31-9, overrode Gov. Baker’s veto of an $18 million pay raise package including hiking the salaries of the two leaders who filed the bill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and former Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), by $45,000 from $97,547 to $142,547. The measure also hikes the pay of the Legislature’s two Republican leaders, Sen. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) and Rep. Bradley Jones (R-North Reading) by $37,500 from $85,047 to $122,547. Another provision hikes the salaries of the state’s judges by $25,000 over an 18-month period.

Continue reading $18 MILLION PAY HIKE ON BEACON HILL →

Continue reading Somerville Council on Aging Weekly Updates & Information →

The following is a brief summary to incident #18014123.

Members of the Somerville Police Department Drug Control Unit and Gang Unit initiated a drug investigation engineered by Walter Komnenus and his alleged role in the ongoing distribution of controlled substances. Continue reading Real Life Somerville Police Stories: Walter KOMNENUS (PWID B Subsq, MV Viol) →

Continue reading Somerville Police Department Weekly Arrest Log 3/5/18 – 3/11/18 →

GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS MONDAY, March 12, the 71st day of 2018 with 294 to follow. Sunrise in the Boston area is @ 7:01 and sunset is @ 6:45. The moon is waning. The morning stars are stars are Jupiter, Mars, Mercury & Saturn. The evening stars are Neptune, Uranus & Venus.

ON THIS DAY IN: 1496 – Jews were expelled from Syria. Continue reading GOOD MORNING – TODAY IS by John Dwyer →

Presented by Boston Area Guild of Puppetry and Somerville Media Center

Friday April 6th, 6:30-9:30 PM

Somerville Media Center,

90 Union Square, Somerville, MA 02143,

www.somervillemedia.org.

6:30  Public Reception

7:00 Handmade Puppet Dreams for Families”, Volume 1

8:00 “Treeples” and other films

Continue reading Puppet Film Night at Somerville Media Center →

Closure to be in place 7 a.m. through 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The full closure of the Cedar St. / Highland Ave. intersection, initially scheduled to being on Monday, March 12, has been postponed. Continue reading POSTPONED: Cedar St. / Highland Ave. Intersection to Close for Approximately 3 Weeks for Construction, ‪Beginning March 19‬ (Previously Scheduled for March 12) →