James A.Roache, – 74, of Somerville, passed away at home on Saturday, March 7th. Beloved son of the late James F. and Lorraine L. (Flores) Roache. Devoted brother of Kevin T. Roache and his wife Christina of Marshfield, Lorraine Watson of Wilmington, the late Mark Roache and the late Maureen Roache. Cherished uncle of Mark Watson, Robert Watson, Kevin Roache, Thomas Roache, and Christina Butler. Loving great uncle of Hannah, Ryan, Timothy, James, Mary, Elizabeth, Mikey, Fiona, Gillian and Benjamin.

An update on the next phase of the Union Square (USQ) revitalization plan was made at a recent meeting of the Somerville Redevelopment Authority.

By Harry Kane

The Somerville Redevelopment Authority held a meeting on Wednesday, March 4, to provide an overview of the Union Square (USQ) revitalization plan that is moving into the next phase.

Construction option 2B for the new school building proposal.

By Ewan Henrie

The City of Somerville welcomed residents to a forum on Tuesday, March 3, focusing on plans to build a new school at 115 Sycamore Street. The forum meeting took place inside Somerville High School, and featured appearances from Mayor Jake Wilson of Somerville, Superintendent Ruben Carmona, and project architects from Perkins Eastman. Also, in attendance were Councilors Lance Davis and Kristen Strezo.

Somerville’s 2026 high school graduates are invited to apply for City of Somerville Municipal Scholarships designed to help students launch their next steps, be that professional training, college, or a job in the trades. Selected applicants will receive $2,000 to help with post-secondary education expenses, including tuition, professional programs and certifications, and union fees. The deadline to apply is March 27. To qualify for consideration, students must be in high school, a resident of the City of Somerville at the time the financial aid is awarded, and be accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution. Awards are granted both on the basis of merit and need. To apply, students must complete the online application at bit.ly/municipalschol26 by Friday, March 27, at midnight. For more information, visit somervillema.gov/scholarship or contact 311 (617-666-3311).

By Coach Dennis Orellana

The Prospect Hill Academy Wizards upset #2 in the State, Hopedale, to get to the first Final Four in School History.

On Wednesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. at UMass Boston, it’s #7 Prospect Hill Academy vs. #6 Holbrook to go to the State championship this weekend at UMass Lowell.

Teacher of the Year Finalist Beatriz Thomas was recently honored by health benefits company Wellpoint during their visit to Somerville High School.

Wellpoint, a health benefits company in Massachusetts, visited Somerville High School to honor social studies teacher Beatriz Thomas, a finalist for the 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. Wellpoint awarded Thomas $5,000 to further enhance the educational experience for her students. She intends to use the grant to strengthen students’ transition from 8th to 9th grade.

It’s a tradition that most of us have a lot of fun with. Whether one is of Irish lineage or not, St. Patrick’s Day stands for recognition of Irish and Irish American culture, and in many ways, its resulting fusion.

The religious origins of the day have, for some, been obscured and often all but forgotten in favor of the prominent displays of the color green, eating and drinking, and numerous parades. The day has been celebrated on the North American continent since before the American Revolution, and is actually an official holiday in neighboring Suffolk County. Ask any of our Boston brethren, and they would – to a single soul – be aware of this fact.

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Here are a few recipes I shared over the years, all in one place! Whether you’re looking to make shepherd’s pie, soda bread, or colcannon, I’ve got you covered. Check out the links below. I know the traditional way of preparing the corned beef is to boil it, but I am sharing the way I prepare mine, in a not-so-traditional way, sous vide. It’s the only way I prepare it now, and I get rave reviews from friends and family. I have also included information on how sous vide works in a link below.

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Poet X. J. Kennedy has passed recently, so I decided to reprint this interview I had with him and his wife in 2015. Introduction from X.J. Kennedy’s website:

J. Kennedy was born in Dover, N. J., on August 21, 1929, shortly before the crash of the stock market. Irked by the hardship of having the name of Joseph Kennedy, he stuck the X on and has been stuck with it ever since.