Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

If you grew up in the ‘60s and ‘70s in West Somerville and delivered newspapers, you probably worked for Mr. Abe Learner. Abe was the boss. “Better get going” was one of Abe’s favorite sayings as he tried to get us out to start delivering our papers.

Jane Sherrill, 20 Vernon Street #80
janesherrill.com ~Photo by Bobbie Toner

The 27th Annual Somerville Open Studios took place this past. More than 430 visual artists opened their doors and exhibited their work at more than 120 studio buildings and homes all over Somerville.

(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 Editor:

Kudos to Somerville representative and House Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chair Christine P. Barber for advancing legislation (H.900) that would establish long-overdue testing and standards for private well water in Massachusetts (H.900).

— Photo by Lita Vongsavanh

The Cities of Cambridge and Somerville, together with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), have submitted a joint Draft Updated Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Control Plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to protect local waterways from pollution, the first in the nation to go beyond EPA guidance and prepare for climate change.

This year’s PorchFest takes place on Saturday, May 9, throughout the city.

Hear great tunes right in your neighborhood. Community members are invited to Somerville’s PorchFest on Saturday, May 9, an annual event that transforms porches and stoops across the city into mini-stages for a day of free, live musical performances. Hundreds of bands at more than 500 locations will be performing music ranging from indie, punk, and hip hop to Latin, jazz, country, and world music. Travel across the city or stay in your area to connect with neighbors (it is the Year of the Neighbor in Somerville after all).

Broadway Magoun Open House. The City of Somerville is planning to reconstruct sidewalks, repave, and redesign the segment of Broadway that passes through Magoun Square (Winchester Street to Central Street) to improve safety, accessibility, comfort, and sustainability. The Mobility Division is hosting an open house to share preliminary design concepts that seek to address these concerns and provide a safer, more comfortable experience for everyone using the street. Wednesday, May 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Arthur D. Healey School Cafeteria, 5 Meacham Street.

The city’s Legislative Matters Committee recently reviewed the annual report on surveillance technology.

By Regina Arana

The Somerville City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee met on Tuesday, April 28, to go over the city’s annual report on surveillance technology. The meeting touched on transparency efforts but also raised some real questions about oversight and costs.

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Memorial Day will be celebrated on the last Monday in May to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the military. For detailed information on how this holiday came about, you can visit http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day.

Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus School was founded in 1926 by Father James O’Brien of St. Catherine of St. Catherine’s Paris. In 1953, the school was renamed Saint Catherine of Genoa School to strengthen its connection to the Parish.

Even in troubled times, even the worst of times, there is one particular beacon of goodness and light that pierces through the gloom to warm our hearts and lift our spirits – Mother’s Day.

While life as we know it has been far from normal in recent years, mainly due to political divisions and the like, this is one occasion that can restore a bit of normalcy and order for us as we pause to honor the beloved matriarchs of our families.