Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Before all the electronics and video games that the kids today enjoy, toys were pretty simple.

Today a child’s Christmas list looks very different than back in the day. My sister loved her Chatty Cathy doll and her Easy Bake Oven. One year I got a Mr. Potato Head that you actually used real potatoes or other vegetables with.

New restrictions aimed at reducing parking problems posed by new residents occupying new developments have been proposed by the Somerville Traffic Commission.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville Traffic Commission approved a proposal to restrict the issuance of parking permits to future residents of new development located within walking distance to a rapid transit station of the MBTA’s Red, Orange, or Green Line services at its latest meeting on Thursday, December 12.

Peter Lancaster’s “The Old and the New” illustrated Somerville’s older culture and how it has been changing, due to gentrification. — Photo by Peter Lancaster

By Shira Laucharoen

Through the image of a chain link fence, we see a scene of congested traffic, lanes of cars crowded on McGrath highway, in the city of Somerville. The photograph captures “only a glimpse of Somerville’s chaotic rat race,” the statement for the picture reads. Taken by student Cassian Ortiz, the representation of a neighborhood scene is part of a photo essay called Legoland, a critique of what the city has become, as a result of gentrification. Another image offers a look at the giant Lego giraffe at Assembly Row.

A meeting was held at the West Somerville Neighborhood School to discuss improvement plans for its schoolyard.

By Adam Parise

Last Wednesday, December 11, residents and city planners gathered in the cafeteria of the West Somerville Neighborhood School to discuss the layout and design options for the new schoolyard.

(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.)

By State Representative Christine P. Barber

As I look back on 2019, I would like to take a moment to say thank you. Thanks to the partnership and action of people in Somerville and Medford, we have accomplished so much together for our community. We succeeded in moving forward several local projects and made important investments to benefit all residents. In the face of cruelty and division coming out of Washington, I am proud to represent a community of people who work collaboratively and inclusively to make changes in their neighborhood and to advocate for important policies to benefit our entire state.

The publishers, staff and everyone associated with The Somerville Times wish everyone a very Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, as well as a prosperous and healthy New Year in 2020.

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The Somerville Times staff is taking a small holiday vacation beginning this week, with the next issue coming out on January 1, 2020. Anything that comes in and is Somerville related through that period will be posted online to our website. We want to thank all our readers and fans for your support this past year. We are very proud of our paper. We try to keep it a real local paper, local stories that are about Somerville. Thank you for sticking with us! Don’t forget, you can go online to our website and register online for a free subscription of the entire paper.

By Stephanie Hirsch

Election season is a stressful time in the city, most especially for the people at the center of the storm. This month, I want to give a huge shout-out to the brave and committed people who ran for office the first time. That group included 10 people, and nine of them were women. They shared some reflections on their experiences with me.

Eagle Feathers #194 – Athenaeum

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Since 1814, Central Hill has been the location of the City Hall, three churches, four schools, a firehouse, the city’s first public park, and four libraries. From early on, many residents agreed that the public library was the focal point of the intellect of the community. Through the years, Somerville has created two main public libraries and over a half dozen satellites that catered to the needs and wishes of her citizens. This is true even in today’s computerized, super-speed networking world.

The shopping is done, the presents are (hopefully) wrapped, and the plans for the big day have been made. Now is the time to slow down, relax and enjoy the holiday and all the finer things that come with it.

Being with family, friends and loved ones and sharing warmth of the occasion is unquestionably at or near the top of the list of things we like most at this time of year.

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Robin Stratton is a dynamo in small press publishing. But this founder of Big Table Publishing extends beyond publishing quality books of fiction and poetry. Now based in San Francisco, she remains a big presence in the Somerville area literary community. I caught up with Stratton recently to talk about her release of two volumes of The Very Best of Big Table Publishing.