(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 Jack Lister

As a retired Somerville resident, I have seen this city go through many changes and unfortunately not always for the better when it comes to shared economic prosperity.  I’m proud that we are an inclusive and inviting city, at one time where everyone had a chance to make it.  But city leaders are taking our beloved home in the wrong direction when it comes to economic fairness for our working families.

Wednesday afternoon the home of Somerville Alderman J.T. Scott was damaged with fire in the back upper floor of his home.

Firefighters responded to a 2-alarm fire at 269 Washington St and dealt with the heat of the day to put the fire under control.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

A Multicultural Night was held at the West Somerville Neighborhood School by West Somerville Neighborhood School Friends and Families on April 26, in the school Cafetorium.
Participants learned about various cultures and sampled foods native to peoples from all across the globe.

A march and rally by members and supporters of the Somerville Stands Together coalition took place last week, leading up to a presentation to the Board of Aldermen. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

Last Thursday, April 26, a coalition of community and labor groups calling itself Somerville Stands Together marched to City Hall, where they held a rally asking civic leaders  to show more support for residents and their employment needs.

After arriving at the City Hall Concourse, representatives from the coalition spoke to the assembled crowd of supporters who had gathered alongside city officials, addressing the concerns and grievances of the group.

Students participated in a simulation of United Nations negotiations in which they attempted to mitigate the effects of climate change. — Photo by Shira Laucharoen

By Shira Laucharoen

The Center for Teen Empowerment hosted a screening of portions of Al Gore’s compelling and eloquent documentary An Inconvenient Truth on Thursday, April 26. The film showing was held at the Somerville Public Library through TE’s Library Leaders program as part of SustainaVille Week and was followed by a group activity.

By Greg Karczewski
President of US2

That is the question we asked everyone who attended the April 19th public meeting to review the first phase of USQ, a $1.5 billion transit-oriented development in Somerville’s Union Square. The public was invited to give us, Union Square Station Associates, feedback on the design of the first phase of the project, also known as parcel D2, which includes 175,000 square feet of lab/office space, over 400 units of housing, ground-floor retail and civic space.

Thursday, May 3, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., join Middlesex County Registrar of Deeds Maria Curtatone at Sally O’Brien’s on Somerville Avenue in Union Square as she and her supporters kickoff the campaign to re-elect her as Middlesex South Register of Deeds. Since taking office, Maria has worked faithfully to improve the Registry for the public and its employees. Maria has made substantial positive changes and looks forward to discussing her progress to date and her vision for the upcoming years. To volunteer for the host committee or for the campaign please email votemariacurtatone@gmail.com. They look forward to seeing you.

Somerville artist Jane Sherrill with her works “Forest: Locust (Truro)” and “Tree Of Life.”

This coming weekend, local artists will open their studios and workshops all over the city to the public during the 20th annual Somerville Open Studios (SOS).

SOS will take place this Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Organized by the non-profit organization of the same name, over 360 artists will be participating in the admission-free event. Additionally, on Friday, May 4, some artists will open their studios as a preview of the event from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

By Donald Norton

Well over 130 local Masons from Somerville joined together for a night of fun and enjoyment at Giggles Comedy Club in Saugus last Wednesday evening.

If there’s one thing that most of us agree on, it’s that there’s a dire need for more affordable housing for those with low to moderate incomes.

And speaking of incomes, there are many in the city who are working hard yet barely making ends meet. There is an obvious need for better paying jobs as well.