Groundwork Somerville will conduct its annual Maple Syrup Boil Down Saturday, — Photo by Bobbie Toner

Did you know that every year, Groundwork Somerville makes maple syrup in a wood-fired boiler (made by Somerville High School students), and you can come watch? Join them for their  annual maple syrup boil down festival, Saturday March 10, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at The Somerville Community Growing Center, 22 Vinal Ave.

They will be boiling all the sap collected this year from sugar maples at Tufts and serving up pancakes from Cuisine en Locale. There will be live music, games, and Groundwork Somerville gear for sale!

By Jim Clark

A Somerville police officer on patrol in the early morning hours of last Wednesday, February 28, noticed a car illegally parked at a Bonair St. location. The vehicle was reportedly more than two feet from the curb and parked in a no parking zone. A query of the license plate showed that the vehicle was registered to a rental company.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(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)

A monthly look at ways to get involved with your city: Don’t just live in Somerville, be Somerville!

Zoning Meetings Hosted by Ward Aldermen

Members of Somerville’s Board of Aldermen are hosting a series of meetings to discuss the City’s proposed zoning overhaul. All residents are invited to attend the remaining meetings, as follows:

While the City of Somerville will NOT declare a snow emergency for Thursday, March 8, Somerville Public Schools will be closed. All Somerville Public Libraries will be open on a regular schedule. The Somerville Recreation Department will host public skating hours from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink on Somerville Ave. Trash and recycling pickup will remain on a normal schedule Thursday.

Shortly after Somerville Police shared information regarding a backpack found containing a broken Airsoft soft pellet rifle and related materials, the owner quickly identified himself by contacting police. It appears that a 17-year-old Somerville resident received the Airsoft equipment from a friend moving overseas. He intended to use it for Airsoft sports once he turned 18. Upon finding the equipment in their home, the youth’s Aunt and Uncle ordered it be broken, taken out of the house, and thrown away. The youth broke the guns and then disposed of them in a trash can near the Capuano school. The ski mask (balaclava) was part of the Airsoft gear. The youth apologized for causing any alarm. 

Community Engagement Specialist and Spanish Liaison for the City of Somerville, Irma Flores, seen here speaking at the Charlottesville vigil held in the city last year.

By Ahmed Sorour

“Good ideas spread.” That is, according to Irma Flores, who spoke this past Saturday as Harvard Law School hosted Advocacy in Times of Crisis, a 2018 symposium organized by the Harvard Immigration Project.

Born in El Salvador, Flores graduated from the University of El Salvador with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Affairs. In 2001, she immigrated to the United States with her son and daughter, and now serves as the Community Engagement Specialist and Spanish Liaison for the City of Somerville, a role she assumed the March of 2013.

Students at Somerville High School walked out of school last Wednesday as a statement of solidarity with the shooting victims of Parkland, and to raise awareness of the gun control issue. — Photo by Claudia Ferro

By Jim Clark

Last Wednesday, February 28, students at Somerville High School staged a walkout to protest what was described as a lack of competent gun control laws across the country. More than 400 students left their classrooms at 8:17 a.m. and walked outside where 17 minutes of silence was observed to pay homage to the victims of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, and address the epidemic of mass shootings in the United States.

On Saturday, March 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., the Somerville Teachers Association will be having an “alumni tour” of the old high school. This is a chance to see and walk through the old corridors once again before the school is torn down to make room for the new one. No admission fee is being charged, but donations to the STA scholarship fund will be gladly accepted. It’s a great opportunity to reminisce about your days at the old high school. Parking is available around the school in various lots. Please enter at the main entrance of the school.

~Photo by Donald Norton

In its annual tradition, the City of Somerville held a reenactment ceremony for the 242nd anniversary of the “Grand Union” flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park on Sunday, March 4, attended by approximately 200.

On Tuesday of this week, The City of Somerville joined members of the general public in observing #BlackBalloonDay, in remembrance of those who have lost their lives through drug overdose. Drug overdose is the leading cause of accidental death in the U.S. for people under 50 and opioid addiction is driving this epidemic.