Student safety is on the minds of public officials in Somerville after the recent fatal mass shooting incident in Parkland, Florida and elsewhere.

By Jim Clark

In the aftermath of the tragic mass shooting incident that occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, two weeks ago, national, state, and civic leaders have been asking what can be done to curtail gun violence and assure the safety of students in particular and the general public across the board.

By Tom Bannister/Photos by Bobbie Toner

As the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Janus vs. AFSCME on Monday, Feb 26, about 75 union members and their supporters gathered at Somerville City Hall to say that regardless of any Supreme Court decision they will remain united because Somerville’s workers need good, union jobs more than ever.

On Saturday, March 25, 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.

On Saturday, March 3, Mayor Joseph Curtatone will represent the Elizabeth Warren Campaign at the Somerville Caucus.

Democrats will convene at the Somerville High School at 11:00 a.m. to elect delegates and alternates to the 2018 MA Democratic State Convention, which will be held at the DCU Center in Worcester on June 1 and 2.

If there is one invaluable resource that all city residents can appreciate and be proud of, it is the Somerville Parks & Recreation Department.

They operate year-round programs throughout the city’s public facilities, playgrounds, schoolyards, and various other locations to promote positive and healthy activities for all members of the Somerville Community, in our particular our kids.

The East Somerville Community School (ESCS) Marimba Club gave an exciting and energetic performance for the Board of Aldermen at Somerville City Hall on Thursday, February 8th. After the performance, Board President Katjana Ballantyne presented each student musician with an official citation, signed by all the Somerville Aldermen, celebrating the students’ commitment to musical excellence.

— Photos by Kristina Sabatino

Somerville Girls Varsity Basketball lost the MIAA tournament playoff game they played against Danvers High Monday night in Danvers, eliminating the team from the tournament. The final score was 54-36.

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Review by Dennis Daly

Masked by its modest size and critically unconsidered, at least until now, because of the small number of available copies, Pearl, Lawrence Kessenich’s new chapbook, spellbinds the reader both as a commentary on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and, in its own right, as a compilation of compelling and elegant poetry.

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Actor, writer and comedian, George J. MacDonald has been a working professional in the entertainment industry for a number of years. Stage plays that MacDonald has written include Waiting For Whitey, At The Funny Factory, In A Better Place and Whistling Past The Graveyard. Screenplays include Both Guns Blazing, Still In The Picture and The Spider Sequence. Some of his film credits are Monument Ave., Celtic Pride, Bluff and When Stand-up Stood Out. Television credits include MAD-TV, The Michael Richards Show and A&E’s Comedy On The Road. In 2005, George made his directorial debut with Why Work?, a sketch comedy show that played in The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. MacDonald is a member of SAG-AFTRA, Actors Equity Association and The Dramatists Guild of America.

Arrests:
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Kelly Carey, of 933 Quincy Shore Dr., Quincy, February 19, 6:08 p.m., arrested at Mystic Ave. on a warrant charge of conspiracy to violate drug law.

Michael Zampitella, of 11 Garden St., Cambridge, February 20, 3:47 p.m., arrested at Elm St. on charges of violation of city ordinance possession of a dangerous weapon and shoplifting by concealing merchandise, and on warrant charges of larceny over $250, use of a motor vehicle without authority, larceny from a building, destruction of property over $250, shoplifting by asportation, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, felony nighttime breaking and entering, and shoplifting over $100 by concealing merchandise.