~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The annual 3-day free festival brough  brass bands from all over the United States and the world to Somerville for a celebration of music, community and activism. Organized entirely by volunteers and now in its 12th year, the festival kicked off on Friday night with a lantern parade in Davis Square neighborhoods and a band showcase. On Saturday more than 25 bands take over Davis Square for a giant music and dance party.

The Somerville Overcoming Addiction Fourth Annual Vigil took place at the East Somerville Community School last Saturday evening.

By Rob Carter

Firefighter Thomas Ross stood next to a large silver bell outside of the East Somerville Community School Saturday night. As community members stood at a podium nearby and read off a list of names, Ross punctuated each one with a toll of the bell.

The names were those of community members who have died because of opioid abuse. Ross rang the bell 259 times.

On Tuesday, November 7, 2017, Somerville voters will cast their ballots in a City Election for the offices of Mayor of Somerville, various Board of Aldermen members, and School Committee Members in Wards 1 and 2. This week, the Somerville Times asked each of the qualified candidates for Alderman to describe why they would be the best choice for the office they are running for and what specific policies they would advocate or implement in that position, along with a bio if they choose to include one. Their responses are presented here in alphabetical order based on their last names, ward by ward.

By Greg Karczewski
President, US2

As we welcome a new season in Somerville, we’re witnessing the momentum build around Union Square’s revitalization. Union Square Station Associates (US2) spoke at the Somerville Redevelopment Authority meeting last week to offer a look at what progress has been made in the last few months – since the zoning and development covenant were approved in June – including a number of community initiatives and some exciting headway on the Green Line Extension (GLX) and other infrastructure work.

No date has been set yet for the debate. It appears it’s a little difficult to work out scheduling between the candidates Mayor Joe Curtatone, his opponent Peyton Corbett, moderator Jon Keller and producer Joe Lynch. As soon as we hear of a date, we’ll post a notice on our website. The Somerville Media Center/SCATV is working hard to get this debate going.

— Photo by Nick Consentino

On October 4, Tufts University hosted the 2017 Chili Fest with first responders from Medford and Somerville. Tufts students, members of the Tufts University Department of Public & Environmental Safety and representatives from the police and fire departments of Tufts’ host communities ate lunch together at Carmichael Dining Hall and discussed the ways everyone can work to keep the campus safe. Part of Fire Prevention Month, the Tufts Dining event is designed to educate college students in residence halls about the importance of fire safety and prevention.

Arrests:
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Daniel Sama, of 240 Albany St., Cambridge, October 2, 4:56 p.m., arrested at Somerville Ave. on warrant charges of disorderly conduct and trespassing.

Jill Koerber, October 2, 8:14 p.m., arrested at Highland Ave. on warrant charges of threat to commit a crime, operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor 2nd offense, and aggravated assault and battery.

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Little Kisses
By Lloyd Schwartz
The University of Chicago Press
73 pages. $18.00.
ISBN-13: 978-0-226-45827-4.

Review by Ed Meek

Somerville resident Lloyd Schwartz has become a cultural icon in the Boston area. Like Robert Pinsky, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Helen Vendler, his is a name you probably recognize. Part of the reason for this is that Lloyd Schwartz has a wide range. I first ran into his work in the 80s when he wrote about opera for the Boston Phoenix. He is a well-known Elizabeth Bishop scholar and he won a Pulitzer Prize for music criticism. He does a little acting. He teaches in the MFA Program at University of Massachusetts Harbor Campus, and he writes poetry.

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Caroline Moll is a first year undergraduate student at Endicott College, studying marketing communications/advertising. She has a passion for writing that began as a kid, and has stuck with her ever since. Looking to pursue a career in advertising, she hopes to be able to combine her love for writing and visual art.