Join in the fun at Riverfest this coming Saturday at Baxter Park.

Riverfest is the culmination of a summer of activity at Assembly Row. In partnership with The City of Somerville and DCR, celebrate all that is great about the neighborhood. Join us for a day full of live local music, dozens of local artists, free children’s activities, a sidewalk sale, and of course the annual fireworks show over the Mystic River at sundown.

The Somerville Foundation for Animals announces the 7th Annual Somerville Dog Festival: DogFest 2016, to be held on Sunday, September 11, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at Trum Field, Broadway and Cedar St., Somerville.

Admission is free but donations will be gladly accepted. All well-mannered dogs on leash and current on their vaccinations are invited.

By Jim Clark

A police officer assigned to monitor traffic for the first day of school last week in the vicinity of Broadway observed a pickup truck with a commercial Massachusetts registration, go past with a rejected inspection sticker on the windshield.

Taking a closer look at this month’s notable city data
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By Mayor 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)

Data-based decision making is at the core of how we develop policy and set priorities here at City Hall. Every day I check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. So from now on once a month rather than writing a traditional op ed I’d like to share some of the data I’ve been reviewing recently.

The Tufts University class of 2020 move-in and matriculation ceremony took place this past Wednesday, August 31. More information about the incoming freshman class, which includes the first students from the Tufts 1+4 Bridge Year program and the first students from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts, can be found at the matriculation news release here: http://now.tufts.edu/news-releases/tufts-welcomes-class-2020-most-selective-university-s-history.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro
Students, parents, and teachers converged on the East Somerville Community School campus last week to kick off the new academic year. Some were happier than others with the occasion, but we won’t say which.

Somerville shoppers have been making the adjustment as they come to grips with the new ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic bags to carry home their goods.

By Amy Swain

The city’s ban on plastic bags has officially begun. As of September 1, most retailers are no longer allowed to distribute the bags at checkout counters, pursuant to legislation passed last year. Some smaller businesses will be given until December to phase out their use of plastic.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

Last Saturday, a portion of Hudson St. in Somerville played host to food, music and street painting courtesy of the Neighborways program.

Tonight, Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. at Somerville High School, library floor (enter through the main entrance of the high school and go right to the library entrance and follow directions), a public hearing is scheduled for the new water FEE the city had put into effect on your last bill. Thanks to Alderman at Large Bill White for having the Water Commissioner appear to answer why this additional fee was implemented without a public hearing. The fee is additional $60 per bill, three times a year, coming to $180 a year added into the bill for extra monies going to the Water Department over and above what is being charged to the city by MWRA. Rumor has it this proposal was implemented way before the budget process took place (although never brought forward during the budget hearing) by the mayor and the Director of Financing. All residents – including tenants – should be interested to find out why and how they did this without notice to the residents.