By William C. Shelton

On Saturday, people marched on six continents and in 600 cities in support of science. One of those cities was Boston. The following are from signs seen on the Boston Common.

“Louder Than a Bomb Massachusetts” youth poetry slam continues, April 25 – May 6

Teen poets from Somerville’s Books of Hope soared to success last weekend, earning a top spot in preliminary rounds of the sixth annual Louder Than A Bomb Massachusetts Youth Poetry Slam Festival (LTAB) on April 8 and 9. This Tuesday, Books of Hope poets will compete in the semifinal rounds where youth poets from the top 16 of the tournament’s 40 teams will perform their original poetry for a chance at the flagship finals event on May 6.

Community BBQ with family friendly activities including a spring egg hunt to be held at Blessing of the Bay Boat House following cleanup at noon with partners Groundwork Somerville & Comcast Cares

Join the City of Somerville, Groundwork Somerville, and Comcast Cares for the annual Spring Cleanup and Community Barbecue on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A rain date has been set for Saturday, April 29. All participants are invited to meet at the Blessing of the Bay Boat House on Shore Drive, at 9 a.m. for breakfast and coffee before setting out to your ward (note that coffee and breakfast will not be served at each ward.)

Conclusion:  Anticipating the future

By William C. Shelton

(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)

I like to think
(it has to be!)
of a cybernetic ecology
where we are free of our labors
and joined back to nature,
returned to our mammal
brothers and sisters,
and all watched over
by machines of loving grace.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The 4th annual SHS Career Fair took place on  April 12 at the Somerville High School Gym. Approximately 400 juniors and seniors along with their teachers attended the event. The goal is to provide students with the very best career, training, and educational opportunities in the local area as they formulate their post-secondary plans. With over 80 exhibitors, students were able to explore a range of opportunities that interested them.

By Tim Talun on behalf of Union Square Neighbors

(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)

With precious few open and green public spaces in Somerville, it is a priority to preserve and care for the spaces we do have.  This is particularly true in Union Square where millions of square feet of new development are being planned.  Despite a long planning process, identifying and limiting the negative impact of this development on some of our most important public spaces has not yet been a priority.  Now, a loophole in the proposed Union Square zoning ordinance threatens harm to the Union Square plaza and Prospect Hill Park by failing to place appropriate limits on building heights.

By Jim Clark

Last week, police officers were dispatched to a Homer Sq. location on reports of an unwanted person. Dispatchers informed the officers en route that the person in question, Kelly Susi, also had an outstanding warrant for abuse prevention order violation.

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)

Taking a closer look at this month’s notable city data—and interesting numbers.

1,315: That number represents the estimated number of crosswalks painted by our Traffic and Parking Department since 2010. Now that warmer weather has arrived, we can expect more people – residents and visitors alike – to be out walking in our squares, lively business districts, and other areas of the city, and it’s imperative we do our part in keeping them safe. Our crews are planning to paint another 200-300 crosswalks this year, and as soon as weather and construction schedules allow, you’ll see them out repainting the markings or applying thermoplastics. We recognize that crosswalk maintenance is just one piece of the puzzle in keeping pedestrians safe, which is why we also use pedestrian impact systems to enhance the visibility of the crosswalks, and this year we are experimenting with more durable devices that can be affixed into the road. Over the last several years, Somerville has increasingly been commended for our commitment to walkability and bikeability, and we intend to do all that we can to ensure we remain at the top of those national rankings by making our streets safe for all modes of transportation.

Somerville poet Bert Stern received the Ibbetson Street Press Lifetime Achievement Award on April 9 at the Boston National Poetry Festival, held at the Copley Square branch of the Boston Public Library, and founded by Harris Gardner (left). Past recipients include, Afaa Michael Weaver, David Godine, Sam Cornish, Gloria Mindock, Jack Powers, Robert Pinsky, Robert K. Johnson, Steve Glines, Harris Gardner, and others.

A need is seen for the gathering of information regarding the capacity for parking spaces for Somerville residents in the face of continuing development throughout the city. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

An order for the Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development to provide the Board of Aldermen with data on car ownership and parking issues at developments permitted in the past five years was put forward and passed at their latest regular meeting last week.