Staffers from Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services donated more than 50 gifts for local children, as part of an annual toy drive in collaboration with Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). The staffers purchased wish-list items provided CHA social worker Julie Ain. ~ Photo by Nathan Lamb

By Nathan Lamb

Staffers from Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) are stepping-up to help local children in-need this holiday season.

Coordinated in partnership with Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) the SCES gift drive is providing more than 50 presents for children from eight local families. SCES Director of Clinical Services Annie Fowler said it’s a relatively new tradition that the agency has wholeheartedly embraced.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The East Somerville Community School and the Somerville Public Schools Music Department presented The East Somerville Community School Winter Concert 2016 on Friday, December 16 in the ESCS auditorium. Students in K through 8 grades participated in the concert.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to City Hall, at 93 Highland Ave., in the early morning hours of December 17 on reports of a motion alarm having been set off in the building.

Upon their arrival, the officers checked the perimeter of the building, including all accessible windows and doors but reportedly found nothing out of the ordinary. An audible alarm was reportedly sounding, but reset before the officers left the scene.

The Somerville Police Department is seeking help in identifying a suspect in the robbery of an elderly man on Monday afternoon at the Citizens Bank on Broadway. The suspect then fled on foot down Langmaid Ave.

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)

This past weekend I attended an event in Boston called Christmas in the City. The holiday party (thrown by the non-profit, all volunteer organization of the same name) treated approximately 4,000 kids and their families living in the Greater Boston region’s homeless shelters to a much-deserved holiday party. This wasn’t any ordinary holiday party. In addition to handing out 10,000 gifts, there was a stage with live entertainment, a visit from Santa Clause and Mrs. Clause, a parade of Disney and comic book characters, a Winter Wonderland area with carnival rides and games, and a variety of health screenings.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

On Saturday, December 17, residents and visitors took part in the Somerville Arts Council’s Illuminations Tour.

Participants gathered to celebrate the folk artistry of residents who transform their houses and yards with lights, illuminated ornaments, and shrines of devotion and fantasy.

The Board of Alderman heard a report last week updating the city on efforts to finalize Union Sq. zoning, as well as formulate a definitive plan for use of open space.

By Jim Clark

The City of Somerville Board of Aldermen held a Special Meeting on Tuesday, December 13, to hear and discuss the most recent report of the Committee on Land Use.

City Planning Director George Proakis picked up the discussion of the zoning for Union Square and open space and gave a brief description of what is contained in items 5 through 10 of the zoning outline and said that those items will be available online at www.somervillema.gov/unionsquarezoning.

(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)

To the Editor:

The purpose of this letter is to provide a response to the article entitled “MassDOT highway construction leaves Somerville residents in the dust” dated December 14, 2016.

Villens United by Chris Haskell

(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)

Reefer. Ganga. Sticky icky bud. Marijuana went legal in Massachusetts on December 15, 2016.

While there has been a lot of controversy over its proposed legalization, the people voted to legalize the drug that Feds still classify in the same category as heroin. The government spent year’s demonizing marijuana and misinforming the public as to its effects; but the younger generation, many of whom had personally experienced the effects of smoking marijuana, are no longer buying the propaganda. I’m one of them.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a big Happy New Year to all our readers, looking forward to a great 2017 year here in the city of Somerville. We’re on vacation (at least some of us are), so The Somerville Times will not be publishing the week between Christmas and New Years. This will be the last edition for the year. There will not be a paper on the 28th, but we will keep up with things online. A vacation is needed to rev up for the coming new year. 2017 looks to be a good year for us all.