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)

This week we unveiled our plans for the design of Lincoln Park. It features a natural grass recreation field, lighted pedestrian pathways, and an activity corridor with community gardens, skateboard and Parkour activity areas, a new basketball court, adventure style playgrounds, and a water splash pad. The park also includes more than 150 new trees, plenty of seating, an updated ballfield, and an off-leash recreation area for dogs. On top of that it will have a 1.26 million gallon subsurface stormwater management system to help reduce flooding in the surrounding area, and rain gardens that will capture and reuse stormwater. We worked closely with the community to develop these plans, trying to balance recreational needs with open/green space needs, and we’re proud of the results.

The SHS Girls Track Team made a splash at the statewide Coaches Invitational and Elite meet this past weekend.

By Louise Carpenter

The Somerville High Girls Track team participated in the statewide Coaches Invitational and Elite meet on Saturday, January 23 and Sunday, January 24 at the Reggie Lewis Center in Boston.

Participating on Saturday were Youdine Felix and Lourdes Jean-Louis who both competed in the 55m dash and the long jump, along with Jackie Eloi who competed in the 55m hurdles. All three girls qualified for this meet with their performances throughout the season.

By Haley ED Houseman

Planned renovations for Lincoln Park were presented to the public on Monday evening. (click to enlarge)

The final plans for the Lincoln Park renovations were presented Monday evening at Argenziano School in an open house meeting. City officials invited the community to hear the final design and speak to officials involved in the project. Lincoln Park is one of Somerville’s oldest green spaces and is very popular with residents of the neighborhood and adjacent school.

— Photo courtesy of MassSolar.

By State Representative Denise Provost

The Background:

In 2008, our legislature adopted laws committing MA to lower its carbon emissions (the “Global Warming Solutions Act”), through actions that would increase our use of renewable energy (the “Green Communities Act”). To optimize the production of electric power through solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, our legislation required electricity distribution companies to purchase surplus solar energy from producers at the retail rate (what consumers pay for electricity.) The ability of solar producers – including homeowners with rooftop solar – to pay a “net” electric bill (the cost of the power you purchased, minus cost of power you sold back to the grid) is how “net metering” works.

Beginning this week, a new “opinion editorial” contributor, Chris Haskell, will be writing about events and happenings going on here in the city. His column will be entitled ‘Villens United. Chris lives in Winter Hill with his wife and since he has moved here loves what Somerville is and all the wonderful things it has to offer to both new and old residents alike. He is going to be joined soon by another new “op-ed” writer, Charles Chisholm, a lifelong resident and math professor who will be writing about various current events here in the city, both politically and in the community. We welcome both to The Somerville Times. We hope you the readers will enjoy them and offer your comments on what they will be writing. We welcome anyone who wishes to write a column, either as a writer of articles or opinion pieces. Over the years we have invited many to do so and many have accepted our invitation. The only requirement is that it be about Somerville. We leave the other cities and towns up to the other papers. We’re just about Somerville here, and all the way. If you would like to write too, contact The Somerville Times office at 617 666-4010.

‘Villens United by Chris Haskell

In a dimly lit basement in the ‘Ville, Ryan Donahue and his crew of mad men are preparing to cure the locals of their wintertime blues. A line of people form outside the doors of the intimate Davis Square Theatre eagerly waiting to hand the doorman $10 to witness some Strange Behavior. If laughter truly is the best medicine then these folks will gladly pay the small price to get their prescriptions filled.

(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:

As a young professional, I’ve been speaking lately with many of my friends about all the exciting things going on in Somerville, especially Union Square. The possibilities seem endless, but that has also opened up a debate about what’s best for Somerville and what’s right for the Square specifically.

It seems that we dodged a bullet this time. Mercifully so. And it’s a good thing, too. Are any of us really prepared for a repeat of the natural disaster that took place last winter when we were nearly buried alive in all that snow?

Well. A little exaggeration never killed anyone. But a little too much shoveling and fighting for parking spaces and the general wear and tear on the nerves just might. It wasn’t a pretty thing to behold – and we wouldn’t wish it upon ourselves or our worst enemies – or would we?

By Jim Clark

Police were called to the Sports Authority store at Assembly Row Marketplace last week on reports of an alleged shoplifter observed in the store.

Upon arrival, officers spotted the man in question, later identified as Eric Neal, as he was exiting the store, followed by a security staffer.

So I am in Union Square, and the cold winter winds are whipping me like a frenzied sadist, when I entered P.A.’s Lounge. I needed a story and P.A.’s seemed to fit the bill. In one corner of the bar Jon Dorsett nursed a beer, and stared at a flat screen. He had the look of a guy who has seen and done that, and has no time for happy horseshit. The bartender and co-owner Tony Amaral, Jr. looked at me with world-weary eyes, as if to say, “So, what are you selling?” I told him I am Doug Holder from The Somerville Times – he was not impressed. But I sat down, and as the bar was basically empty this afternoon he agreed to chew the fat.