~Photos by Bobbie Toner

The City of Somerville and The Welcome Project  hosted today’s We are #OneSomerville: Sanctuary City Rally. Somerville Police Department estimated around 4,800 people at today’s rally.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police received a call last week from a man who reportedly told them that his girlfriend’s stolen cell phone and passport were being held for ransom and that he was in the process of negotiating their return.

According to reports, the woman’s cell phone and passport had been stolen at a nightclub in Boston known as Sissy K’s on January 22, and the incident was reported to Boston Police.

Join The Welcome Project, City of Somerville (Official), and your neighbors on the Somerville High School concourse in showing support for our Sanctuary City (2017 is the 30th anniversary of Somerville becoming a Sanctuary City) and all members of our community. The rally will feature a short speaking program and musical performances.

Date: Saturday, February 4, 2017, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

SYRC’s one-and-only fundraiser for the year is currently underway, and everyone is invited to join in and help support this organization that is dedicated to bringing sports activity opportunities to our youth.

By Ariana Colozzo

The Somerville Youth and Recreation Center (SYRC) is holding its annual action starting on Wednesday, February 1.

Many great prizes are up for grabs, including free nights to Boston’s finest hotels, as well as gift certificates for restaurants, spas and clothing stores to complete your weekend away. And don’t forgot about the events; there will also be tickets to shows and sports games, so you could score some great seats to see the Bruins, Patriots, Celtics or Red Sox. Make sure to check out what the auction has to offer before bidding closes on February 28.

By Bob Katzen

House 116-43, Senate 31-9, overrode Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of an $18 million pay raise package including hiking the salaries of the two leaders who filed the bill, House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst), by $45,000 from $97,547 to $142,547. The measure also hikes the pay of the Legislature’s two Republican leaders, Sen. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) and Rep. Bradley Jones (R-North Reading) by $37,500 from $85,047 to $122,547. Another provision hikes the salaries of the state’s judges by $25,000 over an 18-month period.

(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)

Dear Editor,

At the time of writing this, it has been 357 days since I woke up lying in the middle of Beacon Street, unable to move my body and afraid to do anything more than wiggle my toes. I was crossing out of Calvin Street on a Wednesday night that just happened to be a little darker and a little rainier than most winter nights. A speeding driver coming down Beacon Street did not see me in the middle of the road. He did not see the white painted lines of the crosswalk being reflected by his headlights. He did not see the sign on the side of the road intended to alert drivers to the presence of a crosswalk. Instead, what he saw was my head as it cracked his windshield, as he drove through the crosswalk (and me) without slowing down.  I am writing to request that you repaint the crosswalk, which has since been partially paved over.

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)

Somerville celebrates its 175th birthday this year, and we’ll be looking back at our past as part of the year-round festivities – including into any personal memories and stories community members want to share. There are of course plenty of historical City facts to delve into – like the fact that we used to be a part of Charlestown until we split off to become Somerville in 1842. But the history of Somerville is so much more than what is written in history books or found in the archives. It’s also the personal stories and memories of the people who have and continue to live and work here. We’re kicking off a storytelling series today to honor and celebrate those anecdotes that tell the true story of Somerville – the story of its people.

By Erica Voolich

Many teachers have great ideas on how to make their classrooms a better place for their students to learn math. The teachers’ ideas frequently outrun the budget schools have for supplies and their own ability to subsidize their classroom.

Mayor Curtatone made it clear during a press conference last week that the City of Somerville will remain committed to its Sanctuary City commitment.

By Joe Ruvido

Mayor Joe Curtatone doubled-down on his promise to keep Somerville’s Sanctuary City status in the face of threats from President Donald Trump to revoke federal funding from such cities.

Trump issued an executive order last week that calls for the building of wall along the US-Mexico border, an increase in the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Troops, and an end to federal funding for Sanctuary Cities. Somerville began its Sanctuary City status in 1987 under mayor Eugene Brune.