Donald Norton, of The Norton Group Real Estate, invited Alderman at Large and president of the Somerville Board of Aldermen, Bill White, into the studio. They discussed their perspectives on Somerville’s past, present and future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHGkxwN-XuM&feature=youtu.be

The City of Somerville’s Urban Agriculture Ambassador Program (UAAP) is now accepting applications for the 2017 class. The UAAP, which is taught by Somerville-based Green City Growers, offers free training around urban growing techniques to 20 residents each year in exchange for 30 hours of volunteer service in garden projects throughout the city.

Eighth grade students at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School had an opportunity to find out how a little bit of olive oil affects waves, how we learn what smaller and smaller particles are made of, and other “mind-blowing physics” from Greg Kestin, a theoretical physicist and Harvard faculty member who is also hosting a new NOVA web video series called What the Physics?! Mr. Kestin also shared a little bit about CERN’s Large Hadron Collider, and discussed with students some of the theoretical questions that scientists are pondering now, such as “Is there an alternate universe?” and “What is consciousness?”

Somerville Neighborhood News is a production of Somerville Community Access Television, made by professional journalists, volunteers and staff. The half-hour news show has as its mission to provide a lively, informative newscast focusing on the events, issues and information impacting Somerville residents. Below are our latest news segments from SNN #78.

Tufts University is among the country’s top producers of Fulbright scholarship winners, with 10 Tufts students earning Fulbright awards for the 2016-17 academic year.

The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Top-producing institutions are highlighted annually in The Chronicle of Higher Education, which today published the list of top-producing colleges and universities, compiled from data provided by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

A friend and a part-time collectibles dealer kept telling me to be on the lookout for modern furniture, lamps and smalls (things you can carry in one hand). I looked online at photos of misshapen furniture, odd looking lamps and other “collectibles” from the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. I couldn’t believe the prices that these things were getting.

The Somerville Police Department has received numerous reports from residents regarding IRS Phone Scams. The calls indicate that there is a “lawsuit filed against you”, and leaves a message for a return phone call number. Please do not call this number. Do not answer unknown phone numbers, since these might be robocalls. Do not speak or touch any buttons during the call, since this might enable more calls in the future. Lastly, report this incident to the IRS. Follow this link provided by the IRS for more information: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0037-imposter-scams?utm_source=govdelivery

The Winter Farmers Market continues Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. through March at Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA.

The weekly market offers the best locally grown and regionally produced agricultural items including vegetable produce, cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, pastries, chocolate, and wine. We feature rotating guest vendors each week, as well as live entertainment.

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)

The part of East Somerville where the avenues are named for states was once a high hill with a convent atop it. Both are gone.

Ploughed Hill, later renamed Mount Benedict, was razed to fill in the Middlesex Canal in the late 19^th Century. Before that, a mob burned the convent in 1834.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro
It was a busy week at East Somerville Community School. The 4th grade students showed off their projects. Ms. Fothergill and Ms. Ceballos’s students picked an animal to research and put together a display based on that animal for the Animal Research Project.