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)

Winter is quickly approaching. And as we New Englanders know, when the cooler temperatures arrive, the snow – and all the fun and aggravation it brings us – is typically not far behind. Here at City Hall snow preparations are already underway, but there is one big change on the horizon for this winter season that we need you to prepare for: the switch to even-side parking during snow emergencies.

Left to right: Diana Young, Emily Foster, Megan Costa, and Maureen Foster.

By Maureen Foster

The Alex Foster Foundation’s HopeFULL Backpack Program recently donated filled backpacks to CASPAR (Cambridge and Somerville Program for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Rehabilitation).

By Jim Clark

On the morning of November 8, a Somerville police officer, while assigned to uniform patrol in marked cruiser, took notice as a motor vehicle made a right turn from Pinckney St. onto Washington St. at a high rate of speed.

The officer queried the license plate through the registry of motor vehicles.  The result showed that the plate belonged to a 2004 Honda Accord sedan color red, even though the car in question was a gray Nissan Murano.

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)

History books will not speak kindly of the 2016 president election. Although political campaigns have gotten dirty in the past, none have been more ugly and divisive than the campaign’s run in this election. For many their vote was passionately choosing who they didn’t want to be president more than who they did. I myself was guilty of that charge.

By Donald Norton

This past Saturday, The Little Sisters of the Poor on Highland Avenue held their annual bazaar, and once again it appeared to be a huge success. Hundreds of people came to the home all day long. This is an event that is prepared with the help of many, and it all goes to a great cause right there at the home for the many residents that live there.

The Aldermanic Chambers saw a packed house last week as concerned parties gathered for a public hearing on Community Benefits Agreements.

By Joe Ruvido

At their meeting on Thursday, the Board of Aldermen held a public hearing on Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) at the request of a petition to the Board.

An assortment of community groups, led by Union United and the Somerville Community Corporation, are asking the board to sign and implement a CBA before approving any zoning or permits for the Union Square Development and MBTA Green Line Extension into Somerville.

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker presented Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone with a 13M MassWorks Infrastructure grant for Union Square last week.

By Ross Blouin

This past week Governor Charlie Baker and Housing and Economic Development Secretary, Jay Ash joined Mayor Joe Curtatone and Union Square Station Associates (US2) President, Greg Karcewski, to announce a $13Million MassWorks Infrastructure grant for Union Square.

Mark your calendar for a public hearing on Thursday, November 17, 7:00 p.m., Alderman Chambers, 2nd floor, City Hall. The mayor will present a proposal for Somerville’s contribution of $50M for Green Line Extension (GLX) funding. The mayor presented a proposal for a city contribution of $50 million to the Board of Aldermen (BOA) at their meeting Thursday, November 10. A vote in favor by the BOA will be necessary for the city to send the money to the state.

Take a peek into the studios of artists who create their works at Brickbottom Artists’ Building this coming weekend.

By Rebecca Danvers

Brickbottom Artists’ Building will host its 29th annual Open Studios – one of the oldest open studio events in Somerville – on November 19 and 20 from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. each day.

And so, after all these years of residents of the odd number side of the street shouldering the burden of clearing the way for the snow plows, the time has come to get … well, even.

It’s only fair that this new plan of alternating sides should finally become a reality. It has been discussed – and yes, even argued – for many years. At last the city administrators have hammered out the details and given the go-ahead for this first year’s run.