The MBTA announced that fares will again be free this year on bus, subway, ferry, Commuter Rail, and the RIDE on Friday, July 4, 2025, after 8:30 PM. Boston is regularly predicted to host over a million visitors for the July 4 holiday. To accommodate increased ridership, the MBTA is encouraging travelers to plan their commute in advance and reminding riders of its holiday service schedules. The public is encouraged to take public transportation to and from the 2025 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular and to other holiday events. The MBTA’s July 4 service schedules continue to be available at mbta.com/holidays.  

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) are honored to announce that the City’s Community Health Worker (CHW) Division has been named the 2025 Community Health Worker Program of the Year by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers.  

Q: I’m thinking about doing a debt repair or debt relief plan. Should I?!

A: Be careful. Some programs help, but many do more harm than good. Watch out for:

Budget avoids cuts and layoffs, continues significant school investment, and protects core services and progress amid economic headwinds

On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Somerville City Council passed the Ballantyne administration’s $380.1 million Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) operating budget. The FY26 budget protects vital services, advances key initiatives, and once again significantly invests in Somerville’s schools, workforce, and infrastructure, despite a challenging economic landscape affecting communities across the Commonwealth.

(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)

By Liam Beretsky-Jewell

Note: This is the second of a series of articles exploring climate change education in Somerville Public Schools. The first article can be found here.

There’s currently a large discrepancy between Somerville High School (SHS) students’ interest in learning about climate science and the actual number of students who choose to enroll in climate-related courses. Although a recent survey issued to over 100 SHS students revealed that a majority are interested in receiving more, enrollment numbers in the environmental science classes offered by the school continue to drop. To address this gap, some district faculty have discussed making climate education mandatory in some way – either through additional course requirements or integration into currently required courses. The high school does not currently require students to take any courses in which climate change is a central theme. This may come as somewhat of a surprise — Massachusetts has some of the nation’s most ambitious climate and energy goals, which include reaching “at least net-zero statewide greenhouse gas emissions” by the year 2050, according to the state’s Clean Energy and Climate Plan.

Former Alderman Bob McWatters recently traveled to Greenville, South Carolina, and visited the Red Sox Single A team, the Greenville Drive, while vacationing to visit family.

Katjana Ballantyne is inviting the Somerville community to break out the picnic blankets and popcorn, as SomerMovie Fest 2025 is bringing six free outdoor films to City parks this summer. From robot adventures and ‘90s cult classics to Oscar winners and pink-powered blockbusters, there’s a movie night for everyone.