Agreement enables Law Department to criminally pursue problem properties more efficiently

Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone have reached an agreement under which the City of Somerville’s Law Department will be able to criminally prosecute certain code violations.

( Left to Right) Publisher/Daniel Aitken, CEO/Timothy J. McNeill

Doug Holder interviews Timothy J. McNeill and Daniel Aitken of Wisdom Publications.

I had a great interview with the folks at Wisdom Publications in Somerville. Many of their books concern  Buddhist practice and tradition. We discussed several of their titles including, “How to Enjoy Death,” their prison book program, and they gave me an intriguing book of poetry they published by Dick Allen titled “Zen Master Poems,”  as part of their New Wisdom Poetry Series.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro
Somerville residents celebrated the fourth of July Thursday night at Trum field. The 215th Army Band, local Disco-Funk band Booty Vortex, USO Metropolitan New York Performers, and the Somerville Sunsetters entertained the crowd. A 30-minute fireworks display ended the night’s celebration.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites the public to attend an open house to review and discuss a draft of the Somerville Open Space & Recreation Plan. The open house is scheduled for Wednesday, July 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St. Residents are encouraged to examine the plan — which includes data on public parks, green spaces, and Somerville’s urban canopy – and to discuss open space planning in the City.

Chief David Fallon and the Somerville Police Department encourage you to keep in mind the laws on fireworks in Massachusetts.

It is illegal to use, possess, or sell fireworks of any kind in Massachusetts, including Class C fireworks, which are sometimes falsely called “safe and sane fireworks.” Class C fireworks include sparklers, party poppers, snappers, firecrackers, spinners, cherry bombs and more. Citizens are also prohibited from purchasing fireworks elsewhere and then transporting them into the state.

Here are the latest headlines from Somerville Neighborhood News #65:

Somerville is at the forefront of welcoming Medical Marijuana Dispensary to the community. The city is currently reviewing thirteen dispensary applications. Reporter Jeanette Origel brings us the story.

Fentanyl pills being sold as Oxycodone
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Area police departments are currently conducting investigations into the sales of pills that are being sold illegally on the street as the prescription drug Oxycodone but have been found to be made of Fentanyl.

On Monday, July 4, city offices will be closed in honor of the holiday. Trash, recycling, and yard waste pick up will be on a one-day delay all week. No street sweeping, meter enforcement, or residential sticker enforcement on Monday either.

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)

In February we celebrated my next-door neighbor’s one-hundredth birthday. I want to tell you about him because I think that Peter Fantasia exemplifies so much about what made the ‘Villens of the “greatest generation” great.

~Photos by Donald Norton

For the fourth year, Somerville hosted the annual American Rendezvous weekend (ARDV) gathering from June 24 to June 26, where parkour practitioners participated in training sessions led by elite coaches from across the country and abroad.