Craving a nice frozen hoagie? Have no fear, they’re here in Somerville.

By Amy Swain

Frozen Hoagies – it’s exactly what it sounds like. Is it an ice cream sandwich? Well, owner Mary McPartland says, “A hoagie is more than an ice cream sandwich. It is two scoops of small batch ice cream between two homemade from scratch cookies.”

Volunteers & City Launch State-Supported Program to Offer Discounted Solar

As part of the State’s Solarize Mass program, local volunteers and the City of Somerville recently launched the Solarize Somerville campaign to make it easier and cheaper for residents and small businesses to install solar panels.

Temperatures are expected to be high through the weekend and we urge all residents to review these hot weather information and safety tips:

Residents are invited to visit the following buildings to stay cool any time this summer:

• Central Branch Library, 79 Highland Ave., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. All library branches are closed on Sundays during the summer.

On Sunday, July 24, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.,Union Sq Plaza, celebrate two cultures in one event, a festival full of song, dance, and art. Haiti and Brazil hit the ‘Ville is a celebration of Somerville’s diverse population, specifically the Haitian & Brazilian communities. This event is put on in collaboration The City of Somerville’s SomerViva program. This year’s festival includes: Face painting, hair braiding, and bouncy houses. Featuring many community partners and local organizations. Performances by Bobo’s band, Banda Raizes de Forro and Aline Venturin Os Forrozeiros group. Food by Haitian restaurant Pikliz and Brazilian market Mineirão, and much more.

State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts School Building Authority (“MSBA”), and MSBA Chief Executive Officer Maureen Valente, announced today that the MSBA Board of Directors voted to move Somerville High School into the Schematic Design phase of the MSBA Capital Pipeline. In the Schematic Design phase, the City and the MSBA will look at options for a potential addition and renovation project at the existing High School. The next step is for the MSBA to work in collaboration with the District to produce detailed designs for a potential project.

— Photos by Kevin Dickinson.

Somerville Fire Department took part in the Fill the Boot campaign for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)  last weekend, inviting donors to help fill their donation boot.

By Jim Clark

Police were called to the Cityline Laundromat on Broadway last week on reports that a man, later identified as Robert Galvin, was stripping off his clothes and attempting to wash them in machines claimed by other patrons.

In response to recent questions regarding the Black Lives Matter banner at Somerville City Hall, and a letter sent to the Mayor by the President of the Police Employees Association, Somerville Chief of Police David Fallon made himself available this morning at City Hall to answer questions and provide a brief statement.

A statement from the Mayor is below.

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)

One of the central goals for our proposed zoning overhaul is to create more attainable housing here in Somerville. It’s no secret that the cost of housing in our city, like all of greater Boston, continues to rise. It puts enormous stress on our lower- and middle-income residents. Young families are struggling to buy homes that would allow them to raise their children in our community. Seniors are stretched to stay in the community where they’ve lived most of their lives. Many renters find themselves barely able to keep up with annual increases.

Major James Marques

By Tom Bannister

Major James Marques, a lifelong resident of Somerville, is about to become Lieutenant Colonel James Marques.

It has been five years since Marques has been last deployed overseas. In 2011, he returned from Afghanistan. Prior to that, he had been deployed twice to Iraq, once in 2005 and once in 2008. He was a Logistics Officer when he started, turned to Civil Affairs, and is now in a Training Unit with the 75th Training Command in Newport, Rhode Island.