By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

The Spring 2015 MCAS results show that Somerville Public Schools are continuing to help all students realize their potential in the classroom. For three years running, Somerville has been the sole urban district in the top 15 percent of school districts across Massachusetts for student growth, as measured by MCAS Student Growth Percentile. This year, Somerville actually ranks among the top 12 percent for student growth, which measures a student’s change in academic performance compared to their peers from across the Commonwealth with similar test scores in previous years. These results show that our students’ performance is improving more than similar students; in short, they are learning more in the course of a year.

Andrew Howard of Better Block presented development ideas at the meeting attended by interested Winter Hill residents. — Photo by Josie Grove

By Josie Grove

Ten years ago, the narrow one-story building at 328 Broadway Ave. housed a local realty firm. Once that business closed, the building was home to a retailer of prepaid cell phones. Within a year, it will be transformed into Winter Hill Brewing, a coffee shop/brewpub that will serve experimental beers, small plates, and high-quality coffee. Patrons will look across the street to a new five-story residential building.

By Patrick McDonagh

Devin Bramhall remembers a morning tucked in her Charlestown apartment bed, contemplating plans discussed with girlfriends over Sunday’s Tremont 647 brunch and twelve-ounce vodka mimosas. At 25 she was seeking a new career. The commute from Charlestown to work at Boston-based tech startup Springpad left her unfulfilled. 1600 miles apart, Bramhall called mom for guidance.

Saturday, October 17 at the Holiday Inn, the SHS Scholarship Foundation will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Over the years, the foundation has been responsible for handing out thousands of dollars in scholarships to deserving high school graduates. The Foundation idea was started by local publisher Robert J. L. Publicover, Tony Fedele, the headmaster at the high school, former Mayor Gene Brune and several other dedicated and committed community people. A Foundation that started with very little and has now grown to over $1M in scholarships. Call or go online to the Foundation’s Facebook site for reservations and cost of tickets.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

To the Editor:

When we first moved to Boston, it took time to adjust to the driving culture here. Horn use is a part of the daily commute and an accepted form of communication. Rather than a warning of danger or call to attention, the horn—often accompanied by hand gestures and choice words—acts as the means of making a commentary on another’s driving. In order to drive here, awareness is paramount but you must develop a certain tolerance to the aggression of others.

With the rhetoric having been so hot and divisions among us so stark in the past year or so, getting an opportunity to engage in some serious and hopefully heartfelt discussions between people across racial, ethnic and economic lines can be viewed as a very useful thing.

For those of you who love broccoli, you will be happy to know the peak season is finally here! That means the nutritional value and flavor will be at its best. Always purchase broccoli that has a light green stem and tight, vibrant heads that are dark green and even purple in color for the freshest vegetable.

The HONK! Festival will be hitting the city this weekend, bringing its own special brand of musical activism to the fore.

By Rebecca Danvers

Special attention must be paid to milestone birthdays. This weekend’s HONK! Festival’s 10th year is one of those occasions. As of this writing, the roster of socio-political activist street bands totals 28. They are coming from as far away as Paris, Los Alamos, New Orleans, Montreal and Quebec City. But it wouldn’t be HONK! without some last minute surprises!

By Jim Clark

A police officer in route on assignment noticed a utility truck sitting motionless at the intersection of Broadway and Central St. at approximately 2:00 a.m. Monday morning.

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A poet with a strong sense of responsibility
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Afaa Michael Weaver does not just write pretty poetry. He pens poetry that addresses things like the recent tragedies in Baltimore, South Carolina, Ferguson and elsewhere, where African Americans were killed—victims of hate crimes, and questionable actions of the police. His poetry does not consist of rants, and hopefully his art is a potent catalyst for people to think about injustice and change.