This Saturday, Sept. 26, Somerville Ave. in Union Sq. will be closed between Webster Ave. and Prospect St. from 1 p.m. until approximately 8 p.m. to accommodate the annual “Fluff Festival.”

Masterful songstress to grace the stage at Johnny D’s
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Melanie will be playing and singing your favorites and throwing in a few surprises as she takes to the stage at Johnny D’s on September 29.

By Jim Clark

The butterfly effect. This is the scientific theory that a single occurrence, no matter how small, can change the course of the universe forever. In the case of Melanie Safka-Schekeryk – known professionally simply as Melanie – a right zig here and a lucky zag there made all the difference in the way things turned out for this remarkably talented singer-songwriter.

By Rebecca Danvers

The Flufferettes are raring to go as the 10th annual What the Fluff? festival hits Union Square this coming Saturday.

The illustrious Marshmallow Fluff creator, Archibald Query, concocted the beloved gooey spread in Union Square in 1917. On Saturday, September 26, the tenth anniversary of the madcap festival will celebrate Query’s invention with musical performances, a cooking contest, fun for every age, and Fluff treats of every sort.

By Rebecca Danvers

Critically-acclaimed Kentucky duo, Sundy Best, will be bringing their unique blended sound of country, folk, rock, bluegrass and R&B to Thunder Road in Somerville on Saturday, September 26 for their Salvation City Tour.

By Jim Clark

Police received a call from the Saks Off 5th at Assembly Row early last Saturday evening reporting that a man had been spotted concealing merchandise in a bag and was about to leave the store.

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)

Most people know that Somerville has become a dining hotspot for everything from tiny taquerias to nationally renowned gourmet restaurants. What’s less well known is that successful local restaurants do more than expand our dining options—they help revitalize and stabilize our neighborhoods. Busy cafes and dinner spots mean more people are on the streets, other businesses benefit from that foot traffic, and opportunities for street crime decrease—new jobs and new tax revenues follow as well. In short, when restaurants thrive, our neighborhoods thrive. But this local economic engine is threatened by Beacon Hill’s antiquated liquor license cap.

— Photos by Donald Norton

By Donald Norton

The Wilderness Inquiry Canoemobile, a fleet of vans each with six 24’ Voyageur canoes, delivers place-based education on urban rivers and waterways nationwide. As part of its national tour of 31 cities, the Canoemobile delivered two days of programming along the Mystic River and Neponset River from September 22-23.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

The city celebrated the latest installment of its SomerStreets series with Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets on Sunday, Sept. 20 on Holland St. Family-friendly activities and entertainment included live music as well as children’s activities, family-friendly programming, and student-friendly fun.

By Josie Grove

Reports of rodent sightings are significantly down compared to last year at this time, but it was also cited that this could be partly due to “311 fatigue” by those who have been reporting in the past. (click to enlarge)

Rats are a part of urban life, but that doesn’t mean Somerville is happy about its rodent residents. The Board of Aldermen convened a Rodent Issues Special Committee in the fall of 2013 and the committee, made up of Aldermen Maryann Heuston, John Connolly, and Matthew McLaughlin, had its most recent meeting on September 9 of this year. “We met last week because I had dozens of orders for rodent control, so we met to go over all those orders formally,” said Alderman McLaughlin. The special committee named eight specific sites as well as several streets where residents have reported seeing rats. “And we submitted formally a request for information regarding efforts to control rodents,” said Alderman McLaughlin.

Somerville Overcoming Addiction’s Candlelight Memorial Vigil brought people together to remember those who succumbed to the ravages of drug addiction, and to look forward with hope for those seeking help and healing. — Photos by Amy Swain

By Amy Swain

Tuesday, September 15 saw Somerville’s second annual Candlelight Memorial Vigil. The event was held at Somerville High School, put together by Somerville Overcoming Addiction (SOA), a local group dedicated to helping those affected by the disease of addiction.