The Statewide Farmer’s Markets Tour 2014 brought its mission of enlightening Massachusetts residents on the benefits of healthy diet choice to Somerville last week.

By Rebecca Danvers

The Statewide Farmer’s Markets Tour 2014 made a stop at the Davis Square Farmers’ Market on Wednesday, November 5.

The tour aims to promote Massachusetts’ farmers markets and raise awareness about healthy eating options for low-income residents across the Commonwealth. Farmers markets provide families and individuals who may not otherwise have access with an opportunity to purchase nutritious food SNAP/EBT benefits.

There are few, if any, of us who don’t look fondly back to our childhood days and the fun we used to have riding our bikes to school and back home, or out on adventures through undiscovered territories, and so on.

For many, these pleasures extended far into adulthood as well. And for certain others, cycling serves as a pleasurable and healthy alternative means of transportation on a regular basis.

Eagle Feathers #65 – Signs of the Time
By Bob (Monty) Doherty

The “time” was 150 years ago and the “signs” appeared shortly after. America was in the last year of the Civil War, 1864-1865. The war would claim over 600,000 American lives and wound a million more before it ended. Every city and town would be affected in one way or another. Somerville was no different. The Somerville militia’s sacrifice would be 98 killed and 250 wounded out of 1,485, or almost one quarter. Hundreds more served in other military branches. The Somerville Avenue 1863 Civil War Memorial to her fallen troops is said to be the first in the nation. This was a spark for the small town’s appreciation later on.

When the war ended, half of the town was open land and began to be developed as streets were laid out from Spring Hill to beyond Teele Square. During the war, much of this area was called Camp Cameron, named after Lincoln’s Secretary of War. Thousands of regional troops were trained there and on Prospect Hill.

Somerville Pop Warner is proud to announce their A-team cheerleaders are moving on. Please help to send the girls to the States in Springfield, MA on November 15. This is the first time in more than 25 years that the girls have gone this far. They have worked very hard and deserve to go. They are Greater Boston League first place and Eastern MA second place champions in their division. This is a once in a lifetime chance for most of these girls.

Harris Gardner (Tapestry of Voices) and myself (Doug Holder–Ibbetson Street Press) met with Gregory Jenkins,( The Director of the Somerville Arts Council), at the now defunct Sherman Cafe in Union Square this summer to discuss the prospects of getting a Somerville Poet Laureate. I have been pushing this for years, but to no avail. There were either vacant promises from local pols, the eye-rolling, the patronizing hand shake – slippery as a snake – well you know the drill. Jenkins was on board with the idea; so then we met with the mayor and he thought it was a good idea as well. Now we have an official announcement, and information about how to apply. We are forming a selection committee, so far it is Greg Jenkins, Doug Holder, Bert Stern, Harris Gardner, Linda Conte, Charles Coe, Ifeanyi Menkiti and others. So if you are a fine poet, community-minded, have a track record of promoting poetry, and have a strong vision for your possible tenure – apply!

Giving Tuesday Somerville: Give Local launches!

The Somerville nonprofit community has embarked upon a new journey of collaborative fundraising – Giving Tuesday Somerville: Give Local. This holiday season, 15 nonprofit organizations are joining forces to collaborate on a first-annual joint fundraising effort as part of the international Giving Tuesday program. Giving Tuesday is an annual global day of giving that helps to raise funds and awareness for important causes everywhere. In our community, Giving Tuesday will be the 21st Century version of a telethon. Hosted on SCATV on December 2nd, this telethon delivers an exciting program of live entertainment, panel discussions, public service announcements, and local celebrities, helping us to raise $50,000 for the nonprofit community in Somerville.

Arrests:
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John Murphy, of 164 Highland Ave., November 4, 12:51 p.m., arrested at 37 Mystic Ave. on a charge operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.
James Mento, of 120 Wyman St., Lynn, November 4, 2:17 p.m., arrested at 775 McGrath Hwy. on charges of shoplifting by concealing merchandise and possession of a class C drug.

Celebrate Veterans Day with a ceremony at the historic Milk Row Cemetery. The ceremony starts at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 11. Milk Row Cemetery is located at 400 Somerville Ave., next to Market Basket.

City offices will be closed Tuesday, November 11 because of the holiday. Trash, recycling, and yard waste collection will be on a one-day delay starting Tuesday. Also on Tuesday street sweeping and parking meters will not be in effect.

Vacancies to be filled on Planning Board, Zoning Board, Redevelopment Authority, Historic Preservation Commission, Design Review Committee, and Conservation Commission

The City of Somerville is seeking to fill vacancies on five essential boards and commissions that are appointed by the Mayor and coordinated by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development. The Mayor’s office will be accepting applications for positions on these boards through Monday, Nov. 17, 2014.