Where does your tap water come from? Is tap water better than bottled water?

Join SCATV at The Uniun, 11 Sanborn Court, on Sept. 18 from 7-9 p.m. to learn about the health and economic benefits of drinking local tap water. Somerville Community Access Television is proud to partner with Shape Up Somerville, Mass. Water Resources Authority and the Cambridge Health Alliance on this awareness campaign.

The 2014 SHS Football team is very young. 6 returning starters on defense OLB/TE Jr. Captain and GBL All-star Justin Berry, FS JR. Captain and GBL All-star Carls Alphonse, SS Sr. Matt Collins , DT Jr. Carlo Gertin, Jr. OLB/Long-Snapper Dante Gulla, Jr. DE James McCarter.

By William C. Shelton

(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)

Audi sponsors a biennial Urban Future Award competition among teams that propose and pursue new ideas about urban mobility. By “mobility,” they mean all the ways that we move around a city.

This year’s finalists are conducting projects in Berlin, Seoul, Mexico City, and Union Square. Longtime Union Square resident Philip Parsons leads the home team, and he invites you to participate in a kickoff event, this Saturday at the Armory.

Friends and family members of drug abuse victims gathered seek understanding and healing at Somerville Overcoming Addiction’s candlelight vigil held at Somerville High School last week. — Photos by Gabriela C. Martinez.

By Gabriela C. Martinez

Somerville Overcoming Addiction (SOA), a grassroots community dedicated to raising awareness about substance abuse, held its First Annual Vigil this past Monday night at Somerville High School. The vigil is one the events to initiate this year’s Recovery Month in Somerville, which is held annually every September.

Gone the way of the Dodo – expanded polystyrene cups and containers are now a thing of the past in Somerville.

By Jim Clark

The city’s restaurants and other food-related establishments have recently been updated regarding the ban on expanded polystyrene – popularly referred to as Styrofoam – that has gone into effect. The city has sent out specific information about alternative methods of packaging to-go foods and drinks, as well as outlining the penalties that would be incurred by violating the new regulations.

The primary election is over and by the time the results come in we have already gone to press, so look for the results on www.thesomervilletimes.com or on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thesomervilletimes) as well. Now let’s hope the ones with the stupid commercials lost so we don’t have to hear them any more. We can now settle back and hear new stupid commercials for the final elections. Are all these politicians as dumb as they sound in their commercials?

(L to R) Donald Norton meets Arthur T. Demoulas.

On a recent late afternoon at Somerville Avenue’s Market Basket, the CEO of Market Basket, Arthur T. Demoulas, was walking through the crowded store shaking hands and thanking customers and employees alike for their support. He stopped as well to say “Hi” to our own Donald Norton, who just happened to be in the store. Demoulas appears to be a very genuine and humble man, sincerely making sure he got to as many people as he could before the loudspeaker in the store announced he was present. A huge round of applause was given by those in the store, with smiles and various people running up to him to get a selfie, just like Mr. Norton.  He stopped and thanked everyone before moving on. His words to Norton were basically the same as to everyone: He couldn’t do it without the support.

By Jim Clark

State police responded to reports of a serious injury crash involving a bicyclist and a motorcyclist on Route 16 at Interstate 93 last Friday evening at approximately 7:39 p.m.

Upon arrival, troopers discovered that a 2013 BMW motorcycle had collided with a bicyclist. The bicyclist sustained serious, life-threatening injuries, and later succumbed to those injuries after being transported to Mass General Hospital.

It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? You put a penny in the machine, you get back a gumball. The most fundamental of business transactions imaginable. Penny. Gumball. Every time.

If every day life – in relation to our dealings with one another – was as equally straightforward and uncomplicated, what a lovely world it would be. Right? Certainly. But we’re not all that uncomplicated, are we?

In celebration of professional football’s opening weekend, New England’s only LEGOLAND® Discovery Center  unveiled the latest feature for its MINILAND® attraction last week, a large-scale replica of Gillette Stadium constructed from more than 33,000 LEGO® bricks. A video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOdtgeS5taA.