Each Friday all summer long, enjoy lunch specials from neighborhood restaurants, live music from local bands, and cool happenings from your favorite Union Square shops and friends. Bring your friends, your coworkers, your kids, and meet us for lunch!

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 people of Somerville embody hard-working persistence. That is as true today as it was when I was growing up on Prospect Hill, among immigrants from around the world who came to our shores seeking a better life for their families, and opportunity. The difference today is that we have a shared set of hopes and dreams, codified in our comprehensive plan, SomerVision. That plan, created after two years of intensive community input, plan asks not what we want to build, but who we want to be. We want to be a vibrant, diverse, regional employment center that’s walkable, bikeable, and transit-accessible. In short: we want to create more opportunity for our residents, but it’s not just enough to bring more jobs to Somerville. We have to help our residents so they can advantage of these new opportunities. That’s why last week I, state Rep. Christine Barber, and Meridith Levy of the Somerville Community Corporation spoke before the state Legislature on our home rule petition to create a new Somerville Municipal Job Creation and Retention Trust.

By Jim Clark

A police officer who was parked at the Somerville Ave. Target store parking lot was flagged down by store loss prevention personnel as they chased suspected shoplifters as they attempted to flee the scene.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

The Somerville Arts Council presented ArtBeat: Loops this past weekend, to the delight of both patrons of the arts and of…well, loops.
Fun, games, art exhibitions, music, etc., all played out to this year’s theme – loops, a celebration of all things circular, reciprocal, and returnable.
Participants brushed back the damp weather and jumped right in on the fun.

Safety issues concerning the Lowell St. bridge portion of the Community Path were addressed by the Board of Aldermen at their most recent regular meeting.

By Jim Clark

The Somerville Board of Aldermen took into consideration a number of issues dealing with the further development and management of the Community Path Extension at the Board’s regular meeting on July 9.

Alderman at Large and President of the Board of Aldermen William A. White Jr.

By Oliver Bok

Bill White, Alderman at Large and president of the Board of Aldermen, has seen a lot of change come to Somerville since he graduated from Somerville High in the seventies.

“When I was in high school, if you had told somebody that a house in West Somerville would sell for $1.7 million…” His voice trailed off. “Nobody would have thought of that, okay?”

Save the date, Saturday October 17 at the Holiday Inn when the SHS Scholarship Foundation will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary. For updates go to their Facebook page.

By Haley ED Houseman

Volunteers, program employees, and other participants gathered at the South Street Farm for a “Cleaning and Greening” event on July 9.

On the evening of July 9 at the urban farm run by Groundwork Somerville, nearly twenty volunteers, program employees, and participants in the Urban Agricultural Ambassadors program gathered at the South Street Farm for a “Cleaning and Greening” event, sponsored by Cantina La Mexicana. Just west of Union Square, 138 South Street host a productive urban farm that was trimmed, weeded and cleaned by. The event is part of series that is held monthly, sponsored by a variety of local businesses.

By Jim Clark

SHS graduate Odmark Ozit was given a citation of commendation by the city in recognition of his athletic achievements.

Odmark Ozit, a Somerville High School graduate and member of the boys track team, who won the State Outdoor Track Meet Triple Jump Event, was honored by the entire Board of Aldermen and the mayor at the July 9 regular meeting of the Board.

Eagle Feathers #83 – Missy

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

To Americans, it is known as the Greatest Generation. The generation our parents and grandparents fought and lived through. It was the generation that sailed through the choppy waters of the Great Depression and World War II and literally saved the free world as we know it.