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)

Last Friday we kicked off the first critical step in our City greenhouse gas inventory. We launched an intensive, two-week push to collect all our energy use data so that we can make informed decisions about how to reduce the City’s and the community’s contribution to climate change. We need good data that sets a baseline of our usage now, so we can track how future initiatives we undertake affect our greenhouse gas emissions. The inventory is part of SustainaVille, our plan to become carbon neutral by 2050. And while the inventory is just ramping up, we’re taking steps right now to reduce Somerville’s carbon emissions. That includes the installation last week of new public charging stations for electric vehicles, and the forthcoming delivery of electric vehicles we’re adding to our fleet.

Representative Christine Barber, Representative Denise Provost and Senator Patricia Jehlen were among the twenty representatives and eleven senators to vote to oppose the sales tax holiday this week. In the House, the bill passed 136-20; in the Senate the vote was 27-11.

Somerville Police Chief David Fallon recently looked back on his first year as head of the Department, and reflected on its policies, goals and achievements.

By Josie Grove

Over the last year, police departments have been under intense public scrutiny after a series of high-profile instances of police violence and community protest. This month marks the grim anniversaries of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Stan Ridgway entertains at Johnny D’s this Wednesday night.

By Jim Clark

Stan Ridgway, founding member and former lead singer of the 80’s new wave group Wall of Voodoo, can easily be described as a musical whirlwind of versatility. He is adept at playing various musical instruments; is widely regarded as an uncommonly talented songwriter; and has enjoyed a prolonged career as a performer as well as a composer of music for film and television.

Today, Wednesday, at Powder House Park is the 35th annual Mayor’s Senior Picnic. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites all to attend this popular yearly event running from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It’s a wonderful day of dancing, music, entertainment and prizes galore. Tickets are available at the following locations: Holland St Center, 167 Holland St.; Cross Street Center, 165 Broadway; and the Mayor’s Office/City Hall, 93 Highland Ave.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

som|dog’s annual Pet Palooza took place over the weekend at Somerville’s Assembly Row. The two day festival had test-it-out rings, ask the trainer, unique local pet vendors, a day focused on pet adoption, music, and face painting for kids were a few of the fun features the festival brought to the community.

By Ross E. Blouin
Publisher of The Somerville Times

I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE! The recent editorial in the Somerville Journal, July 30, 2015 (“De-escalate Police Aggression”) has driven me over the edge. The facts in the editorial are sketchy. Seems a 16-year-old bike rider, Osvaldo Lima, was pulled over by the Somerville Police for riding down a one-way street the wrong way. Lima did not offer proper identity. The bike rider was rude and uncooperative with the officer. A skirmish broke out as the officers tried to make an arrest and the officers tried to use pepper spray. The bike rider broke free from the police and ran away. Those are the facts according to the Somerville Journal editorial.

Eagle Feathers #84 –The Couriers
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By Bob (Monty) Doherty

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.” These words were written 2,500 years ago by Greek historian, Herodotus, and have become the unofficial motto of the United States Postal Service. The official mission statement of the post office is as follows, “The postal service shall have as its basic function, the obligation to provide postal services, to bind the nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide reliable, and efficient services to patrons in all areas and shall render postal services to all communities.”

The City of Somerville unveiled two new Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations last week, one in Union Square and the other in Davis Square. Plans are underway to install a third charging station very shortly in the vicinity of City Hall, in front of the high school.

Food For Free’s Ride For Food on Sept. 20 will help raise funds needed to support the effort to get healthy food to those in need.

Join in the Ride For Food, Sunday Sept. 20
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By Tom Bannister

Maybe you’re a spandex-wearing 50-mile type. Or, perhaps pedaling shorter distances for a good cause is more your speed. Either way, local nonprofit organization Food For Free is looking for cyclists like you to join its team in the upcoming Ride For Food event, set for Sunday, Sept. 20.