U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano.

By Tom Bannister

The 43rd Annual Meeting of the Mystic River Watershed Association will be held on Monday, October 19, at Tufts University at the 51 Winthrop Street function hall, Medford. The public is invited to join in for an evening celebrating the Mystic River Watershed Association’s advocacy efforts on behalf of the Mystic River.

On Thursday, October 15 and Monday, October 19, Somerville residents will have a chance to try out the newly developed www.SomervilleMA.gov. Volunteers will complete a 1-hour testing session at the Central Library, 79 Highland Ave. During the session, volunteers will be asked to find pieces of information on the website using a variety of devices, and then share their feedback on whether they were successful or not and how the process could have been better. Visit www.SomervilleMA.gov/testdrive to learn more and sign up for a test session. For more information, contact City of Somerville Webmaster Dan Moore, at DMoore@somervillema.gov.

By Rebecca Danvers

On October 9, Patty Lanier from the SPARK Institutes, University of Florida, will present a new and exciting participatory workshop for physical educators and after school staff members.

By Tom Bannister

Students, staff members, community partners, and parent volunteers kicked off the start of Farm to School Month by shucking an estimated 3,000 ears of corn during its annual Corn Shucking event held on Thursday, October 1, at schools throughout the District.

In the Somerville Neighborhood News #50 you can expect these news stories:

The opioid reversing drug Narcan is saving the lives of overdose victims. Getting the drug to victims quickly can make the difference between life and death. Karisma Desai reports on the efforts to make this tool in the battle against opioid deaths more available.

On Monday, Oct. 12 city and Somerville Public Schools offices will be closed for Columbus Day. Waste collection will be on a one-day delay all week and there will be no street sweeping. Parking meter enforcement will not be in effect on Monday.

Daisy, Dr.Sipperstein’s dog, with Melissa McCue-McGrath, who has just written a very useful book for dog owners who happen to live in the city.

By Amy Swain

Dog owners of Somerville, rejoice. There is finally a book dedicated to knowledge about the urban pup, and it was created by one of our own. Considerations for the City Dog was recently published by twelve-year resident of Somerville and CPDT-KA (certified professional dog trainer – knowledge assessed) Melissa McCue-McGrath.

Greg Davidian co-owns the Union Gulf service and repair station with his brother. It was opened by his father in 1947.

By Mariya Manzhos

While shopping at Market Basket, Charan Devereaux’s attention was continually drawn to the name tags worn by each worker that also indicate how many years they have worked at the store. This curiosity about the people behind the uniform gradually led Devereaux on a quest to document Union Square as a community of workers and business owners.

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 Spring 2015 MCAS results show that Somerville Public Schools are continuing to help all students realize their potential in the classroom. For three years running, Somerville has been the sole urban district in the top 15 percent of school districts across Massachusetts for student growth, as measured by MCAS Student Growth Percentile. This year, Somerville actually ranks among the top 12 percent for student growth, which measures a student’s change in academic performance compared to their peers from across the Commonwealth with similar test scores in previous years. These results show that our students’ performance is improving more than similar students; in short, they are learning more in the course of a year.

Andrew Howard of Better Block presented development ideas at the meeting attended by interested Winter Hill residents. — Photo by Josie Grove

By Josie Grove

Ten years ago, the narrow one-story building at 328 Broadway Ave. housed a local realty firm. Once that business closed, the building was home to a retailer of prepaid cell phones. Within a year, it will be transformed into Winter Hill Brewing, a coffee shop/brewpub that will serve experimental beers, small plates, and high-quality coffee. Patrons will look across the street to a new five-story residential building.