By Rebecca Danvers

Critically-acclaimed Kentucky duo, Sundy Best, will be bringing their unique blended sound of country, folk, rock, bluegrass and R&B to Thunder Road in Somerville on Saturday, September 26 for their Salvation City Tour.

By Jim Clark

Police received a call from the Saks Off 5th at Assembly Row early last Saturday evening reporting that a man had been spotted concealing merchandise in a bag and was about to leave the store.

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)

Most people know that Somerville has become a dining hotspot for everything from tiny taquerias to nationally renowned gourmet restaurants. What’s less well known is that successful local restaurants do more than expand our dining options—they help revitalize and stabilize our neighborhoods. Busy cafes and dinner spots mean more people are on the streets, other businesses benefit from that foot traffic, and opportunities for street crime decrease—new jobs and new tax revenues follow as well. In short, when restaurants thrive, our neighborhoods thrive. But this local economic engine is threatened by Beacon Hill’s antiquated liquor license cap.

— Photos by Donald Norton

By Donald Norton

The Wilderness Inquiry Canoemobile, a fleet of vans each with six 24’ Voyageur canoes, delivers place-based education on urban rivers and waterways nationwide. As part of its national tour of 31 cities, the Canoemobile delivered two days of programming along the Mystic River and Neponset River from September 22-23.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

The city celebrated the latest installment of its SomerStreets series with Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets on Sunday, Sept. 20 on Holland St. Family-friendly activities and entertainment included live music as well as children’s activities, family-friendly programming, and student-friendly fun.

By Josie Grove

Reports of rodent sightings are significantly down compared to last year at this time, but it was also cited that this could be partly due to “311 fatigue” by those who have been reporting in the past. (click to enlarge)

Rats are a part of urban life, but that doesn’t mean Somerville is happy about its rodent residents. The Board of Aldermen convened a Rodent Issues Special Committee in the fall of 2013 and the committee, made up of Aldermen Maryann Heuston, John Connolly, and Matthew McLaughlin, had its most recent meeting on September 9 of this year. “We met last week because I had dozens of orders for rodent control, so we met to go over all those orders formally,” said Alderman McLaughlin. The special committee named eight specific sites as well as several streets where residents have reported seeing rats. “And we submitted formally a request for information regarding efforts to control rodents,” said Alderman McLaughlin.

Somerville Overcoming Addiction’s Candlelight Memorial Vigil brought people together to remember those who succumbed to the ravages of drug addiction, and to look forward with hope for those seeking help and healing. — Photos by Amy Swain

By Amy Swain

Tuesday, September 15 saw Somerville’s second annual Candlelight Memorial Vigil. The event was held at Somerville High School, put together by Somerville Overcoming Addiction (SOA), a local group dedicated to helping those affected by the disease of addiction.

Join East Somerville Main Streets on Thursday September 24 at 7:00 p.m. for the premiere of the This Is East video project. East Somerville Main Streets, in collaboration with Somerville Arts Council and SCATV bring the stories of East Somerville to life. With interviews with dozens of members of the neighborhood, the This Is East video project tells the story of a community. Come to Chuckie Harris Park for a viewing of the film and watch your neighbors tell you what East Somerville means to them.

So, who among us participated in the much-maligned “Pity Party” last week? If you did, you are a brave soul indeed.

From the moment the event was announced a hue and cry was heard both far and wide deriding the unique affair, and many felt that it was more than a mere waste of taxpayers’ dollars. Some felt that it was an embarrassment to the city.

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This past weekend a group of friends came over for dinner. The menu consisted of an amped-up charcuterie platter, tagliatelle bolognese, sautéed broccoli rabe, a variety of white and red wines, some from as close as upstate New York and as far away as France, and for dessert, various Italian pastries and cookies.