(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)

Locally owned, independent business have long been ingrained into the economic fabric of the City of Somerville. With significant changes on the horizon, having a strong commercial-tax generating base is something that should be on the forefront of every conversation about Somerville’s future.

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)

As I mentioned in my State of the city address earlier this month, like most cities, we must address water, sewer and building infrastructure that was built for the 20th century—and is aging rapidly. We have a 143-year-old high school that has not been updated in almost three decades and a public safety building that began as an MBTA car barn almost a century ago. We have a sewer system that’s mostly just as old and an estimated sidewalk and pavement backlog that could cost upwards of $83 million. We have planned streetscape projects in Davis Square and Winter Hill that are needed for both public safety and for our economic health. In short: We have immediate and long-term capital projects that must be planned for. But if we are going to pay for these critical infrastructure investments in the least burdensome way, we must adhere to our principles of strategic planning and prudent fiscal management.

By Gabriela C. Martinez

A resolution submitted by Alderman at Large Mary Jo Rossetti at last weeks regular meeting of the Board of Aldermen, proposed employing a Substance Abuse Coordinator to assist Somerville’s families.

The Student Health Survey results were presented to the public via a game show format that encouraged discussion on the relevant topics covered in the survey. — Photos by Jason Andrew Park

By Jason Andrew Park

The results of the Somerville High School (SHS) Student Health Survey are in and, for the most part, they are optimistic.

By Gabriela C. Martinez

On January 22, the Somerville Board of Aldermen held its weekly meeting to discuss a variety of upcoming projects and resolutions, many focused infrastructural improvements, maintenance issues, and educational initiatives.

On the political side of things, we will be having the local elections for Mayor, Alderman and School Board members this year. Two years ago some races had some contests and hopefully again this year that will happen. We think competition is great for everyone, in the private sector as well as the public sector. We hope more will decide to jump in and run for office. So far this year we have heard that Ward Three School Board member Adam Sweeting is not going to seek re-election, leaving it a wide open seat. The first rumor we heard about someone running was former candidate for mayor and Ward Three Alderman herself Ms. Suzanne Bremer is thinking about testing the waters. Others are also considering running for the vacant seat. Again, we hope all the wards have more than one candidate running for office.

By Mark Niedergang, Peter St. Clair and Patricia Wild

(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)

We urge the Somerville Retirement Board to divest from all companies in the fossil fuel business. All three of us are vested members of the Somerville City Retirement System. We support divestment for two reasons: (1) We believe that our children’s and the City’s future is in peril if humankind does not drastically reduce our use of fossil fuels; and (2) we want to protect our retirement and our pensions. We believe that fossil fuel companies are poor investments that will not only generate less return than other, comparable stocks and bonds, but are becoming increasingly volatile and risky investments, likely in the future to lose money for the Somerville Retirement System.

— Photos by Donald Norton

By Donald Norton

The public was invited to an information session about the proposed zoning ordinance overhaul on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Somerville Armory. The session included a presentation on the new code followed by an opportunity to review the code and map and discuss them with city staff. Following this information session, the Land Use Committee of the Board of Aldermen and the Planning Board have scheduled a joint public hearing on the proposed ordinance for Tuesday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave.

One of my all time favorite greens is broccoli rabe. It has a bright but slightly bitter flavor and is found predominantly in Southern Italian, Portuguese and even Spanish cuisine. It’s part of the mustard family and is in the same subspecies as the turnip. (Wikipedia.org)