Looking for a unique gift for an impossible friend, colleague or family member? Consider this new afghan created to celebrate and display some of Somerville’s most notable historic structures. The full color, machine washable afghans are woven exclusively for the city by Simply Home of Virginia. They may be purchased for $65 from the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission* at City Hall (617-625-6600, ext. 2500), or via PayPal on the SHPC website noted below, or from the Somerville Museum at One Westwood Road where discounts of 10% are offered to current Museum members. They are open by appointment (617-666-9810) or go to www.somervillemuseum.org.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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)

I love Christmas! I love the songs, the TV commercials, the Christmas specials on the tube, and seeing cars with Christmas trees on the roof. I also love saying the words Merry Christmas!

— Photo by Claudia Ferro

The Somerville High School Highlander Café is featuring live piano musical entertainment on Friday afternoons during lunch, courtesy of Somerville High School music students. The Highlander Café is open for lunch Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Stop by for a delicious lunch in a lovely setting, prepared by Somerville High’s Culinary Arts students working under the guidance of Culinary Arts Instructors Jeffrey Stuart and Melissa Nova.

Tickets are sold out but a bike tour has been organized.

Come celebrate the folk artistry of residents who transform their houses and yards with lights, illuminated ornaments, and shrines of devotion and fantasy.

One thousand new units planned for the city
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Over a dozen medium- to large-sized residential developments, totaling around 1,000 units, are slated to be constructed over the next few years in Somerville. Most will be selling or renting for market rates, which continue to rise.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a reported case of larceny at the TJ Maxx store on Middlesex Ave. last week.

Upon arrival, officers were met by the store’s loss prevention personnel and were led to where a woman, Mary Moore, 45, of Roxbury, had been detained for allegedly stealing items from the store. A Kmart shopping cart full of merchandise was also being held for evidence.

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)

President Obama has ended Secure Communities, the misguided and ineffective program that we opted to limit in Somerville earlier this year. In some ways, Secure Communities’ ignominious end was inevitable. A federal judge has already ruled that holding a person released by the courts—which the program required—violates the Fourth Amendment. Statistics showed that the majority of people deported because of Secure Communities had no criminal convictions. We were breaking apart families, which leads to more crime, in the name of a broken immigration system. Everyone knew this program was flawed and that it would end eventually, but faced with a Congress that refuses to govern because they’re more interested in winning elections than smart, evidence-based decisions, the President rightly acted within his power to end Secure Communities sooner rather than later. This is an important step because it shows that the federal government is now, finally, realizing what we already know in Somerville—that truly keeping a community safe requires the police and residents to work together.

A series of school music concerts this week and next will feature Somerville student musicians.

Check your calendar for winter concert dates, times and locations.

December 12, 2014, 8:45 am: East Somerville Community School Winter Concert
December 17, 2014, 9:15 am: Winter Hill Community Innovation School Winter Concert
December 17, 2014, 6:00 pm: Kennedy School K-3 Winter Concert

SYSL continues its mission to provide playing opportunities for young soccer enthusiasts with its winter indoor program.

By Tom Bannister

The Somerville Youth Soccer League (SYSL) has announced two winter soccer programs being offered by Somerville Recreation and SYSL beginning next Saturday, December 13. The program details are as follows:

Formal agreement requires funding of community-driven planning process, creation of community benefits agreements

A community-driven master planning process for Union Square and Boynton Yards and the creation of a community benefits agreement that will result from new development are among the requirements of a signed formal agreement between the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) and Union Square Station Associates (US2). Additional items in the agreement include coordination with the MBTA on new private development alongside the Green Line Station and valuation and disposition terms for all seven development blocks.