Gone the way of the Dodo – expanded polystyrene cups and containers are now a thing of the past in Somerville.

By Jim Clark

The city’s restaurants and other food-related establishments have recently been updated regarding the ban on expanded polystyrene – popularly referred to as Styrofoam – that has gone into effect. The city has sent out specific information about alternative methods of packaging to-go foods and drinks, as well as outlining the penalties that would be incurred by violating the new regulations.

The primary election is over and by the time the results come in we have already gone to press, so look for the results on www.thesomervilletimes.com or on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thesomervilletimes) as well. Now let’s hope the ones with the stupid commercials lost so we don’t have to hear them any more. We can now settle back and hear new stupid commercials for the final elections. Are all these politicians as dumb as they sound in their commercials?

(L to R) Donald Norton meets Arthur T. Demoulas.

On a recent late afternoon at Somerville Avenue’s Market Basket, the CEO of Market Basket, Arthur T. Demoulas, was walking through the crowded store shaking hands and thanking customers and employees alike for their support. He stopped as well to say “Hi” to our own Donald Norton, who just happened to be in the store. Demoulas appears to be a very genuine and humble man, sincerely making sure he got to as many people as he could before the loudspeaker in the store announced he was present. A huge round of applause was given by those in the store, with smiles and various people running up to him to get a selfie, just like Mr. Norton.  He stopped and thanked everyone before moving on. His words to Norton were basically the same as to everyone: He couldn’t do it without the support.

By Jim Clark

State police responded to reports of a serious injury crash involving a bicyclist and a motorcyclist on Route 16 at Interstate 93 last Friday evening at approximately 7:39 p.m.

Upon arrival, troopers discovered that a 2013 BMW motorcycle had collided with a bicyclist. The bicyclist sustained serious, life-threatening injuries, and later succumbed to those injuries after being transported to Mass General Hospital.

It seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? You put a penny in the machine, you get back a gumball. The most fundamental of business transactions imaginable. Penny. Gumball. Every time.

If every day life – in relation to our dealings with one another – was as equally straightforward and uncomplicated, what a lovely world it would be. Right? Certainly. But we’re not all that uncomplicated, are we?

In celebration of professional football’s opening weekend, New England’s only LEGOLAND® Discovery Center  unveiled the latest feature for its MINILAND® attraction last week, a large-scale replica of Gillette Stadium constructed from more than 33,000 LEGO® bricks. A video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOdtgeS5taA.

Our guest reviewer this week is Tom Miller. Miller is a Somerville Bagel Bard – a history graduate student at Salem State University, and a retired auto industry executive.

Philip Burnham, Jr. writes of the Ukraine – the carnage – the pain, and yet perhaps a hint of beauty and transcendence.

— Photo by Donald Norton

(from the City of Somerville’s Election Dept.)

DEMOCRATIC

SENATOR IN CONGRESS
EDWARD J. MARKEY  6309
WRITE IN  191
BLANK  1404

GOVERNOR
DONALD M. BERWICK  2610
MARTHA COAKLEY  2986
STEVEN GROSSMAN  2130
WRITE IN  28
BLANK  150

— Photos by John Pratti

A sinkhole was discovered in the street near the corner of Pearl and Medford Streets.