Somerville Overcoming Addiction’s vigil honoring those who have been lost due to substance abuse will be held Monday at Connextions in Somerville.

By Cathleen Twardzik

A photo collage was created for display at Somerville Overcoming Addiction’s (SOA) First Annual Vigil, which will occur on September 8. The purpose of the vigil is to recognize, to remember and to celebrate loved ones all of whom were lost to addiction.

On August 12, SOA hosted an event at 149 Broadway Somerville at Connextions to make the collage. Participants were asked to bring photos of their loved ones to produce it, and pizza was provided by Wicked Sober Inc.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston, and the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) invite all interested community members to the third in a series of meetings to discuss the renovation plans for Lincoln Park, located next to the Argenziano School just outside Union Square. The meeting will be held at the Argenziano School Cafeteria, at 290 Washington St., on Monday, September 15 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Attendees will review the community process to date, the City’s plans to hire a landscape architecture design firm for the renovation, and the issues to be addressed in any new park design. Please join us to share your ideas.  We want this renovation to reflect the needs of the community. The meeting location is accessible to people with disabilities. To request language assistance, handouts in alternate formats, or information on the meeting, please contact Arn Franzen at: afranzen@somervillem.gov, or (617) 625-6600, ext 2500.

Heavy fire damage is evident in the rear of 53 Josephine Avenue.

Somerville firefighters were kept busy last weekend  on Labor Day, September 1, responding to three fires in the city. The first, and most serious fire, broke out at approximately 1:36 a.m. at 53 Josephine Avenue. The three story home suffered extensive fire damage in the rear with smoke and water damage throughout. The rear porches were destroyed and fire spread into the walls and attic of the home. Heat from the fire also damaged the home at 49 Josephine Avenue melting vinyl siding. All three apartments were rendered uninhabitable and the occupants have been displaced. Two Alarms were sounded and one firefighter was transported to the hospital for evaluation after becoming ill at the scene. The cause of the fire is presently undetermined and remains under investigation.

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)

Summer vacation 2014 is history. While I was directing the Somerville Sunsetters song and dance troupe, I was not allowed to mention that 6 letter word … school. Anytime the subject of school is mentioned, I channel my dad and start preaching. “You kids today have it so easy compared to when I was in school!” I tell them how we had things like dress codes … and … BUILDING MASTERS!!!

Due to forecasts of severe storms and high heat on Saturday, Sept. 6, the Community Path Party co-sponsored by the City of Somerville and the Friends of the Community Path has been POSTPONED until Saturday, Sept. 20, from 2 to 6 p.m.

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)

This week, Somerville students are returning to a district that is accelerating education. Last year, Somerville Public Schools led all Massachusetts urban school districts in student growth on the Spring 2013 MCAS, putting our schools on par with some of the highest-performing districts in Massachusetts. That means Somerville is helping each and every student continually improve, regardless of where they start academically. Somerville High School made a two-level leap on the state’s accountability rating scale to the highest rating, Level 1, and was named as one of the state’s top 15 “dream schools” by the Boston Globe. The Kennedy School also earned a Level 1 designation last year.

— Photo by Donald Norton

Here’s a shot of the parking lot at Market Basket on Somerville Ave. last weekend. Need we say any more?

Green Line and gentrification headed to Ward 5

By Somerville Neighborhood News

Ward 5’s aldermen and residents are mostly happy the Green Line will reach the neighborhood in the near future, but they are worried about the side effects.

“The Green Line will create half a dozen new subway stops in Somerville through the heart of the city and give us the kind of public transportation that we deserve,” Ward 5 Alderman Mark Niedergang told Somerville Neighborhood News as he walked around the Lowell Street neighborhood recently.

By a frustrated Somerville resident

(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)

EVERY THIRTY SECONDS. Every thirty seconds starting at 6 a.m. this morning (a Sunday!) we’ve had to deal with the constant roar of planes that sound like they’re about to land on our roof. Are you serious with this?! I sleep directly next to my air conditioner and I could STILL hear every single plane that came (and continues to come) by (since I started writing this, 3 planes have gone overhead). The last plane barely passes out of earshot when the next one starts up, and no, that is not a gross over-exaggeration.

By Jim Clark

A resolution regarding the impact of Logan Airport flight paths was discussed and adopted by the Somerville Board of Alderman at their General Meeting last Thursday.

Citing the multitude of complaints from residents made to members of the Board of Aldermen and the government of the City of Somerville about the noise from flights taking off from Logan Airport since the beginning of this spring and continuing through this summer, the Board unanimously resolved to take measures to try to alleviate the problem.