By Donald Norton

A small neighborhood meeting was held last week at the Winter Hill School to talk about a Subway restaurant franchise coming to Winter Hill in the little section of stores on Wheatland and Broadway. Many attendees questioned why someone would buy a Subway franchise and have it in the same neighborhood as Leone’s Sub and Mamma Lisa’s. They felt that the store would not do well.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

The Somerville Boxing Club, the Somerville Recreation Dept., Mayor Curtatone and USA Boxing presented “Somerville Fight Night” last Friday evening at Dilboy Stadium. There was a great turnout and a nice night of entertainment. Former Alderman Bruce Desmond’s niece Emily did a great job singing the national anthem. Support the club and the good work they do for local kids.

By Donald Norton

Ten Hills neighbors were entertained by the Sunsetters this past week with a great show. The entire neighborhood on Ten Hills Road enjoyed an evening of songs and afterwards asked Mayor Joe and his wife Nancy to dance along with them. To finish off the night, about 75 residents showed up and a great time was had by everyone. Jimmy Del Ponte did his usual excellent job with the Sunsetters. They are great and will definitely be back next summer.

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I met Marjorie Nichols on a crowded morning at the Sherman Café in Union Square, Somerville. The place was buzzing. At the table across from me was Greg Jenkins of the Somerville Arts Council conferring with some other artists, and on hand throughout the café was the usual band of businessmen, young bohemians, students, earnest non-profit types pontificating about foundation grants, mothers with screaming kids, etc.

Why is it that a duck has all the luck? Poet J. C. Foritano has the answer.

Home Rule Petition makes Somerville’s the largest exemption in the State

It’s official. Homeowners who live in their Somerville property will now receive the highest property tax exemption in the state after Governor Deval Patrick signed new legislation this week that had previously been approved by the Somerville Board of Aldermen in March 2014. The legislation increases Somerville’s residential exemption from 30 percent to 35 percent, and the new rate is retroactive to July 1, 2014. The city continues to explore increasing exemptions for seniors, veterans, widows and those with disabilities, groups that are already offered exemptions in Somerville at double the state limit.

Combined Partners & Federal Realty Investment Trust payments estimated to yield $1.7M to $2.2M in annual City revenue from former IKEA parcel

The City of Somerville and Partners HealthCare have signed a Community Services Understanding through which the tax-exempt nonprofit healthcare provider has agreed to make annual payments to the City as a municipal services contribution for the offices they plan to build on the former IKEA parcel in Assembly Square. The agreement also stipulates that Partners will engage in good faith efforts to make employment opportunities available to Somerville residents, and that their general contractor will enter into a Project Labor Agreement for construction.

EyeSee (detail) by Shari Weschler Rubeck, acrylic on canvas, 2014

Artists, consciously or unconsciously, dabble in magic. They borrow signs and symbols, and plant symbolic language, like seeds, into our hearts and minds to offer us new perceptions, and how this happens is…well, a little like magic. To the searching viewer an art work may yield the secrets of the artist’s craft without losing its “magical” power. Is this what separates real magic from mere trickery? Does the difference matter?

Arrests:
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Jean Morisset, 30, of 33 Lexington Ave., August 19, 12:20 p.m., arrested at 220 Washington St. on a warrant charge of miscellaneous municipal ordinance violation.

Benjamin King, 28, of 15 Dudley St., Medford, August 19, 5:35 p.m., arrested at 85A Broadway on a warrant charge of larceny over $250.

Grab your instrument and your dancing shoes, and get ready to help the City celebrate the latest installment of its SomerStreets series with Strike Up the Bands @ SomerStreets on Sunday, September 7 on Holland Street! From noon to 4 p.m. between Davis Square and Teele Square, free, family-friendly activities and entertainment will include live music at Johnny D’s Uptown and Rudy’s Café as well as children’s activities, family-friendly programming, and student-friendly fun (welcome back, students!) throughout the afternoon.