Residents, community members invited to submit questions to help 

The four finalists for Somerville Chief of Police—Somerville Deputy Chief Michael Cabral; Somerville Deputy Chief David Fallon; Manchester, NH Chief David Mara; and Hamden, CT Chief Thomas Wydra—will answer questions submitted by the community at a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave.

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)

Any sports fan will tell you that the old adage is true: the best defense is a good offense. Teams that cough up the lead and falter in the end don’t play to win—they play to not lose. Losing teams wrongly assume that they’ve already built enough of a lead and made enough progress that they can go into a shell and wait out the clock. Winning teams continue the strategy that earned them the lead in the first place, keeping up the attack and staying on the offensive. Last Thursday, I presented a fiscal year 2015 budget to the Board of Aldermen that plays to win—and to win it for our community.

The Nave Gallery and the Somerville Arts Council present the 3rd Somerville Squeezebox Slam.

This is a celebration, of accordions, button boxes and other free standing reed instruments.

As with the first festival, accordionists of all skill levels and musical genres are invited to stroll around the neighborhoods of Somerville, sharing their melodious sounds, and like pied pipers from an alternative fairy tale, beckon all to come and follow them as they head to Davis Square for a concert of some of New England’s finest squeezebox players. So dust off your grandfather’s squeezebox that’s been sitting in the attic and join us for an afternoon of pumping the bellows. Accordion themed art/crafts will be for sale. Curated by Michael McLaughlin.

Scene from Davis Square where an elderly woman was stuck by a FedEx truck.

By Douglas Yu

Update:

A 90-year-old woman, Helen Monagle, of Medford, was hit by a FedEx truck around 10:20 this morning at the intersection of Holland St. and Dover St., in Somerville, according to Somerville Police Department. She was transported to Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge where she later succumbed to her injures.

By William A. White Jr., Alderman-at-Large, Board President

(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 want to thank The Somerville Times for inviting me to comment on the upcoming City Budget process before the Board of Aldermen. There are two important “firsts” taking place with this process.  For the first time in the history of the City, the Mayor has submitted a budget to the Board of Aldermen in excess of $200,000,000.  After the current budget of $195,042,998, the Mayor is seeking $203,105,619 for next year.  The other is that for the first time in recent memory, there are five new aldermen out of eleven who will be participating in the review of this budget.  As Board President, I asked the Chair of the Finance Committee, Aldermen Lafuente, to extend the budget meetings over more evenings than had been done recently to give aldermen, especially our new members, more time to question the important departments.  During the past few years, incumbent aldermen had become quite familiar with the operation and funding needs of the various city departments. As a result, the budget schedule had become a bit compressed. My hope is that these new members on the Board of Aldermen in combination with its veterans will conduct a vigorous process that poses serious questions about spending and taxes.

(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)

By André Leroux, Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance & Joseph Curtatone, Mayor of Somerville

Our cities and towns deserve a modern set of tools to plan ahead for growth. We must be able to ensure that development takes place wisely, spares tax dollars from waste, and protects our environment. Development proposals should be based upon community values and local planning priorities.  But in too many communities, smart community-minded development proposals are subject to legal wrangling and costly delays.  Meanwhile lower-quality proposals are often permitted more quickly because that is what our outdated regulations encourage.

David F. Mahan, 69 of Malden, formerly of Somerville, June 2, 2014 . Loving father of Sharon Talbot, Robert Mahan, Diane Veroneau and David Mahan. Brother of Judy Oliva, Susan Malizia, Gale Furtado and the late Robert Mahan. Grandfather of Ashley, Amanda, Samantha, Crystal and Kyle and many friends, nieces and nephews. Memorial service will be private.

The 2013 Yawkee League Champion Alibrandis is looking to repeat its success in the season to come. — Photo courtesy of Cameron Lynch.

By Ben Cassidy

In today’s Twitter-obsessed, live-in-the-moment sports culture, the word “dynasty” is frequently misused. Twenty-first century fans are quick to erroneously compare certain teams’ short-lived spurts of success to historic franchises’ years of sustained excellence, the essence of any true dynasty. Yet, some squads render these false equivocations futile by dominating the past and the present, all-encompassing strings of success everyone can agree epitomize a dynasty. The Somerville Alibrandis are one of these teams.

By Jeremy F. van der Heiden

The Somerville Board of Aldermen held a special meeting on Thursday, June 5, to hear Mayor Joseph Curtatone’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2015.

In front of a crowded room of Somerville residents, elected officials and more, Mayor Curtatone went through the financial assessments and performances of the city throughout the past few years.

Michelle Bates shows off her toy camera works of art.

By Jack Adams

The Somerville Toy Camera Festival returned to Somerville, spread between five galleries, the Nave Gallery, the Nave Gallery Annex, the Brickbottom Gallery, the Somerville Museum and the Washington Street Gallery. On display are 150 Lo-Fi and Toy Camera photos taken by 99 photographers. The galleries will remain open until the last week of June.