— Photos by Claudia Ferro
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Somerville’s annual Memorial Day Parade was held Sunday, May 25.

The ceremonies began with a short procession down Highland Avenue to the Central Library and the placing of wreaths on monuments along Central Hill Park. The parade stepped off from the City Hall/Somerville High School and proceeded down Highland Avenue to the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Teele Square. The parade concluded in Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery with a ceremony of remembrance for fallen Somerville veterans under the supervision of the Somerville Allied Veterans Council.

Mayor Joe Curtatone signed the executive order Thursday directing police not to detain people based solely on immigration status.~Photo by Douglas Yu

By Douglas Yu

Mayor Joe Curtatone signed the executive order Thursday directing police not to detain people based solely on immigration status as required under the federal Secure Communities program.

“Thank you for choosing Somerville as your home. This is your city.” Curtatone said during the signing event at the public safety building. “What we’ve been fighting for is our collective values as a community. Tonight, we are taking a very important step to protect our neighbors and families.”

Ward 1 Alderman Matt McLaughlin advocated for a study of improved substance abuse recovery programs at Thursdays General Meeting of the Board of Alderman.

By Jeremy F. van der Heiden

Members of the Board of Aldermen held a regular meeting this past Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m.

To begin, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston explained goings on at the Committee on Confirmation of Appointments, including the appointment of two applicants to be sworn into the Somerville Police Department. The two men, Shaun Clark and Alexander Lorenti, were sworn in upon the approval of the BOA, and will now attend the academy.

The City of Somerville, in coordination with the Institute for Human Centered Design, is undertaking the first ever survey of an entire municipality on accessibility needs and is asking residents to take the survey—and volunteer to distribute it—to collect vital resident feedback that will shape the City’s roadmap for accessibility.

This year’s Memorial Day Parade has become a big hit here in the city, by far the largest in the state at least. We remember the days of living a block from the parade route. We’d rush up to see the parade, and it was over within seven minutes. Congratulations to Joe Curtatone’s administration for doing a great job in organizing this yearly event. The crowd along the route was big as well, and appreciative of the many who marched in celebration of our veterans. Our good little friend Delia and her uncle Bobbygeorge have been long time parade attendees.

(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)

To Mr. Crosby and the Mass Gaming Commission,

By now you have certainly heard from countless Somerville residents regarding the proposed Everett casino. You have no doubt heard concerns about environmental issues, traffic, crime, and a lack of support for casinos in general. I share all of these concerns, and greatly fear the detrimental effects of a casino so close to Somerville. However, as the ward 1 alderman, whose district is right across the river from the proposed casino, I have another fear that is being overlooked. That concern is the economic impact the casino will have on our newly burgeoning East Somerville business districts.

*Eagle Feathers #53 – “Solar”ville

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

About three weeks ago, Somerville had two days in a row of 80 degree weather, the first time since last August. The winter was long and cold, but the sun did shine; and we all benefitted from its power. The sun has been out there for about 4.5 billion years and scientist’s say it hasn’t even approached its middle age yet. It’s a huge entity in which its actions give us our heat, water, and vegetation. It took a long time, 200,000 years, but newcomer, “man,” is now tapping its gifts.

Mayor Joseph Curtatone signed an executive order last week directing Somerville police to not detain illegal immigrants after they have already posted bail or been ordered released by the courts. The order was issued in response to the federal Secure Communities program, which asks cities and towns to hold such immigrants for processing by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But the order also reflected a policy already in place within the Somerville Police Department for several years, so it was more of a symbolic gesture than a change in day-to-day practices.

By Tom Bannister

The Somerville High Scholarship Foundation held its annual $10,000 dollar drawing this past Friday night, May 16, at the Highlander Café at SHS. A group of about 60 people attended the event, which was hosted by the foundation’s president, Joe Favaloro, and everyone’s favorite former mayor, Eugene Brune.

Ah! Ain’t love grand!  Yes grand, tragic, maddening, evolving… in all its infinite variety. Feldman in his collection Immortality explores love and its many manifestations, as well as other themes. I had the privilege to interview Feldman on my Somerville Community Access TV show Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer recently.