Poet Steve Lappen has sent us a poem – so please concentrate…if you can.

City to request a $1.35M appropriation that would qualify Somerville for $360,000 to $670,000 in extra state matching funds for affordable housing, open space, outdoor recreation and historic preservation

In an effort to maximize the State’s contribution to Somerville’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) Fund, which is dedicated to affordable housing, open space, outdoor recreation and historic preservation projects, the city has submitted a request to the Board of Aldermen for an appropriation of just over $1.35 million to the fund, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today.

Arrests:
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Liban Ali, 23, of 362 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, May 20, 4:55 p.m., arrested at 32 Myrtle St. on charges of operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license, marked lanes violation, and improper operation of a motor vehicle.

Jeremy Gillis, 30, of 15 Weston Ave., May 21, 2:07 p.m., arrested at Bay State Ave. on warrant charges of attempt to commit a crime and drug possession to distribute.

The City of Somerville’s fifth annual SomerStreets series kicks off for summer 2014with Carnaval @ SomerStreets on East Broadway on Sunday, June 1 from noon to 4 p.m. (rain or shine). SomerStreets is the City of Somerville’s take on the internationally-renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity. Through SomerStreets, the city and its community partners aim to promote and encourage easy access to physical activity, fresh foods, and reconnecting with neighborhoods and businesses and their unique cultural elements in a thriving urban environment.

10-person team to view projects completed by master developer finalists

With four finalists chosen for master developer of the targeted redevelopment in Union Square, representatives from the Union Square Civic Advisory Committee, the Somerville Redevelopment Authority, the city and the Board of Aldermen will travel to four cities during the last week of May to see for themselves what each of the finalists has accomplished in building mixed-use developments in already dense urban environments.

Thomas Cardon, along with colleague Rosemary Ryan, will be retiring from after more than 30 years teaching in the Culinary Arts program at Somerville High School. — Photo by Claudia Ferro

By Douglas Yu

Two teachers are going to retire from the culinary arts department of Somerville High School this summer. And for over 30 years, the students here have meant everything to them.

Thomas Cardon, chef instructor and the lead teacher in the department, is the trailblazer for the culinary program at SHS, which he started 33 years ago.

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)

I did a story back in 2011 about the first jobs of my baby boomer Somerville friends. This is part two. In the first story, I mentioned that I worked at Lyndell’s Bakery as a helper (in the ‘60s) and at FW Woolworth’s as a stock boy/lunch counter guy. I also worked at The Dodge ’Em Cars at Revere Beach. Newcomers to the Ville may be scratching their heads when they read some of the following places, saying, “I never heard of that joint…” That’s because a lot of the establishments mentioned are now history. So I guess it’s sort of like us Somerville lifers are speaking in some kind of secret code.

Alderman At Large Jack Connolly with the 2014 grand marshal is Col. Mark Cremin.

Somerville’s annual Memorial Day Parade and corresponding ceremonies are set for Sunday, May 25.

Morning events, sponsored by American Legion Post #19 in conjunction with the Somerville Allied Veterans’ Council, will begin at 8 a.m. at American Legion Post #19, 124 Highland Ave., with a short procession down Highland Avenue to the Central Library and the placing of wreaths on monuments along Central Hill Park. The parade will step off from the City Hall/Somerville High School concourse at 1 p.m. and will proceed for 2.3 miles down Highland Avenue to the Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery in Teele Square. The parade will conclude in Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery with a ceremony of remembrance for fallen Somerville veterans under the supervision of the Somerville Allied Veterans Council. All events will be held rain or shine.

The Community Preservation Committee (CPA) recently held two public meetings to present ideas to the public on how the city should handle Community Preservation Act funding. — Photo by Douglas Yu

By Douglas Yu

With the city undergoing development all over, and with the MBTA’s ambitious Green Line Extension project set to make 85 percent of the city within a half-mile of a transit center, residents’ attention is turning to preservation.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to a Derby St. residence last Thursday on reports of a possible altercation in progress. According to reports, a large group of teenagers were gathered outside of the residence and the reporting party was being taunted to come out of the house and fight.