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.

Part 2: What is to be done
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By William C. Shelton

(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)

The long-term climate forecast moved sharply toward catastrophic last week. Two research teams using different methods published evidence that melting of the Western Antarctic ice sheet now appears to be unstoppable. The water contained therein could, by itself, raise global sea levels by more than ten feet over the coming two hundred years.

By Douglas Yu

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone has taken what he describes as a “pro-safety and pro-family” action by signing an executive order to withdraw the city from the Secure Communities program, a program initially enacted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to remove illegal aliens who pose a threat to public safety.

Shaw’s and Star Market, as part of its longstanding ties to local communities for more than 150 years, is making a donation to several area little leagues. Each of their 155 stores will be donating $800 to their local youth league.

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)

On Central Hill Park outside City Hall and Somerville High School sits the Somerville Honor Roll, listing the names of service men and women who served our nation in World War II, along with some who served in the Korean War. Stepping inside the memorial, your eyes fall upon a list of names, a common sight in cities and towns across our great country. This Memorial Day, I invite you to join our Memorial Day remembrances, stepping off at 8 a.m. from American Legion Post #19, and join us in placing wreaths at the Honor Roll and other memorials along Central Hill Park. Or, if you cannot attend the remembrances but are coming for the parade, before the parade steps off from City Hall at 1 p.m.—or afterward—take a moment to step inside the Honor Roll. And then take a closer look at the names memorialized on its walls.

The current edition of Karl Wallinger’s World Party will be performing at Johnny D’s this coming Saturday.

By Blake Maddux

In 1983, 25-year-old Welsh-born Karl Wallinger answered an ad seeking a guitarist who was “into Iggy Pop.” Wallinger passed the audition and became a member of the English folk-rock band The Waterboys, which Scottish-born singer-songwriter Mike Scott had formed in London the year before.

Although their collaboration was fruitful, the band was not big enough for two musicians of equally large talent and ambition. Therefore, Wallinger left after their second album—1985’s This Is the Sea—to form World Party. Just as The Waterboys was Scott’s band, World Party would belong completely to Wallinger.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone to sign an executive order returning discretion on protecting community to local law enforcement officials

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced at a press conference this morning that he will sign an executive order that will limit Somerville’s participation in Secure Communities, a flawed federal program that has left communities less safe, torn apart families and deported people with no criminal convictions.

The Secure Communities program allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to ask local law enforcement to hold arrested immigrants for up to 48 hours after the person has posted bail or been ordered released by the courts. Nationwide, half of the people deported through Secure Communities nationwide have no criminal convictions. In Massachusetts, there have been more than 1,000 deportations since the program was enacted two years ago, and 61 percent of the people deported have no criminal convictions—and in some cities and towns in Massachusetts, that percentage rises to 79 percent. ICE has admitted that about 5 percent of people held under detainers turn out to be U.S. citizens.