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)

Data isn’t the end of debate. It’s the start. When I see a statistic like Somerville’s birth rate surpassing Massachusetts’ falling rate, or the city having a lower unemployment rate than the state and the nation but 85 percent of our workers leaving the city to go to their jobs, those aren’t answers. Rather, they beg questions: Why is our city’s birth rate growing? How do we have a low unemployment rate when most of our residents leave the city for work? We have to start by collecting the data—making decisions without data is like driving a car blindfolded. But once we have the data in hand, we have to ask the right questions, and asking the right questions means making that data available to everyone.

A skirmish over the fate of Ross Moffett’s iconic mural may be in the offing as the city, potential developers and concerned citizens negotiate a resolution to the question of where the work of art should ultimately reside.

By Jeremy F. van der Heiden

The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) held a public meeting Thursday, March 6, to hear comments from the public regarding the impending sale of the Union Square Post Office, as well as the fate of the historic mural therein. Members of the Somerville Arts Council, the Board of Aldermen and the community at large attended the meeting to discuss the any adverse effects of the sale.

Groundwork Somerville holds Maple Syrup Boil-Down
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By Jack Adams

Somerville residents and people from as far as Connecticut gathered to witness Groundwork Somerville’s Maple Syrup Project Boil-Down at The Growing Center in Somerville this past Saturday. Groundwork Somerville’s “Green Team” demonstrated the syrup-making process, from tapping the sugar maple for sap to boiling the raw sap into syrup.

Public input sought on qualifications for next police chief
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The resignation last year of now former Police Chief Tom Pasquarello has sent the city on yet another search for a replacement, and the public is being invited to weigh in on their concerns about the process.

By David R. Smith

A sparsely attended meeting at the East Somerville Community School last Wednesday was held to solicit comments from residents on what qualities and qualifications they would like to see in their next police chief.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to everyone here and all around the Ville. Celebrate and be careful. Remember, it is a religious holiday we are celebrating, not a get-blin-drunk holiday. We hope everyone has a great time. We have a question for readers (you can post your answers on our website, www.thesomervilletimes.com): Do you know the meaning of the clover that symbolizes Irish culture and heritage?

TEDxSomerville takes place March 30
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TEDxSomerville returns to the city on March 30, bringing the theme of “movement” to the event, asking those who participate and attend “What moves you?”

By David R. Smith

An illustrator, an economist and a nanny walk into Brooklyn Boulders…

No, it’s not the beginning of a joke; it’s just a sampling of the eclectic line up of the second TEDxSomerville, which will be held at Brooklyn Boulders (12A Tyler St.) Sunday, March 30. The event will feature entertainment, artists and more than a dozen speakers focusing on the theme of “movement,” in all its meanings, expressions and forms.

A Board of Aldermen public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. this Thursday (March 13) at City Hall to discuss a resolution for the city’s retirement board to divest from any investments tied to the fossil-fuel industry.

On Thursday afternoon, March 6, an emerging scam was brought to the attention of the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office, and subsequently shared with the Somerville Police Department. A 90-year-old Somerville woman was the victim of a “grandparent scam” last week, according to police.

Read by the River is an education fair developed to promote the importance of early childhood literacy.
– Photo by Benjamin Preis

The New England Patriots’ Logan Ryan read to a large group of children at Tufts University Hillel’s annual Read by the River on Sunday, March 9.

More than 850 elementary school students from Somerville and Medford attended the education fair in the Gantcher Center at Tufts University.

Ralph Pennel, like many Somerville residents I know, has many creative outlets. He brings his creative flair to the classroom at Bunker Hill Community College; he is the fiction editor of a well-regarded online publication the Midway Journal and he is a published poet and fiction writer. I recently spoke to Pennel on my Somerville Public TV show Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer.