Part 5:  Solutions
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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)

I was thinking of summarizing the series thus far. Then Pope Francis eloquently did so in last week’s Apostolic Exhortation:

While the earnings of a minority are growing exponentially, so too is the gap separating the majority from the prosperity enjoyed by those happy few. This imbalance is the result of ideologies which defend the absolute autonomy of the marketplace and financial speculation. Consequently, they reject the right of states, charged with vigilance for the common good, to exercise any form of control. A new tyranny is thus born, invisible and often virtual, which unilaterally and relentlessly imposes its own laws and rules.

By Jim Clark

Police officers patrolling Temple St. last Friday night noticed several people milling around in the middle of the street arguing among themselves.

Upon questioning witnesses, police determined that a man, identified as Cory Bloom, 25, of Mattapan, along with some other individuals, had been arguing with and intimidating the apparent victim of a traffic accident involving Mr. Bloom, according to reports.

Online fundraiser for Mobile Farmers Market
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Locals are being asked to pitch in to help keep the Mobile Farmer’s Market rolling.

By Elizabeth Sheeran

Most Americans sat down last week to celebrate life in a land of plenty, with a holiday that usually involves so much food we think of leftovers as part of the tradition. But a growing number of locals are having a harder time putting any kind of meal on the table these days. And healthy food choices are even tougher to come by.

The city’s annual Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting Ceremony will take place tonight, December 5 at 5:30 p.m. on the City Hall concourse, 93 Highland Ave. followed by a meet and greet with Santa Claus in the Somerville High School Highlander Cafe (atrium entrance).

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)

The Somerville High School boys soccer team did much more this season than win the Division 1 North championship and take the state championship game to its last possible moment. They inspired our entire city. You only had to take a look around the stadium during the state championship game and see thousands of Highlander fans, cheering on the team, to see the effect the team had not only on soccer fans but the school community and our whole city. The turnout spoke to more than the team’s success this season. It spoke to how this team, burdened before the season started by a terrible incident at camp, displayed leadership off the field, in the school and throughout the school community and stood up together, refusing to let the alleged actions of a few define them or the community.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the City of Somerville’s Lead Program Manager Daniel Hauck announce free de-leading for 120 Somerville housing units. Made possible by a $2.1 million continuation grant from the Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the program includes de-leading services which frequently include new windows and doors.

“Going Home” by Suzanne Hauerstein.

The Nave Gallery Annex hosts a group exhibition from December 5-22 of encaustic art in its Davis Square location. 65°: An Exhibition of Contemporary Encaustic Art, is an exhibition on the techniques, materials and subject matter used by today’s wax artists, and features the work of 22 local and national artists.

– Photo by Tony Rindaldo

Anyone who lives in Somerville knows the city has a million stories to tell, and now, thanks to a national StoryCorps grant, the country will get to hear—and preserve at the National Library of Congress—some of the least heard stories among them: those of teenagers.

Local dog ruled dangerous, ordered euthanized
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This photo appeared on an on-line petition to save Rocco, a Somerville dog, from a euthanasia order following a recent incident.

By Elizabeth Sheeran

The fate of a six-year-old bull mastiff named Rocco is now in the hands of Somerville District Court, following a Halloween night incident that put a local man in the hospital.

– Photos by Claudia Ferro

The 2013 Holiday Crafts Fair was held on Saturday, November 30 in the Somerville High School Fieldhouse. The fair included over a hundred vendors of handmade crafts, both holiday related and otherwise.