(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)

This year, the City came forward with two important proposals that address the impact of commercial development in Somerville through linkage fees. As residents affected by that development, we support the proposed amendments to the housing linkage fee and the creation of a jobs linkage fee. The amendments to the housing ordinance would increase the amount paid by developers from $3.91 to $5.15 per square foot, index it to the cost of living, and lower the threshold for payment to developments of 20,000 square feet or more. The proposed ordinance on jobs linkage would create a jobs linkage fee of $1.40 per square foot, which would go into a Job Creation and Retention Trust.

– Photos by Bobbie Toner

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The 18th Annual Somerville Homeless Coalition Road Race was held on Saturday, Oct 5, in Davis Sq.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a reported disturbance at the McDonalds on McGrath Hwy. last week.

Upon arrival, they reportedly found that the cause of the disturbance was an apparently highly intoxicated and very boisterous man, James Killackey, 30, of Cambridge, with whom police say they have had many similar encounters in the past.

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I got an email from a writer acquaintance Judah Leblang. It seems that his department at Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass. (that he worked at for years) transferred to Endicott College in Beverly, Mass., where I teach. He also told me that he has developed a one man play based on his memoir (My Place: One Man’s Journey from Cleveland to Boston and Beyond)  titled One Man’s Journey Through the Middle Ages. His memoir chronicles his youth in Cleveland, Ohio during the 60’s and 70’s, his attachment to that down-at-the-heels city, and his life as a Jewish, gay single man. The show explores Leblang’s fear, and loathing in Provincetown, Mass. (A gay mecca) one summer, his rather sudden hearing loss, and the universal themes of aging and loss.

Although I never had a green thumb I appreciate poets who do. Local poet Julie Ebin firmly plants her seed for a poem that blooms.

By Jim Clark

Police and firefighters were dispatched to the Kmart parking lot area on Middlesex Ave. shortly after midnight last Saturday on reports of an attempted arson.

Residents Asked to Take Online Survey to Help Shape Meeting Agenda; Meetings to include new interactive data-gathering activity on neighborhood preferences

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites residents to the Fall 2013 ResiStat Community Meetings, a twice-yearly effort to share the latest city news and data directly with residents and gather their feedback. Seven neighborhood meetings, one in each ward, will be held in the coming weeks starting Thursday, Oct. 17, with the Ward 4 Winter Hill and Ten Hills Meeting with Mayor Curtatone and Ward 4 Alderman Tony Lafuente.

Steve Kimock & Friends, Wednesday, October 9, 8:00 p.m., at Johnny D’s, 17 Holland St., Somerville.

By Jim Clark

Steve Kimock has, in the near 40 years that he has been working as a professional musician, earned the respect and admiration of not only a loyal fan following, but that of his peers as well. He is, in every sense of the term, a musician’s musician.

Somerville music fans will have a treat in store for them as Steve Kimock & Friends pay a performing visit to Johnny D’s next Wednesday, October 9.

Art Instructor Kathy Harvey leads the first of a five-week art class series at the Holland Street Center. This week featured creating flowers in the style of Georgia O’Keefe. A different artist is presented each week. For more information: 617-625-6600 x 2300.

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 know this may seem really stupid to some of you but with all the bad news out there, I figured I’d do something completely mindless. I’m very good at that sort of stuff! When I asked the question on Facebook I never dreamed it would get the response it did.