(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Polluting our air and water by burning our trash is a horrible way to spend our waste management resources – but we’re doing it anyway. As a new resident to Somerville, I’ve been inspired by local residents and businesses who value reducing waste and preserving our resources. From restaurant and residential composting to our zero-sort recycling programs, it’s pretty easy to see how we can reduce the amount of trash we’re throwing away.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

This week, we celebrated two important milestones: the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the 50th anniversary year of his I Have A Dream speech, and, fittingly, the second Inauguration of our country’s first black President – and former Somerville resident – Barack Obama. For the second time, my wife and I were honored to accept an invitation by President Obama to attend the ceremonies in Washington, D.C. and, once again, I returned home with a renewed sense of hope and pride, fueled by the inspiring words of our Commander-in-Chief.

“The Flowering” by Resa Blatman will be exhibited at the Nave Annex’s first show.

By Cathleen Twardzik

From January 25 to February 8, the Nave Gallery Annex in Davis Square will hold its first exhibit, called PICNIC.

An opening reception will be held on January 25 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dan Blakeslee, Audrey Ryan and Tom Janovitz will perform at the event.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to a Snow Terrace residence last week on a reported instance of breaking and entering at that location.

The female resident complained that her ex-boyfriend had broken in to her home a couple of hours earlier and that the man was now in the parking lot of Rite-Aid on Broadway.

High School presents ‘Wizard of Oz’ onstage 

Rehearsing the Munchkinland number in the high school’s production of “Wizard of Oz” are Angelina O’Brien as Dorothy (center) and elementary school students from all around Somerville. ~Photo by Elizabeth Sheeran

By Elizabeth Sheeran

A yellow brick road. An Emerald City. Ruby slippers. The colorful Land of Oz has captured imaginations for over a century. Now Somerville High School (SHS) will bring The Wizard of Oz to life onstage, from January 31 through February 2 at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square.

Alan Cohen, founder of “MusicalConversation”

A wonderful afternoon was had at the Holland Street Center last week, with a great lunch from Vinnie’s and “MusicalConversation” with Alan Cohen.  Cohen shared some great Italian operas as he talked about the stories behind the music. Attendees sang along with some and shared their own memories of others. Cohen is coming back on February 7 with Broadway Love Songs.

Lady Anchors beat Lowell Catholic Crusaders in OT

The Lady Anchors played their best game of the season Tuesday night against Lowell Catholic 64- 59. After a slow start, the Anchors found themselves in a 20 point deficit at halftime.

It looked like the Lowell Catholic Crusaders would have an easy win. However, in the second half the Anchors came out flying, cutting the lead to 8 after the third quarter.

By Jim Clark

Reports of a person taking packages from porches brought police officers to Bay State Ave. last week.

Initial witness reports described the suspect as being male, wearing a blue hoodie and orange vest. However, after combing the area, police spotted a female individual at the corner of Bay State Ave. and Kidder Ave. wearing the same type of clothing reported by witnesses.

Benjamin Echevarria is the new School Committee member representing Ward 1.– Photo by Harry Kane

By Harry Kane

On Tuesday Jan. 22, at the Capuano Early Childhood Center, a public hearing, followed by an extensive interview process was held to choose a finalist among the three remaining candidates running for the Ward 1 School Committee member position.