Somerville singer-songwriter Jenee Halstead

By Ashley Taylor

“I feel like when I entered into the music industry—which was in 2008, I released my début CD—the industry had already started to fall apart or crumble.  It was a very strange time to enter,” said Somerville singer-songwriter Jenee Halstead of her experience independently recording and releasing a folk album, “River of Grace.”  “Initially, I made the CD with the hopes that someone would either pick it up and be interested or would launch me onto a label for second album.”

Halstead did end up with a record label, but her story is a far cry from predictable.  Whether you call it crumbling or simply changing, the music industry is not the way it used to be, when albums were produced only by record companies and were physical objects sold in stores.  Now, as Halstead put it, “Anyone can record an entire album on GarageBand [the recording program that comes with Apple computers].  If it’s good, it’s good, period.”  Labels once provided clout and funding for musicians.  The role of the label is changing, and people are using technology to do themselves what labels might have done for them in the past.

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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.)

Once again I have called on the amazing memories of my longtime and dear friends to help me tell the story of a beloved old neighborhood school. And again, sorry for another West Somerville story, but, hey, that’s where I’m from folks!

The Somerville Arts Council is sponsoring the Second Annual Get Your Beard On contest and party March 19 at the Precinct Bar in Union Square.

By Carrie Stanziola
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The Somerville Arts Council is sponsoring the Second Annual Get Your Beard contest and party March 19 at the Precinct in Union Square.
According to Gregory Jenkins of SAC, the contest was inspired by volunteer Todd Easton’s luxurious beard. Easton heard about the national beard and mustache contest, and pitched the idea to the Somerville Arts Council, who incorporated it into their winter series as a way to include more indoor activities. As Jenkins puts it, the event was a success, with about 100 audience members in attendance and 30 to 40 participants in the contest itself.  This year, he hopes for a turnout of around 100 to 150 people.

By William Tauro

An MBTA bus traveling on McGrath Highway  blew an hydraulic oil line spilling  oil onto the highway Friday afternoon.

Clean up crews from the MBTA spent most of the afternoon spreading clean-up solvents on the spill to absorb the oil while waiting for the bus to be towed.

- Photo courtesy of Tufts University

Jermaine Wiggins, a former Super Bowl champion, read to more than 850 elementary school students from Somerville and Medford Sunday afternoon at Tufts’ twelfth annual “Read by the River” education fair.

By George P.  Hassett

A Summer Street man was busted for drinking Bacardi and smoking marijuana in a Dana Street backyard March 13, police said.

Fency Joseph, 27, was arrested at 6 Dana St. and charged with possession to distribute a class D drug and drinking from an open container.

By William C. Shelton

(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.)

“An investment banker, a tea partier, and a unionized public employee are sitting around a plate of 12 cookies. The banker takes 11 cookies, turns to the tea partier, and says, ‘Watch out for that union guy. He’s trying to take part of your cookie.’” 

(L to R) Somerville Kiwanis President Frank Wright, BA Event Promotions Paul Collyer, Det Mario Oliveira and Alderman Jack Connolly. - Photo by William Tauro

By William Tauro

Dozens of the Somerville business community members joined President Frank Wright and the Somerville Kiwanis Club as they hosted their Somerville Kiwanis Annual St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon at the Somerville Holiday Inn Thursday.

The Seventh Annual Memorial Day Parade Fundraiser will occur on March 19 at 7 p.m. in the Somerville High School auditorium.

By Cathleen Twardzik

The Seventh Annual Memorial Day Parade Fundraiser will occur on March 19 at 7 p.m. in the Somerville High School auditorium.  

Each year, the fund raiser assists in the subsidy of the parade’s cost, said Frank Senesi, Director of Veterans’ Services. 

In the past several years, the event has raised “about $10,000, so that is what we’re hoping for – or to surpass that this year.” 

(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.)

Dear Mr. Tobin,

 I am writing on behalf of the many struggling working class families in Somerville who would be proud to help you develop the former MaxPac factory.  You missed the last few Board of Aldermen hearings, but you may have read in the papers and seen at the site that our numbers continue to grow.   Hundreds of Somerville residents are fighting for the union jobs and Somerville jobs that you agreed upon in the covenant with the city.