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

By Erika Uyterhoeven, State Representative,27th Middlesex,
candidate for 2nd Middlesex State Senate

As construction season begins and we all start dodging the potholes that winter left behind, I want to share some good news and some numbers that have been weighing on me. Last week, the House voted on a $2.2 billion transportation bond bill that includes a historic increase to the Chapter 90 program, which is how the state pays to fix your roads, bridges, and other transportation projects.

Zoning amendments proposed by Attorney William A. White, Jr., address affordability and transparency concerns regarding backyard cottages and backyard lot splits.

By The Times Staff

Attorney William A. White, Jr., who served 24 years on the Somerville City Council, has formally proposed four zoning text amendments to the Somerville Zoning Ordinance (SZO) to address concerns of affordability and transparency regarding backyard cottages and backyard lot splits.

Somerville community members are invited to take a first look and provide public comment on proposals to redevelop 90 Washington Street, a nearly four-acre site near the East Somerville Green Line station. At the public meeting of the 90 Washington Street Civic Advisory Committee (CAC) on Wednesday, April 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., CAC members will review and share input on the recently received proposals and will also welcome feedback on the proposals from members of the public. 90 Washington Street Proposal Review Community Meeting, https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TapqDsQUSxGMlXykSDi62Q#/registration  To learn more, visit www.somervillema.gov/90-washington-redevelopment

*

One of the best things about this salad is that everything can be made in advance and assembled right before you’re ready to serve it. Whenever I have leftover bread, I also like to make croutons so I have them on hand pretty much most of the time. See the recipe below for the salad and a link for the crouton recipe.

It began after a bad oil spill that took place in 1969 off the coast of California. A year later, the first annual Earth Day was celebrated to demonstrate universal support for environmental protection and responsible stewardship of the planet and its people.

Grace DuVal‘s work worn by Sirena Nuñez. — Photo by Jack Field

The term Artwear refers to clothing and other wearables designed as conceptual or fine art. Artwear operates outside of the boundaries normally presented in fashion to favor an approach that prioritizes style and vision. This show makes it possible for textile artists to be included in open studios in a way that is more conducive to their art form than a studio opening or a gallery.

*

Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent  Dennis Daly

Generally, I try to avoid political poems as well as anti-war poems. Not because they don’t have an important place in those overlapping genres – they do. Or because they can’t effectuate changes in belief systems with their emotional and sometimes rational appeal – they can. But even so, overcome with their own self-importance or consumed with the certainty of true believers, the poets, who write them usually fail. Brilliant exceptions like Sigfried Sassoon (First World War), Wilfred Owen (First World War), and Michael Casey (Vietnam War) prove the rule. Therefore, when confronted with reviewable collections of this verse type, I walk, nay, I run in the other direction. But not today.

*

Our poet writes: “I’m Irina Canute, a student at Endicott College currently enrolled in Professor Doug Holder’s Creative Writing course. I am majoring in Health Science and expect to graduate in 2027. This poem is in response to a sculpture at the Manninen Center for the Arts at Endicott College.”

— Photo by Bobbie Toner

Somerville community members are invited to take a first look and provide public comment on proposals to redevelop 90 Washington Street, a nearly four-acre site near the East Somerville Green Line station. At the public meeting of the 90 Washington Street Civic Advisory Committee (CAC) on Wednesday, April 22, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., CAC members will review and share input on the recently received proposals and will also welcome feedback on the proposals from members of the public.