(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)

More public input and process is needed

By Howard E. Horton, Esq.

The City’s new Bike Network Plan is comprehensive and, generally, well-thought out in its attempt to make biking safer – and, of course, the plan has had a lot of input from bike riders. More than 50 new miles of interior streets and roads will be impacted by new bike lanes, safety markings and related equipment. But, what is less apparent is how these changes will impact parking, automobiles and other users of our streets – as these new bikeable miles are all contained within Somerville’s very small footprint of 4.2 square miles.

Join the community in honoring the service of our military heroes. Somerville’s Memorial Day Parade will take place on Sunday, May 28, at 12:00 p.m. The parade will begin at the Davis Square Rotary (9/11 Memorial Granite Circle Site) up Holland Street then proceed to Broadway/Teele Square and end across from Veterans Cemetery. There will be a brief ceremony immediately following the parade at the Veterans’ Cemetery. Rain date: May 29.

An afternoon of talk and tea focusing on the lives and legacies of George and Martha Washington took place last Sunday at the Somerville Museum. —Photos by Beatriz Leite

By Beatriz Leite

This past Sunday, May 21, the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission gathered at the Somerville Museum to honor the history of George and Martha Washington for an afternoon with talks and tea.

By Ana Celerier Salcedo

On May 15, 2023, the City of Somerville Public Health and Safety Committee assembled to discuss updates on community engagement centers and the offering of basic need vending machines across the city. In addition, the meeting provided updates on creating a safe consumption/ overdose prevention site, the Taxi to Health program, and items sent for discussion by the chief of police.

It began as a way to memorialize the military casualties of the Civil War, and was originally termed Decoration Day.

Decorating the graves of the countless multitudes of fallen soldiers helped to console the grieving survivors of the debacle while uniting the once divided nation in a worthwhile common cause.

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Recently, I caught up with Somerville poet Mila Cuda. A recent graduate of Wellesley College, she has weaved her poetry into film, slam performance, and other venues.

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Meg Smith is a writer, journalist, dancer and events producer living in Lowell, Mass., and who spent part of her childhood in Somerville. In addition to The Somerville Times, her poetry has appeared recently in The Cafe Review, The Lowell Review, Muddy River Poetry Review, Poetry Bay, Acropolis Review, and many more. She is author of five poetry books and a short fiction collection, The Plague Confessor. She welcomes visits to megsmithwriter.com. 

Francis (Frank) Xavier McCann, 75, of Londonderry, NH passed away at home Wednesday May 17, 2023, surrounded by his caring family. Frank was born and raised in Somerville, MA and was a son of the late Dominic and Dorothy (McDonald) McCann. He was happily married for 54 years to his wife Cynthia (Day) McCann. They have been residents of Londonderry for the past 49 years.

The City of Somerville will hold a virtual public hearing on the 2023-2024 One-Year Action Plan Draft on Thursday May 25. Community members are invited to share their input on priority needs related to affordable housing, community development, and homelessness for grants funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) through the Community Development Block Grant Program, the Emergency Solutions Grant Program, and the HOME Program.