This Saturday, October 1, from 9 to 10 a.m., the annual road race benefiting the Somerville Homeless Coalition will be held in and around the Davis, Teele, and Ball Square areas.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts brought Service Day to Food For Free!
This amazing crew packed 9 pallets of Just Eats boxes with beautiful fresh produce, rice and beans. Our partners will distribute these 25lb. boxes to 360 households.

Today, nearly 3,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (“Blue Cross”) employees are volunteering to support 90 service projects across Massachusetts focused on creating more equitable, just, and healthy communities as part of the company’s 12th annual Service Day. 

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

With all the changes in traffic patterns and bike lanes and speed bumps, driving in Somerville is a challenge. Gotta keep calm!

When I let a driver into traffic and they don’t acknowledge it I don’t get mad and beep like I used to. I have drastically changed the way I drive today. There’s a lot of nuts out there!  I asked the readers how they handle their level of road rage as they drive through the detours of Somerville?

[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”12″ display=”basic_slideshow”]~Photos by Bobbie Toner

Executive Director of the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission Brandon Wilson was treated to a (Semi) Retirement party on Wednesday, September 21. The  event, hosted by Evelyn Battinelli, Mary Cassesso, and Howard E. Horton, was attended by her family and the many who knew and worked with Wilson through her many years of service to the city and community at large. She was hired by Mayor Gene Brune and worked under him and the next four mayors: Dorothy Kelly Gay, Mike Capuano, Joe Curtatone and Katjana Ballantyne. They all showed up to the party at the Somerville Museum and spoke of the memories that have shared with her. City
Council President Matt Mclaughlin presented a citation awarded by the City of Somerville.

Last week, the public had a chance to weigh in on the proposed protected bike lane installations along Holland St. during a special meeting hosted by the city. —Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

Last week The Somerville Times reported a story about Holland St. business owners and their objections to parking and bike lane changes on the street. This past Wednesday, the City of Somerville through its Traffic Commission hosted a special meeting to hear comments from the community.

Since 2014, the Nave Gallery, in partnership with the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, has presented a “Social Justice Art” show in the fall, to highlight a societal concern through the arts, to raise awareness and engage in conversation. This year, the Nave Gallery is pleased to host The Opioid Project to tell the stories of those affected and afflicted by addiction. The Gallery feels strongly that these stories need to be seen and heard.

Organized by the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS), last Sunday, approximately 70 Somerville tenants rallied in support of four families from El Salvador and one family from Haiti who are at imminent risk of displacement in October.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss roadway upgrades and transportation safety improvements on the western portion of Washington Street, from Line Street to Webster Avenue. The city is planning to reconstruct sidewalks, repave Washington Street, and install changes that will improve street safety and usability, including wider sidewalks at bus stops, raised crosswalks for traffic calming, and protected dedicated bike lanes. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. At this meeting, city staff will present a proposed design for Washington Street and gather input from attendees. After the meeting, the proposed design will be posted to the project website along with a survey for additional feedback. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 28, at 6:00 p.m. Visit somervillema.gov/westernwashington to register to attend.