By The Times Staff

The past year was an issues-oriented one for many in the city. A citywide election took place, culminating in the selection of a new mayor. The city took on a number of matters concerning the development and sustenance of both new and existing projects. Protests over immigration enforcement took focus for a time, as did many other demonstrations in support of human rights and equality. The following events highlight some of the top stories of 2025:

Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson laid out his vision of the new administration at last week’s Inauguration Ceremony. — Photo courtesy of Devon Moos Photography

By Harry Kane

A new chapter in Somerville’s history started with Mayor Jake Wilson’s inaugural address, which outlined a vision for the new administration’s open-door policy and increased transparency strategy for solving complex city challenges. From fixing roads and aging infrastructure to combating discrimination and creating more affordable housing, the Wilson administration promises action, compassion, and accountability.

(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 David Dahlbacka

In July, the Somerville Planning Board unanimously approved a new Assembly Square Neighborhood Plan, proposing to rezone the district.

The Neighborhood Plan talks about balancing commercial development with housing, but gives the nod to “market demands” for high-end housing. For the last twenty years, developers have cited regional demand to justify building expensive housing units near the Assembly Square riverfront. However, according to the Neighborhood Plan, “… the units are largely rented by single occupants who only live in them during the workweek.”

Somerville’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, in collaboration with Saint Benedict Church, invites community members to a festive Three Kings Day celebration. This event will be held on Sunday, January 11, at the Prospect Hill Charter School cafeteria (17 Franklin St.) from 12 noon to 3 p.m. Learn more at somervillema.gov/calendar.

Residents should please note that motor vehicle excise tax bills for 2026 are being sent one month earlier this year.  Bills will issue on January 26, 2026, and are due February 25, 2026.    

Eagle Feathers #345 – In the ‘Nick’ of  Time

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Bikes and bike paths, love them or loathe them, they are here to stay. As far as Somerville is concerned, the first owner of a two-wheeled velocipede (or bicycle) was Willie Nickerson in the 1880s.

In spite of the vastly divergent range of opinions held by all of us here in Somerville and in our neighboring communities, we can unite in the spirit of hope and bipartisanship as we congratulate and honor those who took their respective oaths of office last week.

It is so easy to sit back and play “armchair quarterback” as our city officials grapple with the day-to-day and long-term issues that impact our lives to varying degrees. We can question, kibitz, and complain until we are blue in the face. At the end of the day, it is those men and women who have taken up the burden of leadership who must deliver on their promise to serve our best interests in the most efficient and productive ways possible.

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You know, back in the 70’s in college, I had a chance to interview Allen Ginsberg for my campus radio show. He politely declined. So, I asked AI to create a conversation between us … my Christmas Gift to myself:

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Poet Jack MacDonald writes: Blue is about an overdose I witnessed at Porter Square station. It was recently featured at the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Healthcare’s 30th Anniversary Gala. MacDonald is a Boston-based writer and overdose prevention advocate. He is a master’s student at Harvard Medical School and 2024 Public Health Voices fellow for the Harvard LGBTQ Health Center of Excellence. Jack graduated from Boston College and has been published in Out Magazine and The Wall Street Journal. Website: https://jackmacdonald.carrd.co/