Vigil Scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, at 6:00 p.m.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, the Somerville Commission for Women, and RESPOND, Inc. are honored to invite residents to join them for the annual Domestic Violence Vigil on Wednesday, October 26, to remember those who lost their lives to domestic violence in 2022.

(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 Parma Chai
Manager/Business Owner of OOTB Gallery at the Armory

The Arts at the Armory building and its current tenants have been in flux and worried about their futures. Since the Eminent Domain seizure by the City of Somerville, current tenants of the Armory lack clarity for their futures, have not been provided with meaningful rehousing monies or resources for future places of operation, and have been constantly poked and prodded by the City Management to work with rehousing consultants. We are currently being put through an “arts consultant” research firm from NY working alongside the Somerville Arts Council and the Somerville Economic Development department to determine who gets to stay and who does not. The Somerville Arts Council management has so far not met with the current tenants communally, including not being present at our first introduction to the Arts Consultants. This is happening while the Eminent Domain Seizure was made possible by the division of Economic Development and the Arts Council under the leadership of the former Mayor Curtatone and now the current Mayor Katjana Ballantyne.

The Boston Flow Show returns to the stage at the Center for Arts at the Armory on Friday, November 4. The Flow Show is a celebration of the intersection of movement arts and mindfulness, creative expression, and inner pursuit of mastery. Some of the top talent from across the Northeast will gather to showcase various forms of “object manipulation” such as juggling, hooping, levitation wand, poi, and more – mixed with their unique styles of flare and pizzazz.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and city staff invite you to a community meeting to discuss findings from the Citywide Parking and Curb Use Study and its proposed recommendations for developing an effective, equitable curb-management system in Somerville. 

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Target store on Somerville Ave. last week on reports of an unwanted person.

Upon arrival, the officers met with Target’s Assets Protection Specialist, the reporting party, who stated that a man, Christian Donaruma, of Cambridge, who was trespassed earlier this year was currently in the store.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I’m a loyal listener to sports radio and rumors are flying around about who will be Tom’s next relationship. I couldn’t believe it when they mentioned Taylor Swift’s name.

Coalition secures more than $23 million for three critical Mystic River coastal flood management projects  

The 20-member Resilient Mystic Collaborative gathered with dozens of elected officials and agency staff on Wednesday to celebrate an important step forward in their joint efforts to protect coastal cities along Greater Boston’s Mystic River from sea level rise and extreme coastal storms. More than $23 million in funding has been raised by the regional coalition to support three critical projects along the Mystic River that will address increased risks of coastal flooding.  

City representatives outlined the next set of plans for the 90 Washington Street complex for the public at last week’s informational public meeting.

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

90 Washington Street was home to the popular Cobble Hill Plaza shopping center from 1982 – 2016, hosting shops and small businesses vital to local residents. Closed for planned developments by the former owner, the site has been sitting vacant for more than six years.

By Mayor Emeritus Eugene C. Brune, Museum Trustee

I was totally amazed, and unaware of the vast amount of Somerville’s exciting history that was stored in the building on the corner of Westwood Rd. and Central St. I found later that I, as well as so many others that were born in Somerville, also did not know just what the purpose of that building was. Also, sad to know that many still do not., especially our new residents.