With summer weather approaching, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) reminds residents to take recommended precautions to keep everyone, especially young children, safe this summer.

Earlier today the email below was sent out to the families of West Somerville Neighborhood School students:

June 6, 2022

Dear West Somerville Neighborhood School Parents and Guardians,

Earlier this morning we were made aware of a threatening text by a student in our school indicating that a harmful event would be taking place at our school today and implicating one of their parents. We immediately notified the Somerville Police Department and also asked for assistance from the SPD Juvenile Officer in meeting with the student to assess the credibility of the threat. Additionally, we took steps to ensure that all of our school safety measures were in place and requested the assistance of SPD in providing extra monitoring at the school while the investigation was underway. We went into a modified secure-and-hold from 9:00-9:45 a.m. during which time students and staff were kept indoors and we limited entrance to the school to one door that was supervised.

~Photos by Bobbie Toner

SomerStreets Carnaval returned to East Somerville on Sunday, June 5. The weather turned out to be perfect for the outdoor festival. Plenty of food, entertainment  and activities, the streets were full with something for everyone to enjoy.

By Nathan Lamb

A regional program of Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) that helps adults receive care from friends and family has once again earned the highest accreditation rating from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).

The Adult Family Care (AFC) program at SCES recently earned a three-year Accreditation of Case Management for LTSS (Long Term Supports and Services) from NCQA.

All interested community members are invited to attend and speak at the Budget Public Hearing before the Somerville City Council’s Committee on Finance on Monday, June 6, at 6 p.m. for public input on the proposed FY 2023 municipal budget.

The City of Somerville is partnering with community groups again this year to raise awareness about black swallow-wort (BSW), a very aggressive and invasive, non-native weed that can be found throughout Somerville. BSW displaces native plants and habitats, threatens butterflies and songbirds, and is toxic to deer and livestock. It is especially harmful to the monarch butterfly population because it resembles milkweed, where monarchs lay their eggs, and once the monarch larvae hatch, they die from eating the toxic BSW leaves.

Proposed FY23 budget includes largest increase in history for Somerville Public Schools; repurposes nearly $8.3 million in GLX funds for affordable housing; makes first ever $1 million investment in participatory budgeting; and creates new Office of Accountability, Transparency, and Access

On Tuesday, May 31, Mayor Katjana Ballantyne submitted Somerville’s FY23 budget proposal, a $309 million budget that makes key investments in public education, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, and quality of life issues in line with this year’s budget theme of “A Foundation for Progress.” 

SomerStreets promotes active living and reconnecting with city neighborhoods

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police officer was flagged down by a concerned citizen and informed that a man was passed out in a vehicle that had stopped in the travel lane at Paulina St. in the early hours of last Saturday.

The responding officer advised Somerville Control that he observed a man, later identified as Valentini Bonhomme, of Cambridge, passed out inside the vehicle as reported.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

When I was a kid, a trip to Revere Beach meant a day of fun. Mom packed a lunch and off we went. After frolicking in the water, we would eat our baloney and mustard sandwiches. Mayonnaise was a no-no because it might spoil in the heat. Mom would reapply the Coppertone sun block and we went back to playing in the sand and water.