Locals will cycle with the goal of raising $52 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

On August 7 and 8, more than 6,000 riders, including 45 participants from Somerville, will take part in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), a two-day 211-mile bike-a-thon across Massachusetts, with the goal of raising $52 million for cancer research and patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Dana-Farber).

Mayor Curtatone and the Somerville High School Gender and Sexuality Awareness Alliance (GSA) raises the Pride flag in honor of LGBTQ+ Pride Month and LGBTQ+ Youth Pride on the City Hall concourse.

Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will submit a request to the Board of Health (BOH) this month that would revise and extend the city’s current residential eviction moratorium for 90 days, until September 15. The proposal would, as of the date of its passage, end the commercial eviction moratorium and allow landlords and their agents to enter residential units for non-emergency reasons, with 48 hours advance written notice to tenants, an opportunity to reschedule where necessary, and provided that COVID protocols are followed . The city’s emergency declaration will remain in effect throughout this 90-day period. The BOH will consider the proposal at its June 17 meeting.

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.

The Cambridge and Somerville Chambers of Commerce today announced that each community’s respective annual “Taste of” events will be reimagined this summer as a summertime “Dining Passport” program. The initiative, which takes place between July 1 and August 15, will direct 100 percent of passport proceeds to local restaurant workers and non-profit organizations.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

Attendees of last weekend’s Carnaval at SomerStreets 2021 event stopped by the East Branch Library to take part in some Samba and Salsa dance instructions.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to a Medford St. residence last week on reports of a breaking and entering in progress. Responding officers were told that an intruder was “kicking” a door.

Upon arrival, officers witnessed two men, one later identified as Kevin McKenzie, on the front steps of the Medford St. house.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

1972 was a good year for Somerville.

The city celebrated its Centennial and they also won the All America City award. There was a lot to be happy about.

In 1972, Nixon was re-elected for a second term beating the hippie’s candidate George McGovern. (I was a full-fledged hippie back then, not happy about Nixon.)