Political representatives are evaluating how mental health challenges in young adults can be addressed

By Shira Laucharoen
Somerville Wire

Since the onset of the pandemic, parents, school officials, and city leaders have been working to address the issue of trauma in youth. On May 3, Councilor Katjana Ballantyne put forth an order at a Public Health and Public Safety Committee meeting, demanding that Director of Health and Human Services Doug Kress discuss how much planned funding will be allocated toward trauma training initiatives for youth in the coming years. Ballantyne said that she is principally concerned with the isolation and loneliness that young people had been experiencing.

A special groundbreaking ceremony for Conway Park in Somerville – plans for a new field, new trees, and improved play areas.

$5M approved by City Council; building would be preserved for arts uses

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone submitted a $5 million proposal to the City Council to acquire the Somerville Armory building at 191 Highland Ave., which the Council approved by a unanimous vote at its May 13 meeting. The City would be acquiring the property via eminent domain and would preserve the facility for arts uses. It would be the first publicly owned arts and culture center in Somerville, a city known for its vibrant arts community.

By Peter Lesses

As originally published in the March 2021 issue of The Milk Route

In June 2018 I donated an extensive collection of Somerville milk bottles and go-withs to the Somerville Museum, a small museum in the city of Somerville, Massachusetts. I wrote The Somerville, Mass. Dairy Collection booklet to document the collection and to explain the history of the Somerville dairy industry for New England collectors.

Marshall Mac, the 72-year-old Vietnam veteran who was severely injured in a hit-and-run crash died on April 29 after failing to recover from injuries sustained in the incident.

Mac was struck by a vehicle on McGrath Highway in Somerville on April 12. The vehicle did not stop after striking Mac and fled the scene on McGrath Highway towards Cambridge.

Eligible households can apply for temporary broadband access benefits and money toward a computer or tablet.

Starting today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is accepting applications for its Emergency Broadband Internet Program. The program is part of the American Rescue Plan Act passed earlier this year and will offer a credit of up to $50 a month for residential Internet connections and $100 toward the purchase of a computer or tablet. Only one monthly discount and one device discount is allowed per household.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to Maya Sol Mexican Grill on Broadway last Sunday evening on reports of a man allegedly trying to pick fights with people inside the restaurant.

As the Somerville Police officers arrived on the scene, they observed a State Trooper walking the suspect, Victor Moya, of Everett, out the door of the establishment.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I actually almost went nuts trying to find a photo of the Kemp’s factory that used to be in Somerville. I can’t imagine how many times I drove past the building and smelled that heavenly aroma of roasting peanuts, cashews and more. If you went down Walnut St. from Highland Ave., or from Medford St., past the building on your left after the bridge, the smell was soothing and yummy.

Here is the COVID-19 update for Wednesday, May 12, followed by other City news and events. Please also check somervillema.gov/covid19 for information and resources that are updated frequently.

Legal equity for domestic partners was a topic addressed at the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee.

By Joe Creason

Long standing debates around several proposed ordinances were revisited by the City Council during their Legislative Matters Committee meeting on May 6.

City Councilors submitted a proposal for the forward-thinking Domestic Partnership Ordinance, which redefines some legal definitions around spousal relationships in Somerville. Among other reasons, interest in the proposal was driven by people who experienced difficulty visiting those they considered family while at hospitals, amid the Covid pandemic.