The City of Somerville seeks volunteers to help with the Patriots’ Day Colonial Fair on Monday, April 18, at Foss Park. Volunteers will oversee colonial games, serve refreshments, and coordinate poetry readings. Setup starts at 9:00 a.m., and the fair is from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. in Foss Park on Broadway near Fellsway West. Somerville High School students can earn community service credits. Interested? Contact Brandon Wilson, Executive Director for the city’s Historic Preservation Commission, at bwilson@somervillema.gov or 617-776-3938.

(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 Rachel Walsh-Peterson

March 16 marked the one-year anniversary of the shooting spree in Atlanta in which eight people were killed, six of them women of Asian descent. Most importantly when reflecting on this tragedy, we must remember and amplify the names of the deceased: Xiaojie “Emily” Tan, Daoyou Feng, Delaina Yaun, Paul Michels, Suncha Kim, Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, and Yong Ae Yue.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Parking Department remind all residents that regular street sweeping schedules officially resume Friday, April 1, and continue through December 31, 2022.

On designated street sweeping days, vehicles must be moved from the side of the street being swept, as noted on signs posted on each street. The penalty for not complying with street sweeping parking regulations is a $50 fine. Community members are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the street sweeping schedule in areas where they park.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

It was operational for many decades. You could hear the pigs squealing as the trains were bringing them to slaughter. Some said you could smell the plant from Bradlees which, was close by. As the reporter in this story, I am passing on comments of those who have memories of the Squire Slaughtering and Curing establishment.

Sarah Borges will be at The Burren on Saturday, April 2, presenting her “Borges Together Alone Release Show.”

By Blake Maddux

“Been a while now since I’ve seen my friends. Don’t know when I’m gonna see them again,” sings Sarah Borges on the opening track of her new album, Together Alone.

This is, of course, not the first time that a singer has used a song to express a combination of longing and uncertainty.

A report by the city’s Equity, Gender, Seniors, Families and Vulnerable Populations Committee shed light on police policies regarding the handling of undocumented immigrants.

By Jim Clark

At the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council on Thursday, March 24, members of the Equity, Gender, Seniors, Families and Vulnerable Populations Committee reported on the results of their previous meeting on Tuesday, March 15.

— Photos courtesy of Kevin Foster

On Monday morning, March 21, more than 70 residents, organizers and activists, and elected officials joined the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) at the entrance of the re-opened MBTA Lechmere Station for a bilingual Somerville community press conference called, “Don’t Let the Green Line Become the Gentrification Line!” The event preceded the MassDOT grand opening ceremony for the MBTA Green Line Extension (GLX).

Local makers and educators Kelly Taylor and Dina Gjertsen of Parts and Crafts, a family makerspace on Somerville Avenue, display an assortment of handmade gadgets and toys.

At Union Square networking event, creatives convene with developers and city officials
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By Molly Rains

Entrepreneurs, artists, and other “makers” from across Somerville gathered together for a Maker Movement Huddle on Thursday, March 24. The event was hosted by the Boynton Yards development team and the City of Somerville’s Economic Development Division, with Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and representatives from the Somerville Arts Council also in attendance.

By Kyle Dante

In light of financial matters, the police force remains a sensitive subject. Concerning movements such as Black Lives Matter, it is a discussion of uncertainty.

In 2001, Somerville’s Sam Alterman led an investigation. The investigation is about the budgetary decisions made by the Somerville City Council. Alterman called for a deemphasis on the police, citing public health and safety as primary reasons. Reevaluated in 2004 by then-Mayor Joe Curtatone, it formed the Police Advisory Group in 2005. Following that, more police officers have joined the ranks.

Ibbetson Street literary magazine, founded in Somerville in 1998 by Doug Holder, Richard Wilhelm, and Dianne Robitaille, will celebrate the release of the 50th issue at the Central Branch of the Somerville Library, 79 Highland Ave. on March 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Open to the public.