Please join Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, the City of Somerville Office of Housing Stability (OHS), and the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) for a webinar about tenants’ rights in Somerville, housing advocacy and rental assistance services, and community organizing to prevent eviction and displacement. Somerville’s local eviction moratorium, established in March 2020, currently remains in effect until Saturday, April 30. The webinar is Wednesday, March 23, at 6:30 p.m. Learn more and register to attend at somervillema.gov/ohs. Spanish and Portuguese interpretation will be provided, and other languages can be requested on the registration form. If you are facing eviction, need help paying your rent or mortgage, or need help accessing affordable housing, contact OHS at somervillema.gov/ohs or 617-625-6600 ext. 2581.

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This is a great time of year to visit farmers markets and farm stands in the area. I like to meander through the rows and look for fresh and vibrant fruits and vegetables. The last time I went to the farm stand I came upon a large display of radishes. This time of year radishes tend to be a little more bitter than in the spring and winter. But this recipe will bring out the sweetness and have you craving more of these crisp nuggets of flavor. First off, only pick radishes that have vibrant green tops. These are not only fresh, but as an extra bonus, the greens can also be prepared and eaten.

Peter F. White, Somerville – Beloved son, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, Peter F. White “Frannie”, 87 passed away peacefully on Tuesday, March 8th in his home in Stuart, Florida.

Peter was born on November 19, 1934, in Somerville son of William and Mary Ann (Flaherty) White. He grew up in Somerville with a large Irish Catholic family that he loved and then raised his own family there as well.

So, I was at the opening of the subway station in Union Square, Somerville. A lot of pols were there basking in the glory. At a news conference with Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, I asked if they were concerned about the gentrification that the subway will inevitably bring. Warren took the question and replied, “I am very concerned about rising rents. This transportation will spur new housing and more housing means lower rents.” Now I have been around the block – tell me, does this pan out in the real world? Not from what I have seen.  Anyway, after the question a woman bumped into me and angrily said, “I am not here for the back slapping, let me through.” She looked like a veteran Somervillian, no happy horse sh*t for her.

— Doug Holder

After the long chilling days of winter, it’s nice to know that springtime has officially arrived. We anxiously await the final thaw and balmier days ahead.

One of the finer benefits of New England living is standing witness to the massive explosion of nature’s rebirth and renewal, seemingly amplified here. Grass, trees, wildlife and flowers all seem to go forth and multiply at an astounding rate, as if on cue to the call for “Action!”

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Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent Dennis Daly

“Oh death, where is thy sting?” 1 Corinthians had it right. So does Harris Gardner in his affecting affirmation of life, fittingly entitled No Time for Death. Slicing through humanity’s Gordian knot of denial, Gardner confronts mortality with memory and poetic craft, assisted by a large dose of wit. His stratagems are nothing if not down-to-earth and sensible. The collection’s three subtitles convey Gardner’s personified logic: An Argument with Time, Contemplating Mortality Instead of My Navel, and Negotiating for an Afterlife.

Arrests:
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James Hargrove, March 14, 2:05 p.m., arrested at Somerville Ave. on charges of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, assault and battery on a police officer, and witness intimidation.

Israel Alvarez-Galdamez, March 19, 1:27 a.m., arrested at Radcliffe Rd. on charges of leaving the scene of property damage and operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor.

Meet the City of Somerville’s Racial and Social Justice Department and learn about its work at a virtual forum, March 31

The City of Somerville’s Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) Department invites the community to a virtual forum to meet department staff, learn about their work, and find out how to get involved on Thursday, March 31, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Go to somervillema.gov/virtualtownhall at the start time of the forum to join online, or call 311 on March 31 to get call-in information. Interpretation into Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Nepali, Mandarin, and American Sign Language will be provided. 

— Photos by Bobbie Toner
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Today, Somerville and Cambridge celebrated the opening of the Union Square station in Somerville and a new Lechmere station in Cambridge. Current and former federal, state, and city elected officials, along with MBTA officials, both former and current, local groups, residents and activists, as well as the hardworking GLX workers, took part in celebrating the long-awaited opening. Many shared their stories of the ups and downs along the way and congratulated everyone that played a part throughout the project’s decades-long journey.