The Somerville Board of Health nixed the proposed vaccine mandate that would require patrons of various indoor venues to show proof of vaccination to gain entry and be served.

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

On Thursday of last week, the Somerville Board of Health held a vote on a vaccine mandate for the city. The Board subsequently rejected this proposal in a 2-1 vote.

During the previous weeks’ meeting, when the vote was originally slated to be held, it had to be abandoned and rescheduled due to a protest organized by Diana Ploss of Peabody.

By Ryan DiLello

Somerville is undergoing a renaissance. Already one of the densest cities in New England, data forecasts from MassBuilds predict Somerville will see about 4,000 new housing units and 4.7 million more square feet of commercial space constructed or planned in the next nine years.

Somerville saw 2,357 positive COVID-19 tests in December, more than double the previous monthly record of 1,138 in December 2020. This is part of a national surge in cases fueled mainly by the Omicron variant. While Omicron can result in milder infection, especially for those who are both vaccinated and boosted, please remember that this variant spreads so easily that it finds its way to the people it can hurt the most, such as the elderly, the immunocompromised, and the unvaccinated.

The city is taking up the challenge of reconciling the recharging needs of e-car owners and the concerns of their landlords.

By Kyle Dante

On January 20, the Somerville City Council’s Legislative Matters Committee raised budget concerns addressed at their previous meeting in December’s meeting. According to the meeting’s discussions, Somerville faces numerous issues going into the new year.

In spite of the vastly divergent range of opinions held by all of us here in Somerville and in our neighboring communities, we can unite in the spirit of bipartisanship as we congratulate and honor those who have served us well as they take their final bows and step down from their respective roles as public servants.

Dean Curtis Brunel, born November 21, 1940, died on December 21st, 2021 at the age of 81 after a formidable fight with cancer. He was a practicing attorney, loving father and grandfather and an extraordinarily gifted pianist and composer who loved playing tennis. He grew up surrounded by farmland in East Cazenovia and Nelson, New York, on Brunel Road. He told many stories of 7’ snow drifts and changing huge tires on farm equipment.

Arrests:

 Ricardo Montejo, January 17, 12:22 a.m., arrested at Perkins St. on charges of threat to commit a crime, discharge of a firearm within 500 ft. of a building, possession of ammunition without FID card, possession of a large capacity firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault with a dangerous weapon, and home invasion.