Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Office of Sustainability (OSE) are announcing that applications are now being accepted for households in East Somerville to join Somerville’s Food Waste Collection Pilot Program.

The controversial issue of autonomous vehicle usage was one among many topics covered by the city’s Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee at its recent meeting.

By Jordan Pagkalinawan

On October 16, the Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee met to discuss autonomous vehicles from MassDOT’s perspective, review the updated design proposal for the Western Pearl Street project, hear an update on improvements to the Community Path, and nominate members to one-year officer terms.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Fire Chief Charles Breen welcomed the Somerville community to the grand opening ceremony for the newly opened Assembly Square Fire Station at 45 Middlesex Ave. last Saturday. Festivities included a hose‑uncoupling ceremony – a fire service’s version of a ribbon cutting – a tour of the state‑of‑the‑art station, “touch‑a‑truck”, and light refreshments.

Keeping unused or expired medications at home can be unsafe for children, pets, and adults. Whether accidental poisoning or intentional misuse, you can prevent these potential harms by safely disposing of prescription drugs you no longer need. To provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, Somerville is hosting two staffed drop-off events for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Soon, the city will be offering Illumination tours for Halloween decorations. What a racket it’s turned into. There are now specialized stores that pop up a month before the 31^st, selling all things ghoulish and gory. Costumes and masks can cost upwards of a hundred bucks.

Reminders for voter registration, vote-by-mail, and absentee ballot application deadlines

Make your voice heard, on your schedule. Early voting for the City of Somerville’s Municipal Election begins next week from Tuesday, October 28, to Thursday, October 30, at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.) during regular business hours. Full schedule is below:

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

The ceremony, co-hosted by the Somerville Department of Veterans’ Services and Public Space and Urban Forestry Division, took place on Thursday, October 16, on the lawn in front of Somerville High School. The Central Hill Veterans Memorials restoration project was a component of the new Somerville High School campus design. Coming out of an extensive community process, the vision for the site includes a memorial walk with reflective spaces honoring veterans in chronological order. To learn more, visit voice.somervillema.gov/central-hill-memorials.

Safety improvements for the section of Broadway between Winchester Street and Central Street are currently in the planning stages. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By The Times Staff

Within the next few years, the section of Broadway between Winchester Street and Central Street will be reconstructed to further Somerville’s safe streets vision, improve access to public transit, and create more sustainable transportation options for commuters.

(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 Ken Brociner 

Given the horrific images of death and destruction resulting from Israel’s brutal war in Gaza, it is understandable that on Nov. 4, many Somervillians may be inclined to support the “Divest from Israel” ballot question.

The Somerville Renters’ Committee and the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) will host a Mayoral Candidate Forum on Housing on Wednesday, October 22, at 7:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School. The event is free, open to the public, and will also be streamed live on Zoom. Simultaneous interpretation in Spanish and Portuguese will be available via Zoom only. Interpretation into other languages must be requested in advance. Public Registration Link: http://bit.ly/SomervilleHousingForum.