The Somerville Fire Department will begin the annual inspection of all fire hydrants on Monday, August 23, and conclude on or around Saturday, September 4. This procedure requires the flushing of water from the hydrants as well as a check of the mechanical operation of the hydrant.

City also ahead of schedule to fully fund retirement system

For the second year in a row, the City of Somerville’s Retirement Board was ranked first out of 106 retirement boards in the state on its investment returns. In 2020, the city’s retirement investment portfolio earned a 27.59% annual rate of return. This distinction is part of a longer trend of high investment returns. The Somerville Retirement Board has a five-year investment return of 13.77% and a 10-year investment return of 11.31%, both of which also rank first among Massachusetts retirement boards.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

This article was first published on April 2, 2008.

A lot of us remember going to the drive-in to see a movie. I can even recall going there in my pajamas. I remember my Uncle Joe Galli taking us to the drive-in to see The Blob. It’s one of my fondest childhood memories and we often bring it up at family gatherings. As soon as one of us kids got their license to drive, it was an overstuffed junk-box, full of your buddies, heading to the drive-in.

Board of Health to review indoor masking order at August 19 meeting

With the fast-spreading Delta variant driving an increase in COVID-19 cases both locally and nationally, the City of Somerville is moving to require all people wear face coverings in indoor public settings regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against the virus. At their upcoming meeting on August 19, the Board of Health will consider a mandate with a potential immediate start date of Friday, August 20. As with previous masking orders, children under the age of two would be exempt.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is offering free transportation to help older adults and adults with disabilities cope with heat waves.

SCES is providing round-trip cab rides to local cooling centers for older adults during heat waves this summer. To arrange for transportation, call 617-628-2601 and ask for the Transportation Department.

Several Days of Dangerous Heat and Humidity Expected; Here’s How to Stay Safe in Somerville

Public swimming facilities are at maximum availability through the hot summer season, bringing relief to locals looking to stay cool. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

Several days of oppressive heat and humidity are forecasted for the Boston area through at least Friday, August 13, and residents are urged to take precautions to stay safe. The National Weather Service is warning of dangerously hot conditions that could feel like 109 degrees outdoors. Review the following heat safety tips and ways to keep cool in Somerville. Most importantly, do not leave children or pets in a vehicle even if the windows are open, drink plenty of fluids, stay out of the sun, and limit your outdoor activity.

The Context Architecture and Capital Projects team weighed in on its design option preferences, among other matters, at the latest meeting of the Public Safety Building Project Building Committee.

By Joe Creason

The Public Safety Building Project Building Committee held a meeting on August 4 concerning the public safety building project located at 90 Washington Street.

“I think we’re going to achieve our goals of not only having a net zero ready building, but a building that possibly is net zero from the time it is occupied so it will be the most sustainable municipal building in Somerville, but I would also put that up against private development as well,” said Building Committee Chair Melissa Woods.

The Somerville Fair Housing Commission asked a series of six questions of the mayoral and City Council candidates concerning housing issues in the city. We are presenting answers here from the candidates to two questions presented to them. The questions were presented to all of the candidates, and the answers presented here were the ones received by the Commission. The remaining four questions and answers will be published in the weeks to come. 

(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 Rep. Christine P. Barber 34th Middlesex District 

With this July being the wettest in Massachusetts history, wildfires raging in California, and the dire study from UN climate scientists declaring a climate emergency, we must tackle climate change through aggressive, urgent action. The Massachusetts House and Senate took an important step recently by passing the Next Generation Climate Roadmap over the veto of Governor Baker earlier this year. This law sets targets to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and defines environmental justice protections in state law, among other policies like new standards for home construction and heating. While this was an overdue and critically important step, more that must be done, centered on those most harmed by climate change.