Open Positions: One position available
Term: 3 years
Availability: Immediate

 The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for one open position on the Somerville Conservation Commission. The Conservation Commission is devoted to preserving and protecting Somerville’s natural environment with an emphasis on wetlands, open space, and community gardens. Members are charged with administering and enforcing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Wetlands Protection Act and Rivers Protection Act to protect the city’s wetlands and rivers. In addition, the Commission plays an important role as a sounding board for open space planning and initiatives. The City’s community gardens program, which offers gardening plots to residents, is also overseen by the Commission.

The annual Healey School apple-picking field trip was cancelled because of the pandemic, but Principal Cobbs alerted teachers, families, and students that helpers planned to bring the orchard to the Healey School community instead. Thanks to a generous donation from a Healey family, each Healey School prekindergarten through grade 4 student received a fall treat bag this week.

The MBTA is hosting a virtual public meeting on Thursday, November 5, at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the Porter Square Retaining Wall Repairs project. The meeting will include a project overview, anticipated construction schedule, and Q&A. 

The Somerville Public Schools and the City of Somerville will be jointly hosting a second online Schools Reopening Town Hall on local efforts related to the 2020/2021 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic, including updates on building ventilation efforts and COVID-19 testing plans. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, at 6 p.m. Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole interpretation will be available.        

Celebrate and honor the diverse voices showcased on Somerville Media Center TV, Internet Radio, Podcast & Streaming Networks.

By Jim Clark

Members of the Somerville Police Department Criminal Investigations Division as part of an ongoing investigation conducted surveillance last week at a Perkins St. location, in order to locate David Robinson, place him under arrest and execute the search warrant.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I’m using this week’s space to share my fellow Somerville friend’s feelings about this pandemic until we get the all safe signal. What do Somerville people miss the most during these trying times? All the following comments are by Somerville folks and are in quotations.

By Anqi Zhang

Just returning from her bike tour dealing with a dispute over a historic house in Spring Hill, Somerville, with a large 18-foot, 12-panel, stained glass window, Brandon Wilson was short of breath while speaking on the phone with The Somerville Times.

This year’s Candlelight Vigil to commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month can be viewed online.
— Photo by Bobbie Toner

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, the Somerville Commission for Women, and RESPOND Inc. invite you to view a recorded version of the annual domestic violence vigil to commemorate individuals who have lost their lives due to domestic violence over the past year. The vigil is held each October in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Given the pandemic, the in-person gathering was moved online this year, but we continue to hold space for those who have been lost, honor the real people behind the statistics, and reflect on how interpersonal violence still pervades every corner of our community. 

City of Somerville Streetscape Presentation [click to enlarge]

The City of Somerville presented new plans for the Gilman Square neighborhood at a meeting on October 7 and is now seeking public input as it moves forward finalizing designs.