Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Somerville in the late ’70’s and ’80’s was a lot different than today. High School was a bit stricter and we had creative ways of letting off steam. Please be assured I have the utmost respect for most teachers and the education system.

As the Labor Day weekend and cooler temperatures approach, residents should continue to take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illnesses. Somerville and surrounding communities are still at moderate risk of West Nile Virus (WNV), and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) cases have been confirmed in Massachusetts. 

Uber drivers pull over hoping to quickly pick up their fares on Beacon Street, but often times they end up sitting for several minutes.

By Denise Keniston

On any given day you can find delivery trucks parked in the designated bike lane on Beacon Street while drivers load and/or unload their cargo. Delivery truck drivers have lost much of their parking space in Somerville as bike and bus lanes have been introduced across the city.

Loyal customers of both Dragon Pizza and Sligo Pub are delighted to have a place to enjoy their favorite fare at their outdoor patio area. ~ Photo courtesy of Sligo Pub

By Rachel Berets

The parking lot behind Dragon Pizza in Davis Square used to be an eyesore – a mess of patchy gray concrete with worn white lines marking the parking spaces.

Now it has been transformed into an outdoor patio serving food and beverages, a COVID-collaboration between Dragon Pizza and their Davis Square neighbor Sligo Pub.

Two popular night spots in Somerville have been forced to close their doors for good due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting restrictions on social distancing. Both Bull McCabe’s Pub and Thunder Road have recently announced their immediate permanent closures.

A special birthday celebration took place recently for Susan Barry, a DPW employee who is currently waging a battle against cancer. Her friends and family made sure that they are standing with her all the way as they celebrated with her on her birthday.

September is National Recovery Month. The social distancing necessary to control the spread of COVID-19 can make it difficult for people in recovery to connect with others and access support. Groups like Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and Herren Project, among others, are offering virtual recovery meetings and resources during the pandemic. We have a list of additional resources at www.somervillema.gov/coronavirushelp.

While its precise origins in the late nineteenth century are a bit unclear, the observance of Labor Day has generally come to signify a celebration of the common working class in America, in a somewhat similar fashion as that of International Workers Day on May 1 throughout other parts of the world.

Eagle Feathers #212 – A Day for Laborers

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

On June 28, 1894, a little over 126 years ago, the United States Congress and America’s 24th President Grover Cleveland signed into law and recognized that the first Monday in September would become Labor Day, a federal holiday.

Arrests:
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Shami Grant, of Charlestown, August 28, 9:45 p.m., arrested at McGrath Hwy. on charges of failure to stop for police, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, unregistered motor vehicle, attaching wrong motor vehicle plates, and uninsured motor vehicle.