Summer programs offered by Somerville Parks and Recreation are continuing under established safety guidelines. — Photo courtesy of Somerville Parks and Recreation

By Elizabeth Long

The Somerville Parks and Recreation Department bounced back after Covid-19 caused many to question whether their programs would reopen and do so safely. Although the programs were shortened in length, they were still able to open their summer programs, which was a big plus for many parents and their kids.

Mayor Curtatone addressed the media on the plan for the upcoming school year at a press conference in front of Somerville High School.

By Alberto Gilman

Mayor Joseph Curtatone announced the decision concerning the reopening of schools in Somerville on Friday, July 24 to local and city news outlets. He began by discussing the impact of the pandemic. “The COVID-19 pandemic was not something anyone was prepared for,” Curtatone said. “It has not been easy.”

Senator Ed Markey spoke at Gracie’s Ice Cream’s fundraiser as part of the Ice Cream for Change’s campaign. — Photo courtesy of the Ed Markey campaign

By Shira Laucharoen     

When Aaron Cohen, owner of Gracie’s Ice Cream, heard through Instagram that Ice Cream for Change, a platform for ice cream lovers and makers advocating for social justice, would be a holding a fundraiser on July 19, he knew he had to participate. The campaign, held on National Ice Cream Day, would be using the power of ice cream to address systemic racism experienced by Black people, with funds being donated to organizations leading the fight.

Quincy Thomas outside of his father’s home on Somerville Avenue. — Photo by Anna J. James

In his final years, a veteran finally finds peace in Somerville
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By Anna J. James

On a warm summer day, my partner Quincy and I arrived in Somerville, three thousand miles from our home in Victoria, Canada. Just two days earlier, I discovered from a social worker at the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) that his father had passed a month before.

The City of Somerville and Somerville Public Schools has decided to try reopening the schools this fall under specific guidelines that are currently being worked out. Some are wary that it is too soon and there is still too much risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus, while others argue that keeping kids out of school is detrimental to their development and an unnecessary burden on their parents and guardians. We can only trust that the city will come up with a plan that is safe and sustainable. What do you think about it?

— Photos by Bob McWatters

The Jeanne Jugan Residence Advisory Board for the Little Sisters of the Poor sent the nuns off to their Provincial Residence in Queens, NY, in grand style on Sunday.

Tufts University is reconstructing the tennis court area on Professor Row to make way for portable dorms to be used as a separation area for any students who may contract Covid-19.

The city’s decision to reopen the public schools this fall has been met with mixed reactions. While some praise the move as being an important step towards regaining a modicum of normalcy after months of social isolation, others wonder if it is too soon to be throwing kids and teachers together so closely at this time.

Public officials assure us that extreme measures will be taken to assure the safety of students, teachers and families as the school year gets underway. The exact procedures that will be implemented are still being discussed and examined, so nothing has yet been set in stone. It is a work in progress.

— Photo courtesy of Somerville Firefighters Local 76

On Monday morning, Somerville Firefighters Local 76 received a much needed delivery of medical gloves from the Massachusetts National Guard. The department extends its gratitude to the Guard for delivering this essential PPE.

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Jacob Kramer met me at my perch in the backroom of the Bloc 11 Cafe in Union Square, Somerville. The fireplace was on full blast – to foil the frigid winter winds just outside the window. Kramer, is a youngish man with a scruffy beard, and wears his long hair in a ponytail. I noticed something wide and child-like in his eyes – undoubtedly some seminal flame that still burns with a kid’s wonder.