(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)

Part 4: What we know that the founders didn’t
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By William C. Shelton

Approaching the end of the War of Independence, Congress chose to put on the Great Seal of the United States the phrase, “Novus Ordo Seclorum,” which they understood to mean, “A new order of the ages,” or, “A new age now begins.” They hoped that what they were accomplishing would inspire people everywhere to create governments in which humanity could live with freedom and dignity.

— Photo by Doug Holder

The grand reopening of ROOTED: Armory Cafe & Farmstand took place on July 21.

They are following recommended COVID-19 mitigation guidelines and allowing a maximum of eight customers into ROOTED at a time.

Customers are welcome to walk in and place an order and shop the produce/grocery items. Takeout orders can also be placed by calling 617-718-2192.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

When my son was small we were in the cellar poking through some boxes when he pulled a record out of a dusty old album jacket. He said excitedly, “Daddy look! A big CD!” It was my old Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album from 1967.

— Photo by Shvets Anna

The Somerville Licensing Commission voted unanimously Monday to extend the closing time for restaurants to provide outdoor dining service to their patrons to 11:30 p.m. Previously, the closing time had been set at 10:00 p.m.

The Governor also signed S.2812, an Act to expand take-out/delivery options in response to COVID-19, so Somerville restaurants can now sell mixed drinks for off-premises consumption with the purchase of food.

The Urban Forestry Committee is looking out for the welfare of both residents and trees in the city.

By Elizabeth Long

On July 16, the Somerville Urban Forestry Committee met virtually to discuss residents’ concerns, city updates, and other various topics. “The Urban Forestry Committee is a great group of knowledgeable and dedicated people who are working really hard to support the city’s Urban Forestry program,” said Vanessa Boukili, Senior Urban Forestry Landscape member. “In addition to advising on many projects in the city and working on educational campaigns, they recently initiated the city’s first Adopt-A-Tree program which has been a huge success in getting residents to help care for the city’s newest street trees.” 

Even with the scheduled Phase 3 reopening easements, some business such as entertainment venues will still not be able to operate normally.

By Isabel Sami

Last Friday, July 17, Somerville pushed the Phase 3 business reopening for a second time, now planning to enter the next phase on August 3. This step allows movie theaters, gyms, cultural centers, and performance halls to open with restrictions.

By Alberto Gilman

The Somerville City Council’s latest regular meeting took place virtually on Tuesday July 14.  All eleven councilors were present. Moments of silence and approval of meeting minutes from June 11 followed shortly thereafter.

Darron Fernandes-Smith and Saladin Islam were among those who collaborated in creating a new mural at the South Street Farm as part of this year’s ArtBeat event. — Photos by Jessica Sisavath

By Jessica Sisavath

For ArtBeat Week, Groundwork Somerville involved the community to help create a new mural at South Street Farm. With this year’s ArtBeat Week theme “Chance,” Groundwork Somerville sent out a survey collecting responses from the community about the meaning of urban green space, climate care, and the impact of COVID-19 in regards to nature. With the help with Board members of the Groundwork Somerville, they were able to receive supplies to sketch and paint the mural. The responses from the survey served as an artistic tool for the mural’s theme, “A Chance to Rest.”

Registered voters in Somerville should have received their applications for mail-in voting. If you fill it out and return it, you will be able to vote in the September 1 primary and November 3 general election without having to go to a poll site. Mayor Joe Curtatone explains this simple process here: https://youtu.be/k8mH7g0Z5ww. Anyone not registered to vote or registered voters who have not received their mail-in voting application can go to https://www.somervillema.gov/ELECTIONS for easy registration and to download a mail-in voting application.

By Rachel Berets

The Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee (Somerville PTAC) met Thursday, July 16 to discuss Somerville’s “Shared Streets” initiative, the Washington Street Bridge construction, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) ridership in Somerville.