By Stephanie Hirsch

I love the snow because it gives me an excuse to stay home and watch the weather through a window. But some people have to do the opposite when it snows – they head out to take care of the snow and our community. In this column, I’d like to a shout out to City staff who help reduce extreme weather stress and the snow angels/saints on each block who shovel out seniors or share their snow blowers.

Eagle Feathers #172 – Sergeant Hansen’s Flags

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Henry Oliver Hansen was a young United States Marine from Somerville who was killed during World War II at the Battle of Iwo Jima. He was raised in the Magoun Square neighborhood on Nashua Street, attended Northeastern Junior High School and Somerville High School.

~ Photos by Ryan McBride, Tufts University

The Somerville High School Highlanders met up again with the Medford High School Mustangs Basketball teams at the Annual Tufts Classic game held at Cousens Gymnasium on the Tufts University campus.

The Somerville High School Girls Basketball Senior Night was held last Friday at their home game against Salem. Somerville won the game 45 to 36. Congratulations to seniors Gurpreet Kaur, Kaitlyn Seeley, Kiara Pontes, Megan Barnes, Tayla Casey and Karla Salmeron. We wish them the best.

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Review by Timothy Gager

If you’re Elisabeth Kübler-Ross you’ve had a widely accepted theory about the five stages of death and dying. If you are the author, Gavin Broom, your characters get to experience two of them (maybe three, without giving away the ending): the denial stage and the anger stage. In The Scottish Book of the Dead, a father dies and it brings a dysfunctional family together in one location to deal with his death, and to pick up the pieces of their own lives. These characters, the son, the runaway ex-wife, the brother, and the sister-in-law all must address their shortcomings and their past, while attempting to close a chapter with someone else’s.

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A former Somerville resident, Tom Sheehan, 91, has published 37 books, the last one being Alone, with the Good Graces, Pocol Press. Soon comes Jock Poems for Proper Bostonians, and Small Victories for the Soul VII (from Wilderness House Literary Review, first copy sent to me in today’s mail.) He has multiple works in Rosebud, Literally Stories, Linnet’s Wings, Serving House Journal, Copperfield Review, Literary Orphans, Frontier Tales, Rope & Wire, TQR Total Quality Reading, etc. He’s received 16 Pushcart nominations, 6 Best of Net nominations with one winner, and other awards., He served as a sergeant in the 31st Infantry in Korea 1951-52, and graduated from Boston College in 1956.

Because of the snowfall predicted today, Tuesday, February 12, afternoon and evening activities will be canceled. There will be no Somerville Public Schools or Somerville Parks and Recreation activities after 3 p.m. and all Somerville Public Library branches, the Veterans Memorial Skating Rink, and the Kennedy Pool will be closed at 3 p.m. All City meetings have been canceled, but the second developer-sponsored affordable housing open house at 29 Woodbine St. will take place as scheduled (visit www.somervillema.gov/events for more information).

Arrests:

Paul McGowan, of 124 Otis St., Cambridge, February 4, 12:11 a.m., arrested at Union Sq. on charges of operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of liquor and alcohol from open container.

Gilberto De Castro-Gomes, of 26 Beacon St., Burlington, February 4, 1:27 a.m., arrested at Fellsway on warrant charges of failure to notify RMV of name or address change, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, and miscellaneous equipment violation.

Active investigation continues

Investigators are continuing to call on the public for assistance in identifying the operator of the vehicle involved in Friday’s fatal hit and run in Somerville. Somerville Police working with the Middlesex DA’s Office are trying to locate a newer model, full-size, black pickup truck with front-end driver’s-side damage. The vehicle is believed to have a black cover over the bed of the truck and is possibly a Ford F-150. Anyone with related information is encouraged to contact the Somerville Police Department at 617-625-1600 ext. 7250 or 7254. Both phone lines are staffed  24/7 by sworn officers. Tips may be left anonymously through text. Begin your text message with 617spd and send it to TIP411 (847411).

Dear Somerville Local First Members and Friends,

First, Happy New Year! We hope your 2019 is off to a great start, and that it continues to bring joy, health, and success for all of you!

We are writing to share some important news. After a decade of serving the small businesses and artists in our beloved city, Somerville Local First will be ending its run as an organization as of May 1, 2019. This was certainly a difficult decision to make given the deep love our Board of Directors and our most recent Executive Director, Courtney O’Keefe, have for SLF and what it represents. We imagine many of you feel the same way.