On Wednesday, February 12, at approximately 12:30 p.m., a car rolled down the hill at Harden Rd. opposite of the West Somerville Neighborhood School with no occupants in the vehicle. At noon time school was being dismissed due to a half day with several several school buses present and children in the crosswalks. Fortunately, there were no injuries. The incident is being investigated by the Somerville Police Department.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Dunkin’ Donuts at 220 Broadway last Friday evening on reports of a woman having hit a man with a chair.

Upon arrival, the officers were met by the victim, who told them that while he was sitting inside the Dunkin’ Donuts, conversing with friends, a woman approached the group and asked to use a cell phone.

An attempted robbery at a 7-11 store brought Somerville, Medford and Cambridge police units, along with a SWAT team, to a Medford church in the early hours of Thursday morning.

According to reports, Cambridge police officers had an encounter with the suspect in Somerville at approximately 1:45 a.m., at which time the suspect got away and reportedly made his way towards College Ave.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I’m writing this on my Grandpa’s birthday. He was born on February 10, 1892. He would have been 128 years old. I knew him until I was 11 years old in 1964 when he passed.

Boston Medical Center’s rooftop farm manager Lindsay Allen spoke at an event sponsored by the Somerville Public Library where the benefits of urban rooftop gardening were discussed.

By Isabel Sami

The Somerville Public Library hosted an event on urban gardening held at Remnant Brewery on Wednesday, February 5. Speaking at the event was Lindsay Allen, a farmer and educator who is currently the farm manager at Boston Medical Center’s rooftop farm and also operations director at Higher Ground Farm.

Somerville Police have been exploring measures aimed at mitigating gang violence among the city’s youth, according to a report to the Public Health and Public Safety Committee by Chief David Fallon.

By Anna Schaeffer

Members of the Somerville community and Somerville City Council Public Health and Public Safety Committee gathered on Wednesday, January 29, in the City Hall Sub-Committee Room to discuss matters of public health and safety.

First to be discussed was a request for information from the Somerville Police Department regarding a new restorative justice program formed in early 2019, similar to that used in Cambridge, Arlington, and Boston.

A February 6 article in the Boston Globe described  Encore Boston Harbor’s proposal to replace an 800-foot pedestrian bridge connecting Assembly Row across the Mystic River to the casino with an aerial gondola. The next day, the Baker-Polito Administration announced a $13.7 million contract to complete the 11.5-mile Northern Strand Trail, which would now dead-end at the site of this long-anticipated bridge.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers and fans. We hope everyone has a great day with their significant other or with close family and friends. Enjoy the day!

In May of 2019, the Somerville City Council passed an ordinance banning the use of plastic straws and/or stirrers in all food and retail establishments within the City of Somerville. This ordinance went into effect on February 9, 2020; however, during the first six months, only warnings will be issued to give businesses a chance to substitute alternative products.

(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.)

By Matthew McLaughlin
City Council President

Davis Square ain’t what it used to be.

That is good or bad depending on your perspective. When I grew up outside of Davis it was a collection of rundown buildings and dive bars. Later it became the “Paris of the 90’s,” the economic and social hub of Somerville. That boom was followed by rapid displacement that forced people like me out of the neighborhood we grew up in.