Senesi, Assunta M. (Scafiddi) – Of Somerville December 4, 2019. Beloved wife of the late Frank R. Senesi, Sr. Loving mother of Karen M. Toner and her husband Robert of Somerville. Sister of the late Tony, John Scafiddi and Catherine Suckney. Dear grandmother of Jennifer, Marissa and Kimberly Toner. Also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Student of Esh Circus Arts at Carnaval
© Stan Eichner

East Somerville Main Streets has announced their 2019 Photo Contest Winners: Emily Ackman, Stan Eichner, Jeanine Jenks Farley, Michele J Martin, Julia Murphy, Deborah Pacini, Benjamin Preston, and Bill Trudell.

(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 Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers.  With snow season officially upon us, here’s a look at some numbers on City snow operations and snow emergencies.

4 feet: The Boston area gets an average of about four feet of snow each year. But if you’re lived here for even a few years, you know that winters can vary wildly. There have been years when we’ve only seen a couple of feet, but there have also been years like 2015 when we got around nine feet of snow, most of it falling between mid-February and mid-March. Although we don’t know what we’re in for each winter, City staff – especially at DPW – have to plan and be ready for snow, ice, and whatever else Mother Nature throws at us.

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police officer on uniformed patrol in the early hours of last Saturday, November 30, observed a man walking along McGrath Highway and determined that he might be intoxicated.

The man, later identified as James McKenna, of Dorchester, then took a right onto Linwood St., which is a common area for individuals to park their vehicle when attending local bars.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of playing music for the combined class reunions of St. Clement’s classes of 1968, 1969 and 1970.

What a great experience it was. I attended St. Clement’s from grades 1 through 8. My late sister Christine attended grades 1-9. The class of 1970 was my sister’s class so many of her friends were there. There were lots of familiar faces.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

The Teen Empowerment Thanksgiving dinner took place on November 27 at 165 Broadway, Somerville. Everyone brought things to contribute to the dinner hosted by Danny McLaughlin.

Chief Assessor Frank Golden recently presented a report concerning FY 2020 Tax Levy percentages to the Somerville City Council.

By Jim Clark

The city’s Chief Assessor’s Classification Hearing Report regarding the adoption of Tax Levy percentages for FY 2020, including a minimum residential factor and a residential exemption, was presented to the Somerville City Council at their special meeting held on November 26.

At the meeting, City Assessor Frank Golden presented FY20 tax classification data and recommended the adoption of tax levy percentages.

R to L: John Fenton (DLJ), Somerville Mayor Curtatone, Rob Dickey (LMP), and Kevin Sullivan (Shawmut). The shovel presented to the mayor as part of the groundbreaking ceremony was painted by local artist JennyMae Kho.

DLJ Real Estate Capital Partners (DLJ RECP), Leggat McCall Properties (LMP), and Shawmut Design and Construction were joined by Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, City Councilor J.T. Scott, neighbors, and community members on Monday, December 2 to celebrate the official groundbreaking on 101 South Street in the Boynton Yards neighborhood of Somerville.

Somerville’s 2019 holiday celebrations will kick off on Thursday, December 5, with the Christmas Tree Lighting on the City Hall Concourse, followed by a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus in the City Council Chambers. All children who attend will receive a special gift from Santa. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with live entertainment prior to the official tree lighting. Santa Claus will, as always, be escorted by the Somerville Fire and Police Departments.

(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.)

Dear editor,

Vaping by youth has become what the U.S. Surgeon General calls an epidemic and many people are working to find solutions.  I’m asked frequently what can be done to turn the tide, and now new resources are available to educate youth and help those who want to quit vaping.