Copies of ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ now available at all library branches.

The Somerville Public Library announces the 2019 “Somerville Reads” events series. Somerville Read is a citywide reading initiative that encourages all Somerville residents to read and discuss the same book to promote literacy and community engagement. Throughout the month of October, the Somerville Public Library will host various intergenerational programs including discussions, book clubs, and more, all related to the themes found in The Haunting of Hill House, the 2019 Somerville Reads selection.

Roughly 45 volunteers attended a special recognition event hosted by Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services at The Independent in Somerville on September 19. The recognition will become an annual event, going forward.

The contributions of volunteers who assist older adults took center stage at a special volunteer appreciation event hosted by Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) on September 19.

In thanking those who attended, Executive Director Paul Hollings noted that SCES has more volunteers than employees, saying they play an important role in helping local older adults maintain health and independence.

The Kennedy School’s indoor and outdoor spaces were colorfully updated during the school day on Friday, September 20 during the second City Year/Biogen Care Deeply day of service in the district in as many weeks. Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, district Assistant Superintendent Chad Mazza, and several other Kennedy School and Somerville Public Schools staff offered words of appreciation to the City Year and Biogen team members during the opening ceremony.

Dear Community Supporters,

The George Dilboy Post 529’s Annual Marine Corps Birthday Celebration will be held on November 10, 2019, all veterans are invited and encouraged to attend. This year marks the 244th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. For the past 21 years, members have gather each year to honor those that served and continue to serve and by providing toys for disadvantaged children.

Join the city’s Engineering Department to discuss flooding issues on Richdale Ave. at a community meeting on Tuesday, October 29. Residents are invited to share their observations and concerns about flooding on their streets and learn about flood mitigation the city is working on. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Somerville High School auditorium, 81 Highland Ave.

Join the city’s Engineering Department to discuss flooding issues on Perry, Dane, and Lake Streets at a community meeting on Tuesday, October 15. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Argenziano School cafeteria, 290 Washington St.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Stinky’s Kittens & Doggies Too held a pet adoption event during the Ball Square Festival on September 22. Animal lovers got an opportunity to give forever homes to some special individuals. Stinky’s Kittens & Doggies Too is located at 110 Bristol Rd., Somerville.

Sunday, October 6, please join  Tufts University’s Distler Performance Hall at the Granoff Music Center for a “Faith in a City” community concert presented by the Somerville Museum! “Faith in a City” is a project exploring religion in Somerville through music, photography, interviews and history as a way of better understanding our community. The focus is how religion is meaningful to people across the City.

(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.  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s heartbreaking each year to see the statistics about domestic violence, but it’s also necessary so we can support victims of domestic violence in Somerville.

1 in 3 and 1 in 4: Nationally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced physical violence by an intimate partner. In Massachusetts, 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by a partner. As we confront the issue of domestic violence and intimate partner violence, it’s important to remember that it can take many forms including physical abuse, sexual assault, verbal and psychological abuse, and financial abuse. There is no one model for domestic abuse and no singular profile of victims or abusers.

On the first Saturday of every month Somerville’s legendary comic store Comicazi, converts its Davis Square showroom into a comedy club, appropriately named League of Laughs. A comedy show created for the geek in all of us, past performers have appeared on Netflix, Funny or Die, The Late Show, Conan, and Comedy Central while all sharing a singular credit, they are “nerds who tell jokes.”