Join the Ball Square Business Association and the City of Somerville in the second annual Ball Square Festival on Sunday, September 22. From noon to 5 p.m. there will be music, activities, food, and a beer garden on Broadway, right in the heart of Ball Square.

(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. 

10 years: Every 10 years there is a national census and the data collected each decade has far-reaching effects. The next census is happening in 2020 and we’ve already started work to make sure our results are as accurate as possible. One reason that’s important is that it affects representation – the number of seats each state gets in the House of Representatives is based on population, so an accurate census means each state gets the seats it is entitled to. Census data is also used for establishing districts for state legislature, and is even used by businesses and organizations when making decisions about where to locate offices or other facilities. Just as important, U.S. Census counts determine federal funding amounts over the next 10 years.

Acting Mayor’s Marijuana Advisory Committee selects three entities based on community criteria

Somerville City Council President Katjana Ballantyne, who is serving as Acting Mayor for the Host Community Agreement process for marijuana retail entities, announced today that she intends to sign Host Community Agreements (HCAs) with three adult-use marijuana retailers. The selected entities and their proposed locations are: Union Leaf, 71 Union Square; New England Select Harvest (NESH), 378-380 Highland Avenue; and East Coast Remedies (ECR) 76-82 Central Street.

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— Photos by Claudia Ferro

Riverfest 2019 took place on Saturday, September 14, at Assembly Row at Assembly Square.

It was a day full of live local music, free children’s activities and the annual fireworks show over the Mystic River at sundown.

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the CVS store at 1 Davis Square last Saturday on reports of a shoplifting.

Upon arrival, the officers were met by the store manager, who told them that two men had just shoplifted from the store and one of them was chased out of the store.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

“Plans call for a five-story mixed-use building with 12 apartments and a bar or restaurant on the first floor.” This is getting old.

When the news hit that the popular live music club at 379 Somerville Ave. Thunder Road might be closing, it sparked a symphony of memories for me and my friends. My bands The Tools, and Delfusion played there when it was Jaspers. Before that I hosted karaoke when it was Choices. It was also called Radio for a while.

Somerville resident Larry Yu made a presentation to the Somerville City Council emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the need for passage of the federal Green New Deal resolution.

By Jim Clark

At the latest regular meeting of the Somerville City Council on September 12, a resolution was put forward and approved that affirms the federal Green New Deal resolution by establishing goals, identifying actions necessary to meet these goals, and calling for the federal government to enact policies to advance a Green New Deal.

~ Photos by Adam Parise

The city’s annual vigil walk, in honor of the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, was held on Wednesday, September 11. The vigil began with a procession stepping off from the Cedar Street intersection of the Community Path, and concluded with a short ceremony in Davis Square. The entire Somerville community was invited to participate.

We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of Stan Koty, who passed last week. He served the city for many, many years, most recently as DPW Commissioner, and will be missed.

(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.)

Sir,

In late August the city released a new version of the planned zoning, v4.0. Previously, version 3, from January 2019, was preceded by multiple public meetings as part of the neighborhood planning process to help the city understand what the constituents wanted, and did not want.  Building height and massing were major topics of discussion with many visuals prepared by city staff, and people voted on what they preferred.