(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 Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

May is Water’s Worth It month and a good time to reflect on how vital our water system is to our day-to-day lives and what we can do to make sure we protect it. 

2.1 million people: More than 2 million people in 61 communities including Somerville get some type of water and/or sewer services from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA). The water in the MWRA system comes from the Quabbin and Wachusett reservoirs in Central Massachusetts and the MWRA provides services to most communities in Eastern Massachusetts, from the North Shore to South Shore, and to communities as far west as Chicopee.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

Somerville Open Studios celebrated its 21st year this past weekend as more than 300 artists across the city opened their studios during one of the largest single weekend open studio events in the nation.

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police officers were dispatched to Cumberland Farms on Somerville Ave. last week on reports of a suspicious person starting a fire.

Upon arrival, the officer spoke with a witness who reportedly told them that a man, later identified as Sherwood Byers, who was acting strangely, walked up to her and requested money.  The witness did not provide any money to Byers and he walked away.

Joan I. (McFarland) Sullivan,  of Somerville May 7, 2019. Beloved wife of the late Patrick J. Sullivan Jr. Loving mother of Patrick J. Sullivan III, and his wife Michelle of Somerville, Michael F. Sullivan and his wife Ann Marie of Worcester, Dennis H. Sullivan of Somerville, Sean Sullivan and his wife Brandy of Tewksbury. Sister of Henry McFarland and Jennette Cronin. Dear grandmother of Meaghan, Patrick, Timothy, Sean and Phillip. Great grandmother of Liam, Ciara, Colleen and Brooklyn.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

When I was a kid, a trip to Revere Beach meant a day of fun. Mom packed a lunch and off we went. After frolicking in the water we would eat our baloney and mustard sandwiches. Mayonnaise was a no-no because it might spoil in the heat. Mom would reapply the Coppertone sun block and we went back to playing in the sand and water.

The intersection of Albion and Lowell Streets has been earmarked by some as one of many areas in the city that are in need of traffic calming measures. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Denise Keniston

Somerville’s “dangerous” streets – and what to do about them – have dominated many city council meetings in 2019, as members get pressure daily from their constituents for real-time solutions to the city’s “out of control” traffic problems exacerbated by GLX bridge closures.

Susan Cattaneo continues her residency at Union Tavern on May 16, with the final show scheduled for June 13. — Photo by Nate Dow

By Blake Maddux

In addition to being a professor at Berklee College of Music for almost 20 years, Susan Cattaneo has released five albums of what her website’s bio describes at “New England Americana with a twang.” In 2018, she received a Boston Music Awards nomination for Americana Artist of the Year, won the CT (Connecticut) Folk Festival Songwriting Competition, and was a finalist at the Kerrville (Texas) New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters.

Join the Friends of the Somerville Public Library for their massive 5-day marathon of a book sale May 8 through May 12. Whether you’re after chemistry or children’s books, fiction or foreign languages, romance or recipes (plus DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks), they’ve got you covered. All items cost just $1, and FSPL tote bags will be on sale for $10 to help you bring your haul home. For more information, visit www.somervillepubliclibrary.org.

Parish Council President of Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church Diane Karavitis and Father Anthony.

By Courtney Young

You don’t have to be able to pronounce all the names of food on a menu in order to be appetized by them. In the case of annual Gyro Day at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Somerville, the advertising for this special day could be done solely through the wafts of delicious gyros and kabobs cooking from the tents outside the church.

This year’s installment of PorchFest will be hitting the city this coming weekend. Those who have, in the past, taken notice of the event – and it is an event that is rather difficult not to notice – usually have fairly strong opinions of approval or distaste for the goings on.