Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan, Somerville Chief of Police David Fallon and Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone today announced that Edward Clark, 55, of Norwood, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident causing death, in connection with the fatal hit-and-run that occurred on Powder House Boulevard on February 8.
As part of the next phase of the Somerville Ave. Utility & Streetscape Improvements Project, City contractors will set up a large work zone in Union Square on or around February 19. It will remain in place for approximately six months.
Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced that the City filed suit today against opioid manufacturers and distributors, including the chain pharmacy Walgreens as a distributor, for their alleged deceptive and illegal promotion of opioids and failure to investigate, report, maintain effective control, and take steps to terminate suspicious orders of the highly addictive prescription drugs.
Additional volunteers are needed!
Somerville's Docent Program operates on a scheduled basis during the months of May through October. Public openings are offered at three historic sites, twice a month -- the Milk Row Cemetery on Somerville Avenue, Prospect Hill Tower above Union Square, and the Powder House in Nathan Tufts Park, off the Powder House rotary. The Docent Program was started in 2012 at the Cemetery and expanded to three historic sites in 2017.
The City of Somerville announced this week its third Poet Laureate, Lloyd Schwartz. Schwartz is a Somerville resident with an impressive literary background including his current work as the Frederick S. Troy Professor of English at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His poetry collections include These People; Goodnight, Gracie; Cairo Traffic; and most recently, Little Kisses (University of Chicago Press).
The Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) invites residents to join a conservation about options for a dog park in West Somerville at their Wednesday, January 23 meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Visiting Nurse Association 3rd floor community room (259 Lowell St), and seeks to receive community feedback if and where there is space for a dog park in West Somerville, and how dog parks can be effectively managed in a densely populated urban community.
The City of Somerville’s legislative body will officially become the Somerville City Council (formerly the Board of Alderman) on January 31, 2019. The name change was approved when Gov. Charlie Baker signed a home rule petition on January 1 requesting the switch to City Council.
“I am very happy not to be called an elder man anymore,” said City Council President Katjana Ballantyne.
Are you a Somerville resident with 15 minutes to spare? The City of Somerville would appreciate your response to a shared mobility survey that will help us plan for future transportation needs. The survey, which takes about 15 minutes to complete, asks questions about your current modes of transportation as well as options you might consider in the future, like autonomous vehicles.
Citing concerns over health impacts on youth, the Somerville Board of Health voted on December 13 to restrict the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes) and menthol cigarettes in Somerville. The new regulations will end the practice of allowing such products to be sold in retail establishments open to youth. Starting April 1, 2019, the sale of both menthol and e-cigarettes will be restricted to 21+, adult-only tobacco retail stores. Somerville is the first municipality in the Commonwealth to pass such regulations.
The City of Somerville was recognized, earning a national Gold award from AAA Northeast for education and outreach efforts within the community aimed to protect and educate citizens. Accepting the award on behalf of the department was Lt. James Polito and Sgt. John Gobiel. In addition to this award, Somerville Traffic Safety Officer Steven Johnson was recognized and awarded the “Traffic Safety Hero of the Year” award for his success and efforts to educate and protect the citizens of Somerville.
Please join the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, Ward 2 Alderman JT Scott, and Alderman at Large Stephanie Hirsch for a community meeting on Monday, December 17, for an update on remaining work to be completed at Lincoln Park in the Spring of 2019. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Argenziano School cafeteria, 290 Washington St. For more information or with any questions about the project, please contact Arn Franzen at [email protected].
Join City staff on Wednesday, December 12, at 6 p.m. at the Central Library, 79 Highland Ave. for the fourth in a series of public quarterly meetings where updates about parking changes, new data collection, and strategies for impact mitigation will be discussed. All interested persons are encouraged to come including residents and local business owners, as well as City and school staff. 2019 meeting dates will be announced soon.
Please join the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, Ward 2 Alderman JT Scott, and Alderman at Large Stephanie Hirsch for the third in a series of community meetings, on Tuesday, December 18, to review renovation plans and the proposed construction schedule for the new Allen Street Playground. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Academy Room at the Public Safety Building at 220 Washington St.
Mayor Joseph A Curtatone is pleased to announce the launch of a new community process to update SomerVision: Somerville’s Comprehensive Plan 2010-2030 and create SomerVision 2040.
The City of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) invites all interested community members to an information session on Wednesday, December 12, to discuss upcoming renovations to Foss Park, planned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The meeting will be held at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St., from 6 to 8 p.m.
Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone is not expected to attend public events or work from his office at City Hall for the next few weeks due to a severe case of the shingles virus.
Mayor Curtatone was recently hospitalized with the shingles virus, which is the same as the virus that causes chickenpox. The illness, which nearly one-third of adults experience in their lifetime, is not life-threatening though it can be quite painful, and in rare cases, the inner ear and facial nerves are affected, as is the case with Mayor Curtatone.
The City of Somerville is currently seeking applications for the newly created Office of Housing Stability (OHS) Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will work with the OHS Director to identify policy and programmatic priorities for the OHS to further its mission of preventing the displacement of Somerville residents. The Advisory Board will:
The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission (SHPC) has extended the deadline to submit nominations for the 2019 Preservation Awards. Applications will be accepted through Monday, December 10.
During its annual celebration in honor of Historic Preservation Month in May 2019, the Commission will honor Somerville residents who performed significant restoration or maintenance efforts on designated historic buildings, or on non-designated buildings erected before 1967.
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that current Deputy Director of Libraries, Cathy Piantigini, has been appointed as the city’s newest Library Director, effective December 3, 2018. Piantigini has worked in the Somerville Public Libraries in various roles for 25 years, beginning as a Junior Assistant at the East Branch Library in 1993. Piantigini succeeds Glenn Ferdman as Library Director.
Learn more at www.somervillema.gov/PublicCharge
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