Statement from Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone

This year on Monday, October 8, the City of Somerville will observe Indigenous Peoples’ Day. We will join--among many others--Alaska, Vermont, Durango, Colo., and Traverse City, Mich., in doing the right thing. It’s been an issue we’ve given careful consideration, and many inside and outside our city have made compelling arguments for this change.

Statement from the Somerville Police Department

The Somerville Police Department is investigating the removal and defilement of American Flags planted in the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, and the desecration of the Veteran’s Monument to those who gave their lives in World War 2 in defense of their country.  

The SPD has identified the male party contained in the photo below as a person of interest. Anyone knowing the identity of the individual is asked to contact the Somerville Police Department at 617-625-1600 x7238.

Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP) is currently hiring Middle School and High School Youth Leaders for our Somerville Positive Forces (SPFJr and SPF100) Programs to work as part of a team to promote student wellness through fun campaigns and positive peer messaging; and address issues related to underage drinking, substance abuse, and tobacco use, including bullying and mental health wellness.  

SOMERVILLE – Somerville Cares About Prevention (SCAP) announced today the results of the program’s annual “Shoulder Tap Surveys,” designed to discourage adults from purchasing alcohol for people under twenty-one. During the project, youth worked to measure the willingness of a complete stranger to purchase alcohol for a minor.

SCAP also announced this fall the beginning of their annual Compliance Checks, assessing how Somerville establishments perform in regards to preventing underage sales to minors. Compliance checks will continue at random through September 2019.

SOMERVILLE – It can be difficult for innovators to find opportunities to test new ideas or products, and likewise, existing tools can’t always address all the challenges cities face like climate change, affordable housing, or mobility changes. So the City of Somerville is proposing to team up with innovators to their mutual benefit. This week the City’s new Somerville Urban Lab Initiative issued a call to innovators for pilot proposals.

SOMERVILLE – Do you have a passion for affordable housing, historic preservation, and parks and open space? The City of Somerville wants your help and is now accepting applications for one public position on the Community Preservation Committee, which oversees the selection of projects to be recommended for funding by an estimated $2 million in annual Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenues. Residents are encouraged to apply and applications must be submitted by October 12, 2018.

SOMERVILLE – The City of Somerville is seeking candidates for its next Poet Laureate to enhance the profile of poets and poetry in Somerville and surrounding communities. The Poet Laureate is expected to help expand access to poetry in parts of the community that traditionally have less exposure to it like older adults and youth. The Poet Laureate, a position appointed by the mayor, will serve a two-year term beginning in January 2019 and will be provided an honorarium of $2,000 per year.

SOMERVILLE, MA – In Somerville, City and school staff recently teamed up to launch a pilot program to overcome some cafeteria recycling challenges and also add composting to the mix. Nearly two tons of paper materials are recycled each week across Somerville Public Schools, but recycling cafeteria waste is more challenging in a grade-school environment. No matter how well kids sort their materials, inevitably milk, juice, and food scraps find their way into the bins. Then the contaminated recyclables get rejected for pickup and land in the trash after all.

SOMERVILLE – The Somerville Public Library will soon introduce “Food for Thought,” a community gardening and cooking initiative, thanks in large part to a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant in the amount of $8,315 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). The new initiative aims to promote health and wellness, teach practical life skills, build community, and introduce residents to related resources and opportunities citywide.