[ February 26, 2010; 5:00 pm; ] You can show your support for workers at the Somerville Stop and Shop by joining Massachusetts Jobs with Justice in handing out fliers on Friday at 5:00 – corner of McGrath Highway and Mystic Avenue.

Thousands of grocery workers throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut – members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local Unions [...]

Somebody took the picture of my house from the car early in the morning today, is there anything for me to worry about? What should I do? I am a new somerville resident.

The New England Center for Investigative Reporting at Boston University has taken an interest in our (Somerville Voices) proposed investigation of parking fines and has offered to analyze the ticket data for the amount of $500.
With this analysis, we’ll know how much revenue the city is getting from the 48-hour limit on parking in one [...]

[ February 26, 2010; 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm. ] As Franklin Delambert, Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition, says, it will be an evening of solidarity.

The City of Somerville, with it’s clear mandates and civil rights obligations from Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, continues to be really , truly, obviously unskilled at inclusive community-building.

What a price for tenure? And how can you tell your professor is crazy!

[ February 23, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ] After six years as an organization, PDS is spending some time assessing our work and visioning about our efforts moving forward.

[ February 22, 2010; 6:00 pm; ] Housing and Community Development Committee Meeting

Mon. Feb. 22 6:00 PM

Somerville City Hall
2nd Fl. Comm. Rm.
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of the Aldermanic Housing and Community Development Committee. There will likely be further discussion of the Route 16 Green Line Extension stop, which is currently being deemphasized by the [...]

[ February 23, 2010; 4:00 pm; ] Red Line/Blue Line Connector Working Group Meeting

Tues. Feb. 23 4:00 PM

Amenities Room
Suffolk University
73 Tremont Street
Boston, MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of the Red Line/Blue Lline Connector working group. This meeting’s agenda includes a summary of alternatives, environmental impacts, and a schedule for the connector’s Draft Environmental Impact Report.

This meeting [...]

[ February 20, 2010; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. March 20, 2010; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. April 24, 2010; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. May 22, 2010; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. June 19, 2010; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. July 24, 2010; 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. ] Approximately fifteen people crowded around two small tables this afternoon at the Danish Pastry House in Medford to share their concerns and questions in a wide-ranging conversation with State Representative Carl Sciortino at his first district coffee hour of the year. 

The discussion covered topics including the difficulty of getting parking permits in Medford, poor [...]

I believe that both the premise for the Ordinance and the approach that it takes are wrong.

[ February 20, 2010; 10:00 am to 11:30 am. February 25, 2010; 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. March 3, 2010; 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. March 6, 2010; 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. March 7, 2010; 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. March 10, 2010; 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. ] Here are several immediate local opportunities to become trained in how to assist Haitians in completing TPS (Temporary Protected Status) applications and fee waivers. Trainings are being provided by Nancy Kelly, an immigration attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services. All are welcome to attend the trainings and/or webinar. We’re asking people [...]

[ February 24, 2010; 7:00 pm; ] Davis Square Task Force Meeting

Wed. Feb. 24, 7:00 PM

Tufts Administration Building (TAB)
169 Holland St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of the Davis Square Task Force, one of the longest running activist groups in Somerville. It came into existence around the extension of the Red Line to Davis Square.

This group is important [...]

[ February 24, 2010; 1:00 pm; ] MPO Access Advisory Committee to the MBTA Meeting

Wed. Feb. 24 1:00 PM

State Transportation Building
Conf. Rms. 2, 3
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is the regular meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Access Advisory Committee. This committee was created to improve transit access and services for people with disabilities.

This meeting is [...]

[ February 22, 2010; 5:00 pm; ] MBTA Rider Oversight Committee Meeting

Mon. Feb. 22 5:00 PM

State Transportation Building
Conf. Rms. 1, 2, 3
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of the MBTA Rider Oversight Committee, which provides recommendations to the MBTA to address the needs and concerns of MBTA riders.

This meeting is important because the MBTA will soon [...]

[ February 18, 2010; 10:00 am; ] MPO Transportation Planning and Programming Committee Meeting

Thurs. Feb. 18 10:00 AM

State Transportation Building
Conf. Rms. 2, 3
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is the regular meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Planning and Programming Committee. This group makes decisions to support or not support new transportation initiatives throughout the Boston area, including the [...]

[ February 18, 2010; 6:30 pm; ] This hearing is important because it is a key step toward getting Federal money for improving Somerville.

[ February 19, 2010; 8:15 am; ] Move Massachusetts Meeting

Fri. Feb. 19 8:15 AM

Brown Rudnick
18th Fl., One Financial Center
Dewey Square
Boston MA (map)

This is a membership meeting of Move Massachusetts. MassDOT director David Mohler and Urban Ring Project Manager Scott Hamwey will present, ‘How Will We Get A”round”? MASSDOT suspends further MEPA review on the Urban Ring project’.

This meeting [...]

Banks and Verizon need to be held to the kind of standards they use to torture their customers.

According to this post on the ResiStat blog in answer to my question, the Mystic Children’s Zone will use college enrollment as the final measurement of its success.  Perhaps this, and not high school graduation, should be used to measure the performance of our school system over all.
Although college isn’t for everyone, it probably is [...]

Having only lived in Somerville for about three and a half years, I have much to learn about the city’s past. Here are some historical articles that may be of wider interest. I hope others will share other stories that can inform the newer residents of what life was like in the good/bad old days.

Somerville [...]

[ February 22, 2010; 6:00 pm; 7:00 pm; February 23, 2010; 6:00 pm; 7:00 pm; February 24, 2010; 6:00 pm; 7:00 pm; February 25, 2010; 6:00 pm; 7:00 pm; ] The Somerville Youth Hockey Association is holding tryouts on Saturday Feb 20th offering it’s 10 and under girls-only try out!

This is for our first time players age 10 and under (birth year 2000 or after) in order to create an all-girls team for the Stoneham “buzzer” league for the 2010-2011 season.

Try outs start at 9:45 and [...]

[ February 10, 2010; 3:00 pm; ] Regional Transportation Advisory Council Meeting

Wed. Feb. 10 3:00 PM

State Transportation Building
Conf. Rm. 4
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

Jan. 28, 2010 MPO Amendment to Public Comment Period. (PDF)

Feb 2. 2010 TCAC Letter to MPO (PDF)

This is the regular meeting of the Regional Transportation Advisory Council (RTAC), which is charged by the Boston Metropolitan Planning Organizaiton (MPO) [...]

[ February 11, 2010; 6:00 pm; ] Planning for the Unplanned: Recovering from Crises in Megacities – Lessons for Metro Boston

Thurs. Feb. 11 6:00 PM

MAPC Offices
60 Temple Place
Boston MA (map)

Registration

This is the first in the MetroFuture Speaker Series sponsored by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). Dr. Aseem Inam, Urban Designer and Planner at the Tufts University Department of Urban and [...]

[ February 8, 2010 9:00 am to February 25, 2010 5:00 pm. ] Comment Period on Amendment to MPO Public Participation Plan

Starts: Mon. Feb. 8
Ends: Thurs. Mar. 25

Amendment (PDF)

This is the beginning of the 45-day comment period on the MPO Public Participation Plan to shorten or waive the public comment period on certification documents.

Ordinarily, amendments have a 30-day public comment period. The change is to allow the [...]

[ February 9, 2010; 7:00 pm; ] Committee on Legislative Matters

Tues. Feb. 9 7:00 PM

Aldermen’s Chamber
Somerville City Hall
93 Highland Ave.
Somerville MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is a special meeting of Committee on Legislative Matters, meeting as a whole. The Committee does the final review of ordinances to be passed by the Board of Aldermen.

This meeting is important because it is taking up a [...]

Feeling pretty blue that Ames Envelope’s leaving town. Maybe others know different(ly), but it seemed as if this Somerville-based business has been a good neighbor.
A couple of examples to support that:
1. Ames offered in-house literacy classes for its employees, many of whom were El Salvadoran.
2. Back in the day, Ames invited classroom teachers to help ourselves [...]

powered by Change.org
Start a Petition »

[ February 24, 2010; 7:00 pm; ] How Smaht Are You?
Union Square Main Streets marks its fifth anniversary with the ultimate contest.  On Wednesday, February 24, 2010 join your neighbors, city officials and Somerville boosters of every stripe at the Somerville City Club.  In teams of four to five pulled together especially for the event or introduced and joining forces that night, [...]

It was a quintessential Somerville night at the theater for “Beauty And The Beast” at the High School this evening.  Promoters Gretchen Kinder and Rosemarie Sears must have outdone themselves packing the house because I had to make my way to the balcony to find a seat.   I saw neighbors, friends, teachers, school committee members, [...]

[ February 6, 2010; 4:30 pm; ] ArtsUnion Sculpture Series Opening

Five artists, who work in the fields of architecture, ceramics and sculpture, have created site-specific installations for Union Square’s urban landscape. The unifying theme of this work recycling, growth and environmental awareness. Look for sprouting mushrooms, recycled topiary Christmas trees and a plant emerging from the back of a solitary human figure. [...]

[ February 22, 2010; 6:00 pm to 8:45 pm. ] Mini-workshop and film-screening, MONDAY FEBRUARY 22 starting at 6:00pm

SPROUT OUT! mini-workshop: Got water, ambient light, 2 minutes a day & a glass jar?  We’ll supply the seeds!  Learn the essentials of year-round countertop sprouting and take home your own starter kid.  BRING A WIDE MOUTH GLASS JAR (one pint (16 ox.) to one quart (32 [...]

[ February 7, 2010; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ] Come talk about our blog and how to make better.

Sunday, Feb. 7, 6 to 8 pm, Visiting Nurses assisted living facility, 259 Lowell St., small dining room.

New people are always welcome!

[ February 9, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. ] Cambridge-Somerville for Change will host a “Debrief, Regroup, and Go Forward” community meeting at the Cambridge YMCA on Tuesday, February 9th from 6:30-8:30pm.

Why does the city census office send to “current resident” a form that includes personal information about whoever lived at an address a year ago? Are there other alternatives?

[ February 7, 2010; 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. ] Our neighbors are being evicted and our community destabilized by the foreclosure crisis! The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) in collaboration with Cambridge & Somerville Legal Services (CASLS) has initiated a foreclosure outreach and organizing campaign in Somerville.

[ February 2, 2010; 7:00 pm; ] Mystic River Watershed Association Committee Meetings

Tues. Feb. 2 7:00 PM

East Hall, Room 015
Tufts University
Medford MA (map)

This is the regular meeting of the MyRWA Committee on Water Quality (CoWQ), the Outreach Committee, and the Policy Committee. At this meeting MyRWA will introduce a new online tool, the Environmental Atlas, developed in partnership with the Metropolitan Area [...]

[ February 2, 2010; 3:30 pm; ] MassDOT Community Forum

Tues. Feb. 2 3:30 PM

MBTA Board Room, 3rd Fl.
10 Park Plaza
Boston MA (map)

Agenda (PDF)

This is one in a series of “You Move Massachusetts Initiative”meetings, held to update the community on transportation issues in the Commonwealth.

This meeting is important because, among other issues, it presents a status report on the Green Line Extension [...]

[ February 4, 2010; 11:30 am; ] Smart Growth/Transit Oriented Development – What is working or not?

Thurs. Feb. 4 11:30 AM

Radisson Hotel
200 Stuart St.
Boston MA (map)

This presentation by the City of Somerville OSPCD Director Monical Lamboy, developer Ted Tye, and MassDOT Transit Development Director Mark Boy will address how Smart Growth methodologies have worked and how they can be improved. This [...]

[ February 24, 2010; 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. ] Taking the “T” to the Next Level

Wed. Feb. 24 8:00 AM

Federal Reserve Building
600 Atlantic Ave.
Boston MA (map)

This presentation, sponsored by the Conservation Law Foundation, features remarks by James Aloisi, Jr., past Massachusetts Transportation Secretary. Mr. Aloisi will discuss creative solutions to funding public transportation in Massachusetts.

This meeting is important because many more projects are proposed [...]

[ February 16, 2010; 6:30 pm; ] Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Planning Meeting

Tues., Feb. 16, 6:30 PM

Upper Hall
Greek Orthodox Church
29 Central St.
Somerville MA (map)

This is the rescheduling of the Feb. 9 Phase 3 planning meeting of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee. At this meeting, the group will begin specifying goals, policies and actions to implement the vision statement. A guest speaker is [...]

[ February 4, 2010; 1:00 pm; ] MetroBoston DataCommon Training Event

Thurs. Feb. 4 1:00 PM

MAPC Offices
60 Temple Place
Boston MA (map)

This is one of the monthly training sessions in using the Boston DataCommon to:

Access statistics about a city or town
Analyze social and economic data
Generate and print out custom maps

This meeting is important because it provides training in an online tool for accessing a [...]

[ February 10, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ] On Wednesday, February 10, Japanese-style gardens will be discussed
at the Somerville Garden Club meeting. The program is open to all and
will be held 7:00-9:00pm, at the TAB building, 167 Holland St.,
second floor. The space is wheelchair accessible.

Mark Cyr, owner of Eastern Reflections landscaping, will give an
illustrated lecture on his experiences designing Japanese style
gardens in the [...]

[ February 8, 2010; 6:30 pm; ] Registered Democrats in Somerville will be holding a caucus at the Capuano School, 150 Glen St. on Monday, February 8 at 7:20 PM to elect 8 delegates and 3 alternates to the 2010 Massachusetts Democratic Convention to be held on Fri June 4th and Sat, June 5th at the DCU Center in Worcester. At that time, Democrats from across the state will gather to endorse statewide candidates.

[ February 4, 2010; 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. ] Cross-posting from the SCAT website [link to source here]

Thursday, February 4, 6:30-9; afterparty to follow
SCATV, 90 Union Square, Somerville
6:30pm: doors and prescreening activities; 7:00pm sharp: screening followed by panel discussion;
9pm: afterparty @ the Independent, 75 Union Square
***SEATING IS LIMITED; please come on time***
The event will be cablecast live in Somerville and Cambridge.

Exploring the role of [...]

[ February 12, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 13, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 14, 2010; 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm. February 18, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 19, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 20, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 25, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 26, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. February 27, 2010; 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. ] Dracula
Original novel by Bram Stoker
Adapted for the stage by John Mattera
Directed by Michael Babish

Theatre@First is proud to bring an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 classic, “Dracula,” to the stage this February.

Nine performances February 12th -27th at 8pm, with a 3pm matinee on Valentine’s Day February 14th at the Elizabeth Peabody House, 277 Broadway, Somerville. Conveniently [...]

[ February 28, 2010; 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm. ] The Boston bellydance community is shakin’ it all back together! Join us for a glamorous afternoon of compassion in motion.

[ February 3, 2010; 9:30 am; 9:30 am; ] MAPC Mystic River DataCommon Training Event

Wed. Feb. 3 9:30 AM

MAPC Offices
60 Temple Place
Boston MA (map)

RSVP: Patrick Herron, PhD
Water Quality Monitoring Director
Mystic River Watershed Association

This is a training session on using the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission DataCommon Mystic River Map, sponsored by the Mystic River Watershed Association.

This meeting is important because it provides training in an [...]

[ January 27, 2010; 6:30 pm; January 28, 2010; 6:30 pm; February 2, 2010; 6:30 pm; February 3, 2010; 6:30 pm; ] School Improvement Councils at each of the Somerville public schools will present their annual School Improvement Plans to the School Committee beginning on January 27, 2010. Members of the public are invited to attend these presentations hosted at the District’s Central Offices (181 Washington Street) to learn more about the progress each school is [...]

[ February 2, 2010; 8:30 am to 10:00 am. 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. February 3, 2010; 8:30 am to 10:00 am. 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm. ] “I don’t really know that much about myself. Isn’t that sort of the point of being a teenager? (At Somerville High School) you get to explore different things through AP classes, vocational classes and every extracurricular and elective class you can imagine. With these opportunities you start to figure out who you [...]

[ January 26, 2010; 7:15 pm to 9:30 pm. February 2, 2010; 7:15 pm to 9:30 pm. ] Join the Somerville Community Chorus for our 25th anniversary year!
Auditions are not required. All voices are welcome.

Open rehearsals are Tues. Jan. 26 and Feb. 2, 7:15-9:30pm (attend one
or both). For the spring season, we will be performing songs “In
Praise of Music” commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Somerville
Community Chorus. The concert program will feature songs [...]

[ February 5, 2010; February 13, 2010; 2:30 pm; ] GET YOUR BEARD ON
STOP SHAVING AND START GROWING
ALL AMERICA CITY BEARD AND MOUSTACHE CONTEST
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH, 2010, 3pm
PRECINCT, 70 UNION SQUARE, SOMERVILLE

A contest sure to tickle your chin. We need all those facial hair growers to strut their mugs-and register.
This public spectacle will take place in Union Square, Somerville. Previous contests have been held in [...]

[ January 13, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. February 11, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. March 10, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. April 14, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. ] OFFERED BY THE SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SOMERVILLE PTA
For
SOMERVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FAMILIES and COMMUNITY MEMBERS

• Youth Alcohol and Drug Use/Social Host Liability*
Wednesday, January 13th – 6:30p.m. – 8:00 PM in the Healey School Cafetorium, 5 Meacham Street
Featuring experts from Middlesex Partnerships for Youth
• Grant Writing 101
Thursday, February 11th- 6:30-8:30 PM in the SPS Central Offices, 181 [...]

[ February 4, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. February 5, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. February 6, 2010; 2:00 pm to 4:40 pm. ] More than 40 actors, musicians and technicians from Somerville High School will stage Disney’s Beauty and the Beast February 4-6, 2010 in the auditorium of Somerville High School (81 Highland Avenue). Show times are:
Thursday, February 4 at 7:00 PM
Friday, February 5 at 7:00 PM
Saturday, February 6 at 2:00 PM.
Ticket prices are $7.00 or $6.00 [...]