This meeting was held at 6:30 at the State Transportation Building, around the corner from the Boylston T-Stop. A half-dozen officials from the Federal transportation authorities were present, along with some translators (never called upon) and a half-dozen or so members of the MPO. Only about a half-dozen members of the public showed up, all from Somerville.

[ July 27, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. ] This Tuesday evening, SCAT will be hosting what is likely the first Moroccan
Rap Music event ever to occur in our
beautiful little town of Somerville!
Did you even know there was such a thing as Moroccan rap music?
This event is about introducing our little piece of the world to Moroccan
rap music and the incredible language, energy, and
artistry [...]

[ July 30, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. July 31, 2010; 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. August 1, 2010; 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. ] Kids, Clowns, Talent, Crazy Fun.

OPENAIR Circus presents its 25th season Big Top performance

July 30 & 31, and August 1, 2010

Families from Greater Somerville will be amazing and amusing audiences under the big tent at Nunziato Field, at the corner of Vinal Ave. and Summer Street near Union Square.

Founded in 1986 by Somerville parents, [...]

Harvard and Tufts try to help solve Somerville organizing and calendar problems

Somerville Youth Hockey is seeking energetic men & women (ages 25 +)  to be good teachers and be willing to develop, mentor and administer our growing program for our Mites, Squirts, Pee Wee, Bantams & Midgets. Coaches are unlimited, but hockey coaches who are truly professional, passionate, and can effectively communicate their knowledge are rare.
SYHA [...]

299 Broadway (Ocean State Job Lot): Case postponed. 90 Hudson Street: Granted unanimously. One Benton Road: Heard testimony of traffic study, hearing to be reopened, Executive Session to be scheduled to deal with litigation strategy. 67 Florence St.: 2/3 variances denied. 16 Browning Road: Variance allowed unanimously. Historic Group C Designation: Approved with understanding that a person who wants out should say so and BOA is to investigate the case and decide.

[ July 25, 2010; 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. ] The ”Incredible Edible Gardens of Somerville” is the theme of this year’s Somerville Garden Club tour. The self-guided event celebrates the old and new “urban farms” of Somerville.

Tickets are available through July 24 at Sherman Cafe, Union Sq.; True Grounds, Ball Sq.; and Pemberton Garden Center, Mass Ave. in Cambridge. Also available starting at 10:30am on [...]

The Beat Reporter Project was begun in Spring 2010 to help Somerville residents keep up with what the city and state governments are doing. Government boards from the Board of Aldermen to the Metropolitan District Commission are covered by the Open Meeting Law, but no one has time to go to everything. Often important decisions are made with no one from the public present. We’ll start small and cover as much as we can, taking our inspiration from Jadwiga Forbes, a long-time Somerville activist who saw government as a participatory sport.

[ July 28, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. ] The Boston MPO must be certified by the federal government in order for the Boston area to receive federal funding for transportation improvements. Citizen input is an important part of this process.

[ July 20, 2010; 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. ] This is the first in the 8-part Free Webinar Series on Designing for Pedestrian Safety being given by the Federal Highway Administration and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center. Safe pedestrian and bicycle access is essential to the success of the new Assembly Square Orange Line T-Stop and new Green Line stops.

[ July 26, 2010; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. July 28, 2010; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. July 29, 2010; 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. ] Welcome to the 2010-2011 SYHA Season. We are very excited about the upcoming season and look forward to the opening of our new rink. Somerville Youth Hockey is always looking for more players. If you want to play youth hockey in a brand NEW rink, send an email to webmaster@somervilleyouthhockey.org. If you are interested in [...]

An invasive weed threatens the monarch butterflies.

[ July 22, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. ] If you run a blog or email list (sometimes called a listserv) or distribute information on Facebook or YouTube that supports kids and families, you’re invited to the OneVille Project’s Online Media Meetup on Thursday, July 22, 6:30–8:30 at Design Annex, 60–70 Union Square, above Precinct.

One of OneVille’s goals is to make sharing information that [...]

Somerville student work is on display in the Department of Education’s virtual art galleryhttp://www.doe.mass.edu/resources/kidart.aspx?page=51! See samples of youth art made in schools. Are you there? Is your child or teen’s work there?
For more information about the Visual Arts Department of the Somerville Public Schools please visit our website, www.somerville.k12.ma.us/arts.

[ July 26, 2010; 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. ] The entire public, and particularly the neighbors and members of the East Somerville Community School community are invited to the next public meeting to discuss/learn about the progress of the renovation of the East Somerville Community School following the 2007 fire that devastated the building.

The meeting is on:
Monday, July 26, 2010
Capuano Early Childhood Center, 150 [...]

Enter your guess online at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/contest. The person who comes closest to guessing the total amount by Thursday, 7/15 at 5:00 will win a Borders Gift Card.
You can also tweet your guess to www.twitter.com/svilleschools or enter your guess on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SomervillePublicSchools.
It has been a good year for our graduates. Can you guess how good?
Winners [...]

[ July 25, 2010; 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. ] * Somerstreets will be combined with FossFest on Sunday, JULY 25th, 12:00-4:00 p.m. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites all community members to join the City of Somerville, East Somerville Main Streets (ESMS) and Foss Fest for a day of summer fun on East Broadway from Temple Street to Sullivan Square on Sunday, July 25th from [...]

At issue was consolidating an undesignated historic property at 221 Morrison Avenue (near Davis Square) with two previously designated properties on Morrison (222 and 197) to form the Morrison Avenue Historic District. The two owners of 221 Morrison Ave. were present to testify in favor. Passed after discussion. Question addressed of why designate single buildings? Answer: easier to execute than a whole street.

[ July 13, 2010; 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. ] At this meeting we will be discussing the policies and actions derived from the comprehensive plan goals. This meeting is important because Somerville’s citywide development for the next twenty years will be shaped by the comprehensive plan.

Environmental and safety concerns haunt this lovely park. Joe’s Astroturf and Streetscape SNAFUS don’t help, either…

[ July 13, 2010; 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm. ] This meeting is important because bridges are in need of repair in and around Somerville, and these repairs should include pedestrian and bicycle access.

Here are the complete texts of selected posts to the Somerville-4-Schools email list about the merging on the Choice and Neighborhood programs at the Healey School. These posts are excerpted in a comment on “6/21/10 School Committee Votes To Combine the Healey School’s Choice and Neighborhood Programs.”
from John S. on June 2:
Disappointed and saddened describes [...]

[ July 17, 2010; 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm. ] Huge arts festival in Davis Square, Somerville.  This year’s theme is water.  See schedule here:

http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/programs/artbeat/2010/schedule.html

[ July 16, 2010; 5:45 pm to 10:00 pm. ] Huge arts festival in Davis Square, Somerville.  This year’s theme is water.  See schedule here:

http://www.somervilleartscouncil.org/programs/artbeat/2010/schedule.html

We are inviting all kids 5 years old and under to submit original art for a show at True Grounds Café. This first-of-its-kind show will display the individuality, diversity and development of young children’s artistic expression.
Deadline for submissions: July 20th, 2010
There will be an opening reception for the artists, their parents and friends: Date will [...]

[ July 8, 2010; 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. ] You are all welcome to join neighbors and friends at Lincoln Park for a `BBQ’ Teddy Bear Picnic and Parade on Thursday, July 8.

5:30-6:30pm Picnic and Parade Registration
6:30pm Parade
7:00 Sunsetters Performance

Come with (or without) a teddy bear or other favorite toy, for a picnic in the park 5:30-6:30pm. Bring a picnic for your family and [...]

[ July 15, 2010; 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ] This meeting is important because it deals with ongoing and sometimes controversial Somerville developments. At this meeting, the Planning Board is scheduled to hear testimony on the Ocean State Job Lots special permit (a Large Format Retail use at 299 Broadway) and may address the 1 Benton Road special permit.

[ July 7, 2010; 6:00 pm; ] The public is invited to this hearing as part of the selection process for the next Chief of Police in Somerville. Community members are also invited to submit questions and comments in advance of the hearing by e-mailing chiefsearch@somervillema.gov. Attendees at the hearing will also have an opportunity to submit questions.

The finalists are…
Acting [...]

[ July 6, 2010; 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. ] This meeting is important because historic districts on the one hand preserve historic properties for later generations, and on the other hand can prove expensive and inconvenient for property owners in the district.

Truthsayer gives gratitude to Villens on Lady Liberty’s Day

This meeting was unexpectedly testy. Apparently the neighborhood isn’t convinced that Ocean State Job Lot is the best use for the site. What was said in the meeting is NOT part of the official record. There is a special permit process before Planning Board, including determination of consistency with purpose of zoning. If you want to send written testimony before July 15 Planning Board hearing, send to OSPCD (Rob May), Planning Department, Planning Board. Otherwise, go to Planning Board hearing July 15 @ 6 PM and provide oral testimony.

Controversial cases carried over: 1 Benton Road, Ocean State Job Lot. Other cases: NSTAR employee parking lot, SCC/CASPAR ex-homeless permanent housing, parking variance at 308 Beacon Street. Important discussion of historic preservation policy.

The Somerville School Committee decided in a 5 to 3 vote on Monday, June 21, 2010 to unify the Healey School and charge the School Improvement Council with creating a school redesign plan. This plan will use the Choice program educational practices and governing document as a starting point for discussion. In a second action, the members of the School Committee voted 6 to 2 to define a set of guiding principles to help the School Improvement Council with their Fall 2010 planning work.

[ July 14, 2010; 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. ] Come to CSfC’s 2010 Election Campaign Kickoff on Wednesday, July 14, at 7pm and learn about how you can help us re-elect the governor, help Mac D’Alessandro win the Democratic nomination in the 9th Congressional District, and defeat the states Sales Tax Reduction initiative.

[ July 18, 2010; 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. ] This workshop sponsored by the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is intended to train volunteers to join MyRWA’s water quality monitoring program. This important program keeps tabs on the Mystic year round regardless of weather.

[ July 23, 2010; ] All citizens of Somerville and Medford should evaluate this document and give feedback, because this is one of the final steps before the project begins implementation. Written comments will be accepted until July 23.

[ June 21, 2010 to July 23, 2010. ] All citizens of Somerville and Medford should evaluate this document and give feedback, because this is one of the final steps before the project begins implementation. There will be a public meeting on June 30. Written comments will be accepted until July 23 at holly.s.johnson@state.ma.us.

[ July 7, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. July 8, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. July 14, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. July 15, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. July 21, 2010 10:00 am to July 22, 2010 12:00 pm. July 22, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. July 28, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. July 29, 2010; 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. ] Somerville Community Access Television’s Next Generation Producer’s youth media program is offering an eight-session workshop in July for Somerville students ages 11 to 14. The workshop will be fun, educational, and creative.

The students will learn to use state-of-the-art media technology, including digital video equipment, digital still cameras, Photoshop, and Final Cut editing software. They will [...]

[ May 13, 2010; 6:00 pm; July 16, 2010; ] This May, local Haitian youth living in Somerville’s Mystic Housing Projects set off on a 10-stop book tour, called the Mystic Ink Tour, to bring their stories to communities across New England. The DIY tour will take the teens out of their economically-challenged neighborhood and bring them to some of the most celebrated spoken word venues and bookstores in the region. www.booksofhope-ma.org

[ May 10, 2010; May 11, 2010; May 12, 2010; July 16, 2010; July 17, 2010; July 18, 2010; July 22, 2010; July 23, 2010; July 24, 2010; ] Shake Up Shakespeare with Theatre@First! Auditions May 10-12 for performances July 16-18 and July 22-24.

[ 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 [...]