Members of the class of 2013 face more than a daunting job market as they leave the stage, diplomas in hand. They face an economic challenge as predictable as the academic calendar: Six months after graduation, they must start making…

In honor of National Volunteer Week, celebrated in April, we would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank and celebrate the 420 volunteers whose steadfast dedication and commitment enable Hospice of the North Shore and Great…

Mayor, I’ve lived with and fought against homophobia for the last 50 years. I’ve been the target of homophobic-inspired verbal and physical assaults. At first, I found your letter to be confusing, somewhat disingenuous and with a not-so-subtle whiff of political opportunism.

Great Clips, which is a hair salon chain so successful that it does surveys when it’s not cutting people’s hair, has put together a list of the greatest and worst hairstyles of all time. And the sheer effort they were able to expend in doing so proves that society, as a whole, is spending WAY too much time thinking about hair.

A cousin of mine was getting married and some of us relatives were sitting over the remains of breakfast at our out-of-town hotel, the wedding party having been long since whisked away to endure the final lacquer-and-buff-job deemed necessary before such a momentous event.

On behalf of the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association, I would like to thank Jim Halloran and his crew at Dilboy Stadium for helping make the Girls State Coaches Track Meet on May 11 a huge success.

To the Editor -You claim that “the city has proven its commitment to safe bicycling…”. That can be disputed, when City Hall allows sidewalk cycling in the city squares, in violation of the local ordinance prohibiting it. – Greg Hill, Walnut Street

In this week’s Somerville Journal, you’ll find an open letter from Mayor Joe Curtatone decrying intolerance and supporting Somerville residents’ right to live free from discrimination. Both are noble stances and we agree with the mayor that “in Somerville, everyone is welcome and equal.” That is why I’ve been frustrated and angry to see the Somerville Journal associated with the derogatory comments that the mayor rightfully condemns.

It has come to my attention that offensive, homophobic slurs have been publicly spoken about a Somerville elected official, and a friend of mine. In light of this information, let me renew my stance on this and any other derogatory remarks against human beings in ours and any other community: This kind of abusive behavior has no place in our city – or any other.

The front-page picture accompanying your stories clearly shows a perfectly good bike lane on the street, and the cars are also all on the street. So what are these clowns doing operating their vehicles on the sidewalk?

Last week, while shopping in one of those big supermarkets with the dining area up front, I was happily surprised to find myself standing in line at the 12 Items or Less register with only two people ahead of me.

It is with deep regret and sadness that I must inform you that I will not be seeking re-election in the 2013 City Election.

Even as much as I’ve loved Ebert’s work, I had no intention of writing a tribute to him — plenty of other, better writers (and a few worse ones) did that soon after he passed. But as I’ve been reading his last collection of reviews of bad movies, it’s had me rethinking what’s drawn me to his writing over the years.

In honor of both National Bike Month and, starting May 11, Bay State Bike Week we’re exploring the new paths bicycling is taking in our “Right of Way” series which we’re reporting in collaboration with WGBH.

As you read this, the United States has 11 million aspiring citizens who rent or own homes, who raise families and buy groceries, who work hard, who go to school, who pay taxes and do their fair share in thousands of cities and towns all across this country—but who live here as an underclass. Something has to be done about it. It’s called immigration reform.

Now a new process where citizens would work with the city would now be implemented – ‘Somerville by Design,’ a series of meetings proscribed by City Hall to organize the community. I think it should be the other way around: Citizens organizing with city assistance.

One day in our mid-30s, my sister and I stood with our mother in her bedroom, poised to go through a whole lost continent of items that she kept in a small wooden chest there.

Regardless of our ethnic, racial or religious backgrounds, political affiliations, or socio-economic status, we as Americans are all shocked, saddened and outraged by the Boston Marathon bombing.

There has been outrage these past few weeks at the horror of the marathon bombings.

For a while there, we were in danger of some real solemnity in this family – of growing downright grave what with practicing the quieter virtues. 

At 6:30 last Friday morning, I received a phone call from the Cambridge Police. Its message: don’t stir from your house.

I am currently a fifth-grade teacher at Prospect Hill Charter School in Somerville. Many of our students had close ties to the marathon bombing, including a student whose family members were at the blast and others with families living near and on Norfolk Street in Cambridge. Today, in celebration of Earth Day, we read “Seeds of Change,” which describes the life of environmental activist Wangari Maathi. After reading the story together, students wrote a letter to someone that inspires them. This is from Ishivita who lives in Somerville and is in fifth grade.

Sean Collier was going to be a Somerville police officer.

Twice in the last few months, two Somerville Ward Aldermen have resigned, giving up their seats just prior to scheduled elections.

It’s something everyone in Boston knows, from the freshman student to the lifelong resident – Marathon Monday is the happiest day of the year. People come together to run and drink and cheer and drink and celebrate. Friends stand shoulder to shoulder with strangers, visitors from out of town and out of the country run alongside locals. We wait all winter and then, for a day, we see the city with openness and pleasure.

Patriot’s Day (2013)

by Sarah Wolf

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is the text of President Barack Obama’s remarks to the nation following Monday’s Boston Marathon explosions.

Earlier today, I was briefed by my homeland security team on the events in Boston. We’re continuing to monitor and respond to the situation as it unfolds. And I’ve directed the full resources of the federal government to help state and local authorities protect our people, increase security around the United States as necessary, and investigate what happened.

Things go wrong around any house. Even the First Family’s. Even the Queen’s. But you sometimes you have to wonder: Why do they go wrong ALL AT ONCE?

The latest member of Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration to resign is Commissioner of Early Education Sherri Killins. She left office last month after the Boston Herald reported that she was moonlighting as an intern with the Ware Public Schools while pursuing a higher degree.

However, the dangers of transporting ethanol aren’t the only thing that makes this proposal so galling.

There seems to be some strange blowback happening towards bicyclists as Somerville and Cambridge make strides to become more bikeable.

Yes, my life SEEMED complete. But I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing, and as soon as I got the press release from Netflix,  I knew what it was: a “new Netflix/Facebook integration” that “lets Netflix members see what their friends have watched.”

There she was again, the elderly woman I so often saw outside my uncle’s apartment building when I went there to take him out. Like him, she too would be waiting to be picked up by some member of the ever-hurrying younger generation.

Like many states, Massachusetts responded to a crime surge in the 1980s by getting tough. New laws imposed longer, mandatory sentences. Furloughs, parole and pre-release programs were cut or eliminated. We built more prisons and move…

April seems stirs up a lot in people.

This past week as MCAS exams began I couldn’t help but think that far too much depends on just a few days, especially for sophomores for whom the tests will determine whether they will receive a diploma. A serious student who does all the work can still be tripped up.

While I applaud Paul Craney for highlighting a very important issue in his column this week (“Minimum wage hike: Old, honorable and fundamentally flawed”), I disagree — respectfully but deeply — with his characterization of the proposed reforms.

Why was Anthony Paulino reportedly running through the streets of Somerville, a stolen .45 in his hand?

However, I do not feel that the residents of Beacon Street should be inconvenienced by taking away their parking spaces. It is a matter of fairness.

At age 65, I am a practicing physician with over 35 adolescents. I am also the father of a person with central neuropathic pain due to a spinal cord injury. I went to college in the ’60s and did my internship, residency, and fellowship in northern California. I am also a voting delegate, member of the Legislative Committee of the Massachusetts Medical Society, and president elect of the Bristol North Chapter. I believe my life experiences place me in a unique position to weigh the many factors related to medicinal marijuana. Because of my background I have been asked to be on the Board of ECO, a potential medicinal marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts. I will receive no monetary compensation for this position.

Massachusetts is one of 18 states that has a higher state minimum wage rate ($8 per hour), than the federal rate of $7.25. Twenty-three states have a minimum wage rate the same as the federal rate. The bordering states of New York and New Hampshire have lower rates than Massachusetts.  

According to CNBC, in 2012, Massachusetts ranked as the 49th best state for the “cost of doing business” category. Massachusetts only ranks ahead of Hawaii which faces several obvious obstacles. For this category, only 3 of the top 25 states had a higher minimum wage rate than the federal rate.

Religion, which I would define as reaching for the divine and searching for a higher purpose in life, has been a tremendous force for good in the world, inspiring great acts of charity, movements for social justice, and efforts to find alternatives to violence and war. Because we tend to think that those who believe as we do are right and others are wrong and because we are reluctant to see that “different” doesn’t imply superior or inferior, religion has too often been an extremely divisive and violent force in human history.

Do most people believe in ghosts?

Have you written on the matter of “comfort dogs” in no pet buildings (condos and rental apartments)?

I’ve been eating my lunch in a newspaper office for better than 20 years and, every now and then, we get a call about the American flag.

Sometimes the caller (or emailer) tells us the flag is being displayed improperly. Sometimes the caller tells us the flag is badly lit or ragged or at half-staff for some dead guy who is not officially qualified for a half-staff flag.
Most recently, we were notified that a bunch of those little flags they put on graves were being treated disrespectfully by city employees.

It may not feel like it, considering the most recent storm and frigid temperatures, but spring is here and with the impending return of warmer temper…

After 9/11, every would-be foreign tourist to the United States was treated as a potential terrorist. If Americans found airport security onerous and intrusive, foreigners found it even more so, and just getting that far required an …

It was 48 years ago that the Nov. 9, 1965 blackout plunged 30 million people in the northeast United States into darkness. The blackout shone a figurative light on shortfalls in the reliability of the electricity system and initiated an ongoing effort to integrate the power generation and distribution system among the six New England states.

The New England Power Pool was created to advance cooperation and coordination in New England. It has been a bulwark ensuring reliable electricity — touching every person, family, job and business in every New England state for almost five decades.

There are so many positive things happening in the Somerville schools right now, but on the most recent MCAS, more than half of our third-graders scored below proficient in reading.

The best chance you have for marital bliss comes when you and your spouse are pals

In the introduction to “A Guide to the Massachusetts Public Records Law,” Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin said, “The founding fathers of our nation strove to develop an open government formed on the principles of democracy and public participation. An informed citizen is better equipped to participate in that process.”

The condition of the Mystic River has been subject to much press attention lately. While it is wonderful to see increased interest in water quality, we would like to clarify that the water quality in the Mystic is fairly similar to t…

As the white smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel Wednesday afternoon, around these parts, the anticipation of a pope possibly hailing from Massachusetts was palpable. But as the Habemus Papam (“We have a Pope!”) announcement was made, introducing Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis, there was some local letdown in the realization that Cardinal Sean O’Malley would not be the new pope.

I was surprised and extremely disappointed by a number of false and misleading statements made at last night’s [March 5] Beacon Street Reconstruction public meeting against improving the street for bicycles. I feel compelled to set the record straight against the vocal critics who’ve shown no bounds in factual creativity opposing the project.  Now they’ve even got the ear of an elected official.

In winning election as Pope Francis, Jorge Mario Bergoglio defied the papal pundits, even though they should have seen him coming. His rise marks the…

The very pharmaceuticals intended to relieve pain in patients with severe maladies can create a vicious cycle of pain to patients’ families and the community as a whole. When addiciton takes hold, the problem can manifest itself in broken lives and addiction-fueled acts of crime that plague Fall River and communities large and small.

Officials are hoping to address the issue both through legislation and federal regulations. The action being requested by the attorneys general is similar to legislation introduced two years in a row by U.S. Rep. William Keating. Keating, a former district attorney who crafted the legislation, plans to further push for his bipartisan legislation at an announcement in Washington on Friday. The Stop Tampering of Prescription Pills Act of 2013 (or STOPP Act), as it’s known, would create a system of incentives and regulations to achieve the goal for both extended- and immediate-relief formulations of painkillers.

I have just finished reading Mindy Kaling’s 2012 book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? And Other Concerns, a part-memoir, and part-general-musings-kind of a book that dances right on the edge of the funny and the moving.

Who isn’t looking out the windows lately?

Our 13-year-old Westie (West Highland white terrier) Desmond has been a wonderful dog and a real pleasure to have around. Watching and wondering about his quirks takes up a large amount of our free time.

You had it first here.

The devastating Great Recession began in the housing market. As real estate values plummeted, millions lost their homes, and nearly everyone lost at least some of the assets locked up in their homes.

The devastating Great Recession began in the housing market. As real estate values plummeted, millions lost their homes, and nearly everyone lost at least some of the assets locked up in their homes.

It’s a controversy the likes of which we haven’t seen since 2003, when the State House went out on a limb to make Boston Crème the official Massachusetts doughnut: This time, legislators are grappling over what classic ditty should be crowned the state’s Official Rock Song. (Insert Beatles’ “Taxman” joke here.)

It’s a controversy the likes of which we haven’t seen since 2003, when the State House went out on a limb to make Boston Crème the official Massachusetts doughnut: This time, legislators are grappling over what classic ditty should be crowned the state’s Official Rock Song. (Insert Beatles’ “Taxman” joke here.)

Transportation is key to Massachusetts’ economic future – but it is currently at risk.

Transportation is key to Massachusetts’ economic future – but it is currently at risk.

The push for health care reform started, decades ago, as the number of Americans without access to health insurance grew.  In 1999, 37.7 million didn’t have health insurance, according to Census figures. By 2010, more than 49 million couldn’t get, or couldn’t afford, insurance.

The push for health care reform started, decades ago, as the number of Americans without access to health insurance grew.  In 1999, 37.7 million didn’t have health insurance, according to Census figures. By 2010, more than 49 million couldn’t get, or couldn’t afford, insurance.

For several months now we’ve heard of fiscal cliffs and debt ceilings and grand bargains and continuing resolutions. But what it all comes down to is that over the next 3 to 8 weeks decisions in Washington about the federal budget may well have profound effects on the country for years to come. And they will certainly have a profound effect on us here in Massachusetts – in health care, in education, in housing, in nutrition programs, in medical research and in environmental protection.

For several months now we’ve heard of fiscal cliffs and debt ceilings and grand bargains and continuing resolutions. But what it all comes down to is that over the next 3 to 8 weeks decisions in Washington about the federal budget may well have profound effects on the country for years to come. And they will certainly have a profound effect on us here in Massachusetts – in health care, in education, in housing, in nutrition programs, in medical research and in environmental protection.

Slowly, but surely the empty storefronts in Magoun Square are, not only filling up, but being occupied with businesses that are offering important services to residents, patrons and current business owners! They are complementing the…

Slowly, but surely the empty storefronts in Magoun Square are, not only filling up, but being occupied with businesses that are offering important services to residents, patrons and current business owners! They are complementing the other great occu…

We are writing to clarify recent articles in the Somerville Patch and Somerville Journal. Both articles were correct concerning the requested application for demolition. However, the proposed purchase of Cota-Struzziero Funeral Home …

We are writing to clarify recent articles in the Somerville Patch and Somerville Journal. Both articles were correct concerning the requested application for demolition. However, the proposed purchase of Cota-Struzziero Funeral Home at 197 Washington…

For this whole last week some lines from the Bible’s Song of Solomon have repeated in my mind.

For this whole last week some lines from the Bible’s Song of Solomon have repeated in my mind.

On the large map of the world that adorns my study, the name Tombouctou appears near the Niger River, in the African country of Mali. My map, it turns out, uses the French language spelling for a name more commonly known to our world…

On the large map of the world that adorns my study, the name Tombouctou appears near the Niger River, in the African country of Mali. My map, it turns out, uses the French language spelling for a name more commonly known to our world as Timbuktu.

When Scott Brown announced last month that he wouldn’t be making a third run for U.S. Senate – this time to fill the unexpired term of Secretary of State John Kerry – many Democrats rejoiced.

When Scott Brown announced last month that he wouldn’t be making a third run for U.S. Senate – this time to fill the unexpired term of Secretary of State John Kerry – many Democrats rejoiced.

I come in praise of the sh-booms! The shu-wops! The bom-diddy-boms! The ring-a-dong-dings! Yes, I was reminded of my longtime romance with doo-wop by “Acapella,” the new album by Kenny Vance and the Planotones.

I come in praise of the sh-booms! The shu-wops! The bom-diddy-boms! The ring-a-dong-dings! Yes, I was reminded of my longtime romance with doo-wop by “Acapella,” the new album by Kenny Vance and the Planotones.

“Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York” says Shakespeare’s Richard III in the opening scene of the play by the same name.

“Now is the winter of our discontent made glorious summer by this son of York” says Shakespeare’s Richard III in the opening scene of the play by the same name.

As the Commonwealth recovers from what has been billed as one of the worst storms in decades, it’s important to acknowledge that the planning and response by various officials likely saved the area from a far worse outcome. Planning ahead and making short-term sacrifices for long-term gain worked well last week, and it should serve as a small example of how to deal with a much larger problem.

As the Commonwealth recovers from what has been billed as one of the worst storms in decades, it’s important to acknowledge that the planning and response by various officials likely saved the area from a far worse outcome. Planning ahead and making short-term sacrifices for long-term gain worked well last week, and it should serve as a small example of how to deal with a much larger problem.

As possibly the longest-serving Somerville Journal reporter, excuse me if I am a little giddy as I leave. Living, working and reporting in Somerville has been one long roller coaster ride, thrilling but not without its mishaps.

As possibly the longest-serving Somerville Journal reporter, excuse me if I am a little giddy as I leave. Living, working and reporting in Somerville has been one long roller coaster ride, thrilling but not without its mishaps.

It’s hell out there!

It’s hell out there!

Everywhere you went this last week you saw them: desperate guys hoping to stay out of trouble with their ladies.

Everywhere you went this last week you saw them: desperate guys hoping to stay out of trouble with their ladies.

We have a seven-year-old standard poodle who has recently decided it is we who should heel to her command.  She pulls terribly on the leash and growls or barks as other dogs approach (even when inside if a dog passes by). When she is without us at “doggy day care” we are told she is not aggressive at all. Who made her queen?

We have a seven-year-old standard poodle who has recently decided it is we who should heel to her command.  She pulls terribly on the leash and growls or barks as other dogs approach (even when inside if a dog passes by). When she is without us at “doggy day care” we are told she is not aggressive at all. Who made her queen?

School districts across the state, if not the nation, could learn a lesson from a civil suit two Weymouth High School students filed against their district last month.

School districts across the state, if not the nation, could learn a lesson from a civil suit two Weymouth High School students filed against their district last month.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) started our first housing program, Prevention and Stabilization (PASS), in 2001 with funding provided by the City of Somerville. The program offers Somerville residents who are in crisis with a…

The Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) started our first housing program, Prevention and Stabilization (PASS), in 2001 with funding provided by the City of Somerville. The program offers Somerville residents who are in crisis with a rental subsidy f…

We grownups love to give our young people advice. Who knows if they remember any of it?

A woman at the local dog park’s shepherd-mix Tom was recently diagnosed with bone cancer. The veterinarian gave her the choice of either putting Tom to sleep or opting for an expensive and complicated operation to remove his front right leg. She decided in favor of the operation.

No one can accuse Gov. Deval Patrick of not dreaming big, but there’s a great deal of discussion that will have to take place to turn the governor’s vision, outlined in his State of the Commonwealth speech, into reality.

According to Reuters, a new study found “one in three people felt worse … and more dissatisfied with their lives” after viewing their friends’ profiles on Facebook. Those people are clearly doing it wrong.

Manufacturers don’t take any chances these days. They put such obvious words of warning on their labels they make us seem like a nation of dummies.

The beginning of the year is a time when people make resolutions and think about things they want to improve in their lives. From exercising more to eating healthier to making a career change, people use the new year to make a person…

After a month of applications and interviews, Ward 1 has a new School Committee member. We’re impressed with Ben Echevarria’s resume and his commitment to the community, and we think he’ll represent the ward well in the remainder of this term. But we’re less impressed with the non-democratic process that put him in office. It needs further review before it’s used again to fill vacancies.

Try this: Try making a list of ten things you feel good about – even on days you walk through puddles of slush.

Ferdinando Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were anarchists, like the most feared terrorists of their time. Zealous police and prosecutors saw every anarchist as a criminal waiting to be charged, which is what they did to Sacco and Vanz…

I pity anyone sentenced to trail a shopper in a store.

Because my aunt recently had to move into a nursing home, my husband and I have taken in her dog. He is obviously eating a lot less now and he gets a lot more exercise than he had before. Do you have any other advice about how to sli…

It will be months before Massachusetts voters get to elect a new U.S. Senator, assuming current Sen. John F. Kerry is confirmed as the nation’s secretary of state. Those months will be a critical time in Congress, especially gi…

That is especially surprising given that, centuries ago, people did not live nearly as long as we do. It would have been rare to find many men who had reached 60 or 70 years old.

I spent hours poring over The Old Farmer’s Almanac this morning, trying to figure out what side of my OWN personal trunk the moss will have grown on by winter’s end.

In a world where it’s so easy to find doers of evil, I take solace in heroes of the year just past. These are the women and men (and sometimes children) whose actions have given hope to others.

As the staff and volunteer number-crunchers at our town halls prepare for another budget season, things are not looking good. Expenses keep rising and revenues can’t keep up. It’s going to be another tough year.

A hard thing it is to trade in your automobile. My old girl! She was the best of cars, she was the worst of cars.

My five-year-old Dachshund has stuck to me like Velcro dog from the day I adopted her four years ago. She insists on lying on me anytime I sit or lay down.

More public officials would do well to follow the example of President Harry S. Truman and place the same simple sign on their desks for which he is famous: The buck stops here.

I had to drive 100 miles on that cold short day and already it was 3 p.m.

The coming holidays and holy days are already looking good to me. That’s because a young neighbor has shared with me some wonderful news. And he has given me a fabulous photo that proves it.

The use of Congressional redistricting for partisan advantage goes back at least as far as 1812, when the Massachusetts Legislature invented what has become known as the gerrymander. Last month’s election proved again that the …

As a public school teacher and parent of school-age children the massacre of young students and school staff in Newtown, Connecticut has left me numb. Just like the recent drug-related handgun shooting across the street from my house…

The weather has been warm for December, though the lilacs are huddled down in my yard as if bracing themselves for what New England has taught them to expect of winter.

I’ve been told the French are unforgiving with Americans who mangle their language. What about the dogs? Isn’t the best way to connect to the people is through their dogs?

For some runners who feel less inspired by treadmill running, the winter could signal a temporary hiatus from their exercise regimen. But this does not have to be the case. While winter running is different, it is very doable. Just f…

From the outside, 574 Boston Avenue – the hulking former furniture warehouse at the corner of Harvard Street, next to the railroad tracks and just over the Somerville line in Medford – looks like a relic of the area’…

There are two kinds of people in the world it seems to me: the ones who are content to be at rest and the ones who are impelled toward continual action.

The string of embarrassing headlines involving state government may just be coincidence, but we can’t resist asking the question: Has Gov. Deval Patrick spent too much time on national politics and not enough minding the store?…

On behalf of the Committee for a Stronger Somerville, we write to express our tremendous gratitude to the Somerville community for your support and hard work in passing Question 4 to adopt the Community Preservation Act here on Novem…

As one of the millions of Americans who flew in the days surrounding Thanksgiving, I found myself sitting down next to a girl with a smile bigger than a whole pack of Chiclets.

The people have gotten way ahead of the politicians on drug policy.  It’s time for elected officials to catch up.

Now comes our best holiday, the best for being the plainest, though not as plain as the harvest gatherings those early settlers knew. The hardy souls who reached Jamestown were almost all dead within the first five years of their arr…

You have to love elementary school field trips, which somehow never change over the years.

Whether last week’s election represented your ideological victory or defeat – and there was much to celebrate and reflect upon on all sides – we in Massachusetts must welcome the high voter turnout we had in many co…

The annual Medicare enrollment period is earlier than usual this year, starting October 15 and lasting through December 7. During this window, and only during this window, you can review your Medicare Advantage and prescription drug …

I am sure I will not be the only one in Somerville who will write to commend the Election's Department of their handling of large lines at the Polls on Tuesday. At my polling place (7-1) the Senior Center Building, I encountered …

The young woman on the radio talk show referred several times to her daughter Wisdom.  Since I had not previously heard this word used as a name, I took it as probable evidence of a generation gap between us.

Now that the election is finally over, maybe we can have a serious discussion about the issues facing this country.

I never ‘fought fair’ until I fell in love. By this I mean I had never learned to take issue politely with anyone until then. Disagree and still be civil? It’s a skill I never had.

The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) would like to thank all the supporters who contributed to make the 2012 Annual Meeting and Celebration a success. Our sponsors included our Community Champions: CPCU Credit Union, Camb…

In a political season in a politicized age, irony provides welcome relief. And it’s usually pretty easy to find, given the tendency of both parties to mimic the other’s transgressions.

What the aldermen should do – should have done – is take time to consider the administration’s proposals.

I believe life offers us regular helpings of such opportunities for laughter.

The trick is staying awake enough to notice when you’re being offered such gifts.

At the past few meetings of the Board of Aldermen, the agenda has included a request from Mayor Joe Curtatone to hold a closed-door meeting about the city's billboards and their owner, Clear Channel. At each meeting, the Journal …

Advice on pets, life and love – also, vampires
 

"I LIKED it all right, but what was that whole thing at the end?"

But while we share Desrochers’ outlook about what is most important here, we still have questions about what led to this dust-up in the first place. Parents have accused the city of favoritism and their suspicions do not seem u…

After six years, the 160 non-union employees at City Hall are finally set to get raises. More than $1.1 million in raises, according to a recently released proposal. In some individual cases, raises of 30 or 40 or nearly 60 percent. …

Back in July, Mayor Joe Curtatone asked the board of aldermen to go into executive session — aka, have a secret meeting and bar the public — so they could discuss an old lawsuit involving billboards. The Journal protested and the m…

Some years ago, there was a popular bumper sticker that read: "The Weekend, Brought To You By The Labor Movement." And it was true.

Q.  Are there specific gardening tasks to do in September?

Massachusetts state primaries never seem to come at a convenient time. The early September scheduling disadvantages challengers, who have barely six …

If you could clean out your mind the way you clean out your house what amazing amounts of room you would have – to learn physics, say, or Italian. I would love to learn Italian! Even hearing the music of it you can’t belie…

On behalf of the youth and adult staff of the Center for Teen Empowerment, thank you to all those who attended our Community Safety Summit, which featured 36 pictures illustrating the city’s opportunities and challenges, at Cit…

 I believe that millions of dollars are being robbed from thousands of people on an ongoing basis by banks, but because it happens in smaller increments than a bank robbery, it’s become acceptable business practice.

For the first time in six years, Somerville Democrats will have a choice to make in the State Representative primary. Resident Harry Kortikere is challenging Denise Provost, who has been Somerville’s representative for six year…

The Center for Arts at the Armory is in trouble. Big trouble. According to a request filed with the city’s zoning board, significant changes to its hours and occupancy are “necessary for the survival of Arts at the Armory…

One of my favorite tales of Alice’s adventures ‘through the looking glass’ occurs when she meets the untidy White Queen, who has her shawl on all crooked and keeps losing things.

Dear Dog Lady,

We are big fans of your column and would love your advice. We have a 2 1/2-year-old Cairn terrier. He is wonderful dog and loves every person he meets. He used to love every dog he met, too. But in the last six to ni…

Two weeks ago, I joined in the celebration of my friend Dan’s birthday.

A birthday might not normally rate a column. However, the carrot cake chosen for this occasion boasted three candles, marked one, zero, and zero.

Depending on your point of view, the Obama administration’s plan to grant residency and work permits to illegal immigrants brought here as youngsters is a success.

Every year at this time I think of the summer camp I went to every year from age six to 16.

I’ve been saying for years that Somerville is a city for all people. So whenever the city of Somerville builds a new building or rehabilitates an old one, whenever we repair a city street or sidewalk, we are required by law to …

Was Hitler really dead?  Did he actually commit suicide in the Berlin bunker constructed for his use?

Ask Dog Lady: Don’t invite a problem, leave the dog at home

Republicans are racists and Democrats favor criminal acts such as voter fraud. At least that’s the impression you get when reading up on the pros and cons of requiring voters to show photo identification cards, as many state le…

After seven months of short work weeks and near-zero accomplishments, Congress has awarded itself a five-week vacation, deferring a series of tough legislative decisions until the members return after Labor Day, presumably tanned, re…

Recent reports show that the combined fundraising for both the Elizabeth Warren and the Scott Brown Campaigns have not only surpassed the amount raised in any Massachusetts State election, but so far, has also blasted past the combin…

Scott Brown opposes the Affordable Care Act and says that health reform is bad for Massachusetts. He’s wrong.

The November election is just over three months away, and it promises to be a close one, at least on the presidential line. That means every vote counts – and that every vote must be counted carefully.

This new health-consciousness, I don’t know. Once you didn’t really know what your body did with what you ate. You thought it rude to inquire, almost.

Once, if you dropped food on the floor, you’d kiss it up to Go…

Pepin the Short, Louis the Pious, Charles the Bald.

Are they familiar characters for you? They did not qualify as household words for me until this summer. That’s when I took a course in medieval history, presented by Yale Un…

The sentencing bill the Legislature approved this week was the product of a flawed process, an inadequate debate and too many compromises. The governor should veto it and lead a drive for comprehensive corrections reform next session…

It isn’t easy to put a referendum question on the Massachusetts ballot, and that’s a good thing.

You hate to think so but it’s true: compared to, say, the French, we Americans look pretty sad.

It’s not enough to respect yourself.  All of us need to be respected by others as well.

Dear Dog Lady,

We adopted a 2-month-old bloodhound puppy, Chester, about four months ago. We’ve been trying to train him ourselves (the paid training in our town is quite expensive) and have had great success with house train…

Tonight, Mayor Joe Curtatone is asking the Board of Aldermen to meet in private to discuss a lawsuit that for nearly three decades has been the final word in where billboards can be placed in the city.

In the park, a leashed and bounding pup gave his master a pretty bad case of bark-burn when it suddenly shot toward a tree and climbed six feet straight up it. Then a fat worm, just pulled from the soil, provided two small birds with…

Not so many years ago, votes in many Massachusetts communities were tallied by hand, under the watchful eyes of our neighbors, representatives of both political parties certifying that the totals announced matched the ballots cast.

Students in the Commonwealth can take a deep breath now that the Senate has agreed to extend the current interest rates on Subsidized Stafford Loans rather then double them. However, this is only one small step in the right direction…

As residents across the Bay State heat up under the scorching summer sun, Boston’s Angell Animal Medical Center asks pet owners to be extra cautious in keeping pets safe during the long, hot season.

In 2010 the Massachusetts state Legislature passed landmark animal protection legislation requiring the addition of a non-poisonous bittering agent to retail containers of antifreeze. The MSPCA-Angell’s advocacy team was instru…

“Please don’t go, Jack.” I felt myself pressing this warning on President Kennedy as he prepared to fly to Texas in late November of 1963.

Readers: Dogs and fireworks are a bad match. Do not take your dog to a fireworks display or a picnic with firecrackers and sparklers. Canines can get spooked by the loud noises and bolt. Make sure your dog has a safe place — a …

Somerville city officials, as powerful and conscientious as they may be, are still unable to legislate the weather. So it’s not right to blame them for last year’s unseasonably warm winter, which is apparently contributin…

The oft-expressed obstacle to youngsters entering the labor market was that you couldn’t get a job without experience and without a job you couldn’t gain any experience.

In last week’s Journal, City spokesman Tom Champion unfairly chastised Ken Brociner for calling Health Director Paulette Renault-Caragianes’ 3/29/12 letter “patently dishonest.”

Welcome to 1992. That’s where most middle-income families found themselves in terms of household wealth after three years of recession, 2007 to 2010, wiped out two decades of gains.

However, we are very sad and shocked to find ourselves labeled as "racists" or even "Ku Klux Klan" because we are against the SCC's proposed subsidized rental housing project at the site of the former Boys &am…

A recent Ken Brociner column (“Curtatone’s Credibility on the Line,” 6/7/12) featured disturbing charges against Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and other City officials. Their breathless tone – and the absence of s…

On behalf of the Friends of the Somerville Public Library, I wanted to write in with a huge thank you to all our volunteers for stacking, sorting and selling books over the book sale weekend — May 17 to 20 — at the Central Branch.

Mother Nature delayed them for a day, but she couldn’t stop the Class of 2012 from leaving Somerville High School. Three hundred twenty-three young men and women left school behind on Tuesday and took their first steps to whate…

At springtime, my attention turns to seniors. No, not old people this time, but rather the young men and women who have been graduating from our colleges.

These are the busiest weeks for your active-duty parents, what with recitals, and sports and don’t forget the big Spring Songfest and good old Yay for Art Night.

At Relay For Life, we celebrate everyone who has been touched by cancer.

The framers of the U.S. Constitution were admirably clear, or so they and we thought, when they wrote in the Fifth Amendment that no person shall “be deprived of life, liberty or property, without due process of law …”

Dear Dog Lady,

I don’t have a dog, myself, but I often buy presents for the many deserving dogs I know. So I’ve noticed the catalogues always display a variety of furry chew-toys for dogs to shake, toss, etc.

I admit it. I drank the Kool-Aid. When Walmart proposed opening in Somerville I was interested in learning more. After all, they said they were cleaning up their act.

Why do we envision Carry Nation and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union holding prayer vigils outside bakeries that sell Elmo cupcakes?

With Memorial Day approaching, I wanted to get this message out to families that may be going away or planning a day trip. I never realized just how many people drown this time of year until I lost my own son, Jason, to a canoe accident in Ma…

I belong to a church that, in large part, depends on women for its vitality. Yet, strangely enough, this church continues to deny women the power to shape its teaching and practice.

“Where do you get this stuff,” a reader named Steve recently asked me, after reading a blog post I had done about contraceptive methods in 1912.

The state Legislature’s most important job is passing a budget, the annual government spending plan that reflects policies and priorities for state government, but the bosses on Beacon Hill don’t treat it that way.

The pointless killing of a Florida teenager has had at least one beneficial effect: It has brought to a halt the drive to pass so-called “stand your ground” laws in the 25 states that don’t have them and sparked repeal effor…

My family and I have lived in Somerville all our lives. Over the years we have seen many changes—some we like a lot and some not as much.

In honor of National Volunteer Week, April to 21, we would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank and celebrate the 420 volunteers whose steadfast dedication and commitment enable Hospice of the North Shore and Greater Boston to fulf…

Most cyclists have done it at some point. Sitting in front of a stoplight, with no cars coming from the cross sides of the intersection, it’s hard to resist running the red. You’d never do it in a car but on a bicycle? Why not?

As we send our wishes for a speedy recovery to Carlos Barbosa, who was injured at a Somerville printing company last week (“Man rescued from Silo now in recovery,” April 6), it’s important to be aware that life-threatening i…

It’s nearly 20 years since Auntie Fran first grew confused and lost the sense of a daily plan; started following Uncle Ed around the house, even standing outside the door while he used the bathroom.

Regarding your article, “Inaccessibility allegations at Armory building are ‘misleading,’” as a wheelchair user and an activist for social justice, I am appalled that Ms. Renault-Caraglanes considers an inaccessible en…

The federal government and the airline industry seem to be in a race to see which one can annoy, humiliate, inconvenience and fleece the passengers more.

Last week the Architectural Access Board (AAB) signed off on accessibility improvements at the Armory. Now the fines have stopped accumulating and this notable building is finally legally available for public events. But while the Armory is n…

One of the best things government did for ordinary folks in the last decade was instituting the “do not call” list.

Put your name on that list and telemarketers couldn’t call — or faced steep fines if they did. Dinne…

With neither the facts nor the law on its side, the city of Somerville has taken to pounding the table about the usability of the Somerville Armory (“Inaccessibility allegations at Armory building are ‘misleading.’”)

Last week, Mayor Curtatone retaliated against Somerville accessibility rights advocate Eileen Feldman after she blew the whistle on the city’s attempt to have the U.S. Surgeon General’s March 23 health grant event held at the then…

I moved to Union Square in August. I developed a Twitter account that revolves around my fascination with this city. I learned how to share the road with an u…

On March 16, the Patrick-Murray Administration awarded a $373,400 Community Innovation Challenge grant to Somerville as well as Amesbury, Lowell, Woburn, and Worcester for these communities to work together and develop common accountability a…

Given how serious this sounds, it’s no wonder state officials felt it would be appropriate to move the event. But Ms. Feldman’s charges were seriously misleading.  For example, it’s quite true that the ramp and door thr…

Dog Lady is no psychiatrist with a diploma hanging on the wall, but this revenge method seems over-the-top passive aggressive.