Announcements

The School Committee voted to explore introducing Innovation Schools in Somerville. To learn more, we invited two experts who have direct experience with Innovation Schools.

Somerville Voices was asked to post this notice about a library meeting from the Davis Square LiveJournal: http://davis-square.livejournal.com/2824126.html.

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Agenda: Convention caucus, Replacing Scott Brown, Affordable housing at the Boys & Girls Club, Charter school politics, Green Line advocacy, and Energy services from the city. Rep. Provost will be a guest.

Mayor Curtatone will introduce Candidate for US Congress in the newly created 7th (yes seventh) Congressional District, Congressman Michael Capuano. Candidates for US Senate have been invited to address the meeting.

Eat at Jumbos is located at 688 Broadway in Ball Square and offers a variety of foods including vegan options. Check out their website at EatAtJumbos.com for online/phone ordering information and their menu.

Public Meeting on East Somerville Community School: A meeting about design changes to the ESCS are coming up. Tues., Jan. 10, 6:30-8 p.m., Capuano School, 150 Glen St. Project Designers & School and City officials…

Local residents rallied at the Bank of America on Saturday, December 10 pushing for changes to reign in corporate greed and address growing inequality in both Somerville and the United States. The rally was a kickoff event for Occupy Somerville.…

Surely there are many Somervillians among the many patrons and fans of Traders Joe national (specialty) retail grocery stores. While of little comparison to the retail behemoth in the news these days, Trader Joe’s is not without its problems. The following notice may be of interest.…

Monday 12/5 is the Ward 2 ResiStat meeting.
Union Square, Brickbottom, Perry Park, Lincoln Park, Somerville Ave. corridor

Mayor Curtatone and Alderman Heuston invite you to a community meeting to discuss the latest city…

Today, December 3rd is:  International Day of Persons With Disabilities.

In celebration, the American Association of People with Disabilities has launched a video, in which Students with Disabilities Speak Up and say “I…

Mayor Curtatone, Alderman Roche and the ResiStat program invite you to a community meeting in West Somerville to discuss the latest city data, news, updates and issues most important to you.

Although there appears to be  a lot of neighborly opposition to SCC’s 181 Washington Street proposed development at this time, the Boston Society of Architects is calling it an “active project.” Below, information about the…

Join us for a discussion on how this will affect the community and what you can do about it!

Reminder: The beginning of next week community leaders will get together with you in Wards 3 and 6

• Meet with Mayor Curtatone, Alderman, City officials, aldermen-at-large and police
• Share your concerns and ideas
• Stay for a Meet & Greet with light refreshments

The Young Democrats of Massachusetts (YDM) and Greater Boston Young Democrats (GBYD) have endorsed Katjana Ballantyne and Christine Barber in their races for Somerville Alderman seats.

Yesterday, the Somerville Journal announced (see quote below) it would not endorse in the race for Ward 7 Alderman.…

Here in Somerville more and more residents are choosing to ‘buy local’.  Shoppers flock to the seasonal Farmers Markets in Davis Square and Union Square as well as a Winter Farmers Market at the Armory. Residents…

Tuesday October 25, 6:30 pm to 8 pm

West Somerville Neighborhood School, [cafeteria] 177 Powder House Blvd, Somerville, MA

Mayor Curtatone, Alderman Trane and the ResiStat program invite you to…

Have you always wanted to know what your alderman really thinks about poverty, immigration, the environment? What if there was an Occupy.Somerville movement–would they support it, and how?

First Church Somerville UCC, a progressive…

The Somerville Homeless Coalition is hosting the 3rd Annual Tina DeLellis Luncheon on October 21st , from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., at The Highland Kitchen in Somerville. The luncheon is held in memory of…

What’s so funny about Somerville?  Tony V knows.

When supporters of Somerville’s anti-poverty agency, the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS), gather to celebrate another year of working to end poverty where we live…

The Somerville Bicycle Committee invites you to ride our 19th Annual Tour de Somerville.  This year’s theme is “Arts in the ‘Ville”.

We’ll meet at 10 am on Saturday, October 15 in Seven Hills…

As we launch on October 2, we will: take positions on public policies through a democratic process; organize members to directly contact elected officials to support these policies; and help elect and support progressive candidates for public office.

Community Cooks, a volunteer organization of neighbors feeding neighbors, is pleased to announce its first annual celebration. Tastes of Community Cooks, an exhibition of food and art, will take place on Sunday, October 2 from 4 – 7 pm at the Somerville Museum at 1 Westwood Road.

Although the City of Somerville is well aware that the Armory facility is still inaccessible at the entrance ramp, the Mayor continues to hold important events and meetings here. At the same time, the Architect and Owner continue to claim that various City Departments are refusing to accept an accessible design. Who’s benefitting from this back-and-forth?

Celebrate with the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS), the organization working to end poverty where we live.  Enjoy music, refreshments, a look back at the past year and a look ahead at how we are…

Are you a fan of Marshmallow Fluff? Does it remind you of childhood memories of having the perfect combination of a Fluffernutter, do you dream about it swirled into Nutella for a delectable, chocolate, “fluffy”…

Saying, “the Community Preservation Act (CPA) could generate millions of dollars for affordable family housing, open space and historic preservation”, Ward 7 alderman candidate Joan Whitney Puglia has announced her support for a city-wide referendum seeking adoption of the Act.…

“There is no accountability in the existing zoning approval process…. I believe decisions about developments that could substantially impact our neighborhoods should be made by the aldermen, who must answer to the voters every two years.”

City government should not misrepresent its hostile revenue-boosting scheme as a policy to improve parking conditions. For many residents it imposes greater hardship.

The following email was sent to me as a subscriber to Change.org. I have forwarded the body of the notice, and you will find the link to the online petition in the text of the story. It brings to mind the maxim that if it sounds too good to be true (as with the detente reached by parties to  Assembly Sq. development/IKEA), it probably is.…

Joe Medeiros, man about town, disability rights activist, and wry humorist, died June 14.  He would have turned 91 on June 21, 2011.

The Somerville Home held a lovely Memorial Service for…

Greetings all. Just a reminder about next week’s community meeting: On Monday, June 27, 6:30-8 p.m., please join Mayor Curtatone, Alderman Gewirtz, at-large aldermen, City officials…

Karen Aqua passed away May 30, 2011.  She was a warm, funny, incredible human being and a brilliant artist and animator, and she shared her extraordinary work and process with great candor and kindness in…

At least seven Somerville organizations, including civil rights, immigrant, anti-poverty, churches and peace groups, have signed on to a letter urging Governor Patrick “to decline to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement to participate in a program that damages the social fabric of our Commonwealth and makes our communities more vulnerable and less safe.” The letter was delivered on May 27, 2011 by the ACLU of Massachusetts.

Somerville Voices will hold an open meeting this Sunday, May 29, 6 to 8 pm at the Visiting Nurses assisted living facility, 259 Lowell Street. Come with your ideas for making our blog better…

Join us for an evening of festivities, fun and film as we kick off our new campaign
to get 350 NEW actions to make Somerville a cleaner, greener, healthier place to live

Please note that the Ward 6 ResiStat Community Meeting has been rescheduled. Originally planned for Tuesday, May 24, the meeting will now be held Monday, June 27, 6:30-8 p.m. at Ciampa Manor, 27 College Ave., Davis…

Meet with the Mayor, your ward and at-large aldermen, City officials, Somerville Police representatives, and your neighbors to get updates on City and Ward news, ask questions, and share your ideas and concerns. Meetings run from…

Join us for a day of well being: have some refreshments, meet the members of Amethyst Center, and get to know what we do. For a donation to the Somerville Homeless Coalition, experience what our…

Alba Perez, Family Advocate Supervisor at CAAS Head Start, has been selected by the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women as one of the Commonwealth’s 100 “Unsung Heroines of 2011.”  …

Neighborhood Meetings in Each of the City’s Seven Wards Start May 9

Meet with the Mayor, your ward and at-large aldermen, City officials, Somerville Police representatives, and your neighbors to get updates on City and Ward news and discuss the issues important to you. Each meeting will include a presentation as well as an open Q&A from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. where you can bring up your concerns and ideas. A Meet & Greet with light refreshments from 7:30 to 8 p.m. will follow and conversations can continue there. All locations are wheelchair accessible.…

East Somerville Main Streets (ESMS) is launching another exciting season of “First Tuesdays After Hours” on East Broadway and for the series’ third year they are adding a little extra spice.…

Thursday, April 28, 5:30-7:30pm. Please join us for some pizza and mingling at our next (monthly) DARBI cocktail hour. April’s location is Flatbread Pizza (45 Day St.).

Also, if you have any suggestions on…

Following the last update on this story in late February, T&P Director Matt Dias offered and provided the requested data including a column indicating whether each ticket appeal was made online or not. Even better, the cost was $30 less than his original quote.…

Save Our Somerville is running a soccer tournament on Patriots’ Day Monday, April 18th (rain or shine). The tournament will be held at Glen Park (Glen St. next to the Capuano School). Middle School sign-ins will be at 8:00 AM. High School and Adult sign-ins will be at 10:30 AM.…

Support housing and community, and enjoy a lively event in Somerville Apr. 23rd.

The Somerville Rotary Club, in conjunction with Sabur Restaurant in Teele Square, will hold a fundraiser for Rotary’s PolioPlus Program April 12 from 5:00 to 10:00 PM.   Sabur will donate 10% of the evening’s proceeds…

FILM SCREENING

Somerville Climate Action & Representative Denise Provost Film Series present

The Economics of Happiness
followed by a discussion with Julie Matthaei, Economics Professor at Wellesley College

Monday March 28th, 6:30…

American Comedy Award winner, Wendy Liebman, will be performing at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square (55 Davis Square. Somerville, MA 02144) on April 21st.

Wendy is a nationally famed comedian, who has been…

Communities are coming together to rebuild more human scale, ecological economies based on a new paradigm – an economics of localization.

Link to meeting announcement http://www.somervillema.gov/calendar/eventdtl.cfm?id=8180

The following email was just sent out to the mayor’s Young Somerville Advisory Group :

——————————

Hey Young Somerville –

A quick reminder that our next formal meeting will be this Wednesday…

The STA Annual Meeting
March 15, 2011 (3:15 PM)
Capuano School

As announced today by @somerteachers on www.SomervilleTeachers.com

The City Democratic Committee presents special guest, Representative Mike Moran (Brighton) House Chair of Elections to speak about the re-districting process and its implications.

The following is a campaign press release sent to SV by Christine. In January, she attended an EmergeMA event meant “to boost the number of women holding elected office in Massachusetts”. Current Ward 4 Alderman Walter Pero will not be seeking re-election , so Christine will be challenging former mayoral candidate Tony Lafuente for the seat.…

Calling all music lovers! Four Boston area musicians will be hosting a benefit concert for the Somerville Homeless Coalition, aptly-titled “An Evening of Music, Bach & Bolling.”…

Please join us in our efforts to connect the Minuteman Bikeway and Charles River path networks, by extending the Community Path!…

After Bucking National Trend in 2010, Aiming for Even More participation in 2011

Somerville Little League registration for the Spring season is open.  …

More than 50 Somerville residents signed a petition requesting a hearing by the Board of Alderman on union jobs and local hiring.

The hearing will be at 6:00 PM on February 17. There will be a short rally beforehand at 5:45 PM.…

The monthly public meeting of the Human Rights Commission will be at 6:30pm at SCALE in the TAB at 167 Holland Street (basement level, room #103) The agenda is:

The Somerville Museum is counting down the remaining days left of the matching grant for the new roof and window repair.

“History of Somerville, 2010-2100″ book reading and talk at the library on February 23.

Somerville is embarking on a year long 350 Actions Challenge! Somerville Climate Action and partner organizations (in this case theMOVE), will be helping our community take 350 tangible steps to build a resilient, just, and sustainable community.

We’re bringing all the CSAs together to get you the info you need to get signed up — meet the folks who grow your food, and bring your checkbook to reserve a share!

MA DOT holding a Public hearing on Broadway Streetscape improvement Project on January 26, 2011 at the Cross Street Senior Center, 7 pm. Public Comments are also accepted via mail.

On this week’s episode of Greater Somerville, Joe Lynch asked Mayor Joe Curtatone the question that’s on a lot of minds these days.…

The ball has dropped, 2011 is upon us, and we’ve shoveled more snow than most Alaskans will all year. We here at DARBI feel your back pain and have the perfect fix for those winter blahs: January Cocktail Hour!

Come hear about the Healey School – and see if it is good fit for your child and family. Teachers, students, the principal and parents will speak about the Healey School, how we teach and learn and how the redesign process is going.

In the first week of 2011, City of Somerville Mayor Joseph E. Curtatone and Somerville School District Superintendent Pierantozzi signed a Final Resolution Agreement with the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR), to voluntarily come into compliance regarding inaccessible public school facilities and programs. In addition, Somerville will redraft its policies regarding relocation and other accessibility accommodations.

Please join us in our efforts to extend the Community Path to the Charles River!

On December 22nd, our web-hosting company performed server maintenance that briefly took this blog off-line. When it came back later that day, all of our Wordpress plug-ins were disabled, including the ones for the calendar, spam-filtering, and automatic moderator notifications for pending posts. We appreciate your patience as I work on gradually restoring these features in my spare time.

Union members and community activists concerned about jobs at the future MaxPac development on Clyde Street held a meeting on Jan 4th.

…

Drought, climate change, and even war are all directly related to the way we are treating dirt. State Representative Denise Provost and Somerville Climate Action present: DIRT! THE MOVIE, followed by a discussion

As reported by Andy Metzger in the SJ and Tom Nash on Post Somerville, the Mayor has commissioned a report exposing problems in the City’s Inspectional Services Division (ISD). Below is the full report, as posted by Post Somerville.…

On December 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since then, December 10 is celebrated around the world as Human Rights Day.

This year’s theme is:  SPEAK UP STOP DISCRIMINATION.…

As promised, here’s the lineup of family films that we’ll be showing at the Central Library one Saturday afternoon per month at 2:00 p.m.

January 15th:
Muppets from Space

February 12th:

A few weeks ago I posted a question: what would draw you to a free film at the Library?  I got a small amount of feedback through the Library’s blog, Facebook, and by talking with…

We will be prioritizing our action list this meeting. We are looking for new members to help us with our mission of extending the Community Path (along part of the future Green Line route) to the Charles River.
Meeting is at the VNA, 259 Lowell Street.

See case summaries and read my update in Help discover the relationship between ICE and Somerville police

Residents of Somerville concerned about the development of the old MaxPak paper factory where 199 units of new housing are being built will picket and rally for jobs at the entrance to the site (56-61 Clyde Street) in Somerville, MA on Thursday, Dec 2 from 6:00 to 9:00 AM.…

Where: West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powderhouse Boulevard

Somerville-based ANIKAI Dance Company is about to embark on the biggest international tour any dance company from the Boston area has ever been on (besides the Boston Ballet). This is the most extensive tour of India by any US dance company since 1926 when Ruth St. Denis took her Denishawn Dancers.…

The OPENAIR Circus is holding a deliciousraiser… no… fundraiser at
Flatbread Pizza in Davis Sq. on November 23.

The OAC is a non-profit volunteer-run Somerville-based organization which
teaches 200 students each summer a variety…

Under the proposed DIF, increases in Assembly Square tax revenue would be diverted to pay for the infrastructure. If tax revenues were inadequate, the taxpayers would foot the bill.

In yesterday’s Time Trade Circle newsletter (I’m a member), I learned about the Somerville Trading Post that meets at the Somerville Community Growing Center on Vinal Ave. Have you…

Hello from the Groundwork Somerville SoilCycle team!

We’re posting today to inform you of an exciting upcoming opportunity to expand your composting skills and jump aboard with vermicomposting!!!  This workshop will provide you with everything you need to take home a “kitchen scrap-ready” worm bin and will provide you with a group technical assistance session to answer any questions you may have about beginning to compost in your home.…

Following the unanimous approval by both the School Committee and Aldermen of resolutions supporting passage of the DREAM Act, comes this announcement yesterday from Tito Meza of the Somerville Community Corporation’s Voices of Immigrants of Somerville (SCC VIS):…

The following announcement was sent to the PDS membership yesterday:

Nov 5, 2010

PDS Members,

Besides the good news of keeping Massachusetts blue this week, the PDS leadership team wanted to send out an announcement that we hired a new Organizing and Communications intern to help us as an organization grow and thrive. We know this was a top priority coming out of the visioning work we did and we are so excited to bring on Andrew Bunyard!…

A City of Somerville Public Announcement:

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 7 Alderman Robert Trane invited all interested community members to a community meeting to discuss renovation plans for the North…

The Capacity to Live a Full & Creative Life: this is what we want for our children, our youth, and ourselves! Come to a community-created art exhibit featuring art created by Somerville artists ages 8 to 88.

[10/26/2010]

Join hosts Joe Lynch and KyAnn Anderson as they talk with Somerville resident, Lesley University professor and author Nancy Carlsson-Paige.  Carlsson-Paige is the author or co-author of five books on childhood learning.  Tonight she discusses her latest, “Taking Back Childhood: A Proven Roadmap for Raising Confident, Creative, Compassionate Kids”.

Visit: http://www.nancycarlssonpaige.org/

The Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan of the Somerville Public Schools, due to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on 12/31, is open for public comment online at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/no_bullying.

We invite…

This project will close McGrath Highway or reduce the number of lanes available for several months. Detours and traffic congestion will result. Mitigation should be discussed at this meeting.

Please join us for The SOS Kick-Off Event and Planning Meeting at Brickbottom Studios Gallery, 1 Fitchburg St., Somerville, on November 3, 2010, 7pm to 9pm.
Enjoy a little food and wine while mingling with…

The agenda includes the following:

* Change to the zoning ordinance to allow self-storage in Assembly Square
* Changes to the zoning ordinance to revise the procedures for reviewing Special Permits, Special Permits with Site Plan Approval, and variances
* Changes to the zoning ordinance to revise the parking requirements for large scale retail
* Change to the zoning ordinance to allow Historic Carriage House as a use in certain districts
* Special permit to allow Federal Realty to exceed signage size requirements in Assembly Square.

One all-expenses paid volunteer weekend to make history and win IRV in Portland.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition is hosting the 2nd Annual Tina DeLellis Luncheon on October 29 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., at The Highland Kitchen. The luncheon is held in memory of Tina DeLellis…

Somerville Community Access Television is proud to announce the third annual live, three-hour showcase of Somerville music, dance, poetry and more. The program begins at  7:00pm on Thursday, October 21, and will be cablecast on Channel 3.…

Somerville schools would like your questions, comments and ideas about how we can all say “no” to bullying so every student can be excited about coming to school to learn.

Visit our calendar, www.somerville.k12.ma.us/events, for details on any of these events.…

THE KENNEDY POOL IS CELEBRATING OUR 10TH BIRTHDAY BY GIVING AWAY SWIMMING LESSONS!

This meeting will present details of the Craigie Drawbridge Rehabilitation project, which will block the Bridge and divert traffic. Traffic that would otherwise go along Memorial Drive may end up going to Route 28 instead and thereby into Somerville.

Post Somerville launched around mid-August. Somerville Patch just hatched on Sep 28th. I say, the more journalism, the better! What do you think?…

A Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, October 6th at 7pm at the Aldermanic Chambers to discuss the District Improvement Financing (DIF) Program covering Union Square, Boynton Yards, Inner Belt, and Somerville Avenue. This is displayed prominently on the City’s homepage.

This program will affect Somerville financing for the next 30 years and could result, in the future, in property takings by the city.

Weather Advisory

Due to the projected weather forecast the following changes have occurred in the Highlander Athletic schedule on Friday, 10/1:…

You can subscribe to the calendar of the Somerville Public Schools to receive emails announcing events coming up in the following week. It’s easy! Here’s how!

This Thursday, September 30, at 6 pm, Villens and others will have the opportunity to hear the voices of youth members from Centro Presente and The Welcome Project, who are working to support the Dream Act.

Now you can follow new posts and updates at our Twitter account @SomervilleVox . Due to some technical problems, this service stopped working in February. We’re glad to have…

An elected official is accused of sexually assaulting teen-aged boys in his home while his wife is at work.  Warring restaurant owners may come face to face in court as tempers flare.  A young girl realizes “cutting,” is not…

From School Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi:

It is my hope that every school in Somerville is a place where students feel a sense of belonging, where students are excited to come to school because they…

…elementary auditions for the role of oompa loompa in the February 2011 Somerville High School production of Willy Wonka: The…

If you would like to receive weekly announcements of events in the Somerville Public Schools please visit www.somerville.k12.ma.us/events. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the envelope icon to “subscribe” to…

Monday, September 13, 7-8:30 pm:
We Love HONK! Volunteers Meeting
Sign-up gathering to help in all the ways that make HONK! possible.  Individuals and groups interested in participating in the parade…

We’re excited about getting back to school at the beginning of next month! …

Local Roots Food and Music Festival tickets available online at Brown Paper Tickets!

Hey folks!

You can now purchase tickets for the Local Roots Food and Music Festival online at Brown Paper Tickets!…

Kids, Clowns, Talent, Crazy Fun.

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 &amp…

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.…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

At this discussion we will review the DRAFT bullying plan, data that points to strategies for improving the implementation of the District’s award-winning Wellness Policy, and the plan for improving the implementation of the District’s Safe and Drug Free Schools Plan.

I would like to let people in Somerville and anywhere else know about a rally against the mayor and his wrong budget choices.

WHEN:  June 22, 2010 6 pm

WHERE:  City Hall, 93

FREE MEALS ALL SUMMER FOR ALL YOUTH STARTING JUNE 28TH.

FREE Breakfast for ALL Somerville youth on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays beginning on June 29th in Albion Park and Grimmons…

The OPENAIR Circus opens its doors for the 25th time this summer.  Each year, over a hundred children ages 3-15 learn self confidence and an appreciation for community and the arts through a great variety…

The Mayor of Somerville has yet again stolen another idea from Cambridge: road races. He should be spending time and energy to help get us out of this financial crush.

After a year of many successes and some direction setting work, we are excited to end one year and begin another!

Dear Friends of Somerville Schools,

I want to update you on the school budget process and to alert you to slight change of dates.…

FY11 Budget Update, School calendar, Bullying prevention, Summer reading, Summer activities, SPS on Twitter…

SOMERVILLE YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE

TRAVEL TEAM REGISTRATION INFORMATION – FALL 2010

FIELD EVALUATIONS – SUNDAY JUNE 13

All players who attend evaluations will be placed on a team.

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.…

From www.Mass.gov/GreenLineExtension :
A public meeting on the FEIR will be held on Wednesday, June 30th at 6PM at the Somerville High School Auditorium.  The FEIR will be available on June 16 on the…

Fellow Somervillans… I am proud to, once again, be the bearer of great news. Your community access television station has been selected as number one for nationwide excellence by the Alliance for Community Media… SCATV has been awarded this singular honor for the fifth time in the past six years.

Registration is now OPEN for the TOPSOCCER SUMMER PROGRAM!

Saturday June 19th – July 31st

10:00am – 11:00am

Capuano Field – 150 Glen Street, Somerville

As a member of the Democratic City Committee, I received the following meeting announcement today:

Where : VNA, 259 Lowell St.

Agenda includes:

• Election of a new Female Vice Chair

The Paul Duhamel Education Initiative, in its 14th year, will be holding its 5th annual “Walk to Keep Kids in School,” walking for 2.5 miles along the Somerville Bike Path starting at Davis Square on…

Nose-to-tail no-waste butcher needs a bit of help before June 14 to bring sustainable local meat to Somerville at affordable prices.

The Architectural Access Board will hold a Hearing on 18 Architectural Access Code Violations for Arts at the Armory facility on Monday, May 24, at 1 p.m.

back story: On February 8, Building…

We’ll be holding the third meeting of the Somerville Coffee Party this Wednesday, May 19 at 7:00PM. It’s a great chance to talk about your vision for engaged, functional democracy, and particular steps we can take at the local level to make it happen. The meeting is at 14 Herbert Street (right behind Redbones). Join us!…

The time/location of this meeting is still to be determined. Please visit the “events” page of the Somerville Public Schools’ website, http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/events, or the “School Committee” page of the site, http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/school_committee, for additional…

The time/location of this meeting is still to be determined. Please visit the “events” page of the Somerville Public Schools’ website, http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/events, or the “School Committee” page of the site, http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/school_committee, for additional…

An all-present and accounted-for Gubernatorial Candidates Forum will be held May 18, 2010 from 1 p.m. – 3:30p.m. at the Perkins School in Watertown. WBUR’s Bob Oakes will be the Moderator.

Join your neighbors to learn how the City is moving forward with its plans for the disposition of the Powder House Community School property. Discuss how we can keep our concerns about the reuse of this property at the forefront of the decision making process.

The 7th annual Save Our Homes Walk will be held on Sunday, May 16 at 2:00pm with registration beginning at 1:30pm.  The Walk begins and ends at Somerville High School’s Atrium and all are welcome…

Somerville, MA May 3rd 2010 – Somerville “mompreneur” Kerri Friedlander and husband Lucas today announced their intention to hold a Grand Opening sale at the Upland Road location of “TwinkleStar Boutique” in Porter Square on…

The Somerville Public Schools are OPEN all day tomorrow, May 3rd – and expect to be open throughout the water emergency. Students and staff are asked, if able, to bring their own safe, packaged beverages…

Amethyst Center is again hosting a fundraiser for the Somerville Homeless Coalition, Saturday May 8, 1:00-5:00. “Nourish Your Well Being” will offer short treatments from its practitioners in exchange for a suggested $10 donation. …

Come share your ideas for our community blog.

Sunday, May 2, 6 to 7:30 pm at the Somerville Visiting Nurses assisted living facility, 259 Lowell Street…

Come join other parents to talk about the kind of education we want at the Healey School and the future of the Choice and Neighborhood programs. Parent’s input will be collected and presented to the School Committee.

The Somerville Public Schools will conduct a public hearing to determine participation in the school choice program for the 2010-2011 school year. *This is NOT a public hearing about the Choice program at the Healey School.*

PARTICIPATE IN POWDER HOUSE COMMUNITY SCHOOL REUSE FOCUS GROUP: The City of Somerville is seeking community volunteers to participate in a Powder House/Teele Square Focus Group. The Group will be led by City staff to…

Training for Healey parents that want to participate in online discussions about the future of the Healey school.

We’re going to get together and find strategies to fix our democracy, and then we’re going to put them into action. Bring your ideas and your energy. Join us.

The AGO, through its Division of Open Government is requesting public comment on proposed alternatives to the notice posting requirement in the Open Meeting Law. Comment should be submitted by April 23, 2010.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition will hold its annual dinner April 24th at the Center for the Arts at the Armory in Somerville beginning at 6:00 pm.  The dinner will recognize three people important to the…

Save Our Somerville is running a soccer tournament on Patriots’ Day Monday, April 19th (pending permit approval, rain or shine). Even if you don’t play soccer, please come out and learn more about SOS events and spread the word.

Plan to Attend Taste of Somerville on June 8

Enjoy samples from 30 of the area’s favorite restaurants on June 8, from 5:30-8:30 pm at the Somerville Holiday Inn. This festive welcome to summer is presented by title sponsor, Triumvirate Environmental, and Door2Door Transportation by SCM, whose work providing community-based transportation is supported by the event. Tickets at www.tasteofsomerville.org. Follow restaurant additions on twitter @TasteofSomervil

The 2010 Somerville Open Studios is coming up soon!  This Friday, April 16, is the opening reception for the Artists’ Choice Exhibit at the Somerville Museum, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  Approximately 200 artists…

Are you a parent/guardian of a grade PK-8 student in the Somerville Public Schools? Look for your complimentary copy of the first edition of Chop Chop, a new healthy cooking magazine for families, in…

YUM: A Taste of Immigrant City.

April 30, 2010. 6-10 pm. Arts at the Armory.

Tickets $40.

Features food from an eclectic mix of local Somerville immigrant-run restaurants: Mexican…

We’ll be joined by Acting Somerville Police Chief Michael Cabral for a discussion to include the following topics: * the 2008 Romelus Police Beating Case * Private security contractors in Somerville * DHS Surveillance Cameras * The idea of creating a public oversight board for the SPD

Have you downloaded your copy of the amended 2009-2010 school year calendar?

If you haven’t please be aware that Wednesday, April 7th is now a 1/2 day for all students. The last day…

The Somerville Youth Soccer web team has been working on a new site for the league. It is up and running and we hope you will find it useful. Log onto www.somervillesoccer.us

YOU MIGHT HAVE ALREADY HEARD…
• Somerville High School’s drop-out rate continues to be on the decline. Get details in the press release issued by the Office of the Superintendent on Tuesday, March 16th, online…

What’s Next For the Powder House Community School?

WHY :       The City is moving ahead with plans to rezone and sell the Powder House School property.

WHAT :    Join your neighbors to…

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick spoke in the inaccessible Somerville High School auditorium this past Monday March 8, 2010, celebrating the fact that Somerville, MA was named one of the 10 All America Cities

The Somerville Public Schools invites you to tell your stories about learning and teaching in Somerville in our Spring 2010 Digital Photography contest. Complete submissions received by April 5th will have the chance to win…

As Franklin Delambert, Executive Director of the Haitian Coalition, says, it will be an evening of solidarity.

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…

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)…

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…

The Boston bellydance community is shakin’ it all back together! Join us for a glamorous afternoon of compassion in motion.

Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office has reached an agreement with five Somerville waste disposal companies, collectively known as Russell, and its corporate officers… to pay $70,000 to 352 current and former employees as well as a $20,000 penalty to the Commonwealth to resolve allegations that the company violated the Massachusetts Wage and Hour Laws. In addition, Russell has agreed to a two-year monitoring and compliance plan.

Thinking about which school is right for your child? Or just interested in learning more about Somerville’s public schools?…

Ceremony to Honor Local Individual, Organization for Community Service; Program Begins at 10am at SHS

The Somerville Haitian Coalition, in an effort to mobilize care and support for the Haitian community, will hold a community-wide meeting on Friday January 15 at 6:00 at the Healey School, located at 2 Meacham St.

2010-2011 School Calendar: It’s official! September 8, 2010 is the first day of school for students after the 2010 summer vacation. Download the 2010-2011 school calendar online at http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/calendar. The calendar is available online in…

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…

Are you concerned about your opioid drug use, or that of a loved one? The holiday season is often a time of strain and stress, especially for individuals who are struggling with addiction. Yet, the advent of a new year is a time when many people make efforts toward change. The Opioid Addiction and Family Project may be able to help.

At the Medical Reserve Corps meeting this evening we learned that tomorrow there will be a vaccination clinic for both seasonal and/or H1N1 at the City Hall Annex.  It isn’t on the city web site yet because approval to open up vaccination beyond risk groups just happened too late today.…

The Somerville Green Roof Forum has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 7th 2010.   It will take place at the Visiting Nurses’ Association, 259 Lowell Street, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm.

Please Join Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, Somerville Climate Action and Transition Somerville …

This Monday, November 23rd, Transition Somerville will screen “The First Millimeter: Healing the Earth” at the College Ave Methodist Church at 7 p.m.

NEWS STORY:
• The Christmas trees are coming! The Christmas trees are coming! Students at Somerville’s Full Circle/Next Wave Alternative School are gearing up for their annual Christmas tree and wreath fundraiser. 300 Nova Scotia…

Come to a community screening & discussion of…

RETHINK AFGHANISTAN –

Kicking off on Wednesday, December 9 from 3:30-5:30, SCAT’s Next Generation Producers After-School Film Production Club offers students the opportunity to create their own video projects, learn state-of-the-art television production skills, and work alongside other…

Dear Friends,

Please join us for an informal gathering for parents and guardians interested in discussing the kindergarten and early-childhood opportunities available in the Somerville Public Schools. We will be meeting next Saturday, November 21, from 3:00-5:00 pm at Bread & Company at 349 Broadway (located near the top of Winter Hill).…

Please Join Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, Somerville Climate Action and Transition Somerville for a Forum on Green Roofs: Installing green roofs in Somerville Wednesday, November 18, 2009 7:00pm to 9:00pm Visiting Nurses’ Association Community Room, 259 Lowell Street One hour presentation followed by one hour discussion

DARBI (Davis Area Residents and Business Initiative) is pleased to announce that they will be holding monthly networking lunches again, (the 3rd Wed. each month) with the first one scheduled for Wednesday, Novemeber 18th at…

Celebrating the spirit of winter and winter holidays are the themes of the winter concerts in the Somerville Public Schools. Elementary students will perform on Thursday, December 10th, and high school musicians and singers will…

“Ismael is a pillar in Somerville’s non-profit community and particularly in its immigrant community,” said CAAS Executive Director Kimberly Smith-Cofield. “He is a rare and wonderful gift to Somerville, and we are so lucky to have him.”

Groundwork Somerville is holding its first “Doughraiser” at Pizzeria Uno’s in Porter Square on Friday November 6th.  Uno’s will donate 20% of the check to Groundwork, if you write “Groundwork” on your check!

Groundwork…

North Cambridge Family Opera is holding auditions this coming weekend, Oct. 17 and 18, for its Spring 2010 production of Springtime for Haman. North Cambridge Family Opera specializes in fully sung theater productions for singers of all ages and encourages families to participate.

The Post-Meridian Radio
Players (PMRP) are pleased to announce the launch of the Web site and
ticket sales for “The Big Broadcast of October 30th, 1938″ – the
latest iteration of their annual Halloween tribute to the Golden Age
of Radio.

Three Somerville Climate Action members are opening their homes to show what they have done to reduce their carbon footprint, create green jobs, make their homes more comfortable, and save money.

On Friday, October 9 at 51 Winthrop Street, Amy Goodman, host of the award-winning “Democracy Now!” and David Goodman, prominent investigative journalist, will have a lively discussion about the problems and promise of media to bring about social change.

Join the Somerville Bicycle Committee for our 17th annual fall Tour de Somerville. This year’s theme is “Somerville: City of Seven (Or More) Hills”.

We’ll meet on Saturday, October 17 at 10 am at…

PDS is proud to endorse incumbents Bill White and Dennis Sullivan for reelection, and challenger Luis Morales. Each candidate brings something different to this race and the PDS membership voted to support those perspectives.

Somerville Cares About Prevention is seeking middle school students interested in community substance abuse prevention for its new Somerville Positive Forces Junior (SPF, Jr.) program.  Participants will be paid $100 for 2-4 hours per month…

2 degrees of warming. 350 parts per million. Does it seem as though we are on track to achieve these? Are you concerned about the chance of passing a meaningful global climate treaty in Copenhagen? Do you want to have a say in the future of our planet? Come to our Climate Action Party! [October 3rd, 7 p.m.] We will broaden our local network of activists, strategize how to make our voices heard, and plan for the days between now and December.

Buy gently used household goods, furniture, sporting equipment, bikes, and clothing at 600 Mystic Valley Parkway.

Here is the agenda for our meeting this coming Tuesday.

Somerville Human Rights Commission
Tuesday, Sep 15th Monthly Public Meeting
6:30pm-8:30pm
Super Stop & Shop
2nd Floor Conference Room
775 McGrath Hwy, Somerville…

I’m a fan of wind energy (excuse the pun.)  I remember when the powers-that-be in Somerville decided that there wasn’t enough wind power at Assembly Square to make a turbine worthwhile, but somehow Medford has enough wind a mile or so up the river.  Maybe we just have hot air!  In any case, every single time I’ve gone past Medford’s turbine, it’s spinning.…

We are happy to announce that C.A.R.E.’s having an adoption day! We hope to find homes for at least four cats, and it’s also a great chance to get to know our cause! We need people to adopt our wonderful cats, and volunteers to help out at the event! Please come to show your support!

The main focus of this meeting will be coming up to speed on climate change science and how to talk about it — we’ll get to practice! Everyone is welcome — please bring friends, family, neighbors, colleagues… Hope to see you there! Emily and Vanessa

Attention Future Somerville Hockey Stars! Visit Conway Park’s outdoor hockey rink on Sunday Sept. 13 from 3-5pm to learn about the game of hockey, how to measure for equipment and try your hand with a stick against members of the BU Terriers Men’s and Women’s 2009-1010 Hockey teams.

The Somerville Public Schools is celebrating local farms and farmers on Thursday, September 24th with fresh corn on the cob served at lunchtime.

Volunteers are sought to visit elementary schools between 7:30 and 8:00…

Please join the Mayor of Somerville, the Honorable Joseph A. Curatone, the Superintendent of Schools, Tony Pierantozzi, and representatives from the Board of Aldermen and Somerville School Committee for the dedication of the Brian Higgins…

From item # 79. of the Aug 27th BOA mtg agenda (pdf) :
Mayor’s Comm.
Proclaiming Monday, September 28, 2009, as Family Day, a day to eat dinner with your children.
Our baby daughter is usually in bed by the time we eat dinner, so I hope that’s ok.

How often does your family eat dinner together?

Why do you think the mayor would make this proclamation?…

On Aug 27th, the Board of Aldermen raised taxes on meals by 0.75% and on hotels by 2% effective Oct 1st, according to Danielle Dreilinger’s report today on Boston.com. These taxes will generate an estimated $620,715 in revenue. One wonders why this item did not appear on the meeting agenda (pdf) and also how the extra money will be spent?…

On Monday, August 31, 2009 beginning at 6:45 p.m., the Somerville School Committee will conduct a public hearing on the issue of participating in the inter-district-choice program for the 2009-2010 school year. …

Superintendent Tony Pierantozzi provides advice to families as they prepare for the new school year on Wednesday, September 2nd (Grades 1-12) or Tuesday, September 8th (Grades PK-K).

Read it online at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/administration

Sign a 350-ft. banner for a national climate change project – first stop Somerville! Send a message to the Obama administration
for strong global climate policy.

Join the Progressive Dems at the kick off of one of their endorsed candidates for School Committee!

Christine Rafal will be kicking off her campaign for School Committee on Sunday, September 13th from 3pm to 5pm at the Paddock Rest at 249 Pearl Street in Somerville. Suggested donation is $50.…

As many of you may be aware, STEP and Tufts University have come together in a community partnership to form CAFEH (the Community Assessment of Freeway Exposure). We have just begun a year long study to learn whether living very near major highways poses health concerns for residents’ health. I am writing to ask for your help. …

Celebrating at:

The Center for Arts at the Armory

191 Highland Ave, Somerville

Visit the Somerville Community Corporation online at SomervilleCDC.org

From the Tufts website:
All are invited to a day of education, art, and family entertainment. All activities, including lunch, are free of charge.

Residents, neighbors and friends are invited to celebrate the seventh annual Community day at Tufts University from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 27. The event will take place on the academic quad at Tufts’ Medford and Somerville campus and is cosponsored by the two cities.…

How do you know that I, Barry Rafkind, am a real person who is authoring this blog post? Maybe this name is just a pseudonym for somebody else? Until now, you’ve had to trust that I am who I say I am. But, now there is a brand new online service called Validize which allows anyone to authenticate him or herself and then display a “badge” on blogs to prove their identity.…

Although parking tickets are meant to punish violators and provide maximum street access to those who live, work, or visit here, the city depends on this revenue to shore up its budget. We intend to find out whether all residential neighborhoods and business districts pay an equitable share of parking fines. If not, why? We will analyze the ticket data to see who is paying or not and for which types of tickets.…

Today, Somerville became the 4th community in the “North of Boston” region to have its own Your Town portal on Boston.com. Your Town websites are local hubs for real estate, events, sports, news, schools, and…

2nd Floor Conference Room
Super Stop & Shop
775 Mcgrath Hwy

Agenda:

• Director’s Report
• Immigrant Police Dialogues
• Snow Removal Committee
• Other activities
• Recruitment
• Evaluate

Rite Aid warehouse workers in Lancaster, California need our support. Before workers voted to form a union in 2008, Rite Aid committed dozens of unfair labor practices. And since then, in an effort to prevent them from achieving a first contract, the warehouse workers have faced continuing anti-union terror.

Bill Bumpus and regular Somerville Voices contributor Fred Berman are the co-hosts of a live, (roughly) biweekly show on Somerville Cable Access Television (SCAT, Channel 3) titled “Progressive Voices”. If you or your organization are working to make a difference on a local, state, national or world level, we’d like to interview you!

This public hearing will be convened by the Traffic Board in the Aldemanic Chamber at City Hall. I initially noticed this in Deb Filcman’s Aug 7 SJ blog post.  For background about the parking changes, visit the SPARC blog , check out the just-posted video of the 7/27 interview on SCAT’s Progressive Voices of SPARC-co-founder Courtney Koslow,  or see the recent articles on Somerville Voices/Journal/News.…

‘Nuff talkin’. DRAW! Live comics creation, artistic head-to-head showdowns, live music, and PRIZES to benefit Boston Comics Roundtable.

Pig out and enjoy a cool drink and cooler music to benefit SHC!

Take action on climate change, learn skills, and build community! · Help to weatherize a Somerville house · Learn skills you can take back to your own home · Decrease carbon-emissions · Make new friends. … Here’s your chance to make a difference and learn something in the process…

For the latest clinics, programs and events related to Somerville youth sports and organizations – please log on to the ‘NEW” Somerville Youth Recreation Google Groups page.…

TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a FREE community-based training and team placement program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by youth soccer association volunteers. The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl, age 7-18, who have a mental or physical disability.…

Thanks to the Socialite plugin, you can now follow Somerville Voices on Facebook as well as Twitter. Befriend the blog and help spread the word to all your friends!…

Come out to our first endorsement meeting of the year! We will be making endorsements in the contested ward races which include the Ward 6 Alderman’s Race, the Ward 5 School Committee Race and the Ward 4 School Committee Race. This will be a great chance to learn about the candidates running, ask some important questions and put our PDS support to work!

All are invited to our next semi-biweekly blog meeting where we will discuss story ideas for our new journalism initiative, fundraising campaigns, and anything else related to the Somerville Voices blog.

Where : VNA…

Do you have any used or unwanted gadgets at home that you’d like to recycle? Would you also like to help support a great cause at the same time?! We at Somerville Voices are hosting an online gadget recycling drive through Gazelle to raise money for the blog and would love your support!…

Thanks to the TwitterBot plugin, you can now follow Somerville Voices blog posts on our Twitter account @SomervilleVox. Followers will receive short Tweets with the blog title and a link back to the post. This will help connect us with readers wherever they are using their mobile devices.…

Somerville High School Freshman Barbeques

*  Tuesday, August 25 from 5:00-7:00 PM: Students and families in Beacon House (students whose last names start with the letters A-DOQ) and Elm House (students whose last…

Somerville Parking Advocacy and Reform Coalition (SPARC), a group of business groups, neighborhood associations and concerned residents advocating for a more thoughtful and comprehensive approach to parking regulation in Somerville, has formed to addresses the recent citywide parking changes.…

We will look at what makes a radical organizing method by examining winnability, strategy/tactics, coalitions, spirituality, building a majority movement, role of political education, and the effectiveness of well known organizing methods such as 1-1’s, story-telling, relationship-building. The format will be group discussion.

The Somerville’s Human Rights Commission invites the public to its monthly meeting to discuss: * Recruitment (we currently only have 4 serving commissioners out of a possible 12) * Director’s Update
* Complaints before the commission * Any other business

Bill Bumpus and regular Somerville Voices contributor Fred Berman are the co-hosts of a live, (roughly) biweekly show on Somerville Cable Access Television (SCAT, Channel 3) titled “Progressive Voices”.

If you or your organization are working to make a difference on a local, state, national or world level, we’d like to interview you!

The Somerville Youth Soccer League is putting together a Somerville Youth Soccer Fundraiser Night! … On Behalf of myself and the Somerville Youth Soccer League – we thank you for your support! Best, John Teves – Somerville Youth/Recreation Commissioner

Interested in better public transportation? Open spaces? Affordability? Healthy communities? … The Community Corridor Planning Project will host station-based meetings throughout summer 2009 to engage the community in conversations about how the Green Line will affect their neighborhood. Our goals include…

Omar was a famed cartoonist, in the 70′s for the Phoenix and the TAB (you may remember his White Rabbit), recently for the Somerville Journal. He was also a well-known painter, and was active in the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee.

Save Money! – Learn New Things! – Get Help Without Paying! – Meet New Friends!

Have you ever noticed that people are good at different things? The Time Trade Circle lets us share our own skills and get help from others who offer things we need. When you spend an hour helping another member, one hour credit is added to your account. …

This new partnership will enable SV to collect and use tax-deductible donations from you so we can focus on producing high quality local stories that matter to you while SCAT (Somerville Community Access TV) gets to handle our filings to the IRS and also take a small cut for their help.…

Hello my name is Clivia Camara I am a youth member of the Welcome Project.  As a supporter of the Welcoming  Massachusetts Campaign I’m forwarding this information hoping to see you at this such important meeting as part of your support to the Welcoming Massachusetts Compaign and the immigrant  youth of Somerville.…

Please join us to support the Somerville Commission for Women at El Potro in Union Square… Appetizers and Live Music will be provided.

Please join us for a team meeting this Friday, June 19th, 6:30-8:30pm to discuss the blog and plans for community-funded reporting.…

Please join us for a meeting of the Educational Programs Subcommittee on Wednedsay, June 17 at 7:30 pm in the School Department Central Office, 181 Washington Street. The main agenda item will be a discussion of the District’s Middle Grades Initiative, which the School Committee has identified as one of its top priorities.

We campaigned, we won and now we want to hear from YOU about changes you want to see in our community. Please join us on Mon. June 22nd at 6:30pm for a Cambridge-Somerville f