politics Archives

Collage by Jason Pramas, CC-BY-SA 2.0. Mailing Junk back to Junk Mailers by Oran Viriyincy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Somerville PD Ford Police Interceptor Utility by Jason Lawrence. CC-BY 2.0.

LETTER: ARTICLE ON COUNCIL DEBATE OVER SHANNON GRANT ‘HEAVILY FAVORS SUPPORTERS’

Hi there, My name is Alessandra Seiter, and I’m a Somerville resident, a librarian, and a monthly supporter of BINJ. I’m incredibly grateful for the work y’all do in providing local news coverage (so we don’t have to rely on Twitter), and in empowering residents to report on their own

ALESSANDRA SEITER July 21, 2022

Somerville PD Ford Police Interceptor Utility by Jason Lawrence. CC-BY 2.0.

SUMMER VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM APPROVED

With shootings on the rise, councilors debate funding for annual regional policing initiative A state-funded grant that has been used for many years by the Somerville Police to combat youth violence was subjected to two heated discussions last week, before being approved by the City Council. The question was whether

LINDA PINKOW July 19, 2022

Road closure for Broadway bridge demolition March 2019. MassDOT, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

COUNCIL WANTS COPS OFF CONSTRUCTION DETAILS

Final decision on using civilian flaggers to be made by Mayor Ballantyne and City staff (Somerville Wire) – The City Council has approved a resolution in favor of civilians taking control over traffic details at construction sites. “I have never really understood why traffic details are exclusively worked by police

LINDA PINKOW May 17, 2022

"Stop Abortion Bans Now" by Fibonacci Blue. CC-BY 2.0. Original photo cropped for the Somerville Wire by Jason Pramas.

OPINION: R.I.P. ROE?

Freedom is a constant struggle When my family moved to Massachusetts, my mother couldn’t legally get birth control or even learn about it. By the time I was in college, the Supreme Court had ensured that married women could get birth control, though unmarried women couldn’t. By the time our daughter was born, the

PAT JEHLEN May 4, 2022

Fish house, Somerville. Photo by Jason Pramas. Copyright 2022 Jason Pramas.

SOMERVILLE WIRE: MAY 3, 2022 WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Proakis Seeking Job in Watertown, Youth March for Peace, and More Articles ANOTHER SEASON OF OUTDOOR DINING BEGINS City still working to help restaurants survive ICYMI: DONATE TO THE SOMERVILLE MEDIA FUND! Somerville Media Center and BINJ join forces to create municipal foundation to support nonprofit community journalism Shorts Proakis

LINDA PINKOW May 3, 2022

OPINION: TYING UP SOME LOOSE ENDS

Reflecting on the “Curtatone era” and Mayor Katjana Ballantyne’s time, so far While I realize that it’s possible that no one thought twice about something I wrote about Joe Curtatone in my last column, I regretted it immediately after seeing it in print on December 22. And I am not

KEN BROCINER March 11, 2022

SOMERVILLE WIRE: MARCH 1, 2022 WEEKLY ROUNDUP

James Beard Awards, a town hall with A.G. Maura Healey, and a Western Washington Street mobility improvements meeting Articles ARTIST PROFILE: SAKURAKO KANEMITSU How the musician brings a joy and love of piano to East Somerville PARENTS CALL FOR SWIFT ACTION ON BROWN SCHOOL PLAY YARD The deterioration of the

SHIRA LAUCHAROEN March 1, 2022

SOMERVILLE WIRE: JANUARY 25, 2022 WEEKLY ROUNDUP

An honoring of outgoing city councilors, a Gilman Square public art search, and a Somerville Museum exhibit on chocolate Articles HOW DO WE KEEP ARTISTS IN SOMERVILLE? The City held a discussion of the Somerville Arts Space Risk Assessment BUSINESS PROFILE: RAZORS BARBERSHOP & SHAVE CO. Stop by Highland Avenue,

SHIRA LAUCHAROEN January 25, 2022

VACCINE MANDATE IN SOMERVILLE IS DEFEATED, 2-1

The Somerville policy would have required that proof of vaccination be shown at the door of certain indoor spaces A vaccine mandate for certain indoor businesses was defeated 2-1 by Somerville’s Board of Health on Thursday, after an earlier meeting was “bombed” by a group led by an Internet personality

SHIRA LAUCHAROEN January 20, 2022

SOMERVILLE VACCINE MANDATE VOTE WAS DISRUPTED BY A GROUP LED BY PEABODY INTERNET PERSONALITY

Officials expressed concern about comments that turned aggressive and violent Somerville’s Board of Health will try again Thursday to vote on a vaccine mandate for certain indoor businesses after a delay Friday caused by a group crashing its virtual meeting, unleashing heated barbs that officials called “aggressive” and “violent.” The

SHIRA LAUCHAROEN January 19, 2022