WINNERS & LOSERS

YOUNG VOTERS A new bill filed by Rep. Christine Barber proposes that Somerville residents ages 16 and 17 should have voting rights in local elections—and city officials support it. For them, the bill confirms what is already reality. “Teenagers in our cities and towns are involved with and educated about the issues that affect them and their community,” Mayor Joe Curtatone said at the State House in January. Barber shared a similar sentiment: “Young people are leading the way on so many issues—it seems only right to include them in the important process of electing representatives.”

STATE LOTTERY Walter Morales bought a winning scratch ticket for the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “$2,000,000 50X Cashword” instant game at Mid-Nite Convenience, located at 15 Union Sq., in January. He chose to receive a one-time payment of $650,000. The convenience store gets a bonus payment of $10,000 for making the sale. He plans on investing his prize, he told Patch.

CLIFF NOTEZ Rapper and producer Cliff Notez has landed a spot on the musical festival Boston Calling’s lineup this year. The founder of the Winter Hill-based production company HipStory, who split his childhood between Somerville and Dorchester, says that Somerville has nurtured his growth as a rapper. He played his first headlining show at ONCE Somerville. Though he’s grateful to have seen his career grow quickly, he says he spends a lot of time advocating for other talent in the city.

“Everything Hip does is for the betterment of the community,” he says. “Let’s highlight our city. Let’s do our own version of [performances like NPR’s Tiny

HIGH RENT Compared to other cities in the

Boston area, Somerville has seen the highest rate of rent growth from December 2018 to December 2019, according to the 2020 National Rent Report. With a median one-bedroom rent of $1,770 and a median two-bedroom rent of $2,195, Somerville’s rent growth this year is quadruple the nationwide increase of 1.4 percent. Rising rent has been a problem in Somerville for years, but rent hikes could slow down in 2020. City officials are aiming to address the issue with new rent control measures, and new condos in Cambridge and Somerville could lower prices for older buildings.

LEAD EXPOSURE An annual test by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority found high levels of lead in some Somerville homes. The culprit is the city’s older piping systems, since water corrodes the lead-based materials that comprise the pipes. The Somerville Water Department sampled 15 homes for lead levels and only found two with levels that exceeded the national “action level” of 15 ppb (parts per billion), but Somervillans should still be proactive about checking their homes for lead. To combat this common contaminant, residents can take care to filter their water, test their children for lead exposure, and run the faucet for up to two minutes before taking a sip.

Desk Concerts and SoFar Sounds shows.]”

OFFICE SPACE The Somerville Media Center and the Mass. Alliance for Portuguese Speakers will need to move out of their offices in the Union Square firehouse due to an “urgent need” for repairs to the roof, clock tower, and walls of the building, city officials said. The conditions of the building are so dire that “a major storm could at any time create a situation where the building would have to be vacated immediately,” Denise Taylor, the city’s director of communications and community engagement, said. Somerville Media Center Board of Directors President Joe Lynch anticipates the move will occur by summer 2020. Currently, he is doing site visits in search of a new commercial space, he says.

SCOUT TO THE SOUTH

Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the Meet the Makers Issue of our sibling publication, Scout Cambridge.

REPARATORY JUSTICE A group of Harvard students has uncovered the school has significant ties to the prisonindustrial complex, and they’re speaking up. We break down what The Harvard Prison Fund Divestment Campaign group has done so far, and what they’re planning next.

BORN AND RAISED Cambridge-raised rapper King Fiya is riding a wave of momentum, releasing three albums in three years and always thinking ahead to the next project.

LOVE LETTER TO CAMBRIDGE Known for his murals around the world, Caleb Neelon remembers the Cambridge he grew up in, dives deep into his latest mural in Central Square, and talks about his process.