Hey! You may remember me and Ben (AKA u/r00k ) from the "Average E-Bike Speeds on the Somerville Community Path" report.

Gas-powered mopeds have been a frequent topic of concern and discussion on the subreddit, and we hoped to take some measurements of mopeds for the original project. But in the time we were out there measuring speeds, we didn't observe a single one.

So we're looking for advice and suggestions. Where do you usually see mopeds on the Community Path, what spots or sections? What times of day do you see them? We want to collect some data and make some observations. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

The ash tree nearest my house is completely bare, its golden leaves shed for the year. The locusts are following, helped I'm sure by the near-frost we had over the weekend. I took a long walk on Sunday morning and didn't see any signs of frost but let me know if you got hit! My own little outdoor garden weathered the cold nights fine, the volunteer dill still growing like feathery forest.

Orange coming in

Global warming sucks for uncountable reasons. But one that is a mixed blessing is the stretching out of the foliage season. Where it used to be one big intense show, with all the colors coming at once, these days you get these stages and the season stretches out for weeks or months. Whether that's good or bad is up to how you enjoy your pleasures.

The earliest seem to be the trees governed by the length of the day -- axial tilt does not care about climate change and the nights stretch out even in our warmest years. I'm going to see if I can find some information about why the earliest trees seem to be mostly yellow-gold (our locusts and ashes).

I don't know if sugar maples are determined by temperature or length of day, but they are really coming into their own now. The clouds and rain last week did us no favors on bright, clear days, when the sunlight streams through that orange, the trees seem to catch fire.

Red is probably next and I'll keep an eye out for the best red. Look forward to some really stunning maples and more sumacs.

Hawks

Sunday, walking back from True Grounds, I heard that red-tailed hawk scream. LOUD. Arrestingly loud. I rocked to a stop and looked up to see five hawks circling lazily on the thermals overhead. (TBH, I saw four. My partner saw five though.)

It's not shocking -- this is the peak of their migration season. And all those rats and bunnies we complain about are excellent food for our red tailed neighbors. (Ditch the poison, folks!) But I've never seen five (or four) together at the same time and spent a happy ten minutes watching their swooping loops.

My partner says that, in parts of Texas, you can see hundreds of broad-wings circling in clusters known as "kettles". Their "heading for winter homes in Central and South America" according to Audubon Texas.

Be smart, be safe, be curious, be kind.

Lit Knits is a cannabis friendly knitting circle in Somerville! We meet weekly on Thursdays at 6:30pm at The Goods dispensary in Davis Sq. No tickets or reservations needed! Just bring yourself, your craft and your ID. The dispensary is 21+. All crafts welcome as long as they are portable!

Hi everyone,

My family was involved in a serious rear-end collision with a large commercial Ford F600 truck on I-93 North in Somerville, near The Home Depot, on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at approximately 2:30 PM. At the time of the accident, traffic was heavily congested, and all the vehicles ahead of us, including the car directly in front of us, were completely stopped.

Our vehicle was also at a complete stop when the commercial truck struck us forcefully from behind, pushing our vehicle forward into the car ahead. Following the accident, the truck driver did not acknowledge responsibility for the collision, and his behavior and condition appeared unusual to us.

This was our first car accident, and we were extremely shaken and overwhelmed by what had happened. Because of the shock and stress at the scene, we were unable to carefully check everything or gather all the information and evidence we might have needed. Unfortunately, both my wife and I are still experiencing pain and physical discomfort following the collision, and we have not been feeling well since the accident.

We are now trying to find any witnesses or dashcam footage that may have captured the collision or the moments leading up to it. Our goal is simply to understand exactly what happened and ensure that liability is assessed fairly and accurately by the insurance companies based on objective evidence.

If anyone was driving on I-93 North near The Home Depot in Somerville between approximately 2:15 and 2:45 PM on October 17, or happened to witness the accident, we would be extremely grateful if you could reach out.

Even a short dashcam recording from before or after the collision could be incredibly helpful.

Please feel free to send me a private message if you have any footage or information.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to offer. We truly appreciate it.

Has anyone been approached by a young woman asking if there’s “Any good Catholic Churches nearby?” More so towards the Cambridge line around Inman and Porter. She’ll start with complimenting a clothing item and then ask about the churches.

It happened to me last Monday and it happened to my friend today. We’re both late 20s women. They were looking for specifically “word of mouth” recommendations When we both said we don’t go to church they left. The fact that they both used identical phrasing’s and where what we believe to be different women adds to the concern.

Has anyone encountered a scenario like this lately?

Anyone know why there is a long line outside Neighborhood Produce? Medford Street location, it’s 6:00 pm and we just drove by it.

Does anyone have any idea what’s going on with Morrison /boston ave ? Every time I drive there’s a different road closed sign in a new location it’s impossible to predict what route I should take. How long until the work is cleared up?

Hello! As a cyclist I find that riding in the bike lanes is sometimes dangerous? Main concern is drivers who blow through the bike lane when they’re turning into the street you’re riding down. At least once every ride a driver screeches to a stop when they realize they need to consider the bike lane before turning. Specifically talking about the Beacon St. bike lane that starts near Bicycle Belle and takes you into Inman Square. Always on super high alert in this stretch. I honestly ride in the regular car lane now to avoid this because I’ve had so many close calls.

Also! all of the vehicles (uber cars, UPS trucks, etc.) that temporarily park in the bike lane...yes, sometimes easy to ride around them, but sometimes they genuinely compromise the position of the cyclist. 

So many new designated bike lanes have popped up in the area recently, which is great because they remind drivers that we have a place on the road, but the regular road sometimes feels safer…

Anyone else feel similarly / have any close calls biking around Somerville? Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Unfortunately I tore my ACL (and meniscus) recently, and so will be unable to run the Cambridge half as planned :((

I paid $136, and there’s a $25 transfer fee on RunSignUp (the official price is now at $147, happy to discuss to make it worth your while). Comment/DM me if interested!

Thanks for helping an injured friend out!

I have a bit of laminating to do for a Halloween costume. The library does have a laminator available to borrow but I'm worried my hold won't come in soon enough. Does anyone have a laminator I could borrow for half an hour? I'll bring the sheets and maybe baked goods or something if you're interested. I'm in Spring Hill but I can take a train to you if that's easier. Let me know, thank you!

hi everyone! i lost a pokewalker in west somerville somewhere along/near the alewife greenway bike path or the mystic river path. if anyone finds it i would really appreciate it if you could let me know so i can get it back! i’m attaching a picture of what a pokewalker looks like (mine is missing the back portion of it).
thank you!!

Hi community -- I'd love any leads to finding my bike that was taken from my backyard right outside of Davis Square.

It's old, but in great shape and means a lot to me.

I know it's a longshot that I'll find it, but thought it was worth posting.

Hi! I am looking to become a part time dog walker in Boston and I’m not sure how else to get out there. I’m a huge animal lover and I’m super active so I can keep up with your dogs needs! I have lots of experience caring for dogs as I’ve had my own. Let me know if you or someone you know is interested and I can share more about myself! If anyone has any suggestions on platforms that you can sign up for to dog walker also lmk. ❤️🐶

Has anyone been to the new format and how was it? Thanks.

Hi, my girlfriend and I were walking past the Teele square laundromat recently and noticed a sign in the window saying they’re still offering wash and fold services with a number to call to place an order. We figured we should try it out to help support them after the fire and through repairs and such (and having our laundry done for us would be a nice bonus too lol). I’ve tried calling a few times during what would’ve been normal business hours but they haven’t picked up and their mailbox is full so I can’t leave a message either. Has anyone had any luck contacting them and using these services since the fire? Curious as to whether or not there may be an alternative way to communicate with them. We’d really like to support them, that laundromat was/is great and always our go-to!

Hey, Somerville! Looking for any help locating a car key which somehow managed to work itself free of my keychain yesterday (Sunday October 18). The general vicinity for it would be somewhere within this rectangle: Community Path to Cedar St, Cedar St to Highland Ave, Highland Ave to just past Central, Central to Community Path. If you happen to find a Toyota key, please let me know! Thank you!

Hi all I signed up for the 4 mile thanksgiving run in Davis this year because I enjoyed last year so much. My thanksgiving plans changed and I no longer can run. If anyone hasn’t signed up yet and would let me transfer my registration that would be great! I am willing to lose some $$. I paid $45 and it comes with an adult medium shirt.

Thanks 🦃 🏃‍♀️