Spring 2011 Editor’s Note

Are you eating enough fruits and veggies? Not everyone is. In a 2010 survey in which the majority of respondents were low-income residents of Winter Hill, 32 percent reported eating less than one fruit or vegetable per day. Is it hard to find produce in Somerville? And how does our city’s diversity – ethnic and economic – inform the issue of food access? Shannon Cain Arnold investigates these subjects (“A Seat at the Table,” p. 22). She’s also got the scoop on a new farmers market opening in East Somerville in June.
In addition, Shannon’s piece explores what Somerville’s students are eating for lunch. Speaking of our students: They are fast becoming software experts, mastering tools such as Glogster, PowerPoint, Edmoto and Skype (“Next-generation learning,” p. 16). In the third of our four-part series on education, Jason Rabin examines how Somerville’s schools – traditional public, charter and private – are cultivating high-tech teaching and research techniques. There was a time when school libraries were a place for Dewey Decimals and ink stamps. Now those libraries are in the midst of a digital transition.
On the outskirts of Davis Square is a business that knows all about digital transition: the one and only Q Division Studios (363 Highland Ave), which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. In case you didn’t know, Q Division is a recording studio where Destiny’s Child, Ozzy Osbourne and Boyz II Men have all paid visits. The studio also has a relationship with the TV show “Glee.” How has Q Division thrived amidst a stagnant recording industry? Jeff Breeze probes this topic – and dishes the details on “Glee” – in his profile (“A quarter century of Q Division,” p. 28).
From music and TV we go to the movies – specifically, films that could be developed from Somerville stories (“Somerville on the silver screen” by Meghann Ackerman, p. 32).  Attention, agents and producers: Your next box-office smash is right here. And attention, residents – if you have any ideas for Somerville movies, please share them with us on Twitter .
Somerville is a strong presence not only in the Twittersphere, but also on the Internet in general. We felt it was high time to organize Somerville’s sites into a scheme – a guiding principle. With the help of designer Althea Chen, we devised a roadmap of Somerville online (p. 26). If we forgot your favorite site, please let us know.
Spring has arrived, and with it warmer weather and longer daylight. It’s the time of year when it gets easier to walk or bike to any restaurant within Somerville’s four miles and grab a late dinner. In this issue Lingbo Li reviews Yak & Yeti (719 Broadway), which opened last year with a dual Nepalese/Indian menu (“Himalayan Hunger,” p. 14).
Spring also means football season has arrived – at least in Somerville. The world champion Boston Militia kick off their home schedule at Dilboy Stadium (110 Alewife Brook Pkwy) on April 16. Amy Rossi checks in with a season preview, along with a game plan on how women’s tackle football can gain ground on the national sports radar (“Movin’ on up,” p. 12). Watch out, NFL. –Ilan Mochari