Well it is poetry month, and although T.S. Eliot characterized it as the cruelest month, it is not for poets. I mean our landscape is littered with poetry events. For the past few years I have been on the Advisory Board for the Mass. Poetry Festival, that started in Lowell, Mass. and since has moved to Salem, Mass. Mike Ansara , who founded the festival, January O’Neil and Jennifer Jean as well as countless others have nurtured the festival in impressive ways. From April 20 to 22 there are a plethora of events in Salem that you can enjoy: readings, music events, slams, a  small press fair, and the beat goes on.  The website for the said Festival is:  http://masspoetry.org/. Below is an article from the website of the Mass. Poetry Festival that gives you valuable information. Hope to see you there!

The City’s 237th annual Patriot’s Day celebration will be held at Foss Park on Monday, April 16 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.

The Somerville Chamber of Commerce Green Committee and the City of Somerville invite local business and non-profit organizations to exhibit at the 2012 B2Green Expo & Networking – a jam packed mini-expo and a cool Business After Hours event.  Over a dozen exhibitors have already signed on. The 2012 event focus is Green Jobs & Economy and encompasses green innovation across all sectors.  Exhibiting at B2Green is an excellent way to showcase your organization; establish contacts with your industry peers locally; and expose your work to the media.  The exhibitor deadline is Friday, April 20, 2012.  Contact B2Green Chair Rebecca Schrumm rjschrumm@hotmail.com

Somerville artist/animator Alex Salsberg observes and renders the world around him in his own unique way.

Jeremy F. van der Heiden

“I’ve been drawing my whole life,” Alex Salsberg exclaimed over a cup of coffee, “When I was six, I decided I wanted to be a newspaper cartoonist.”

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte 

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

As the weather starts getting nicer, something is in the air. You can take a breath and smell optimism. The city is buzzing. Ahead of us are beaches, camping, baseball and generally enjoying the outdoors. Many road races, outdoor festivals (The Sunsetters), and summer recreational programs are coming up.

The city’s annual Shape Up Somerville / Somerville Recreation Road Race will be held on Sunday, April 15, starting and ending at the Somerville High School concourse, 93 Highland Avenue. The day will begin with a 1-mile children’s “Fun Run” at 10:30 a.m., followed by a 2.7-mile walk at 10:30 a.m. and a 2.7-mile adult race at 11 a.m.

Collecting sports memorabilia can become a game changer once the bug bites you. – Photo courtesy of Kenneth Gloss

By Kenneth Gloss

This is a reprinted article from the September 7, 2011, edition of The Somerville News. We present it again this week to commemorate the 100^th anniversary of Fenway Park.

Since the incredible World Series win of 2004 by the Boston Red Sox, interest in all sports has increased and over the past 25 years, interest in sports collectibles has continued to skyrocket. Baseball has been particularly popular – it is the epitome of America. There is a little bit of baseball woven throughout much of the American story, and there are books to collect for every era, every team, every league and every standout player in the history of the game.

Part 2:  What I think it is
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By William C. Shelton

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville News belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville News, its staff or publishers.)

Presuming to define love is an act of hubris. So please understand that I am writing about what love means to me.

I should explain that I’m not talking about the completely selfless love ancient Greeks called “agape” and Christians call “grace.” That is a love that is inspired by the beloved’s mere existence, and it endures no matter how pleasing or disgusting, kind or cruel, loving or hateful the beloved’s behavior may be.

By Jim Clark 

A complaint was called into Somerville Police last Friday as a woman reported that a man who was sitting in a vehicle parked at the Market Basket on Somerville Ave. was exposing himself to passers by at that location.

Anika Gregg, Special Projects Coordinator of Stand for Children Massachusetts.

By Cathleen Twardzik

Stand for Children Leadership Center Massachusetts recently launched a contest called Our Heroes, which was designed to recognize and to reward outstanding public school teachers. The contest will award $1,000 to as many as five such teachers to use for classroom supplies or for professional development expenses.