Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I grew up in Somerville with second-generation Italian parents. My friends were of many different ethnicities, and most of our grandparents were, as they said, “Off the boat,” a term I never liked.

We were pretty close to our grandparents, both location-wise and emotionally. My mother could speak Italian, but my dad was fluent. Dad was the first one in the family to be born in America, shortly after the family arrived. I heard a lot of strange stories about customs, traditions, and superstitions.

Posto executive chef Juan G. Perez is considered to be among the top pizza chefs worldwide. — Photo by Duvan Rojas

By Norah Doyle

Juan G. Perez, executive chef of Somerville restaurant Posto, has been named one of the top 100 pizza chefs in the world.

Somerville residents and visitors alike adore Posto, ranking the restaurant 4 out of 5 stars on most popular review sites, but how much do they know about the man behind the pizza?

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

We write as a group of Jewish Somerville residents who are alarmed by the way that support for Palestinian lives has been falsely conflated in public discourse with antisemitism. We also write specifically as Jewish residents who have been excited, inspired, and impressed by At-Large Councilor Willie Burnley Jr’s campaign for Mayor of Somerville.

July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the diversity, strength, and achievements of individuals with disabilities. On Thursday, July 24, 5 p.m., 93 Highland Ave., join Mayor Ballantyne, City Council members, the SPCD, and RSJ to raise the Disability Pride flag above Somerville’s City Hall. Families are encouraged to join in to hoist the flag together. For more information, visit https://www.somervillema.gov/news/honoring-disability-pride-month-somerville.

This year’s ArtBeat festival took place in Davis Square on Saturday, July 19. This year’s theme was FREEZE – bringing snowflakes, frozen moments, and glacial vibes on the hottest day of the year. Approximately 100 craft and food vendors, community organizations, and general talent artists were on the street, with two stages of music and a dance showcase at the Somerville Theater.

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

Last week, the Somerville Times published the commentary, “Who is a good jew?” In the commentary, a Somerville resident defended the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as essential to combating antisemitism and criticized the National Education Association’s (NEA) decision to cut ties with the ADL. While the author’s personal experiences of antisemitism are valid and critical for all to hear, the author misses the mark in his defense of a powerful organization like the ADL. Jewish safety doesn’t come from gatekeeping or aligning with power; it comes from solidarity.

For some, it’s a clear-cut case of following the law or breaking the law. For others, human compassion overrides these concerns, and there seems to be no other way than to aid and protect those who are in the most need of help.

The sanctuary city issue has come to a head with the federal government’s new policy of these cities going along with its mass deportation efforts or else lose federal funding.

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On a recent trip to Kauai, Hawaii, I purposely ventured out to try some traditional dishes of Hawaii.

My first stop was Pono Market in Kapaa. The market was a busy little hole in the wall packed with assorted drinks, and other premade, quick grab and go items. They also gave the option of combination plates which included a variety of main dishes like, fried chicken, kalua pork, chicken curry, pork lau lau, chicken lau lau, teri meatloaf, and side dishes like different types of poke, Korean tako, spicy ahi, Shoyu ahi, rice, potato mac salad, cucumber kimchee, and rice pudding, just to name a few.

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A Handpicked Poem

By Off the Shelf Correspondent Michael Todd Steffen

Who the heck is Ralph Branca? Well, as baseball fans (and there are poets among this group) may know, Branca was a not bad, not bad at all pitcher in the Major Leagues between 1944 and 1956, with the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Detroit Tigers, and finally with the New York Yankees. The specific moment of Branca’s career that still registers with us is that he gave up the game-winning homerun to Bobby Thompson of the New York Giants in a 1951 playoff game, and that hit became known as The Miracle of Coogan’s Bluff, and also as The Shot Heard Around the World.