Sean Gaskell will give a performance on the Kora, an ancient 21-stringed harp from West Africa. Joining him will be Dave Kobrenski on the Fulani Flute. They will feature traditional songs that are the heart and soul of the Koras musical repertoire in addition to some of Gaskell’s personal compositions. The show will take place at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., on Saturday, January 10 at 8 p.m. Admission is free, although donations will be very much appreciated.

By Rebecca Danvers

The City of Somerville has recently reported that with limited space and thousands of active residents, it is reviewing recommendations made by the Recreational Fields Task Force for new policies and best practices for field permitting, use, and maintenance. Moving forward, the City will also create an Action Plan that outlines future steps to be taken to manage field usage.

The Community Preservation Committee invites all interested community members to hear about the Community Preservation Act (CPA) project proposals before the Community Preservation Committee and offer feedback on which deserve to receive funding at two community meetings in January. The first will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. and the second will be held on Monday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in the community room at the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) at 259 Lowell St. Parking is extremely limited at the VNA, so please make arrangements to walk, bike, carpool, or use street parking. See the attached flyer for details. For more information, contact Emily Monea at 617-625-6600 x2118 or emonea@somervillema.gov.

By Douglas Yu

It was a dream that the City of Somerville had since the Green Line Extension Project (GLX) was first brought up. After years of city planning and discussion on how it may impact the neighborhoods and residents in the future, the project finally received its funding from the U.S. federal government.

By Jim Clark

Police were dispatched to a Cross St. apartment on the evening of New Year’s Day on reports of a disturbance at that location.

Join East Somerville Main Streets on Monday, January 12, for “A farewell to Carrie” at the East End Grille, as they say goodbye to their director of eight years and celebrate some of the great things they have achieved in that time.

— Photos by Donald Norton

The 239th annual “Grand Union” flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park was held on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015 at 12 p.m.

A processional led by a re-enactor portraying General George Washington on horseback left from the City Hall Concourse at 11:30 a.m. Members of the public were invited to participate and encouraged to wear traditional colonial clothing.

Eagle Feathers #69 – Henry’s Tin Lizzie

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

The year was 1926 and Henry Ford – “The king of the road” – had already sold fifteen million automobiles. The product was his “Model T,” nicknamed the “Tin Lizzie.” It had been the best-selling car in the world for the previous eighteen years.

We need laws in this land of ours to protect us from those who would do us harm, steal our property, etc. There are times when some of us may even need protection from ourselves. The challenge for any society that values its essential freedoms is to strike a fair balance between what is barely essential and what may be regarded as excess when it comes to the rules and regulations that govern our daily lives.

Check out the sketchbooks of Somerville’s artists at Nave Gallery beginning this weekend.

By Laura Stiffler

This Friday, January 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., the Nave Gallery Annex will be holding the opening reception for its upcoming exhibition, The Sketchbook Show. The showcase features works from 20 different artists and focuses primarily on the sketches from their personal sketchbooks.