Eight local female musicians will be presenting This Year’s Model: All Femme Birthday Tribute to Elvis Costello at Johnny D’s on August 25.

By Blake Maddux

Whether you know him by his voice, his face, or both, Elvis Costello is one of the most recognizable individuals in popular music. In his unremitting five decades as a professional musician, Costello has been a solo artist, fronted The Attractions and The Imposters, and written, recorded, and toured with colleagues such as The Pogues, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Allen Toussaint, Emmylou Harris, Aimee Mann, and The Brodsky Quartet.

— Photos by Doug Holder

A number of Somerville businesses are now in the new Boston Public Market at Haymarket in Boston. The Boston Public Market is a year-round, indoor market featuring fresh, locally sourced food brought directly to and from the diverse people that make up Massachusetts and New England. At the Boston Public Market, farmers, fishermen, and food producers from Massachusetts and throughout New England offer the public a year-round source of fresh, local food and an opportunity to taste, buy, and understand what our region has to offer.

By William C. Shelton

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

Last month it got a lot easier for neighbors plagued by motorists speeding down narrow residential streets to do something about it. Aldermen, city staff, citizens and the mayor’s office worked together to make it happen.

The Agile Rascal Traveling Bike Theatre is coast to coast and soon to be entertaining Somerville audiences at Arts at the Armory on August 22.

By Mariya Manzhos

When the actors from the Agile Rascal Traveling Bike Theatre left the Bay Area for their cross-continental tour, they must have felt quite proud of their light packing. But biking nearly 70 miles a day has a punishing way of revealing over-optimism, and the group quickly realized they needed to reduce weight.

Due to inclement weather, today’s Union Lunch is cancelled.

Each Friday all summer long, enjoy lunch specials from neighborhood restaurants, live music from local bands, and cool happenings from your favorite Union Square shops and friends. Bring your friends, your coworkers, your kids, and meet us for lunch!

By Joseph A. Curtatone

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

Panificadora Modelo has been a mainstay in Magoun Square for a number of years, a beloved and locally owned corner bakery that is popular for its Brazilian baked goods, breakfast and coffee. So Brazilian-born owner Joe DeSouza’s expansion by opening Modelo’s Butcher Market across the street from the bakery two years ago is the exact kind of entrepreneurship we want to encourage and see in our community. Unfortunately, the market didn’t achieve the same kind of success as the bakery right away, and in a changing urban real estate market, not every small business owner has the resources to adapt, survive and thrive. We want this kind of investment in our community. That’s why the City is offering those resources through a number of City programs we’ve put in place, which DeSouza took advantage of, which led up to him last week cutting the ribbon on a revamped Modelo’s Market & Café with a remodeled interior and a new marketing strategy. It’s a story of his determination, but also how the community, via the City, can help our local businesses thrive. You could call this an “it takes a City” story.

— Photos by Claudia Ferro

In the culmination of their summer theatre camp, Somerville’s Project STAR youth presented their 2015 performance See You Again! on Thurs., August 13 at in the West Somerville Neighborhood cafetorium.

A “Black Lives Matter” banner hangs above the entrance of City Hall in Somerville. — Photos by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

A “Black Lives Matter” banner was hung outside of City Hall in Somerville on Wednesday morning.

According to media reports, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has been working with Black Lives Matter Cambridge in preparing the banner.

Update from The Somerville Boxing Club: The fight has been moved from Dilboy Stadium to Somerville High School because of a chance of rain. Enter at the atrium at SHS.

The Somerville Boxing Club, the Somerville Recreation Dept., Mayor Curtatone and USA Boxing present Somerville Fight Night, Friday August 21 at Dilboy Stadium.   Enjoy a night of New England’s Best Amateur Fighters and support the club and the good work they do for local kids. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth, and under 12 is free with paid adult admission. For ticket information call 617-764-3326. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., first bout at 7:00 p.m.

By Haley ED Houseman

Traditional taxi companies are questioning the ability of operations like Uber to provide safe service to those in need of personal transport. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

After the taxi driver strike earlier this month, tensions are rising over the so-called sharing economy app Uber. According to The Boston Globe, at the protest, Cambridge City Councilor Nadeem Mazen argued with some of the protesting drivers after they overheard him remark he uses Uber regularly. “You guys realize the constituency that supports Uber is the majority and you’re the minority, right?” the frustrated councilor said. “The state is about to make Uber legal. It’s about to make it fully legal, OK? And you guys are about to be in an even worse position.”