Last summer, at the defunct Sherman Cafe, Harris Gardner, Kirk Etherton, Greg Jenkins and myself met to establish the position of the first Somerville Poet Laureate. Here is an interview with Nicole Terez Dutton, conducted by Somerville Community Access TV reporter  Laura Onyeneho.

This week our poet is Lawrence Kessenich. He dedicates this poem to Somerville resident and poet Kirk Etherton.

Ready, set, go! The City’s annual Shape Up Somerville/Somerville Recreation Road Race is set for Sun., Apr. 19, beginning and ending at the Somerville High School Concourse at 81 Highland Ave.

Arrests:
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Tanya Venezia, of 179 Temple St., W. Roxbury, February 24, 8:11 p.m., arrested at Everett Ave. on a warrant charge of failure to return leased motor vehicle.

Stanley Enayo, of 88 Bradford St., Everett, February 26, 12:34 a.m., arrested at 23 Cummings St. on a charge of possession of a class A drug.

Joan Osborne will be gracing Johnny D’s with her presence on March 6.

By Jim Clark

Joan Osborne’s 1995 mega-hit single One Of Us made her an overnight sensation, and the widely popular song, from her Relish album, has stood as a classic standard of its time.

Her career has not rested on the laurels bestowed to her for that effort alone, and she has kept recording and playing for grateful fans throughout the ensuing years, serving up nine studio and two outstanding live albums along the way.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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)

This past Saturday, I had to retrieve one of my favorite scarves that I left at Burton’s Grill in Burlington. I decided since I was right there, I’d do a little shopping at the Market Basket in the same complex. (Thanks Burton’s for taking care of my scarf!)

Senator Pat Jehlen

By Rebecca Danvers

The sixth of eight Commonwealth Conversations tours crossing the state comes to the area on March 4. Senators Pat Jehlen, Will Brownsberger, Sonia Chang-Díaz, Sal DiDomenico, Linda Dorcena Forry, and Anthony Petruccelli will tour schools, local businesses, redevelopment sites, Massport, and a union apprenticeship program.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 1 Alderman Matt McLaughlin, and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) invite all interested community members to a community meeting to discuss upcoming renovations to the Otis Street Playground. The meeting will be held at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St., on Tues., March 3 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. All are welcome to attend and share the ideas which will shape the design of the new playground. Playground renovations are expected to begin in July 2015.

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)

Not that it necessarily needs to be repeated, but our region is in the middle of extraordinary circumstances with more than seven feet of snow falling in less than four weeks. It’s already the second snowiest winter on record for the region, and the record 30-day snowfall that fell over the past month would be the third snowiest season all on its own. So we’re aware of the tremendous impact the weather is having on the region, and not just on MBTA service. That said, the problems on the MBTA are not the result of this winter’s storms. The choreography of these consequences began long ago. We have chronically underfunded this transportation system for two generations. The MBTA’s problems should be a wake-up call to all of us that our future prosperity, for the Commonwealth and every city and town, depends on the reliability of the T—and its expansion goals.

Learn how the snow is affecting the city’s businesses, get the latest on the school roofs, check out the Somerville High School Drama Club and the Somerville Boxing Club, attend the police-youth basketball game and catch up with the Union Square meetings.