Artist Danielle Festa exhibited her unique “selfie” series of paintings that features textural materials that add a touch of realism to her work at the See Art, Talk Art, Be Art event at Washington St. last weekend. ~Photos by Douglas Yu

By Douglas Yu

Art can be explored in many ways: painting, literature, photography, handcrafts and so on. This past weekend, Somerville residents were lucky enough to breathe in these forms of art at Washington Street gallery all at once – they saw, talked and made art through interacting with local artists at the See Art, Talk Art, Be Art exhibition.

Club Officers for 2014-2015 (L to R): Secretary, George McLean; President-Elect, Toni Shelzi, President Tony Ciccariello; Vice-President Mike McWilliams; Immediate Past President, Rui Domingos; Board Secretary, Jay Lynch.

The Somerville Kiwanis Club held its Annual Officers Installation on Sunday, September 28, 2014. New officers for the 2014-2015 administrative year are: Tony Ciccariello, President; Toni Shelzi, President-Elect; Mike McWilliams, Vice President; Pauline D’Aurora, Treasurer and George McLean, Secretary.

Each week prior to the November election The Somerville Times will present the Statewide ballot questions, along with pro and con arguments, one at a time for examination and further consideration. We continue the series this week with Question 2: Expanding the Beverage Container Deposit Law.

It’s so unfortunate that what was once an innocuous and pleasant holiday such as Columbus Day has been politicized, vilified, and become a major controversy across our land.

Not that there aren’t some justifiable concerns voiced by various interested parties. It’s just that it used to be so much a part of the fabric of celebrating our national identity, not to mention the pride that Italian-Americans have taken for countless generations in the explorer’s accredited contributions to our history as a nation.

This week’s guest columnist is Somerville Bagel Bard Michael Todd Steffen. Mike is a widely published poet and critic, and a mainstay on the Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene http://dougholder.blogspot.com

What’s Next in Poetry? –a discussion about the future of poetry, hosted by the Grolier Poetry Bookshop on Friday September 13, with guests Adam Kirsch, Philip Nikolayev, and Marjorie Perloff.

Somerville Bagel Bard Krikor Hohannesian is our feature this week. He wrote the LYRICAL: “The poem was written with the intent to contrast the Church Street of 1970 with what it is today as a sort of social commentary. As some of us “elders” remember the Chez Dreyfus was a somewhat upscale French restaurant with a separate bar room area. A Runyonesque group of characters, myself included, came to hang out at the bar on Friday afternoons – one would be hard-pressed to create a more disparate group of characters. The conversations were loud, raucous, lively and reflective of the socio-political sentiments of the times. The Chez, is of course, long gone and, as the end of the poem depicts, the scene on the Church Street of today is in stark contrast other than the Christian Science Reading Room still being there!”

Arrests:
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John McLaughlin, 46, of 57 Bristol Rd., Medford, September 29, 11:02 a.m., arrested at 299 Broadway on a warrant charge of shoplifting by concealing merchandise.

Jorge Gonzalez, 54, of 350 Ridge Ave., Cambridge, September 29, 11:25 a.m., arrested at Broadway on a charge of operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Marc Broussard will be raising the roof and gently setting it back down at Johnny D’s on Thursday, October 9.

By Jim Clark

With today’s musical landscape littered with cookie-cutter pop idols busily imitating one another in a ceaseless tumultuous din, it is truly breathtaking when genuine originality crosses with equally genuine virtuosity. Such is the effect that Louisiana born and bred roots-rocker Marc Broussard has on audiences who are fortunate enough to be entertained by him.

Somerville audiences are soon to be granted that opportunity as Johnny D’s welcomes Broussard to its stage on Thursday, October 9, for a 9:00 p.m. show.

A photo inscribed by Harry Houdini is among Brattle Book Shop proprietor Kenneth Gloss’ favorite finds.

By Kenneth Gloss

In all my years in the book business, I have made some pretty interesting trades. However, none of those deals can compare to one memorable swap made by my father – he once bought a baby with a book!

My father used to frequent the used-book bins at the Salvation Army. He’d get there early in the morning scouting for treasures in the bins on the loading dock. One morning, he got lucky. In the bottom of a bin, he found a hand-written diary by a prospector who had journeyed West during the Goldrush days. The man had taken a ship from Boston to Panama, crossed that country on foot and then went up the coast to San Francisco. The diary chronicled every aspect of mining for gold, from the over-priced ten-dollar shovels to the lack of gold available.

Calling Somerville youth! Are you a young resident who is interested in pursuing musical education? Do you have a talent you’d like to share with your peers? Are you outgoing and energetic? We have the perfect programs for you!

Somerville Youth Arts Coordinator, Jimmy Del Ponte, announces a new program for Somerville youth, and the return of the popular Somerville Rocks! talent show for 2014.