A poem about James Joyce and Harry Truman? Unlikely you say. But Michael Todd Steffen pulls it off.

With an anticipated influx of new job opportunities in Somerville, the city aims to cut a path leading local workers directly to those jobs by entering into a contract with a local workforce development agency. In addition to providing job training, the selected agency will connect residents with Somerville employers looking to hire and will promote all opportunities for residents to have first access to local jobs.

The new Holiday Arts & Eats Festival at Assembly Row in Somerville to be held this Friday through Sunday, December 6, 7, and 8, will be the area’s first-ever winter Food Truck festival, in conjunction with an artisan market, local musicians, a beer and wine tent, a holiday train ride, and several other holiday and children’s activities. The artisan market and all activities will be held under a festive heated tent.

Arrests:
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Dale Harding, 26, of 6 Myrtle St., November 25, 8:10 a.m., arrested at home on warrant charges of witness intimidation, carrying a firearm with ammunition, discharging a firearm, destruction of property over $250, possession of a firearm without a FID card, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

A faulty chimney flue is the apparent cause of a fire at 34 Day Street on Thanksgiving evening, November 28. Firefighters responded to the two story, single family home at 7:31 p.m. and found smoke coming from a wall around the first floor fireplace. Firefighters had to rip the wall open to extinguish fire burning inside the wall void. Fire damage was confined to the area around the fireplace but water damage also resulted in the basement. Firefighters were on scene for approximately 45 minutes. Damage is estimated at $30,000.

Next Wave/Full Circle students and staff invite you to kick off the holiday season with the purchase of a beautiful tree or wreath from the Next Wave/Full Circle Tree Lot at Foss Park. The annual fundraising event began Sunday, December 1 and runs through Wednesday, December 18.  Net proceeds from this event benefit the Student Activities Fund at NW/FC.  Students staff the lot (with supervision from NW/FC teachers and counselors), gaining valuable work skills in the process. The Lot, located at the Latta Brothers Memorial Pool at Foss Park, 20 McGrath Hwy., is open from 4-8 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on weekends.

Help the Somerville Arts Council better understand the economic assets of the creative community in Somerville by participating in a quick community survey, launched with the UMass Center for Policy Analysis.

The survey can be found at www.somervilleartscouncil.org/creativesurvey, is open to all residents and will be available through December 6. It takes only 12 questions and five minutes to complete.

Join Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston for the second in a series of community meetings to discuss your ideas for the renovation of Lincoln Park on Monday, Dec. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Argenziano School at 290 Washington Street, and will build on the discussion held on Oct. 30. The city plans to renovate Lincoln Park to provide necessary upgrades to the ball fields and playgrounds, and community input and feedback will be used to determine optimal design plans before implementation. Spanish and Portuguese translators will be available for the meeting upon request. For more information, visit www.somervillema.gov or call Arn Franzen in the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development at 617-625-6600 ext. 2500.

Somerville Public Schools (SPS) is one of just 71 recipients nationwide selected to receive a fiscal year 2014 U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm to School grant. The federal program seeks to better connect school cafeterias and students with local farmers and ranchers.  Somerville was awarded a $45,000 planning grant and is one of only two programs in Massachusetts and one of seven in New England to receive 2014 Farm to School funding.

SAC’s Artist of the Month for May, 2013, Marjorie Gere, will join in on the celebration with her fellow Superstars this coming Sunday at the Arts at the Armory.

By Erica Scharn

On Sunday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m., the Somerville Arts Council (SAC) and the Artist of the Month coordinators invite the public to Somerville Superstars! A Celebration of 2013 Somerville Artists of the Month. This free event will be held at Arts at the Armory Café, located at 191 Highland Avenue in Somerville.