– Photos by Kristen Hale

Don’t forget that Thursday, August 2, at 5:30 p.m. is the rain date for the Somerville Olympics of a Special kind that will take place at Trum Field. This popular summer event will be sponsored by the Somerville School Department, Walnut Street Center, Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions clubs here in Somerville.   The games will be opened by Mayor Joe Curtatone and ceremonies will include a parade with the honor guards from the Somerville Police, Fire and Sheriff’s departments.  Jimmy  Del Ponte will coordinate some entertainment showcasing songs by the Sunsetters.  The Olympics will feature five events for teams to compete in. The Olympics of a Special Kind are an opportunity for children and adults with developmental disabilities to get outside and enjoy the summer sun in a safe and fun environment. It is a great event to bring along the entire family and your friends. Come watch success and achievement in its best form.

Kids got a first hand look at how police officers work when Middlesex Sheriff Koutoujian’s Youth Public Safety Academy hosted a day at the Somerville Police Department. – Photo by Harry Kane

By Harry Kane

Middlesex Sheriff Koutoujian’s Youth Public Safety Academy introduced some 30 kids to the Somerville Police headquarters on July 25.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a call complaining of a man with a shotgun reportedly sitting on the porch at 142 Holland St. after having a confrontation with residents there.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Somerville Director of Transportation and Infrastructure Hayes Morrison have announced that kiosk installation was under way in Somerville for the popular metro-Boston Hubway bike-sharing system.

The first wave of kiosk setup would include locations at Union Square, Beacon Street near its intersection with Washington Street and at the City Hall Concourse. Hubway is also installing new kiosks in Cambridge and Brookline as the program expands beyond its very successful inaugural run in Boston last year. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate Hubway’s arrival in Somerville is scheduled for 10 a.m. on August 8 at the City Hall concourse kiosk at 93 Highland Avenue.

Jake Kilrain

Eagle Feathers #6 – The Last Gladiator

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Even if you’re not a fan of boxing, it’s highly unlikely that you haven’t heard of Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and other modern boxing champions. They have become household names due to their complete mastery of the sport.

The Somerville Dance Fest dazzled audiences in Union Square last week.
– Photo by Kristophe Diaz

By Tatiana Kombo

In conjunction with the Somerville Arts Council, Zoe Dance, a local dance and performance company, presented Somerville Dance Fest, a free outdoor festival in Union Square on Friday, July 27. The event featured a dozen dance groups that ranged in style from dance theater and step to improvisation.

The Somerville News Person of the Week, Mary Williams Killoren.

Meet Mary Williams Killoren. Oh, you probably have already seen her around the city. If you parked at a meter that has expired you might have met her, but she’s always nice about giving out those tickets. It’s hard to be mad at her, she’s doing a job and she does it with a lot of class when she’s writing up those tickets. She’s very charming and not cold like some might think in her position. We bet she has an impressive full boat of tickets so to speak when her shift is done, which is, after all, making money for the city.

The U14 Somerville Storm are on a roll with their recent victory over Medford.

The U14 Somerville Storm sit at 5-3 half way through the MiddleEssex softball season after defeating Medford Madness 10-4 at Memorial Field in Medford last week.

The U14 Storm, after finishing with a record of 10-4 last season, made the jump from the B to the A division in U14. Having lost six girls from last year’s roster, the emergence of outstanding first year players for the U14 have helped the team make the step up in competition.

Afaa Michael Weaver.

I asked poet Afaa Michael Weaver how he would  define himself or like to be remembered. He told me: ” The kid Michael from Federal Street in East Baltimore with the funny looking glasses and big wingtip shoes. He grew up to write poetry”. And indeed Weaver, 60, has written poetry, plays, essays, and is currently working on a memoir. This longtime Somerville resident is an English professor at Simmons College in Boston, a winner of the prestigious Pushcart Prize, a winner of the New England Poetry Club’s Mary Sarton Award, an NEA, not to mention the Ibbetson Street Press Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as many other accolades.. His papers are now archived at the Howard Gotllieb Archival Research Center at Boston University. I talked with him on Independence Day at the bustling Bloc 11 Café in Union Square, Somerville.