MassDOT Secretary and CEO Richard A. Davey and MBTA Acting General Manager Jonathan Davis issued  ‘Open Letter to Our Customers’

An Open Letter to Our Customers,

Over the last nine weeks we have engaged in a public process to allow our riders to weigh in on recommendations for closing a $159 million budget gap next year. As we conclude that process this week, we want to take a minute to thank you for the unprecedented level of engagement you demonstrated over this period.

The Mayor’s Young Somerville Advisory Group (YSAG) invites all interested Somerville residents to attend a networking event during their monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 21.

I have known these two dynamic poets for a number of years now and have seen them branch out into the poetry community—starting their own series, releasing new books, winning awards—and now these talented women are instrumental players for the Mass. Poetry Festival to be held April 20 to 22 in Salem, Mass. Jennifer Jean has been on the English faculty at Salem State University for awhile now and January O’Neil left a plum post at Babson College to join the faculty as an Assistant Professor of English at Salem, in addition to being appointed the Executive Director of the Festival. Jennifer Jean has recently released her third collection of the “Archivist,” and O’Neil will be releasing a new collection of poetry “Misery Island” (Kavan Kerry Press) in the coming months. I talked with them on Poet to Poet: Writer to Writer on Somerville Community Access TV.

By Harry Kane

Somerville schools receive extra guidance from a federal subsidized Catholic sponsored program called Foster Grandparents. The organization is comprised of volunteers, 55 and older. Foster Grandparents are a group of mostly women that help mentor young children in a school environment.

Irish books represent a particularly specialized area for collectors.

By Kenneth Gloss

As with any other area of collecting, books dealing with Irish history subdivide into numerous categories that offer a multitude of collecting specialties.

The Boston area is particularly rich in books about Irish history, because many immigrants wanted to preserve their pasts and the story of their birth country. Many of these books were printed in New York and Boston by people who had come to America.

Showcase concert to feature Lynn Noel, Corvus, Wear My Letter and Marylou Ferrante, Friday, March 23 , 8 p.m.
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Although the New England Folk Festival has been around since 1944 and in April will present its 68th annual edition in Mansfield, “NEFFA” (the “a” stands for “association”) is not, to the general populace, necessarily a household word. To increase public awareness, and to entice new patrons to the festival, the non-profit educational and cultural organization, whose mission is “to encourage, sponsor, and preserve high standards of performance of the folk arts and traditions in New England and elsewhere” will present in Somerville a pre-festival “showcase” concert featuring a representative sample of four distinct music genres that are typically found at the festival.

Progress Together for Somerville works with the Somerville Public Schools and other partners to hold community forum on Education
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Continuing a commitment to the Somerville Public Schools, Progress Together for Somerville (PTS), the Somerville School Committee, and the Somerville Family Learning Collaborative have organized a Community Forum on Education, to be held on Sunday March 18 from 2 to 4 pm. at the Argenziano School at Lincoln Park. This event, also sponsored by the Mayor’s Office, Somerville Council of PTAs, and the Somerville Teachers Association, will examine a number of issues in education in the city today. These topics include how teaching and learning are influenced by data; innovation schools and their role in a public school system; and how English Language Learning (ELL) students learn English at the same time as other topics. The event is designed to be participatory, with active discussion as well as lectures.

On The Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

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

A few weeks ago, I did a story about the old Trade High School. Assistant Principal and Director of Career & Technical Education Leo Di Simone is going to tell us all about the exciting CCTE. I hope to see you at the Vocational Fair where I will be playing music and running the sound system. Take it away Leo.

To see the Somerville official election totals click  here

By Joseph A. Curtatone

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

Is the national economy showing signs of sustained improvement? Certainly there are encouraging signs: the unemployment rate is creeping downward; consumer confidence, retail sales and the Dow are all on the rise.