Attend the Tufts Street Community Open House. An updated design is here. Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Ward 1 Councilor Matthew McLaughlin, and City of Somerville staff invite you to a community open house on Wednesday, July 10, at Glen Park Playground from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The outdoor open house will feature multiple stations describing different aspects of the street reconstruction project, including an upcoming wall mural. Other opportunities for community members to share feedback will include an online survey, a street outreach popup planned for July 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and virtual office hours with Mobility Division staff on July 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For details on these engagement opportunities, visit somervillema.gov/tuftsstreet.

Eagle Feathers #308 – Historic Clarendon Hill

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

It wasn’t until after the Civil War that Somerville began enjoying her western border, the of Town of Arlington.   Historically, the two towns shared in Paul Revere’s ride, the Battle of April 19th, the Pawtucket Indian’s Queen Squaw Sachem’s deeded land, and sports.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has launched a new Massachusetts Summer Child Nutrition Program. Starting this week, kids under the age of 19 can get free meals at various locations throughout the city from now through August 16.

It’s a great way of making sure that the city’s youth get the nutritional support they need, regardless of financial or social standing.

Inside-Out Gallery’s “Into the Wild: Exploring and Celebrating the Untamed” exhibit will run now through August.

In honor of this year’s ArtBeat theme: “WILD” the Inside-Out gallery and guest curator, Edie Bresler, have brought together a wonderful collective of untethered talent that explores the unruly and untamed – with a natural flare.

*

Charles Coe is a wonderful poet, jazz singer, teacher, and literary activist. He has a new collection of poetry out titled Charles Coe: New and Selected Works. I caught up with my fellow New England Poetry Club Board member, and he generously agreed to this interview.

*
Thomas DeFreitas was born in Boston, and was baptized at St. Anthony’s Church in Somerville at the age of eighteen days. He grew up in East Boston and attended the Boston Latin School, where, under the tutelage of exceptional teachers, he encountered poetry in a big way. He spent three semesters at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst). His poems have been published in Autumn Sky Poetry Daily, Plainsongs, Ibbetson Street, Pensive, Ovunque Siamo, and elsewhere. Thomas’s fourth collection of poems, Walking Between the Raindrops, will be published in 2025 by Kelsay Books.

The City of Somerville’s Pollinator Action Plan prioritizes local pollinator health to establish and maintain a healthy and biodiverse urban ecosystem.

 The MBTA today announced that all Red Line service will be free with station fare gates open from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.. 

“We apologize to our riders affected by this morning’s incident involving a piece of track maintenance equipment. Understanding the impact of this issue, the Red Line will be free this afternoon and through the peak evening commute,” said MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng. “While this does not make up for your experiences this morning, we’re committed to continuously improving everything we do. This is our duty because we care about the public that we serve.”