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Tom Lyons wrote a lot of poetry in the 70’s and 80’s and had some success being published in a couple of poetry magazines. His jobs as an Auditor, a COO, and a Management Consultant kept him on the road for nearly 30 years. Fifteen years ago, he bought the New England Mobile Book Fair, at the time the largest independent brick-and-mortar book store in New England, where, among author events, he started hosting well-attended poetry readings. Inspired again to create, this led to forming a poetry group that meets twice a month. Some of his poems have appeared in the Muddy River Review and Boston Literary Magazine. He has appeared on Somerville and Milton local TV. Tom is also a member of the Bagel Bards. His first book of poetry, Luna Moth, has been well received, having sold more than 600 copies to date, and is going into its fifth printing. His new book, The Beautiful Army, is being compiled by Big Table Publishing and should be available shortly. One of the new poems is presented here.

The City of Somerville treasury department has a feature on its website page called Citizen Self-Service (CSS) providing web-based look-up access to bill information directly from official City records.  View real estate tax bills, water (utility) bills, and personal property tax bills online, in real time, 24/7.  CSS enables access to official City records without the need to contact the treasury department.  There is even a payoff date calculation option if you change the date to a future one.  Because it is in real time and live, when a payment posts in the office it shows on CSS immediately.  Citizen Self Service is the same database the treasury staff members use to answer your questions.  Note that payments made on City Hall Systems (city’s online payment vendor) will appear on CSS the next business day after the payment file is loaded.    CSS also links to City Hall Systems, enabling easy payment access that is safe, secure and free of charge if a checking account is used as the payment method.

Seven scholarships available to Somerville residents in the Class of 2026; Apply by deadline March 27, 2026

Somerville’s 2026 high school graduates are invited to apply for City of Somerville Municipal Scholarships designed to help students launch their next steps be that professional training, college, or a job in the trades. Selected applicants will receive $2,000 to help with post-secondary education expenses including tuition, professional programs and certifications, and union fees. The deadline to apply is March 27, 2026.   

Community survey open until April 3; Public hearing on April 22

Have you strolled through Ken Kelly Park, ridden the elevator at West Branch Library, or heard about the Clarendon Hill redevelopment project? These are just a few examples of projects come to life with the help of Somerville’s Community Preservation Act (CPA) program, which provides $7 million in funding each year to support open space, recreation, historic preservation, and affordable housing projects.

Second Chance Cars partners with Somerville High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) automotive program to refurbish donated vehicles, which are then provided to individuals in need for work transportation. Students gain hands-on experience repairing cars, while recipients – often single parents or veterans – receive affordable, reliable transportation.