Leddy Saenz next to her art installation, “Somerville Quipus: The Stories of Padres Latinos.” — Photo by Mina Rose Morales

By Mina Rose Morales

Leddy Saenz sits quietly on a community picnic table in Somerville, Massachusetts, drawing, coloring, and communicating with a friend. On a peaceful Saturday morning of August 22, surrounded by trees and greenery, she points to her art installation not far away: a quipu.

PICK UP! Somerville Museum Calling fundraiser, September 10, 6 p.m., Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre. Inspired by Somerville’s role as the site of the world’s first residential telephone call, and the Somerville Museum’s “Let Freedom Ring” public art project for America’s 250th, this year’s fundraising event celebrates connection between the past and the future, and among one another. Jimmy Tingle (pun intended) will entertain us with his comedy and emcee the program. Sambaviva Brazilian dance ensemble will perform a medley of telephone-themed favorites. TJ the DJ will keep the music going throughout the evening. Mix and mingle over passed appetizers while exploring interactive telephone exhibits! For tickets and more information, visit: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/.

A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been initiated to facilitate the search for a development team for the 90 Washington Street site.

By Keith Foster

A redevelopment meeting for 90 Washington Street, hosted by the City of Somerville, took place on September 2 via Zoom.

The City of Somerville and the Somerville Redevelopment Authority (SRA) are currently undertaking a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to select a development team capable of delivering a transformative, mixed-use development project at 90 Washington Street.

Celebrating three decades of community action

The Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) will host its 31st annual Somerville 5k Road Race on October 3 in Davis Square, continuing a tradition that has united runners, volunteers, and supporters for more than 30 years in our mission to support our neighbors, striving for stable housing and food security in Somerville and beyond.

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I make this dish quite often. It’s usually at the end of the week when I want to clean out the refrigerator of leftover items, especially when I don’t quite have enough of an ingredient for a serving. It’s easy enough to add items you like. There are no rules!

Although 25 years will have passed since the terrible and tragic events of September 11, 2001, took place, for many of us the shock and horror remain fresh in our memories. And since we, as New Englanders, were relatively close to the sites of destruction and loss of life, we can perhaps feel those sensations of sadness and even anger a little deeper than some others might, especially since our own Logan Airport played a role in the perpetrators’ deadly scheme.

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I caught up with Michael Minassian about his latest poetry collection, 1,000 Pieces of Time. From his website:

Michael Minassian, a graduate of Dumont High School, Fairleigh Dickinson University (BA), and California State University at Dominguez Hills (MA) was born in New York and has lived in New Jersey, California, Florida, North Carolina, and Texas. A professor of English for 30 years at Broward College in South Florida, he also taught in Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Jamaica, England, and served as a consultant in Spain and Ecuador.

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Michael Todd Steffen helps coordinate The Hastings Room Reading Series and frequently publishes articles about new and established poets on the Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene website. His poems have appeared recently in The Exacting Clam, Ibbetson Street, The Red Letters, and spoKe. Boris Dralyuk (managing editor for Nimrod Journal) writes, I have read [Steffen’s] poems with enormous satisfaction. His lines are supple and wear their unmistakable wisdom lightly.