Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Somerville Public Schools, and Somerville’s early childhood community invite parents, children and educators to enjoy music, pizza, and games at the One Somerville, Every Child celebration on Wednesday, April 12 on the Somerville High School concourse (81 Highland Ave.) from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

It’s not just another three-day weekend, folks. It’s a huge part of our national – and regional – heritage.

Patriot’s Day was established over 100 years ago to commemorate the Battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, the first battles of the American Revolutionary War. Re-enactments are staged and speeches are given, and a generally festive air of patriotic zeal pervades.

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I met with poet Andrea Read after I heard about her work for the Somerville Cultural Capacity Plan (https://somervilleartscouncil.org/culturalcapacity) that will happen in late April. This project will involve conversations with artists and writers. Read will lead the discussion with writers, asking them pointed questions about their needs in the community.

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Our poet writes: Stephen Palencar was born and raised in Maryland, in a suburb of Baltimore. He experienced heavy trauma through his developmental years and uses writing as an outlet rather than an outlook. He calls his struggles a “beautiful burden.” He pulls on his background in philosophy, psychology, and transcendentalism as inspiration for his writing. He aspires to give more back to these fields than he has taken. It is a self-proclaimed improbable goal, but those make the greatest stories. He now studies at Endicott College.

The City of Somerville and Pathways for Immigrant Workers will host a free immigration legal information session for small employers and lower-wage workers on Wednesday, April 12, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School Cafeteria located at 50 Cross St.

By Nathan Lamb

Returning home after a hospital stay can be tricky, but Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is expanding a program dedicated to helping older adults navigate that transition.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Department of Veterans’ Services are pleased to announce Somerville’s Memorial Day parade will return this year on Sunday, May 28 (rain date: May 29).