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Berk (Marty) is an accomplished improvisational jazz pianist and arranger who has found new artistic expression through writing poetry. The inspiration for The Gallery was spawned when he attended a jam session at the gallery of the artist Stephen LaPierre in Gloucester. The Gallery is the first of several poems he has written so far. He currently works with singer–songwriter Jennifer Matthews.

Arrests:
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Marco Teixeira, of Everett, September 28, 10:12 a.m., arrested at Heath St. on a charge of operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

Zach Sakurai, of Hampton, NH, September 28, 8:57 p.m., arrested at Broadway on charges of drug possession to distribute and operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of drugs.

Committee identifies funding priorities for approximately $3 million annually across affordable housing, historic preservation, and open space projects

The Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is seeking one new member, and Somerville residents interested in affordable housing, historic preservation, and parks and open space are encouraged to apply. The CPC oversees the selection of projects to be recommended for funding by an estimated $3 million in annual Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenues. Applications are due October 28.  

Residents can now use SNAP benefits to buy food online from additional Commonwealth-based retailers

The Baker-Polito Administration announced today that Massachusetts residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits can now use their Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) SNAP benefits to buy groceries online from Shaw’s and Star Market, two supermarket chains based in Massachusetts.

Lani Asuncion is an artist participating in the Somerville Museum’s current Community Curator exhibition, Sanctuary City by Julia Csekö.

Duty-Free Paradise is a performance by multimedia Boston Filipinx artist Lani Asuncion and mezzo soprano Pauline Tan. This work is part of a new series SONGS for LAND far away at SEA by Asuncion that focuses on connections between Hawaii and the Philippines and the Trans-Pacific connections between the Pacific, West Coast, and New England histories of ecotourism, biopolitics, and militarism; it aims to find points of healing of ancestral intergenerational trauma narratives through the work. In this performance both artists will take an approach of improvisation with Lani doing experimental voice work and playing the ancient kulintang gong from the Philippines while Pauline will sing traditional Filipino Folk songs in the Ilocano operatic style.

Meetings for all seven wards will be held in October  

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville City Council invite residents to attend the fall Community Meetings of 2022. After a hiatus during the pandemic, this twice-yearly meeting series, formerly known as the ResiStat program, will return to each of Somerville’s seven wards to share the latest city progress and neighborhood updates with residents, while also providing an opportunity for residents, elected officials, and city staff to talk with one another.  

Update: Somerville Arts Council ‘s Ignite 2022 Festival will be moving to their rain date, Sunday, October 2 from 6-10pm. Check  schedule and performance updates here

To celebrate Union Square’s sizzling food landscape, Somerville Arts Council is bringing you the IGNITE Festival! Expect an evening of international eats, fire throwers, roving entertainment, and a raucous celebration of global culture. Sunday, October 2, 6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Union Square, Somerville. $2 donation.

For the first time in his life, Stephen will have a home of his own. After living on the streets for over 19 years, we are so proud of how hard he has worked with us to secure housing; a place where all of his belongings are under one roof; where he can sleep well at night; improve his mental health and re-build a stable life.