Eagle Feathers #257 – The Invitation

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

This article first ran in the July 8, 2015 edition of The Somerville Times.

It began where the Wellington Bridge crosses over the Mystic River, and it ended where the Harvard Bridge crosses over the Charles. It was to be a “day of all days” for the people of Somerville. For weeks in advance, the residents, ranging from age five to one hundred and five, had been preparing for this special day. Red, white, and blue bunting and flags blanketed the city and adorned its public buildings in anticipation. It wasn’t that they hadn’t had parades before, but the 4th of July observance in 1910 became the city’s most boastful. The President of the United States, William Howard Taft, had accepted an invitation from the City of Somerville to visit, to partake, and to preside over its nation’s birthday celebration.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

This is another devastating decision from the Supreme Court that impacts mothers and families – especially those living on the front lines near dirty, outdated energy plants.

“The Court has sided with polluters over the health of people and the planet. We will not let this stand,” said Keshia Sexton, director of organizing at Mothers Out Front.

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Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent Dennis Daly

Mischief meets elegiac mournfulness in Tom Daley’s new chapbook, Far Cry, in which the poet summons up the ghost of a close but estranged gay friend and searches through evocative imagery and shared memories for an understanding, a resolution, and, most of all, a final embrace. Unexpected religious and erotic juxtapositions deliver both edgy wit and good-natured humor. And, most impressively, throughout this poetic sequence, Daley utilizes impeccable word choices that result in very high-level, almost objectified, confessional pieces. In short, Daley’s diction sparkles.

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Michael Ansara spent many years as an activist and an organizer starting with the civil rights movement of the 1960’s, going on to be a regional organizer for SDS. He spent 10 years organizing opposition to the war in Vietnam. He was for 15 years a community organizer including directing Mass Fair Share. He has worked on political campaigns, coordinated voter registration efforts, and trained many organizers. He is the co-founder of Mass Poetry. He currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Redress Movement and the organizing team for Together We Elect. He is a poet whose work has been published in numerous literary journals and whose first book of poems, What Remains, has recently been published by Kelsay Press.

On June 14^th at around 11 p.m. the Somerville Police were on Washington St doing a follow up on an incident.  As the officers were doing this, a pickup truck pulled over and a man got out to talk to the officers.  His wife was in labor and was about to give birth.  Quickly switching roles from law enforcement to medical aid, Lt. Vivolo, Officer Reece, and Officer Dylan Lambert assisted this expecting mom.  Lt. Vivolo tried to get her comfortable and assessed her current status, while Ofc. Reece called for an ambulance, reassured her, and got information from the husband. They were on their way to Mt. Auburn Hospital, but realized they weren’t going to make it.

— Photos by Bobbie Toner

Early this evening, firefighters responded to a three-alarm fire of a multi-family home on Broadway in the Teele Sq. area.
With the help of neighbors and firefighters, everyone got out safely. The cause of fire is under investigation.

The City of Somerville’s annual SomerMovie Fest returns this year with a series of seven family-friendly films being shown in parks around Somerville.

Screenings begin at dusk and the schedule is as follows:

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Arts Council present the City of Somerville’s annual 4th of July fireworks celebration at Trum Field, featuring music by Pressure Cooker and the Star-Spangled Banner sung by SHS alumnus Britney Flores.

The board of the New England Poetry Club have announce that they have elected Denise Provost and Doug Holder to serve as their new co-presidents. They took their official positions on June 4, 2022.

Their acceptance letters to NEPC members are below: