Somerville residents participated in a “walk audit” of Union Square recently with the aim of improving pedestrian safety. — Photos courtesy of PTAC

By Holly Simione

The Somerville Pedestrian and Transit Advisory Committee (PTAC), in collaboration with the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets (SASS), and Groundwork Somerville, invited residents to participate in a community “walk audit” of Union Square. PTAC is a mayor-appointed body of volunteer community members who advise and collaborate with city staff to make walking and public transportation in Somerville safer, sustainable, equitable, and accessible.

Healing Together: Supporting Mental Health at Home, Wednesday, May 7. Join the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities and the Department of Racial and Social Justice for a workshop to learn about mental health language. Featuring guest speaker Christopher Willard, Harvard Medical School faculty, author, and psychologist. This virtual event will be held on Wednesday, May 7, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. online via Zoom. Learn more and register. RSVP: bit.ly/HT_25.

— Photos by Denise Provost

By Suraya Whynott

The annual Somerville Artwear: SOS 2025 Fashion Show this past Saturday was a great success. Pieces by many outstanding artists and designers were showcased: Levon Delmonico, S.D. Amour, Grace Madonna, Mia Brillantes, Blue Flame Leather, Consuelo Perez, Jessamy Shay, Emma Fritshel, Martha Friend, Scope Apparel, Lexie Butterfly, and Eleanor Ramsay all presented their work in this year’s show.

Commissioner Amy Kershaw

The City of Somerville and Somerville Public Schools welcome Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) Commissioner Amy Kershaw to Somerville on May 13 to celebrate the work of the Somerville Partnership for Young Children (SPYC).

SPYC leads a network of licensed early education and care providers to expand access to early childhood education programs for Somerville families and improve the quality of Somerville’s local early childhood education system. The resources and financial support from the EEC, through the Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative (CPPI) grant program, made the work of the SPYC possible.

Eagle Feathers #328 – A Sporting Chance

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Somerville has always had a deep-seated history in sports, far deeper than most.  Settled before Boston as part of Charlestown in 1628, the colony was subject to Puritan rule.  By 1659, strict rules had outlawed card playing and dice. This was for fear of betting.  Football, oddly enough, was allowed, unless played on forbidden streets or lanes.  

Even in troubled times, even the worst of times, there is one particular beacon of goodness and light that pierces through the gloom to warm our hearts and lift our spirits – Mother’s Day.

While life as we know it has been far from normal in recent years, mainly due to political divisions and the like, this is one occasion that can restore a bit of normalcy and order for us as we pause to honor the beloved matriarchs of our families.

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Interview conducted by Doug Holder

I am a member of the Board of Directors of the New England Poetry Club, so I was pleased to find out that our president, Steve Ratiner, has a new collection of poetry out titled Grief’s Apostrophe (Beltway Editions 2025). I caught up with a very busy Ratiner, and he graciously agreed to answer my questions about his new book, etc.

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Keith Tornheim, a biochemistry professor at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, has six recent books, The Sacrifice of Isaac; I Am Lilith, Dancer on the Wind; Spirit Boat: Poems of Crossing Over; Can You Say Kaddish for the Living?; Fireflies; Spoiled Fruit: Adam and Eve in Eden and Beyond. His poems have appeared in Ibbetson Street, The Somerville Times, Boston Literary Magazine, Muddy River Poetry Review and Poetica.