(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)

By Evan James Fontana

Fifty-five percent of Somervillians who voted on November 4 voted ‘Yes’ on Question 3: “Shall the Mayor of Somerville and all Somerville elected leaders be instructed to end all current city business and prohibit future city investments and contracts with companies as long as such companies engage in business that sustains Israel’s apartheid, genocide, and illegal occupation of Palestine?”

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I never purchase store-bought cranberry sauce anymore because homemade is easy to make, and tastes so much better. The rosemary and orange essence complement the tartness of the cranberries perfectly. Feel free to substitute a cinnamon stick for the star anise.

Giving thanks for our blessings is normally an easy thing to do. We may often get caught up in the day-to-day trappings of scratching out a living, ducking misfortune, and seeking out an occasional highlight to add to our mental scrapbooks. Usually, though, we come around to feeling and expressing that special sense of appreciation and gratitude that comes in moments of quiet reflection just in time to validate ourselves as worthy recipients of such blessings.

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A H A N D P I C K E D P O E M

presented by Off the Shelf Correspondent Michael Todd Steffen

From AGNI 102, autumn 2025

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My students and I were discussing the poem Howl by Allen Ginsberg. I asked them to write their own Howl poem. Grant Crosby has let out his own howl, inspired by Ginsberg:

This Thanksgiving morning, Thursday (11/27), the Somerville Road Runner’s 29th annual Gobble Gobble Gobble road race will be held in and around the Davis, Teele, Ball, and Magoun Square areas.

The  lively marketplace features handmade herbal products and botanical goods created by New England crafters.  Support local herbalists, farmers, medicine makers, teachers and artists while you shop the fabulous marketplace. You’ll find handmade crafts, natural body care products, teas, soaps, candles, botanically-dyed fibers, mushrooms, herbal remedies and more.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) announced its service updates, which go into effect on Sunday, December 14.

Among these updates, 21 bus routes in total will increase frequency, with ten of those being upgraded to operate every 15 minutes or better. This is part of the larger Better Bus program aimed at improving the bus routes system wide.