Eagle Feathers #215 – America’s Attic

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

On August 10, 1846 the United States Senate passed an act establishing the Smithsonian Institution. It was formed with over $500,000 in gold sovereigns that were bequeathed from James Smithson (1765-1829).

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Our own Doug Holder, out on his daily walk on Monday, came across this festive Halloween display at a Hanson Street residence.

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I am a poet, so I work with my words. My canvas is a computer screen or a blank piece of paper. So, I was pleased to find an artist who incorporates words into her art. Csekö, through her murals and other works confronts racism, consumerism and other vital issues head on.

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Dexter Roberts has had his art featured throughout Boston and Cambridge. His poetry has been most recently published in Stone’s Throw.

A local dancer whose work received a Governor’s citation. A son who runs a Somerville restaurant started by his mother. A pastor who co-leads a local congregation that purchased its church in 2008. Come hear members of the local Haitian community talk about their work in Somerville’s neighborhoods and listen to a historian from Somerville discuss connections between Haitian and U.S. history on Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 p.m.

The Jungle will be closed for winter after their last concert on October 17 and operating the outdoor patio one more time for a day of activism for democracy on October 18. They will reopen in 2021 as soon as it is safe enough inside or warm enough outside.

Saloon is officially back on the map. After a hiatus, your favorite subterranean cocktail bar is back on Friday and Saturday evenings in Davis Square serving signature classic cocktails and light meals.

Flu season is coming soon, and Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is urging older adults to get vaccinated before the end of October.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 50 to 70 percent of flu-related hospitalizations in recent years occurred among people age 65 and over, with more than 70 percent of flu-related deaths occurring in that age group.

Topics include COVID-19 response, pandemic-related housing issues, mental health & wellness, racial & social justice, support for the arts community, and a senior town hall.

With the city still unable to hold in-person meetings due to coronavirus concerns, ResiStat will host a series of virtual events in the coming weeks, giving residents the opportunity to engage with Somerville elected officials and staff on key topics. The fall ResiStat series kicked off with an arts community town hall on September 15 and will continue with five more installments beginning on Thursday, October 15, covering the city’s COVID-19 response, housing issues during this pandemic, mental health and wellness, racial and social justice, and senior issues.