Who among us actually likes getting a shot of any kind? There are certainly a given number of masochistic types out there who don’t mind taking a little jab in the arm or … elsewhere.

But many of us put off or completely avoid the prickly deed for as long as we can push it, until the cold and flu season completely bypasses us altogether, or we fall victim to the merciless clutches of our microbiological nemeses. What’s more, with the threat of COVID-19 looming over our heads, it’s more important than ever to protect ourselves through the upcoming flu season.

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Recently, I caught up with Somerville poet Michael Franco. Michael Franco is a poet, playwright, and artist. His publications include: The Marvels of David Leering (Pressed Wafer 2017), A Book of Measure Volume One: The Journals of the Man who Keeps Bees (Talisman House 2017), How To Live (Zoland, Cambridge, MA 1998). He was the founder of the Word of Mouth Readings Series in Cambridge, MA, and was a board member for the Pioneer Valley Poetry Festival. He is currently a Visiting Writer for the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and curator of the Xit The Bear reading series in Somerville, MA.

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Diana Rose Lynch is a language teacher who teaches writing at Boston University. The Ekphrastic Review published her first poem in 2020. Her poetry was featured at Dogtown On My Mind: Reading and Discussion Celebrating Dogtown in the Writer’s Imagination Today. Discover Gloucester published two of her Dogtown poems in celebration of Gloucester 400. In addition, 400 Stories Project published her poetry in 2023, celebrating the unique history of the city of Gloucester. Her poem Unwanted Tour Guide was recently published in The Somerville Times in 2025 and was also awarded first prize at the Verse Visual Art Festival in Ipswich in 2025. This same poem also appeared at the Haverhill Art Walk in 2025. When she is not teaching, she writes poetry, gardens, and hikes. She lives in Gloucester, MA and is currently working on a collection of poetry.

The MBTA is reminding riders that Green Line D Branch service will be suspended between Kenmore and Riverside beginning at approximately 8 PM through the end of service on October 24 and continuing for the following seven days, October 25 – 31.

The Center for Career and Technical Education (CCTE) at Somerville High School recently received an incredible gift — 700 pairs of high-quality work boots donated by BRUNT Workwear to support students in all of the school’s technical programs.

The Somerville Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expanding access to free vaccination clinics to help residents stay healthy through the fall and winter. They are also sharing updated flu and COVID-19 vaccine guidance for the 2025–26 season. Clinics will be held throughout the city from October 2025 through April 2026.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Arts Council invite community members to close out the 2025 SomerStreets season with a festive and spooky Monster Mash on Sunday, October 19, from 2 to 6 p.m. on Somerville Avenue (School St. to Washington St.). In the event of rain, festivities will take place on Sunday, October 26.