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Ah, the mushy peas. I was served mushy peas with my order of fish and chips while vacationing in Ireland. I had heard of them, but never really thought about what they consisted of. I must say I wasn’t really impressed with my first taste. They were pale greenish gray with a bland muted pea flavor.

The 2019 City of Somerville Fourth of July celebration takes place this Thursday, June 27, at Trum Field, beginning at 6:30 p.m., with fireworks scheduled at approximately 9:15 p.m.

Join Mayor Curtatone for the annual 4th of July Fireworks with live entertainment on Thursday, June 27, from 6:30 to 10:00 p.m., at Trum Field, 541 Broadway, Somerville.

The entertainment lineup for the celebration includes performances by the USO Metropolitan New York Performers and local Disco-Funk band Booty Vortex, leading up to a 20-minute fireworks display beginning at approximately 9:15 p.m.

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Longtime Somerville resident, college professor, poet, and philosopher Ifeanyi Menkiti passed away at the age of 78 this month. Menkiti is noted for saving the famed Grolier Poetry Book Shop in Harvard Square, when he took over ownership. I am grateful for him for many things, his warm welcoming presence, his poetry, his generosity, and his humanity. I am also grateful that he bought the Bloc 11 Cafe building on Bow Street in Union Square years ago. He told me over lunch there that he wanted a cafe that would be a meeting place for writers, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, and others. As we looked across the crowded cafe, I realized his vision had been met.

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Krikor Der Hohannesian lives in Medford, MA. His poems have appeared in over 150 literary journals including The Evansville Review, The South Carolina Review, Atlanta Review, Louisiana Literature, Connecticut Review and Natural Bridge. He is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee and the author of two chapbooks, Ghosts and Whispers (Finishing Line Press, 2010) and Refuge in the Shadows (Cervena Barva Press, 2013). Ghosts and Whispers was a finalist for the Mass Book awards poetry category in 2011.

Ribbon cutting at the reopening celebration
~Photo by Mark Hoffman

The Somerville Community Growing Center celebrated its reopening last Saturday morning with a crowd of friends, neighbors, and volunteers.

Arrests:
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Jarrod Lee, of 46 Prospect St., Brockton, June 18, 2:38 p.m., arrested at Middlesex Ave. on a charge of violation of city ordinance possession of a dangerous weapon.

Jose Escobar, of 15B Hamlet St., June 19, 11:43 p.m., arrested at McGrath Hwy. on warrant charges of unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, not being in possession of license, and no inspection sticker.

Starting today, Monday, June 24, a detour will be in place during work hours on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to approximately 3:00 p.m., in Union Square. Eastbound traffic will be detoured onto Webster Ave. to Prospect St., and northbound traffic from Webster Ave. will be required to turn left onto Washington St. Police details will be on site to assist with all traffic during work hours. MBTA bus routes 85 Outbound, 86 Outbound, 87 Inbound, and 91 Outbound will be diverted via Webster Ave. and Prospect St.

~Photos courtesy of Encore Boston Harbor

The $2.6 billion Encore Boston Harbor will open its doors at 10 a.m. June 23, 2019.

Encore Boston Harbor features 210,000 square feet of gaming space with more than 3,100 state-of-the-art slot machines and 231 table games. The two-level casino also offers private gaming rooms with secluded terraces, as well as an 88-table Poker Room.

A performance of Alone Together will take place on July 7, 1:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory in Somerville.

By NaBeela Washington

Marshall “Gripp” Gillson, a local writer, playwright, and mental health advocate, is presenting an original performance of Alone Together on July 7, 1:30 p.m. at Arts at the Armory in Somerville. The play focuses on a black couple trapped during a blizzard who both struggle to confront their own mental health issues.