Children’s book author and illustrator, Jef Czekaj, with a couple of friends. — Photo by Jacy Edelman

By Norah Doyle

If you caught the “Might Delete Later” reading event the other week on Thursday, August 7, at Remnant Brewing, then you may be familiar with children’s book author and illustrator, Jef Czekaj.

Czekaj is a Somerville native, having resided here for more than 20 years, and moved to Arlington during the pandemic. 

The Fair Housing Commission recently held an online community meeting to discuss several issues of public interest.

The Somerville Fair Housing Commission discussed how to inform voters, reduce barriers for housing voucher holders, and address criminal record discrimination in an online public meeting last Thursday.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville Arts Council, in partnership with producer Yvette Wilks of Wilks Productions Consultancy, invite community members to the eleventh annual Evolution of Hip Hop Festival on Saturday, August 23 (rain date: August 24), from 4:00 to 7:30 p.m. in Union Square Plaza. Evolution of Hip Hop is an annual ArtsUnion festival and is free for all to attend. This year’s event is building an intergenerational community of those who love music, beats, and storytelling, which are part of the many components of Hip Hop.

This September, purple flags will once again be placed on the front lawn of Somerville City Hall to honor residents whose lives were lost to opioid-related overdose in 2024 and in years past. The annual display is part of the city’s recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day and Recovery Month.

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Tucked into the heart of Teele Square, The Buzzin’ Bean is a cozy vegetarian café that delivers far more than just a good cup of coffee. With a warm, welcoming atmosphere and standout customer service, this local gem has quickly become a favorite of mine.

This September, purple flags will once again be placed on the front lawn of Somerville City Hall to honor residents whose lives were lost to opioid-related overdose in 2024 and in years past. The annual display is part of the city’s recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day and Recovery Month.

On Thursday, August 28, Mayor Ballantyne will host an Overdose Remembrance Event to remember the eight Somerville residents who passed away from a substance use-related overdose in 2024.

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By Off the Shelf correspondent Ed Meek

Eoin Higgins writes about journalism and media. Higgins is a successful journalist who has written for the NYT, the Washington Post, Counterpunch, and The Huffington Post. In Owned, he delves into the rightward turn taken by the tech industry and billionaires like Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and Peter Thiel. He focuses on two formerly liberal star journalists: Matt Taibbi and Glen Greenwald. Higgins details Musk’s acquisition of Twitter (now X) and the negative effects Musk has had on the platform. He explains how the libertarian world of Silicon Valley is apolitical as long as the tech bros are getting money and being left alone by the government. Higgins posits that they decided Trump would keep the money coming without requirements like DEI.

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Denise Provost is the former co-president of the New England Poetry Club. Her work has been included in numerous publications.