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By Karen Friedland

Union Square resident Gloria Mindock has long had a mission of bringing poetry to the people.

This month, she’s wrapping up a successful two-year stint as Somerville’s second Poet Laureate, having brought poetry and music to elders at the Little Sisters of the Poor, puppet shows to children at two Somerville libraries, and a bi-monthly poetry round table, poetry readings and how-to workshops at the Arts at the Armory on Highland Avenue, as well as outdoor poetry readings at Union and Davis Squares. Her last event, on December 14, was a tribute to Claribel Alegria and other Salvadoran Poets, reflecting the sizable Salvadoran community in Somerville. To top it all off, she gave away 500 books of poetry all over town.

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Poet Sergio Inestrosa writes, “From my book Unstop Moon (Luna que no cesa) translated by Margaret Young three senryus.” Inestrosa is a professor at Endicott College, and the author of several poetry collections.

~Photos by Bobbie Toner

In its annual tradition, the City of Somerville will kicked off the New Year today with a reenactment ceremony for the anniversary of the “Grand Union” flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park. A processional led by a re-enactor portraying General George Washington on horseback left the City Hall Concourse at 11:30 a.m., followed by a ceremony at Prospect Hill Park.

Visiting briefly from his home in St. Louis, Missouri, author Byron DeLear will tell the fascinating story about how our nation came to be known as “United States of America”, amidst events occurring right here in Somerville in 1776.

Talk with the author and obtain a personally signed copy of his book at two uniquely Somerville sites. Byron DeLear is an author, enviro-entrepreneur, media producer, and twice former US House candidate. He is a member of the Organization of American Historians and the Missouri Lodge of Research, and is past Editor-in-Chief for NAPA News, the newsletter of the North American Vexillological Association.

City offices will be closed Tuesday, January 1 for New Year’s Day. Starting on Tuesday, trash and recycling collection will be on a one day delay. Parking meter and resident permit parking will not be enforced.

(Please note that December 31 is not a city holiday and city services, including the last day of street sweeping, will be on a normal schedule.)

As of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, December 28, 911 calls from cell phones and land lines are being properly routed to Somerville police and fire departments. Sporadic outages being made from cell phones to 911 are still being reported across the region, so please add these important local emergency telephone numbers to your contacts in case of an emergency, for today and for future use:

If you’re cleaning up from the holidays and wondering how to dispose of things like wrapping paper, your tree, or packaging, visit the Waste Wizard .
You can type in what you want to dispose of and find out the best way to do it.