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We Could Be Anywhere

Walnut meat crushed on the sidewalk.
Brown-sugar donuts with black coffee.
A mid-day’s nap under our willow tree.
The nation’s cloth flutters on a white line.

Brown sugar donuts with black coffee.
This city feeds off the ocean’s breeze.
The nation’s cloth flutters on a white line.
Main Street taut as a bowstring.

This city feeds off the ocean’s breeze,
loud freight cars, and the scent of dog parks.
Main Street taut as a bowstring.
Urban sprawl spreads out to sea.

Loud freight cars and the scent of dog parks.
Farm trucks at the Saturday market.
Urban sprawl spreads out to sea.
Baby strollers racing fixed gear bicycles.

Farm trucks at the Saturday market.
Artisanal pesto sauces,
baby strollers, and fixed gear bicycles.
Flower boxes on every triple-decker.

Artisanal pesto sauces.
A slew of new neighbors.
Flower boxes on every triple-decker.
That stray cat with its bent tail.

A slew of new neighbors.
A mid-day’s nap under our willow tree.
That stray cat with its bent tail.
Walnut meat crushed on the sidewalk.

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To have your work considered for the Lyrical send it to:
Doug Holder, 25 School St.; Somerville, MA 02143
dougholder@post.harvard.edu

Today is the day to get out and vote in the Massachusetts Primary Elections. This is the process by which voters can indicate their preference for a candidate in the upcoming general election. Polls close at 8pm and you can find where to vote in your community by visiting this link here!

Arrests:
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Eric Clark, of 33 Kristin Rd., Plymouth, August 28, 9:22 a.m., arrested at College Ave. on charges of trespassing and shoplifting by asportation.

Sebastian Lapage, of 23 Christine St., Rockland, August 29, 10:15 a.m., arrested at Holland St. on charges of disorderly conduct and threat to commit a crime.

Our endorsements:

Endorsements are a norm for a newspaper. But if you ask us, it is only a guide for what we feel. After all, we too live here and we do serve the city. The paper and its staff have a stake in the election and, as in the past, we hereby offer our endorsements.

Primary Day here for state and federal office holders is next Tuesday, September 4, and although many avoid voting in the primary, perhaps this time you should not. What follows are our suggestions and why we make them.

A public service announcement from Somerville Media Center. Vote Tuesday, September 4!

Tuesday, September 4, is the statewide primary and polling locations will be open from 7 a.m. to  8 p.m.

Visit the Elections Department website where you can look up where you vote and see sample ballots.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services recently launched an Elder Mental Health Outreach Team to help at-risk older adults. The team includes (left to right) SCES Clinical Director Annie Fowler, and Social Workers Cassie Cramer, Courtney Johnson, and Lisa Waxman.

By Nathan Lamb

Older adults facing mental health conditions are an underserved population, but Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is looking to fill that gap with a new Elder Mental Health Outreach Team (EMHOT).

Launched in April, the EMHOT is dedicated to helping older adults who are at risk due to untreated behavioral health conditions. In practice, it gives SCES flexibility to work with elders who are facing a crisis, such as suicide risk or eviction for hoarding, explained SCES Clinical Director Annie Fowler.

Join Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Ward 4 Alderman Jesse Clingan, and Superintendent of Schools Mary Skipper on Monday, September 10, at 10 a.m. for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School. The ribbon cutting will celebrate school improvements including: roof, window and door replacement funded by the City and its partners at the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), as well as the second phase of renovations to the schoolyard.

City offices will be closed on Monday, September 3, for Labor Day. Trash, recycling, and yard waste collection will be on a one-day delay all week. There’s no street sweeping on Monday and parking meters and resident permit parking won’t be in effect.