— Photos by Claudia Ferro

East Somerville Main Streets held their annual East Somerville fall clean up last Saturday, meeting up at the East Branch Library to help beautify the neighborhood. Coffee and Pastries are provided by Ola Cafe.

~Photos by Claudia Ferro

On Tuesday, October 31, local seniors celebrated Halloween at the Council on Aging’s Holland Street Center. Attendees enjoyed music, a costume contest and trick or treating with the COA staff and volunteers from the Somerville Police Department.

Common Crossings Quilt with blue ribbon.

Antinette Evans is the co-owner of Quilters Common located in downtown Wakefield, rear of the Alano Building. In addition to being a business owner, Antoinette is a talented quilt designer and frequently offers block of month programs where quilters create one block per month, that block being a custom design by Antoinette.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

By Will Mbah
Candidate for Somerville City Councilor at Large

During the final days of the 2023 campaign, I have taken a few minutes to reflect on the how our democratic process is working in Somerville and to look ahead to the ways the city will be able to respond to citizen needs in the coming year.

Congratulations to those who were elected to public office in Somerville this week, and thanks to all who tossed their hats into the ring, whether successful or not. Every candidate should be proud of their efforts in contributing to the diversity of choice in every office. Our returning mayor, Katjana Ballantyne, faces many challenges as well as opportunities in her upcoming term. Let’s wish her and our new and returning Councilors the best as they head into the new year.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition, in cooperation with members of the Tufts community, are organizing this year’s “The Sleep Out” event to help raise consciousness about homelessness in the city.

On Friday, November 17, members of the Tufts community and the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) staff will be braving the elements and sleeping outdoors to spread awareness and support for SHC’s most vulnerable clients.

We honor them every year and we regard them with awe and deepest admiration. Proud, but humble in countenance, they seem to simply play their part in our annual celebration of appreciation for their courageous contributions to the wellbeing of our nation. The well-being of ourselves as a society.

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By Off the Shelf Correspondent Lawrence Kessenich

When I met my wife, Janet, she was a pianist and Eurythmics teacher. She had a variety of ways to make me melt, but one of them was playing Brahms. She would sit at the piano, back straight, head held high, fingers poised over the keyboard, her beautiful green eyes aglow, and then start in, leaning into the piece as she played with incredible feeling, teasing every ounce of emotion out of each measure. It sent shivers up my spine.