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Somerville City Councilor At-Large Willie Burnley Jr.

By Somerville City Councilor At-Large Willie Burnley Jr.

As your At-Large Somerville City Councilor, I’ve poured myself into making our community as welcoming as it can be for all. From making Somerville a sanctuary for those seeking gender-affirming healthcare to uplifting Somerville’s Black history by being the first person to name a park after an African-American (Leonard Grimes Park is on its way) to passing first-in-the-nation non-discrimination ordinances that protect non-traditional family structures from discrimination, I’ve sought to ensure that Somerville sends the message far and wide that we are an inclusive community. However, I know that there is no future for equitable inclusion without affordability.

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On a recent trip to Kauai, Hawaii, I purposely ventured out to try some traditional dishes of Hawaii.

My first stop was Pono Market in Kapaa. The market was a busy little hole in the wall packed with assorted drinks, and other premade, quick grab and go items. They also gave the option of combination plates which included a variety of main dishes like, fried chicken, kalua pork, chicken curry, pork lau lau, chicken lau lau, teri meatloaf, and side dishes like different types of poke, Korean tako, spicy ahi, Shoyu ahi, rice, potato mac salad, cucumber kimchee, and rice pudding, just to name a few.

Heads up, Somerville. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is, unfortunately, warning that it has found West Nile virus (WNV) in mosquito samples from the Brookline and Worcester regions.

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Article by Off the Shelf Correspondent Michael Todd Steffen.

I took a chance and interrupted solo guitarist/singer Roland Pearsall between two songs while he was performing in Davis Square a couple of weeks ago. I had to muster up my courage. Pearsall sings in an untiring booming baritone, playing covers of James Brown, Gnarls Barkley, The Genies and Frankie Ford – from long ago. I was apprehensive of the sizeable and “mythic” persona of his talent, singular minded repertoire and the years of tradition resonant in his guitar and voice. Like I was approaching one in the brotherhood of Bruce Springsteen or Chris Isaak.

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In AMERICAN QUEERS: Poems Celebrating Mid-Century Gay Activists, Jesse Mavro Diamond imagines a metaphoric kingdom inhabited by four relatively unknown gay and lesbian royal champions. With sharp wit and whole-hearted empathy, the poet extols and elegizes Stormé Delarverie, Richard Leitsch, Pat Parker and Charley Shively. Appending the poems with well researched biographical notes on each activist, diverse readers, students and teachers will discover the work is compelling and informative. AMERICAN QUEERS “impresses with historical vision and authenticity.” (Judson Evans)

A wide variety of free outdoor events are being planned for Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston

HONK! 2023. The dates for this year’s music festival of activist street bands, October 6-8, are now set. The organizing has already begun in earnest, with a more complete schedule of in-person free outdoor events available soon after Labor Day weekend.

Proceeds from the Limited-Edition Ale will Support the Nonprofit’s Year-Round Food Rescue and Redistribution Efforts across Eastern Massachusetts

Food For Free and Lamplighter Brewing Co. (LBCO), are ready to quench your thirst to end hunger. On July 11, the organizations launched “About Thyme,” a limited-edition charitable beer to support the nonprofit’s year-round food rescue and distribution efforts across Eastern Massachusetts.