By Kyle Dante

The City Council intends to cut $400,000 from the Somerville Police Department (SPD) budget proposal for the 2023 fiscal year. $200,000 of that cut will be used for unarmed emergency personnel. The remaining $200,000 will go for other city demands, including housing and mental health needs, among others.

Somerville artist Iaritza Menjivar addressed the spectators gathered at the premiere of the new documentary “We Are Here Too.” — Photos by Emiliano Calvo

By Maeve Lawler

The documentary We Are Here Too premiered on Thursday, June 16. Spectators gathered at the Somerville Community Growing Center to learn about the stories of four women of color living in Somerville and their experiences as artists during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FY23 Budget meeting: Final vote and year-end transfers meeting takes place Thursday, June 23, 6:00 p.m. Public meeting of the Finance Committee. View agenda, video stream, and minutes at https://somervillecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx

(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 Mayor Emeritus Eugene C. Brune

There have been several conversations and written articles pertaining to consumption sites and their tentative locations. Certainly, this type of topic would bring out the good, the bad and ugly, during any discussions pertaining to a volatile issue.

During my six years as the Alderman in Ward Six, as well as my ten years as your mayor, many such issues took place. Halfway homes for alcohol rehabilitation, homeless shelters, drug programs, mental health group homes, etc.

The Somerville Educators Union expects the newly ratified contracts to greatly improve the educational environment for Somerville Schools and their students.

By The Times Staff

According to information released last week, the Somerville Educators Union (SEU) overwhelmingly ratified two contracts that will redefine student learning conditions and educator working conditions in the Somerville Public Schools.

By Gina Ingrando

On June 13, a School Committee meeting was held over Zoom to go over what has been going on in the schools and to present awards to the Valedictorian and the Salutatorian of Somerville High School, as well as recognize many other members of the Somerville school community.

Superintendent Mary Skipper and Principal Buchanan were present during the meeting to recognize Valedictorian Marie and Salutatorian Lucy on receiving the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Award.

Eagle Feathers #256 – Everett

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

The roots of Everett, Massachusetts run deep. Its settlement goes back to 1640 when it was known as Charlestown’s Mystic Side and later as Malden. She separated from Malden in 1870 and in 1892 went through the transformation from a town to a city. On May 27, 1776, as part of Malden, she was the first town to petition the Colonial Government to withdraw allegiance from King George.

Another year passes and we pause at this time to congratulate and honor the hard-working students who achieved their goal of successfully completing their courses of studies at their respective high schools and colleges.

It takes a lot of dedication and commitment to follow through to completion in this world, which is filled with so many challenges and distractions. It is no small feat to take one’s education to the limit, and these moments represent important milestones along the path to success in life.

Review by Dennis Daly

No writer distills history utilizing the form of poetic narratives better than Kevin Gallagher. In his latest effort, The Wild Goose Poems, Gallagher delves into Irish Americana, its background, and its sources. He uses a first-person sequence of poems on the rebel Irishman, then iconic Bostonian, John Boyle O’Reilly as the centerpiece of his collection. The poet leads into that sequence with a retelling of Celtic myth and finishes the book with a combination of classical myth and both local (Southie) and family lore. Think beginning, middle, and end. And that’s the way it reads.

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Tom Laughlin is a professor at Middlesex Community College in Bedford and Lowell where he teaches creative writing, literature, and composition courses, as well as coordinating a visiting writers series and open readings for students, faculty, and community members. Prior to that, he coordinated an early academic intervention program at Massasoit Community College in Brockton and taught literature classes in two Massachusetts prisons. He was a founding editor of Vortext, a literary journal of Massasoit Community College, and a volunteer staff reader for many years for Ploughshares. His poetry and fiction have appeared in Ibbetson Street, Green Mountains Review, Drunk Monkeys, Sand Hills Literary Magazine, The Blue Mountain Review, Superpresent Magazine, Hare’s Paw Literary Journal, Molecule, North Essex Review, and elsewhere. He has also published academic articles in Teaching English in the Two-Year College and elsewhere, as well an annual calendar, Stone Balancing at Walden Pond, featuring photos of his stone balancing. The Rest of the Way, a book of his poetry, is being released by Finishing Line Press in July. He has been known to hike hills like Great Blue Hill on full moon nights. More of his work can be found at TomLaughlinPoet.com.