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During this time of Covid-19, we’re finding getting together with neighbors for tea and even cocktails is a great way to catch up with each other. All while social distancing, of course. We were lucky enough to have this incredible chai made from scratch by our neighbor Himali. I asked if she wouldn’t mind sharing her recipe. To my delight, she agreed!

Although 23 years will have passed since the terrible and tragic events of September 11, 2001, took place, for many of us the shock and horror remains fresh in our memories. And since we, as New Englanders, were relatively close to the sites of destruction and loss of life, we can perhaps feel those sensations of sadness and even anger a little deeper than some others might, especially since our own Logan Airport played a role in the perpetrators’ deadly scheme.

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Somerville resident Kevin McIntosh has shared this essay with Off the Shelf that he published in https://theeducatorsroom.com/ about the art of teaching and the building of a reputation.

By Off the Shelf Correspondent Kevin M. McIntosh

Kevin M. McIntosh’s short stories have appeared in the American Literary Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, Potomac Review, Chicago Tribune and have been nominated for Best New American Voices and the Pushcart Prize. He has had fellowships at the Ragdale Foundation and Blue Mountain Center. His novel Class Dismissed (Regal House Publishing, July 2021) is informed by his thirty years of teaching English in New York City, Oakland, and Greater Boston. Visit him at kevinmmcintosh.com.

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After retiring from Brandeis University, Karen Klein turned her creative energies first to making ink drawings, then wood sculptures. She continued a daily haiku practice begun in the mid 1990’s, then moved to contemporary lyric. She has been published online and in print journals, including Ibbetson Street, Wilderness House Literary Review, Muddy River Literary Review, Five Fleas, SLANT, and Critical Inquiry. Resuming her dance practice, she founded teXtmoVes, a poetry/dance collaborative in 2016 with performances in local libraries, art galleries, concert venues in the greater Boston area. Her first full-length poetry book, This Close, was published by Ibbetson Street Press (2022). Her chapbook, Embodied, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press.

Earlier this morning a two-alarm fire broke out at 16 Glendale Ave. in Somerville. The first company arrived and reported smoke and fire conditions on the second floor. A search for occupants was carried out and was found to be clear. No report of injuries. The cause of the fire is undetermined currently and investigation is in process.

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Powder Alarm, the Somerville Museum partnered with the City of Somerville to produce a re-enactment of the historic event, followed by a living history fair.

EEE risk levels remain elevated in multiple communities

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) today announced a fourth human case of Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) in the state this year. The case is a man in his 50s with exposure in an area in Middlesex County at high risk for EEE.

East Somerville Main Streets invites you on a culinary journey around the world on September 17th, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Broadway in Somerville. Returning for its thirteenth year, the East Somerville Foodie Crawl highlights local businesses and celebrates cuisine from El Salvador, Brazil, Italy, France, Mexico, and more.

 LEGO Discovery Center Boston is celebrating teachers as the new school year begins, with Teacher Appreciation Days.