— Photos by Claudia Ferro

The Somerville community celebrated Fourth of July Thursday night at Trum Field. The celebration included entertainment by DJ Philip Tan and funk band Search Party, Somerville High School graduate Britney Flores sang the Star-Spangled Banner to lead into the fireworks countdown by Mayor Ballantyne.

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With the Fourth of July here, I thought I would share this recipe for those of you who love a good coleslaw. This is not a traditional coleslaw, but delicious all the same.

What is more delicious to the young mind than that savory and unrivaled treat, summer vacation? A well-deserved reward for all the hard work and irreplaceable time invested in the previous school year.

As adults, we can look back fondly on those golden days with a warm sense of nostalgia and a longing to return to the carefree days that linger now only in our memories. And yet, we can live those times again vicariously as we engage with the present younger generation who will be making its own special memories.

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Recently, the New England Poetry Club awarded poet Gail Mazur its Golden Rose Award. The Golden Rose, one of America’s oldest literary prizes, is awarded annually to a poet who has done the most for poetry during a lifetime. Gail Mazur, besides being a celebrated poet, and teacher, is the founder of the famed Blacksmith House Poetry Series.  Founded in 1973, the award-winning Blacksmith House Poetry Series brings established and emerging writers of poetry and fiction to Harvard Square. I got a chance to chat with Mazur, shortly after she received the award.

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Host and Director of The Somerville Council on Aging, Ashley Speliotis, speaks with Director of the Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services Director, Keith Adams.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)  announced that fares will again be free this year on bus, subway, ferry, Commuter Rail, and RIDE transportation on Thursday, July 4, 2024 after 9:30 p.m.. Boston is regularly predicted to host over a million visitors for the July 4 holiday. To accommodate increased ridership, the MBTA is encouraging travelers to plan their commute in advance and reminding riders of its holiday service schedules. The public is encouraged to take public transportation to and from the 2024 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the DCR Hatch Shell on the Esplanade in Boston and to other holiday events. The MBTA’s July 4 service schedules continue to be available at mbta.com/holidays.  

USS Constitution is scheduled to go underway from Charlestown Navy Yard, 22 Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown, MA,  on Thursday, July 4, at 10 a.m.

USS Constitution will be closed in the morning and reopen to the public for tours following the underway from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The Somerville Math Fund was pleased to be able to award four year renewable scholarships to these outstanding math and science students. Pictured are Galen Carter, Max Barish, Rowan Ferguson, Tessel Van Schaaik, Lucca Valdes, Harrison Mayer, Erica Voolich (president SMF), Cecelia Crounse, Yasmin Nazhar, Devasya Nepal, Noah Brown, Lillian MacArthur, Lily Thompson, Dashill Brenner

By Erica Dakin Voolich

The Somerville Mathematics Fund is pleased to announce the winners of their renewable mathematics scholarships for 2024.  The Math Fund was founded to celebrate and encourage math achievement and these students deserve to be celebrated for their work in math and science while in high school. Thanks to the generosity of many individuals and a few organizations, this year we were able to award a record 13 scholarships, totaling $78,000 over four years.