*

Review By Off the Shelf Correspondent Andy Hoffman

Setting a show in a school brings up so many production problems. How do you maintain the illusion of the adults playing kids and that the teacher/student power dynamic has actual consequences? The Huntington Theatre shows how with John Proctor is the Villain, tightly written by Kimberly Belflower and expertly directed by Margot Bordelon.

*
Lo Galluccio is a poet, memoirist and vocalist whose most recent publication is Not for Amnesia on Cervena Barva Press. This collection is composed of 15 poems she wrote in Brooklyn, NY in 1989-90 while working as night high school teacher, after a romantic break up. Lo is a Harvard graduate with a BA in Social Studies and an MFA in Creative Writing from Stoneocoast’s program (2019). She lived on the Lower East Side of NY for 11 years before moving back to Boston in 2001. Her first chapbook, Hot Rain, was released on Ibbetson St. Press, followed by a prose-poem memoir, Sarasota VII, on Cervena Barva Press. In 2012 her third chapbook, Terrible Baubles, came out on Alternating Current Press and was subsequently turned into a CD with music by pianist Eric Zinman and cellist Jane Wang.

Separating nutrition facts from fiction will be the focus of lunchtime presentations at the Cambridge and Somerville Councils on Aging in March.

The MBTA will host a virtual public meeting on Tuesday, February 27, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. regarding proposed MBTA fare changes.

The MBTA is proposing an expansion of reduced fares eligibility to riders with low income and other fare changes, including replacing change tickets with CharlieCards on buses and the Green and Mattapan lines and a permanent $10 Holiday Weekend Passes. If approved, these changes will go into effect in spring 2024. Riders and the public are encouraged to attend and can learn more at mbta.com/2024FareChanges.

*
Somerville High School students in the Graphic Communications program collaborated with members of the Student Services Department to create an exciting new anti-bullying poster campaign. There are two poster designs, both of which are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. The poster provides clear guidelines for reporting an incident of bullying and a QR code to the anonymous reporting form on the SPS Student Services website.

— Photo courtesy of Corona Tools

By Melinda Myers

It’s never too early to prepare for the garden season ahead. Having the right tool for the job saves time, reduces the frustration of trying to make the wrong tool work, and allows you to garden longer with less muscle fatigue.

Take an inventory of all your tools. Be sure to check the shed, garage, or tool caddy. Make a list of those that need to be replaced or need an update. This is also a good time to clean and sharpen those tools you plan to use in the coming growing season.