Worker-owners Sasha Coleman, Ellie Tiglao, and Kyisha Davenport had their restaurant, Tanam, recognized by the James Beard Foundation Awards. – Photo by Shira Laucharoen

By Shira Laucharoen

Somerville restaurant Tanam and chef Cassie Piuma of Sarma were nominated as semifinalists for the 2020 James Beard Foundation Awards, as announced on February 26. Tanam was named for the category “Best New Restaurant,” while Piuma was selected for the section “Best Chef: Northeast.” The prestigious awards are presented annually to recognize those in the culinary arts in the United States.

On Saturday, March 7 between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m., members of the Somerville Teachers Association and their supporters gained more support by accepting signatures from people who entered and exited MBTA stations along with many pedestrians in the Davis Square area. They also canvassed surrounding streets for support for the upcoming contract. There was strong support among people who stopped to talk and listen. People from outside of the state – Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Michigan – who are educators and visiting our area said they would return home and spread the word.

We want to remind all of our valued readers – and everyone else, of course – to keep washing their hands and take all suitable precautions while risks of exposure to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) still exists. The city’s website has a lot of valuable updated information on the virus and SCAT TV will be running podcasts in the next few days with information from the CDC. We will also be updating our website with any new updates and will run the podcasts.

Representative Christine P. Barber (D-34th Middlesex) voted in favor of a package to bring in new revenue to fund needed investments in our transportation system, while also supporting local projects to improve transportation access and equity in Somerville and Medford.

Somerville Media Center cites COVID 19 concerns for decision

After careful deliberation at the Somerville Media Center meeting of t the board of directors, the decision was reached that the Somerville Media Center’s 2020 Honors Gala, scheduled for April 16, at the Center for the Arts at the Armory, has been postponed to a yet to be determined future date.

Assistant Chief Probation Officer in Middlesex Superior Court Paul Cashman retired after 22 years of service. A retirement party was held in his honor on Friday, March 6 at Casey’s in Somerville. Family, friends, colleagues and dignitaries, which included former Mayor Michael McGlynn, City Councilor Adam Knight and former Aldermen Sean O’Donovan, Kenny Joyce and Bob McWatters were in attendance. Cashman was presented with two citations from Governor Charlie Baker and Senator Salvatore DiDemenico celebrating his 22 years of distinguished public service the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

It’s a tradition that most of us have a lot of fun with. Whether one is of Irish lineage or not, St. Patrick’s Day stands for a recognition of Irish and Irish American culture, and in many ways its resulting mix.

The religious origins of the day have, for some, been obscured and often all but forgotten in favor of the prominent displays of the color green, eating and drinking, and numerous parades. The day has been celebrated on the North American continent since before the American Revolution, and is actually an official holiday in neighboring Suffolk County. Ask any of our Boston brethren and they would – to a single soul – be aware of this fact.

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St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. To get into the spirit of celebration, here are a couple of suggestions to get the festivities started. Head out to The Burren in Davis Square for dinner and a show. Starting on March 13th through the 17th, there are 13 shows featuring tunes, ballads, stories and dancing. To go along with the show a traditional dinner your choice of either corned beef and cabbage or Guinness beef stew with soda bread will be available. Check out their website for additional information and a link to purchase tickets for the event, https://www.burren.com.

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Review by Off the Shelf correspondent Ed Meek

Although we have all recently been made aware of the growing disparity between the rich and everyone else and the heretofore unremarked class-system we’ve all been toiling in for years, (see Parasite) there has also come to light of late a number of works that remind us of our common struggles. Big Little Lies, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Marriage, Sanditon, The Slave Play, etc. Carolynn Kingyens debut book of poems, Before the Big Bang Makes a Sound, explores the world from the point of view of a married, middle-class mother of two who, like many of us, encounters illness, questions faith, is concerned with gender roles and sexism and the way class plays into these issues.

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Koby Hirschaut is a 19-year-old sophomore English major at Endicott College. He is from Peabody Massachusetts originally. He has held an interest in writing poems since high school and his greatest poetic influence is Pablo Neruda. This poem is in the style of a “Pantoum.”