*

The “Queen” of the small press, poet Lyn Lifshin, has passed at the age of 77. Lifshin was published in almost every magazine out there including my own. You always knew it was a Lifshin submission because it was an overstuffed envelope with 50 to 100 poems, and many of them were very good.

*
Dancer, poet, Karen Klein founded teXtmoVes, a collaborative of poets/dancers/ choreographers who perform together and independently, most recently at Urbanity Central, Boston. Her haiku have been published nationally, internationally, and anthologized. Her poems have been printed in The Cape Cod Poetry Review, Pudding Magazine, The Comstock Review, SLANT, The Somerville Times, online in The Drunken Boat, Fusion Magazine, read as Sunday Poet on Boston Area Small Press and Poetry Scene, WCAI Poetry Sunday, and Poet-to-Poet interview with Doug Holder, Somerville Cable TV. A member of Steeple Street Poets, she is compiling her first chapbook.

Arrests:
*

John Elwell, of 27 Vernon St., Malden, December 27, 1:26 p.m., arrested at Assembly Row on a charge of larceny over $1200.

Itamar Neto, of 153 Second St., Framingham, December 27, 8:56 p.m., arrested at McGrath Hwy. on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct.

Joseph Walter Howard of Plymouth (Manomet) formerly of Lincoln and Somerville, passed away peacefully at home on December 12, 2019 at the age of eighty-eight. He leaves behind his loving wife of sixty-three years, Sally (Eldridge) Howard. Beloved father to Julie Head and her husband Chris of Marshfield, Pam Finn and her husband Mike of Plymouth (Manomet), Ann King and her husband Joseph of Marlborough, Chis Howard and his wife Jeannette of Everett. He was Gramps to seven grandchildren, Ryan, Cory, Jared, Sara, Jessica, Olivia and the late Taylor Finn.

The Board of Directors of the Somerville Community Corporation (SCC) announced that Danny LeBlanc will step down as Chief Executive Officer after 20 years of leadership effective June 30, 2020. The board formed a search committee in August and has enlisted the services of Third Sector New England to lead the work of identifying a new CEO.

Accessible Documentary Production: An Introductory Workshop

This one-day immersive workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to nonfiction storytelling. It will emphasize “accessible documentary production,” or how to create great content using even the most basic cameras and production tools. Participants will explore documentary style and form, story ideation, nonfiction shooting basics, conducting compelling interviews, and getting started with editing.

Elena A. Scimone, Age 92 of Wakefield, Somerville, Rockport and Boston’s North End passed away peacefully on Monday, December 9, 2019 in the presence of her son and care takers at Brightview Assisted Senior Living Wakefield .

Beloved wife of the late Frank J. Scimone, Mother of Frank A. Scimone of Wakefield and his partner Georgette Chappelle. Loving daughter of the late Agripina Aloise and Joseph Aloise.

Courtesy of Somerville High School

Students in Ms. Lindsey Richard’s Calligraphy art class at Somerville High School recently completed an interactive wall mural that invites students to BE THE “I” IN KIND. The colorful mural is located at the end of a third floor hallway at SHS and beckons students to stand on the “X” marked with duct tape on the floor just in front of where the “I” in the word KIND would go. Students are encouraged to interact with the mural by striking a pose and taking a pic. If students choose to share the photo on social media, they can to do so using the hashtag #KINDATSHS.

The American Lung Association reminds the public that e-cigarettes, or vaping, is not quitting smoking

Along with hitting the gym more often and starting a diet, quitting smoking tops many New Year’s resolution lists. There are currently 715,500 smokers in Massachusetts and nearly 60% tried to quit last year. New ads from e-cigarettes companies would have those smokers falsely believe that switching to vaping is quitting smoking. The American Lung Association is reminding Massachusetts residents that the Food and Drug Administration has not found any e-cigarette to be safe and effective in helping smokers quit.

Arrests:
*

Paula Nolin, of 359 Green St., Cambridge, December 17, 4:44 p.m., arrested at Highland Ave. on warrant charges of shoplifting over $250 by concealing merchandise, trespassing, possession of a class B drug, larceny from a building, credit card fraud under $1200, and receiving stolen property under $1200.

Lajuane Bleach, of 973 Morton St., Mattapan, December 18, 6:24 p.m., arrested at Middlesex Ave. on charges of removal of theft prevention device, violation of city ordinance possession of a dangerous weapon, and shoplifting by concealing merchandise.