The Somerville Arts Council is partnering with Oompa, a nationally-acclaimed, Boston- born, poet, rapper, and educator, to present a Black, Brown & Queer, a QTPOC (Queer and Trans, person of color) multi-disciplinary arts festival. This will be a free, outdoor, community festival, with all of the artists coming from the QTPOC community.

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Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent Marcia D. Ross.

First, the title: Dreadsummer. Before I’d read a single poem, the title bespoke (to me) some call of the wild, a terrible loss, a subject matter emotionally wrenching, like Heathcliff and Catherine’s tragic love. And I was wrong, but I was close. This chapbook of poems by Eliot Cardinaux turns out to be much subtler and more musical than my cheap dramatic expectations, but I would not be exaggerating to call the poems odd, like dreams, and arresting, invasive, suggestive, and large in their life upon the page. They live.

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Karen VanKnapp was employed at Harvard Medical School and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She likes the offbeat and enjoys things of a scientific bent.

Arrests:
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Rydjoechy Saturne, of 51 Marshall St., August 12, 6:27 p.m., arrested at Marshall St. on a courtesy booking.

Thomas Murphy, of 33 Reagent Rd., Malden, August 13, 3:15 p.m., arrested at Mystic Ave. on multiple charges of larceny under $1200, and on a warrant charge of conspiracy to violate drug law.

Committee will work to ensure accuracy and equity in the 2020 census

The City of Somerville is seeking members and supporting volunteers for the city’s 2020 U.S. Census Complete Count Committee.

The Somerville Fire Department will begin the annual inspection of all fire hydrants on Monday, August 19, and conclude on Saturday, August 31. This procedure requires the flushing of water from the hydrants as well as a check of the mechanical operation of the hydrant. The inspection/testing program will take approximately two weeks to complete.

The Somerville Foundation for Animals (501(c)3) announces the 10th Annual Somerville Dog Festival. The festival will be held at Trum Field on Sunday, September 8, 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Admission is free and donations are accepted for activities to support the fund. All well-mannered dogs on leash and current on their vaccinations are invited! Please be aware the bridge in Ball Square is under construction, so anyone driving in from the West should plan to reroute via Cedar Street. Parking is limited, so public transportation is encouraged.

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I go out every day hunting for things that I can resell or reuse. While driving to stores, I’ve been known to trash pick items along the way and then donate them for a 20% off coupon when I arrive at the store. Any legal way to make/save a buck.

Copies of “The Haunting of Hill House” now available at all three library branches.

The Somerville Public Library is excited to announce the title of its tenth annual Somerville Reads campaign, The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. Copies will be available at all three Somerville Public Library locations as of September 3.  Somerville Reads is a citywide reading initiative that encourages all Somerville residents to read and discuss the same book to promote literacy and community engagement.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers.)

By Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

50%: This summer marks the halfway point on construction of the new Somerville High School and the first portion of the new building is on schedule to open at the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year. In 2016, 72% of voters approved a ballot question that allowed the City to fund the construction of a new high school. Somerville High School was made up of a series of additions that had been built from 1852 through 1986, which meant it had not been designed for modern educational needs and presented a variety of challenges around maintenance and heating and cooling.