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I have been a patron of the Bloc 11 Cafe since its inception. And over the years, the paintings and photographs on the walls have attracted my interest. While munching on my everything bagel and updating a syllabus for classes I teach at Endicott College, I noticed a number of vibrant watercolors of scenes from Boston and just beyond. Well, I was on it like the proverbial hornet, and I decided to ask the artist for an interview.

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Olivia Darmanin (she/her) is a junior Mathematics Secondary Education major at Endicott College from Worcester, MA. Outside of academics, she is heavily involved in theater and has been a stage manager and sound designer, in addition to other roles, for ten productions on campus. She has recently begun to explore creative writing, and is honored for the opportunity to be published.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne makes her midterm address to the city, also with newly sworn in President of the City Council, Judy Pineda Neufeld, and Chairperson of the School Committee, Ilana Krepchin.

Anna Agretelis of Somerville, MA passed away peacefully on January 1, 2025, a month shy of her 97th birthday.

Anna was born on February 15, 1928 in the village of Arhanes, Crete, Greece to her parents, Nikolaos Nisotakis and Maria Markodimitraki. She was one of six siblings including Mihalis Nisotakis, Stella Nisotakis, and Yiannis Nisotakis of Archanes, Crete and Manolis Nisotakis of Hudson, New Hampshire who have predeceased her. She is survived by her sister, Eleftheria (Nisotakis) Manetas of Disputanta, Virginia. At the age of 13 during World War II, Anna witnessed German paratroopers launch a large-scale airborne assault on her native land, leading to the Nazi occupation of Crete. Thereafter, alone and on-foot, Anna assisted with clandestine deliveries of food and supplies to resistance fighters in the mountains near her village.

Expectant mothers in Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford are invited to Riverside Early Head Start’s free community baby shower on Wednesday, January 15.

Riverside’s Early Head Start (EHS) program prepares children to successfully enter preschool and helps families learn important parenting skills. To introduce families to the program, they are holding a free community baby shower on Wednesday, January 15, at 474 Broadway, Somerville, from 4 to 6 pm. Pregnant women and parents with infants up to three months old are invited to this unique event where they can form connections with other parents and community service agencies. Attendees will receive important resources, enjoy snacks, develop new parenting skills, and celebrate this transformative time in their lives. Everyone at the baby shower will leave with a goodie bag designed to support newborns. Call 781-516-2922 or text “SHOWER” to register today.

Incoming City Council President and School Committee Chairperson will also share addresses with community

Join the City of Somerville for its Mid-Term Ceremonies and Addresses featuring Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, the incoming City Council President, and the incoming Chairperson of the Somerville School Committee. Speeches begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 6, 2025, City Council Chamber, City Hall (93 Highland Ave.).