40 Years of SCATV Exhibit, CARNAVAL, Big Gay Dance Party, and More!
Articles
NEIGHBORS SOUND OFF ON PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING PLANS
Mayor announces “pause” in design process, seeking more community input
Committed to siting a new police and fire complex at 90 Washington St., the City has nevertheless paused the design process for the new building.
“We put down our pencils. The design of the building is on pause, so we can take community feedback into account before taking more steps forward,” Mayor Katjana Ballantyne told a group of abutters and other community members last week.
2022 ARTS IN THE ARMORY GALA PHOTOS
Photographer Jesse Buckley captures “A Night in Bloom”
Shorts
McGrath Highway Hearing June 2
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation will host a virtual public meeting to provide an update on the proposed safety improvements at the intersection of McGrath Highway (Route 28) and Mystic Avenue (Route 38) in Somerville.
The proposed project consists of intersection improvements to improve safety for all users and to provide more efficient traffic operations at the intersection. The work will include new traffic signals, improved pedestrian accessibility and connections, improved transit accessibility, and updated signs and pavement markings.
The meeting will take place tomorrow (Thursday, June 2) at 6:30 p.m. Link: www.mass.gov/event/somerville-signal-and-intersection-improvements-at-mcgrath-highway-route-28-mystic-avenue-route-38-project-2022-06-02t183000-0400-2022-06-02t200000-0400. The meeting is accessible to people with disabilities. MassDOT provides reasonable accommodations and/or language assistance free of charge upon request.
All comments and feedback submitted in response to the meeting will be reviewed and considered to the maximum extent possible, MassDOT said.
40 Years of SCATV Celebrated at Somerville Museum Exhibit
A collaboration between the Somerville Media Center and the Somerville Museum, “Firehouse Reels: 40 Years of SCATV,” opens Friday (June 3). According to a press release, the show “documents a local community television channel that has been in operation since1980. The station was called Somerville Community Access Television (SCATV) and was an essential contributor to local culture.
“This exhibition presents the digitized collection of talk shows, musical performances, political forums, and art videos broadcast over the cable television channel 3 through the decades. The goal of this project is to give insight into the concerns of Somerville residents at that time. The collection of media is presented with monitors, projections, and sound throughout the Museum, combined with a few documents collected over the years: Flyers, letters of protest, and photographs.
General Admission $5; Members free. Hours: Thursdays 2–7 p.m., Fridays 2–5 p.m., and Saturdays 12–5 p.m. Go to www.somervillemuseum.org or call 617-666-9810 for more information.
Celebrate in the Streets at CARNAVAL
Join the Somerville Arts Council and East Somerville Main Streets as they kick off the SomerStreets season with CARNAVAL this Sunday, June 5 from 2-6 p.m. (rain date June 12) on Broadway between Kensington and Pennsylvania Aves. in East Somerville.
Three stages of live music and performances will feature Grooversity, Grupo Los Nitidos, Lechuga Fresca, Tarciso Alves, Lookie Lookie, Capoeira, and Tunalpit Dancers. Enjoy activities with Esh Circus, Mudflat, Somerville Youth Soccer, Somerville Recreation, Parkour, bike safety with the Somerville Kiwanis Club, a dunk tank, and more. Food vendors will include East Somerville restaurants, plus Tipping Cow Ice Cream, and fried dough from Dean’s Concessions.
SomerStreets is an annual series that takes place on Sundays during the summer and fall. Building on the Shape Up Somerville healthy living initiative, SomerStreets is based on the internationally-renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity.
Big Gay Dance Party
Get your dancing shoes out: Big Gay Dance Party 2022 is coming on Saturday, June 11 (rain date June 18) from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Union Square Plaza. Presented by the Somerville Arts Council, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Mayor’s Office, the free outdoor party will feature music by DJ Live, drag performances by Amanda Playwith and Karisma Geneva Jackson-Tae, a photo booth with Cindy Weisbart, and LGBTQ+ craft vendors. Local nonprofit organizations will be tabling, including the Cambridge Health Alliance Diversity Council, CHA’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Program, CHA Teen Connection, and RESPOND Inc. The party is open to all LGBTQ+ individuals and allies.
You Don’t Have to Run Away to Join the Circus
Somerville’s OPENAIR Circus (www.openaircircus.org ) will offer its 39th year of summer classes in circus skills from June 27 through Aug. 7. This year, in-person classes will be at Lou Ann David Park on Broadway near Teele Square, in 55-minute time slots, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4:30-7:30.
In-person classes will include: baton twirling, devil sticks, hula hoops, juggling, stilting, Tumbling for Two (ages 3-7 with adult partner), unicycling, and more. Equipment for all classes is available for loan or purchase.
All classes are free, though donations are requested to help pay the teachers. Due to COVID concerns, in-person classes have limited enrollment, and there will not be a final Big Top performance this year. All students, teachers, and organizers will be masked and socially distanced.
Photo Credit: Somerville is free. Photo by Jason Pramas. Copyright 2022 Jason Pramas.
This article is syndicated by the Somerville Wire municipal news service of the Somerville News Garden project of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.
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Linda Pinkow is a reporter for the Somerville Wire. She is also a development consultant for the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.
