If you wanted proof that not every item on the Everett calendar has to turn into a zoning war, here you go.
The Everett Public Libraries are kicking off the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge on Saturday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is open to children, teens, and adults, which is a nice change from the usual city habit of slicing everything into ten separate programs and three committees.
This year’s theme ties into the 250th anniversary of the United States. The library is promising food, refreshments, games, activities for all ages, music, entertainment, and information on how to join the summer reading program.
That is the whole pitch, and frankly it’s a good one. Show up, sign up, get the kids reading, maybe read something yourself. In a city where people spend plenty of time arguing about what kind of future Everett should have, the library is still doing one of the few jobs that does not require a consultant to explain it.
If you want more information, the notice says to check with the Parlin or Shute Memorial Library.
Also on the calendar, the Everett High School Class of 1978 will sponsor the 9:30 a.m. Mass at Our Lady of Grace on Sunday, June 7, in memory of deceased classmates from Everett High and Everett Vocational High School.
Our Lady of Grace is on Nichols Street on the Everett-Chelsea line.
That item is short and plain, which is probably how it should be. Not everything needs branding language about “engagement” and “stakeholders.” Sometimes people just gather to remember their dead, and that’s reason enough.