Two more Somerville restaurants will be closing for the winter. Highland Kitchen and Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar have shuttered their doors until spring of next year. They will be missed, but we look forward to their return then. Please keep in mind how important it is to support our small businesses and shop local.

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Last week we mentioned a rumor going around that Ward 5 City Councilor Mark Niedergang may not be running for reelection next term. Since then, he has officially confirmed it. You can read the full announcement on our website: http://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/104876.

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The Best of Somerville 2020 winners will be announced in the January 6, 2021, edition of our paper. There’s still time to cast your vote for the best. Email, mail or call in your vote for who and what you think is the best. We’re also looking for the Best Idea of 2020 here in the city. If you have anyone or anything you’d like to suggest, let us know. What a year 2020 has been.

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We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Erin Madden Capasso, Olivia Huang, Glenn DiMasse, Toni Guarino, Lori Courtney and Diane MacKay a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. To all the others we may have missed, we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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The CDC recently warned that “with colder weather, more time spent indoors, the ongoing U.S. holiday season, and silent spread of disease” by persons who are sick but have no symptoms, that “the United States has entered a phase of high-level transmission.” This applies to Massachusetts as well. We strongly urge you to limit non-essential activities and follow all recommended COVID-19 safety guidelines including wearing face coverings, social distancing, avoiding crowded spaces, postponing travel, increasing ventilation (open a door or window occasionally), washing hands frequently, and staying home and getting tested if you feel ill or may have been exposed to the virus.

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Senior Lunch pick up on Tuesday, December 22 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ralph and Jenny Senior Center, 9 New Washington Street. While they aren’t able to share lunch together, they hope you can stop by for this fun treat. RSVP is a must as spaces are limited. To enjoy a box lunch, please call Connie at 617-625-6600 ext. 2319.

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SomerSocial is a free, online after-school program for Somerville students in kindergarten through eighth grade. To see upcoming activities and register, visit the SomerSocial website: https://sites.google.com/scatvsomerville.org/somersocial.

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Vaccines are coming, but keep up COVID safety. The state recently released a timeline for when COVID-19 vaccines will be available. While this news provides some much-needed hope, now is not the time to relax COVID safety measures. Although health workers and persons at long-term care facilities may start getting vaccines as early as this month, the vaccine is not expected to be available widely until April-June 2021. In the meantime, it is important that we all continue wearing face coverings (over your nose and mouth), socially distancing, and keeping up other COVID safety measures. As more information about the vaccine becomes available, including information on how to get it locally, we’ll be sharing it in these updates and at somervillema.gov/covid19.

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New Somerville rental/mortgage assistance funds are available. $500,000 in federal COVID-19 Cares Act Relief funds are being dedicated to the city’s Flex-CV Fund to support income-eligible residents behind in rent or mortgage payments due to impacts of the pandemic. This funding is being administered by the Somerville Homeless Coalition and must be allocated by December 30, so residents interested in applying should do so as soon as possible. To learn more about the Flex-CV fund, visit https://www.somervillema.gov/news/city-announces-500000-emergency-housing-funds-covid-19-rentalmortgage-assistance.

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On December 20, the Somerville Arts Council will go live with a YouTube playlist featuring a well-rounded array of Somerville musicians performing musical numbers to brighten up your holidays. Looking for some jams for cooking or festive melodies for unwrapping gifts? They’ve got you covered. You could also play this seriously local holiday mix while enjoying the 2020 Illuminations Tour in your car. Subscribe to the SAC YouTube Channel for updates: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvpEsOeGsDU0VaizTF4-78A.

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This holiday season, our favorite local traditions have adapted to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Santa made a special trip earlier in the month to pre-record a message with Mayor Curtatone and light the Christmas tree; we joined Temple B’nai Brith for a virtual candle lighting on the first night of Hanukkah; and the Somerville Arts Council has adapted the Illuminations Tour into a self-guided tour of spectacular lights displays. Visit “Somerville’s Holiday Traditions Adapt to COVID-19” to find out how you can join in the festivities: https://www.somervillema.gov/2020holidays.

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CHA Somerville Hospital offers free testing at Assembly Row. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928, Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The mobile COVID-19 testing unit also offers testing in our neighborhoods. Mobile testing schedules and more information on both can be found under the “Symptoms, Testing, & Medical Info” tab on somervillema.gov/covid19. The state also operates several Stop the Spread testing sites, including in the nearby communities of Chelsea and Everett. For more information, visit the state’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread.

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There’s still time for you to help by donating to the Somerville Homeless Coalition. Your support helps reach even more people in need. This year, they have distributed over 33,000 bags of groceries, and expect to prevent over 200 evictions by the end of the month. They could not have done this work without your help. Donate to keep their clients housed through the winter. Your contributions will go directly to providing warmth, care, and food to those most in need. To donate visit: https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_3d74e456-2be2-11e9-9f3d-0aa640fb8062&WidgetId=5308416

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With snow in the forecast, it’s smart to brush up on Somerville’s snow rules now to be safe and avoid tickets. This year is a park even snow season, so unless signs say otherwise, you must park on the even-numbered side of the street during snow emergencies. Any exceptions will be noted by nearby signs.  Remember that six hours after snowfall ends, property owners must shovel their sidewalks to avoid being ticketed. Now, before snow starts, is a good time to review these and other city snow emergency policies and information, including where to park, when to move your car, and how to sign up for snow shoveling help if needed. Visit somervillema.gov/snow to learn more. If you have any questions, contact 311 at 617-666-3311.

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If you need assistance accessing food, there are several resources available to you locally. Visit the COVID-19 Help page at https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/covid-19-help-food-housing-and-financial-assistance to learn more. There you will find a chart that includes local food pantry schedules, contact information, languages spoken at the food pantry, and whether or not you need to bring ID.

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Please join the Council on Aging in spreading a little cheer to Somerville’s seniors this holiday season. Help them send cards, letters, or notes to brighten up a senior’s day. The unsealed cards, letters or notes can be dropped off at the Holland Street Senior Center, 167 Holland St. A box will be inside the vestibule. The notes will be delivered to seniors throughout the month of December. For more information, please call Debby Higgins, Outreach Coordinator at 617-625-6600 ext. 2321 or dhiggins@somervillema.gov.

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Reminder: city buildings are still closed to the public. Although city buildings remain closed to the public, a number of city services are still available online or by calling 311. Check the “City Service Status” tab on the city’s COVID-19 page for more information.

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Don’t forget, if you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website over to the right side and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the paper.