So, Patriots’ Day came and went this week with little fanfare and fuss, and no Boston Marathon, all because of the ongoing the coronavirus threat. It is very important we continue to be safe, yet we can’t help but miss these grand old traditions that most of us look forward to. It’s unfortunate that we have had to give up so much so far, but these events and special occasions will return. For now, be safe and ride this thing out with patience and good humor.

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The City of Somerville Department of Veterans’ Services invites local Veterans and family members of Veterans to submit short video messages to celebrate Memorial Day. Veterans and Veteran families are encouraged to record short videos, about 10 to 15 seconds long, to share what Memorial Day means to them or a message for troops deployed overseas. Submissions will then be compiled into a larger video to mark this year’s holiday. Videos should be submitted by Friday, April 30. They can be emailed to Ted Louis-Jacques, Director of Veterans’ Services, at tjacques@somervillema.gov or texted to him at 617-404-5290.

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Nomination applications for candidacy for seats on the board of Somerville’s Union Square Neighborhood Council are being accepted through Monday, April 26. Prospective candidates must complete and return a form contained within the election packet (PDF), where more information about USNC and the election process can be found.

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To those celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to former alderman and great guy, Jack Connolly of Wedgwood-Crane & Connolly Insurance in Davis Sq. We hope he has a great birthday. Happy birthday to Julie Phelan Brady. We wish her a great day on this her birthday. Happy birthday to Jim Cook, who is celebrating this week. Happy birthday to Bob DiGuardia, who is also celebrating this week. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Jay Forestier, Lee Erica Byron Palmer, Paul Stanford, Bob DiGuardia, Benjamin Holmes, Celia Miller-Saltman, Jim Ospenson, Susannah Buzard, Sylvia Cabrera, Tina Kneeland, Bella Revett, Angelmarie Dinunzio, Kate Sherlock Guiliano and Debbie Shansky Murray 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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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 1 Councilor Matthew McLaughlin invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss roadway upgrades and traffic safety improvements on Pearl Street. As part of the Pearl Street Reconstruction and Traffic Safety Improvements project, sidewalks will be reconstructed, the road will be repaved, and traffic safety upgrades will be installed on the eastern section of Pearl Street, between McGrath Highway and Mount Vernon Street. Construction is expected to begin later this year. At this meeting, City staff will introduce the project, provide existing conditions data, and present concepts for potential roadway changes to improve traffic safety and support sustainable, multi-modal transportation. Community members are invited to provide input about the conceptual designs and priority locations for different types of improvements. The meeting will take place virtually on Wednesday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. Learn more and register to attend at www.somervillema.gov/pearlstreet.

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East Somerville Main Streets is going to have a plant sale fundraiser at the East Somerville Market on April 25. They are accepting donations of seedlings, cuttings and propagations of flowers, veggies and houseplants. Please contact them at Director@Eastsomervillemainstreets.org if you’d like to donate towards the cause. Proceeds will help us offset the expenses of putting on the East Somerville market.

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The state has announced that all remaining groups are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Monday, April 19: People age 16 or older became eligible. For more information and to pre-register for an appointment, visit mass.gov/vaccine or call 211. The city of Somerville is also available to help those who face barriers to accessing vaccines, including people who need transportation or language assistance. If you are currently eligible to receive a vaccine and need help accessing the vaccine, please call 311.

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As of April 13, a total of 5,838 Somerville residents have tested positive for COVID-19 since March 2020, and sadly there have been 84 deaths. See the latest Somerville case data at somervillema.gov/covid19dashboard. Additional types of outdoor performances and outdoor retail now allowed: Outdoor spoken word performances and outdoor retail or artist stands are now allowed under Somerville’s reopening guidelines with proper safety procedures. If you’re interested in hosting a performance or setting up shop outside, visit our website to learn more about requirements and application processes. Remember to mask up and keep gatherings to under ten people: Facemasks are still required in all indoor and outdoor public spaces in MA. The private gathering limit in Somerville remains at a maximum of ten persons. This applies to events held indoors or outdoors. Please stay vigilant as we seek to beat the virus. Free COVID-19 testing: CHA Somerville Hospital offers free testing at Assembly Row. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). The mobile COVID-19 testing unit offers testing for all in our neighborhoods. To make a mobile appointment, call 617-682-0583. Mobile testing schedules, as they become available, and more testing information can be found at somervillema.gov/covidtesting. The state’s Stop the Spread testing sites are also an option, including in the nearby communities of Chelsea and Everett. For more information, visit the state’s website.

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The Somerville Community Preservation Committee is holding its annual Community Preservation Plan public hearing on Wednesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. The Community Preservation Plan establishes how $2 million in Fiscal Year 2022 Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds will be allocated across affordable housing, historic resources, and open space categories. The draft plan is available at somervillema.gov/CPA. Immediately before the hearing, at 6:30 p.m., the Committee will host a workshop for individuals and organizations who would like to learn more about how to apply for CPA funds. The workshop will cover the process for applying for CPA funds for a project on city land, restrictions for open space and historic resources projects, and the program to support feasibility studies for some proposed projects. The workshop and the hearing will be held virtually. Visit somervillema.gov/CPA or call 311 for instructions on how to join. Written comments about the Community Preservation Plan may also be emailed to Judith Tumusiime, Community Preservation Act Manager, at jtumusiime@somervillema.gov by Friday, May 14. For more information or to share feedback about the CPA, visit somervillema.gov/CPA to take the CPA survey and sign up for the email newsletter.

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Applications are now available for Somerville youth 14 and up to apply for the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program. Applications will be accepted through Friday, May 14. Employment opportunities are available in the Parks and Recreation Department, Department of Public Works, and other city departments. Some positions can be done remotely or in a hybrid of remote and in-person work. Youth who are hired can expect to work 20 hours for approximately six weeks starting in late June or early July. All positions pay the city’s living wage rate, which is currently at $15.46 per hour. Youth who would like to apply can do so by visiting http://bit.ly/SomerJobs2021. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis upon receipt of applications.

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Somerville, along with the 19 other communities that make up the Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC), was recently awarded the Environmental Business Council of New England’s Award for Leadership by a Non-Profit Organization. The Environmental Business Council of New England presents annual awards to recognize companies, organizations, and individuals for outstanding accomplishments in environmental management, energy resources and management, and climate change. The 20 communities of the RMC were recognized for their work to mitigate climate change risks in the Mystic River watershed. The RMC raised more than $2.5 million in 18 months to support stormwater flood management and storm-hardening infrastructure in the region, next-generation coastal flood management, and to support work to address disparities in the impact of climate change.

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Deanna Cremin, a 17-year-old from Somerville, was found murdered on March 30, 1995. Her case remains unsolved. If you have any info about the unsolved homicide of Deanna Cremin, please contact Det. Alan Monaco at 617-625-1600 Ext. 7226. Please help bring closure to the Cremin Family.

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The City of Somerville’s Elections Department has set up an online appointment system to allow candidates for municipal office to safely pick up and drop off nomination papers and speak with Elections staff while City Hall remains closed to the public. Candidates can sign up for a 30-minute appointment between May 3 and June 9 at www.somervillema.gov/elections. For more information about municipal elections, including how to run for office and a full election cycle calendar, visit www.somervillema.gov/elections

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The Somerville Museum is now open to the public. Hours are Thursdays, 2:00 – 7:00 p.m., Fridays, 2:00 – 5:00 p.m., Saturdays, 12:00 – 5:00 p.m. They require all visitors to wear face masks regardless of vaccination status, and everyone needs an advance timed-entry ticket. Tickets available on Eventbrite. Time slots are 1/2 hour long. $5 for Non-Members. Members enjoy free admission. Want to become a member? Sign up here: http://somervillemuseum.org/join-html/

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Somerville Council on Aging’s Virtual Wang Theatre Tour. Join Scott Towers as he takes you on a never before seen tour of the Wang Theatre. The Boch Center Wang Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been one of the premier theatrical destinations in Boston since opening in 1925. Rivaled by few other theatres in the world, it boasts a seating capacity of 3,500 and one of the five largest stages in the U.S. Learn about the theatre’s architectural highlights and unique history, from its hotel roots and glamorous days as a movie “cathedral,” to today’s role as an impressive venue for performances and events. Visit the same dressing rooms and hallways once walked by entertainers like Ella Fitzgerald, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Queen, Elton John, Lady Gaga, Liza Minnelli and more. Your experience will include a live walkthrough of the theatre as well as historic images and prerecorded content. The tour will take place via Zoom. May 13 at 1:00 p.m. Please RSVP to Maureen by calling 617-625-6600, ext. 2335 or email her at MBastardi@Somervillema.gov. Space is limited.

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The Somerville Arts Council (SAC) is partnering with Assembly Row to create a new art installation in the form of three giant vertical banners (16’5”w x 58’5”h) that hang on a facade along Great River Road and face the Mystic River and the Orange Line. The site, especially when seen from the Orange Line, is the perfect location to welcome people to Somerville. For this project, titled “We are Somerville,” we seek new work that conveys the people of our city. We are open to many different mediums. We seek original work that is colorful, vibrant and captures a person’s—and our city’s—personality. We are open to three single images of three different people, as well as “collages” that incorporate different people within a single banner. Somewhere in the design—it could be quite simply—we seek to include the text: “We are Somerville.” We are looking for one artist to create and manage this project. Artists may choose to feature solely their own art, or work with other artists or an organization. For questions, contact rstrutt (at) somervillema.gov; for more info and to apply: We Are Somerville Call: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jcK-ImqgIq5Dik599pep417f2QOFJdKOFUVJf_Ra2hk/viewform?edit_requested=true.