The newly renovated and restored Somerville Public Library West Branch at 40 College Avenue will open for indoor services Tuesday, July 13, welcoming visitors into the historic site for the first time since it closed for construction in early 2019. A ribbon cutting ceremony and celebration will be held at a later date. The Central and East branch buildings reopened July 12. All staff and visitors are required to wear face coverings while inside the libraries. Library programs will continue to be held either outside or virtually until further notice. Public access to library meeting, conference, and programming spaces is also limited until further notice. For more information, please contact the library at 617-623-5000 or visit somervillepubliclibrary.org.

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Put on your Parisian best and come picnic in celebration of Bastille Day on Wednesday, July 14, at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way. Pre-order a cute tote on Bow Market’s Facebook page which includes a fresh baguette, cheese, two glasses, and either a bottle of rosé from Rebel Rebel or a crowler of French inspired beer from Remnant Brewing. Celebrations will also include a mime, a pétanque court, and cotton candy. Pick up your tote of treats and enjoy them in our courtyard or in the Remnant courtyard from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. that evening.

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Groundwork Somerville is excited to announce their 2021 South St. Farm Open Hours. Stop by any Saturday between July and September, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., 138 South St., and check out Somerville’s very own urban farm. This time is set aside for our community to tour the farm, enjoy the green space, volunteer, or have a picnic. No registration is required, just come by. http://www.groundworksomerville.org.

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Celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to a lifelong resident Judy Podymaitis, who celebrates this week. We wish her well, with many more to come. Happy birthday to Cheryl Chaille Horan, of Green Cab. We wish her the very best. Happy birthday to well-known local Eileen Costa. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such Linda Sauer McSorley, Janeen Mobilia-Dowling, Corinne Brune Dellanno, JOanne Parziale, Michael Dunn, Joey Sainato, Christine Desrochers-Broderick, Richard Spinosa, Andre Green, Joanne Ruggiero Contaldi, Kevin Cottier and Millie Allwood 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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All city buildings are now open as of Monday, July 12, with limited staffing. Both visitors to city buildings as well as staff will be required to wear face coverings while inside the buildings. Staff will be available on a walk-in basis in all departments for quick transactions like paying a bill or picking up a document. For matters that will take longer, residents will need to schedule an appointment with city staff. Many city services are also available online and, whenever possible, residents are encouraged to continue to use online services.

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Visit the East Somerville Market this Sunday, July 18, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Deano’s Pasta parking lot, 15 Garfield Ave. Shop local small businesses, pre-ordering is available.  For a full list of participating vendors visit https://www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org.

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Venture out to the Somerville Community Growing Center Thursday, July 15, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., 22 Vinal Avenue for live music. Rain dates on alternative weeks, as predicted rain will cancel by mid-day. Experience a mix of jazz with Latin flavors, provided by professional musicians Mark Torgerson and David Rumpler, with invited musical guests throughout the summer. In addition to the carpentry and construction experience that Mark provides the Center as a volunteer, he has been part of the Boston and New England music scene for decades as lead guitar with African and Afro-Latin world music bands. David Rumpler adds his jazz and Latin keyboard talents, with a special love of Brazilian styles. Spread your blanket or grab a chair, bring your own picnic, explore the native pollinator garden or the food and herb beds – and enjoy a summer serenade.

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The City of Somerville’s annual SomerMovie Fest returns this year with a series of seven family-friendly films being shown in parks around Somerville. Screenings begin at sundown and the schedule is as follows: Thursday, July 15, Mulan (animated version), Nathan Tufts Park; Thursday, July 22, Mrs. Doubtfire, Nunziato Park; Thursday, July 29, The Sandlot, Lincoln Park; Thursday, August 5, Coco, East Somerville Community School; Thursday, August 12, Black Panther, Baxter State Park; Thursday, August 19, Guardians of the Galaxy, Seven Hills Park. While attendees are not required to wear masks, anyone who is not fully vaccinated is advised to wear one whenever they are in a crowd.

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The City of Somerville’s Licensing Commission is seeking one Somerville resident to fill a vacancy on the three-member board. Commissioners serve three-year terms and earn a stipend of $3,600 per year. Meetings are held monthly, typically Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. Interested residents should submit a brief statement of interest and a resume to the City Clerk’s Office by email to jlong@somervillema.gov or by mail to Attn: City Clerk, Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143. Applications must be received no later than Monday, July 19, at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit somervillema.gov/licensingcommission. 

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The City of Somerville’s Veterans’ Commission on Monuments, Memorials, and Dedications Committee is accepting applications for five positions – three to be filled by veterans. The commission will have charge and control of the construction of any memorial for a veteran and will have custody and care of the memorial after its construction. The commission, which will also develop policies and procedures to follow for dedicating memorials, will meet when needed to name these assets. Meetings are expected to begin in the fall of 2021. If you are interested in applying, please send a statement of interest to the Department of Veterans’ Services at veterans@somervillema.gov by Friday, August 6. For further details or questions,call(617) 625-6600, ext. 4700.

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Walk-in vaccinations are available at multiple locations: You now can get a COVID-19 vaccination without having to pre-register or make an appointment. There are walk-in vaccination sites all around Somerville, and just outside it as well. Cambridge Health Alliance vaccine clinics have larger supplies of doses and can vaccinate kids ages 12-17. You do not need to be a CHA patient to use these clinics. They are free and open to all. Local CVS pharmacies and the Stop & Shop on McGrath Hwy. are also offering walk-in vaccines. Local Walgreens pharmacies require a brief pre-registration, but can process people quickly if they have open slots and you walk in. Here are the CHA walk-in sites: CHA Somerville Vaccine Center at 176 Somerville Avenue in Somerville, Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tufts University Gantcher Center at 161 College Ave. in Medford, Wed-Thurs. 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Encore Boston Harbor at 1 Broadway Center in Everett, Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Individuals younger than 18 will need parental or guardian consent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A parent or guardian can either accompany a minor age 16 or 17 to their vaccine appointment, or fill out a consent form that the minor can then bring with them to the appointment. Consent forms in multiple languages are available at the state’s website. Parents must accompany children ages 12-15 to their vaccine appointments.

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Help support your neighbors through the Somerville Cares Fund. If you’re lucky enough to have some extra money, please consider a donation to the Somerville Cares Fund. This donation-based fund provides direct assistance to Somerville residents, workers, and parents of school children so that they can cover basic expenses like housing, food, and utility bills. If you’re unable to donate you can still help by sharing information about the Somerville Cares Fund with your friends and family.

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