The 2023 Taste of Somerville has been postponed due to a forecast of inclement weather to Thursday, June 15, outside at Assembly Row, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Produced by the Somerville Chamber of Commerce Dining and Nightlife Group, the Taste of Somerville is a unique way to experience our dining and nightlife scene. For tickets and more information visit http://tasteofsomerville.org

***************************

The Somerville Arts Council and Somerville Health and Human Services Department’s Big Gay Dance Party will take place in Union Square Plaza on Saturday, June 17, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. (Rain Date: June 18). Enjoy music, comedy, drag performances, craft vendors, and more. All are welcome to attend.

***************************

Celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to Steve Mirabella. We wish him many more. Happy birthday to Linda Spinosa, who celebrates this week. We hope she enjoys her day. Happy birthday to former Spring Hill resident Gail Chambers, who is celebrating this week as well. We hope she and Bill enjoy the day. Happy birthday to one of our former writers, Jack Nicas. As always, we wish him the best. Happy birthday, Jack, hope you have a great day. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Shawn M. Lynch, Former Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, Gretchen Ann Graham, Martin Janet, Pindi Singh, Donna M. Gilberti, Chris Marshall and Kathi Mullins 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.

***************************

For a sixth year, Union Square Main Streets and local businesses (https://www.unionsquaremain.org/good-food-for-all) proudly present Good Food for All, a week-long community campaign to raise awareness and funds for the Union Square Farmers Market’s local SNAP match. Good Food For All: Sustaining a more inclusive Farmers Market Union Square (Somerville) takes place June 17 – June 24.

***************************

Join Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Arts Council for the Anniversary of 4th of July Fireworks with live entertainment at Trum Field on Thursday, June 29, rain date Friday, June 30. Festivities begin at 6:00 p.m., with tunes by DJ Philip Tan. Come sing along and dance with live music performance by local funk band, Midnight Motion. There will be food vendors like Nibble Kitchen, Italian Wizard and can’t forget the fried dough! Mayor Ballantyne will countdown the beginning of the fireworks at approximately at 9:15 p.m. To ensure public safety and pedestrian access to events, traffic and parking restrictions will be in place, please visit the website for details: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/fireworks.

***************************

The Winter Hill Community School has closed for the remainder of the school year due to concrete falling from the ceiling of a stairwell. Everyone is grateful that no students were in that stairwell at the time and hoping the city will be assessing all the schools during the summer to look for any other issues before the next school year begins. For updates on the Winter Hill School visit https://somerville.k12.ma.us/alert.

***************************

Kickstart your summer and join the City of Somerville Parks and Recreation Department for the annual Family Fun Day event on Saturday, June 24 (no rain date – event will be cancelled for inclement weather), from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Trum Field (541 Broadway). There will be fun for kids of all ages including bounce houses, face painting, cotton candy, games, music, arts and crafts, and more. To learn more, please visit somervillerec.com or call 617-625-6600 ext. 2980.

***************************

With hot summer days ahead the Somerville Homeless Coalition is looking for essential supplies to help keep those without a home safe and cool. Whether it’s sunscreen or juice boxes, they have compiled an Amazon wish list with key summer items for clients. If you are interested in donating you can do so through the link provided or by dropping items off at our Engagement Center located at 1 Davis Square between Monday and Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. for lunch). https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2S0DQDB857065?ref_=wl_share&fbclid=IwAR1ZHXC1YJnbbt36ZicxPnsR7pAEJ4dP1rODG5sNovyNzGE68py31ENo

***************************

Somerville local artist Claudia Martin will host a gathering in Powder House Park to draw from life, talk about art and connect with other artists in our community. All are invited, regardless of skill. Come with a pad of paper and a drawing utensil, and join in for a morning spent outside and being creative. Life drawing, Sunday, June 18, 11:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m at Powder House Park.

***************************

Don’t forget to visit Somerville’s farmers markets. Every Wednesday through November 22, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. visit the Davis Square Farmers Market, across from American Flatbread at 44 Day St. Visit: www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis. Every Saturday through October 28, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., the Union Square Farmers Market takes place at 66-70 Union Sq. visit: www.unionsquaremain.org/2023fmseason.

***************************

Join SomerViva for a library tour for Chinese speakers on June 17. Learn about the resources the Somerville Public Library has for Chinese-speaking community members, including their Chinese collection in the foreign languages section. Interested persons can register at https://forms.gle/JQNmA2hKW7r1YYho8.

***************************

Medford St. behind the High School is one-way in order to accommodate a temporary Community Path detour. Westbound vehicle traffic on Medford St. between Walnut St. and Pearl St. will be detoured to facilitate installation and use of these temporary bike lanes. Westbound traffic will be directed north on Walnut St. and west on Pearl St. before reconnecting with Medford St. Eastbound travel on Medford St. will be maintained as usual. The detour will be in place 24/7. https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/greenline-extension.

***************************

Enjoy live music Fridays at Assembly Row on The Lawn on alternating Fridays through the summer. Hear from local bands with a Downeast cider in hand. Fridays, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

***************************

The City of Somerville’s annual Water System Flushing Program has begun and will continue through late October. This annual program flushes pipes at high velocities to clean water mains and maintain the highest possible water quality. Flushing will take place Mondays and Thursdays between 6:00 p.m. and midnight to minimize potential disruptions to water service. In most cases, residents will not notice any changes to their water service. However, some homes may experience a temporary, slight drop in water pressure and/or discolored water. In these cases, though the water may be discolored, it is safe to drink. Until the water runs clear, it is advisable to avoid washing laundry, especially white fabrics. If any rust stains appear on wet laundry, it should not be dried in a dryer machine, and residents can call 311 (or 617-666-3311 from cell phones or outside the city) for a free bottle of rust remover. Residents will be notified via signage when their neighborhood will be affected by the flushing program. For more information, please contact the Water Department at water@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 5850.

***************************

The Free Lockboxes for Seniors Program is intended to provide police, fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) access to your residence in the event of an emergency where you are unable to open the door. A key to your residence will be stored in a secure metal storage de-vice, like a realtor’s lockbox, at your residence. The access code to the lockbox will only be available to police, fire or EMS personnel and used only during an emergency. The program is targeted towards Somerville residents who live alone and are aged 65+, or those who are disa-bled and/or suffer from major medical issues at any age. Individuals living in apartment com-plexes or other facilities with maintenance staff are not eligible for this program. For more in-formation, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321 or email Debby at dhig-gins@somervillema.gov.

***************************

Bad artists welcome! Join the Somerville Public Library, 79 Highland Ave. on Wednesday, June 21, from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. for an Adult’s Cursed Cards craft night and create haunted, horror-filled and delightfully unhinged cards to your twisted heart’s content. Presented by Summer Scares! Registration required: https://tinyurl.com/5cwhnmk6; with questions contact Bethany, bdoane@somervillema.gov.

***************************

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.