Attend the FY25 Water and Sewer Rates Public Hearing. Attend in-person or virtually to hear proposed Fiscal Year 2025 water and sewer rates on Wednesday, May 29, at 6:00 p.m. in the Water and Sewer Department Conference Room (17 Franey Rd.). Learn more about proposed rates, participate remotely, and get dial-in information at https://www.somervillema.gov/.

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Join the city’s Mobility Division and the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee to learn the basics of urban biking, map out your commuter route, and join a group ride. Ownership of a bike is not required – free BlueBike codes will be available. This event will be held on Wednesday, May 29, and Thursday, June 13, at the Somerville Public Library Central Branch (79 Highland Ave.) from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4lqAOaxl_HH4vOEoSr3lMeCL81k2Ld-beDrIG_JN5lt4ozg/viewform?usp=sf_link Link can also be found on the city’s website.

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Celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to a great guy, former City Councilor At-Large Bill White is celebrating this week. We wish him a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to State Rep. Mike Connolly, who is also celebrating this week, we wish him a great day. A big happy birthday to a wonderful person with a big heart, Mary Kane Hart. We wish her a special day celebrated with her family and friends. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Patrick Courtney, John Gore, Helen Mooney and Mary Champagne Adamson. 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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On Friday, May 31, The Dojo in partnership with the Somerville Parks and Recreation’s Teen Program, is hosting the Teen Summer Fair. It’s a great opportunity to find a summer job or meet organizations looking for volunteers. There will be games, a bouncy house, photo booth, live performances, food and much more. The event kicks off at 3:00 p.m. Immediately following the Teen Summer Fair, Mystic Learning Center is hosting its Youth Party at The Dojo to kick off the summer. The event will continue the fun of the Teen Summer Fair with carnival games, food, prizes and fun. Come down to The Dojo when it kicks off at 6:00 p.m. or come at 3:00 p.m. and enjoy both. These are great events for Somerville teens to celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer. Both events will be held at 15 Properzi Way, Somerville.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne invites the Somerville community to join the 2024 Nepali Cultural Festival on Saturday, June 1, from 3:30 to 9:00 p.m. (rain date June 8) in Union Square. Nepali Fest is a showcase of the rich and diverse Nepali culture and will feature dance performances, food, and more.

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SomerStreets: Carnaval returns to East Somerville for its fourteenth year with free activities and entertainment on Sunday, June 2, from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. (rain date: June 9). It starts off with an opening parade and will include interactive games and activities, an artisan market with 30+ vendors, live music on three stages, and food from many of your favorite neighborhood restaurants. The event will take place on Broadway between McGrath and Pennsylvania Ave.

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SCC is hosting its annual Job Fair at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Stop by for the chance to connect with potential employers and find opportunities for growth. Click here to register: https://SCCJobSeekers.eventbrite.com

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The Somerville High School Track Team needs help to go to Nike Nationals this year in Oregon. There is a GoFundMe account organized by Marcus Odilon. The team has qualified for the nationals once again and would love to see their hard work pay off by performing nationally and representing the school. Go to: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-somerville-tracks-trip-to-nationals.

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The Somerville Council on Aging will be hosting a free Nutrition Check-UP. Listen to a guest lecture: Healthy Nutrition for Older Adults: Keeping Malnutrition at Bay. 167 Holland St., May 30, at 10:30 a.m. Lunch is served at noon. To make a reservation, call 617-625-6600 x 2323.

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Visit the Arts at the Armory on June 1 and June 2 for Herbstalk 2024. Herbstalk brings together local herbalists, farmers, medicine makers, teachers, healers and artists who come to share their knowledge, products and passion with one another. For more info and tickets, see their website here: https://www.herbstalk.org/herbstalk-2024.html.

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Around Hear: Season Finale Concert will be this Saturday, June 1, 3:30 p.m., 530 Mystic Ave. There will be new music for violin and electronics depicting the personal lives of planets beyond our galaxy, a hilarious tabletop puppet show with a Scrooge-like character and a flying cow, and music for piano and strings by Johannes Brahms to inspire dreaming, drawing, writing, and dancing.

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As the weather changes and we start to peel off jackets, hats, and gloves, essential items such as sunscreen, bug spray, and rain ponchos will become vital to keep the Somerville Homeless Coalition’s most vulnerable clients safe and healthy while they’re out in the unpredictable New England weather. Donations can be made through their Amazon wish list or by submitting a donation inquiry. For more information visit, Client Needs: https://bit.ly/SHClientNeeds.

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Somernova is hosting mobile office hours next week on Tuesday, June 4, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Conway Park. This is a great opportunity to provide feedback and have conversations related to the revised zoning proposal. More information can be found at somernova.community. Additionally, those who would like to host a living room conversation regarding Somernova’s expansion can contact Somernova at community@somernova.com. This is a great opportunity to gather five or more neighbors to discuss the proposal and have your questions answered.

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Somerville’s annual Water System Flushing Program began on Thursday, May 16, and continues through late October. This program consists of flushing 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. Temporary drops in water pressure and/or discolored water can occur. 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. Learn more at: somervillema.gov/hydrantflushing.

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Union Square Main Streets and the Union Square Farmers Market community proudly present a celebration of 20 seasons of open-air access to fresh, nutritious food in the rear of Union Square. Shop your favorite market vendors and celebrate 20 years of gathering with your neighbors. Festivities will take place on Saturday, June 1, at the Union Square Plaza.

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Culture House is looking for artists, creatives, non-profit organizations, and businesses in and around Gilman Square to bring the Gilman Park to life through events from June through September 2024. They have funding available to compensate programming partners. Find more information about programming and how to apply visit culturehouse.cc/projects/gilman-park. They are working with the City of Somerville to transform a vacant lot in Gilman Square, Homan’s lot, into a three-month outdoor community space to open in June. Gilman Park will be a gathering space for local organizations, a hangout space for residents, and an opportunity for development for local businesses, artists, and creatives. The goal of this activation is to connect Gilman Square with the rest of Somerville, bring back vibrancy, and test out future uses for vacant sites in Somerville.

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Attention all artists, makers, and more in the greater Somerville area! Somerville Public Library’s Comix Con returns this July and they are looking for local artists to sell their pins, prints, unique art objects and more. They are celebrating fandoms of all types and want you to be a part of our Con. Please fill out this form to be considered for a spot in their Artists Alley: tinyurl.com/splccvapp.

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There are still lots of open spaces for students interested in the Summer Music program, the Middle Grades Robotics program, and the Career and Technical Education middle grades program. Rising 9th graders should check out the Summer Success program to get ready for high school. All programs are run by Somerville Public Schools and are free. Learn more and register: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/summer.

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Rescheduled: Civil War Monuments, Burials, and Restoration at Milk Row (lecture) has a new date of Thursday, June 20, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Learn about the series of preservation measures that restored much of Milk Row Cemetery, including gravestone and tombstone rehabilitation, landscaping, and conservation of the Civil War monument at the center of the cemetery. To register visit www.somervillemuseum.org.

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A Docent Tour of Milk Row Cemetery will be held on Sunday, June 2, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Milk Row Cemetery, 439 Somerville Ave. From May through October, three historic sites in Somerville, Milk Row Cemetery (Somerville Avenue), Prospect Hill Tower (above Union Square), and Old Powder House (Nathan Tufts Park), are open to the public on certain days and evenings. Inclement weather cancels any event. For full schedule and more information on the Docent Program: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/docent-program

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the Somerville LGBTQ+ Services invite all community members to honor LGBTQ+ Pride Month by joining the annual Pride flag raising ceremony on Tuesday, June 4. The ceremony will begin at 5:30 p.m. on the City Hall Concourse and include remarks from Mayor Ballantyne, City of Somerville LGBTQ+ Liaison Izzy Starr, and representatives from Somerville LGBTQ+ community. The flag raising will also be recorded and made available for later viewing by the city’s GovTV team. Watch on-demand with optional closed-captioning (select the CC icon) on YouTube.com/SomervilleCityTV. Or watch on cable TV at GovTV Comcast Ch. 22 and GovTV Astound (RCN) Ch. 13 & 613. For more information about LGBTQ+ programming, events, and information, please contact Izzy Starr at 617-625-6600 ext. 2404, istarr@somervillema.gov.

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The Somerville Junior Police Academy is back. Hosted by SPD and Somerville Recreation, the program will include classroom training, hands on police tactics, physical training, and more. Registration is open at: https://somervillema.myrec.com/.

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A reminder that yard waste pickup has begun. Yard waste should be put out with your trash and recycling on your normal pickup day and be in either a paper bag or a trash barrel with a “Yard Waste Only” sticker. Get stickers free of charge at the DPW Building (1 Franey Rd.), at the entrance desk at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.), or by emailing 311updates@somervillema.gov.

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The 2024 street sweeping season has resumed and will continue through December 31. Check signs in your neighborhood for sweeping days. Visit somervillema.gov/sweeping for a full schedule and to sign up for complimentary street sweeping reminders by text, email, or phone. For more information on street sweeping procedures, visit park-somerville.com.

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Call to Artists for Somerville Art Council’s Inside-OUT Gallery. The ArtBeat 2024 Wild Exhibit deadline is June 20. Exhibit Theme: Wild. To view submission guidelines and apply, go to the Google Form Application here: https://forms.gle/CrsDHsagUFmrQ58a7 To accompany this year’s ArtBeat 2024 festival, Somerville Art Council’s Inside-Out Gallery in Davis Square invites Somerville based artists of all ages, Somerville residents, and/or artists maintaining work spaces in Somerville to submit work for a group exhibit that fits their interpretation of the word, ‘WILD’.

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Join Union Square Main Streets and 50+ of your favorite local food producers for the 20th Annual Union Square Farmers Market, 66-70 Union Square. Shop local on Saturdays through October 26, except September 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Union Square Plaza. The market provides visitors and residents with top-quality, fresh, and local produce at fair prices; encourages active lifestyle values; educates consumers about farming and locally sourced foods; and gives customers opportunities to interact directly with farmers. For more information about the Union Square Farmers Market, visit unionsquaremain.org/2024-fmseason.

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This Month, join the Somerville Public Library and the City of Somerville Health and Human Services Department to “Paint Your Pride!” in a joy-filled series of community art events. For a list of upcoming “Paint Your Pride!” events visit https://somervillepubliclibrary.org.

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The COA is offering free taxi rides to Somerville residents over the age of 60. Rides are available to go to the grocery store, farmer’s market, and pharmacy in Somerville and routine medical appointments in the surrounding communities. To best accommodate the needs of everyone in the city and to maximize the use of our funding, they will be capping the number of rides per week. To ensure the health and welfare of every resident of Somerville, exemptions will be made for chemotherapy and radiation appointments. To find out more information or to schedule your ride, please call Connie Lorenti at 617-625-6600 ext. 2319. All rides must be booked two business days in advance. This program is funded through ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Funding.

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Through the generosity of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and from the direction of Mayor Ballantyne, the Council on Aging is now able to provide Durable Medical Equipment at no cost to Somerville residents. Residents with a documented need for medical equipment must be over the age of 60, or have a permanent disability, and must be otherwise unable to afford or access needed medical equipment. They currently have available: Commodes, Bath Chairs, Bath Benches, Rollator Walkers, Incontinence Supplies and Transport Wheelchairs (wheelchairs are intended for transport and are not self-propelling or self-breaking.) For additional information, or for an application, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321.

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