The Council On Aging has masks available for Somerville residents who are 60 and over. If you are still in need of a mask or may know of a friend or neighbor who may still need a mask, you can pick it up at their drive-thru location Holland Street Senior Center, 167 Holland Street on Wednesday, August 12, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. If you have any questions, please call 617-625-6600 ext. 2300.

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#WearAMask to protect your friends and family. Wear one for the people in your community you don’t know you’re connected to: the friend of a friend, the elderly neighbor, the person with an underlying condition who shops at your grocery store.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Brandon Wilson, the Executive Director of the Somerville Preservation Commission. We wish her a great birthday. Happy birthday to Donna Cassaro-Sides. We hope she has a great day. Happy birthday to Courtney O’Keefe of Ward 5, we know she is still looking out for ways to make things better in that ward. We wish her a great birthday. Happy birthday to one of our favorite guys, Sal Ferro (husband of our photographer, Claudia). We wish Sal a very happy birthday. We know he misses his Gloucester trips this summer but we are sure his family will make his day special. He is the best! We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Savanna Fair, Joseph Saturno, Walter Desharnais, Elizabeth Roche, Victor Martins, Adam Knight, Joseph Amaral Sr., Roy Bertocchi, Carmine D Ambrosio DAmbrosio, Maureen Marenna, Anita Dill Fusco and Anna Rosella 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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Please join the Somerville Chamber of Commerce via Zoom for an engaging and timely morning Government Affairs Forum with Somerville City Councilor At-Large Kristen Strezo. Councilor Strezo is a fighter, a social justice advocate, a single mom, a former punk rock singer, a co-chair of the Somerville Commission for Women, a journalist and a proud Somerville resident. Born on the South Side of Chicago, Kristen is the descendent of factory workers and formed a popular Chicago feminist punk band while studying community activism in college. She graduated with honors from DePaul University in 2006 with a degree in Women’s Studies and Communications. She earned her degree from Harvard University extension in 2015 and won Harvard’s commencement speech prize; her speech describing the unique needs of Sandwich Generation families. The Chamber’s Government Affairs Series is sponsored by Winter Hill Bank. August 13, 2020, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Register at: https://somervillechamber.chambermaster.com/eventregistration/register/1465

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August 13 is International Left Hander’s Day. So, to all those lefties out there in Somerville: Happy Left Hander’s Day! FYI, in the USA today it’s estimated that 13.1% of the population is left handed.

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There is still time to fill out the 2020 U.S. Census – and the time is now! Census takers have begun visiting Somerville homes that have not yet completed the Census. Census takers will be wearing PPE and taking safety precautions, but the safest way to complete the Census (and avoid a visit!) is to respond on your own at my2020census.gov or call 844-330-2020. You can always verify the identity of a Census worker by calling the local Census office at 212-882-7100.

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Although there have not been any human cases of West Nile virus reported this summer, mosquitoes that tested positive for the virus have been found in neighboring towns, so it’s important to protect yourself when you’re outside. Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk; if you will be outside during those times consider using bug spray and/or covering up with long sleeves and pants.

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Just Us Somerville (JUS), a group of People Of Color living in Somerville, is looking for local Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) artists to assist with the development and implementation of a Black Lives Matter mural street project. The plan is to create large text on Broadway. According to Google, the roadway stretch is about 530 feet, starting from after the Medford Street intersection towards Central Street in Somerville. They are seeking an experienced visual artist who is willing to collaborate with the community in the making of a street mural of the “Black Lives Matter” as text and implementing additional graphics within the boundaries of the large text. How to apply: Fill out Google Form: https://forms.gle/9McbuxPEem5Py9VD7 Deadline for submission: August 17. The goal is to have the project done by September 12 and 13. If interested, please contact iaritza Menjivar: imenjivar@somervillema.gov.

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The COVID-19 testing site previously located at the Somerville Hospital has moved to 133 Middlesex Avenue (near the former Kmart site) in Assembly Square. The testing site is part of a larger COVID-19 mitigation strategy by the City of Somerville in partnership with Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). Patients can arrive at the site via vehicle, walking, or bicycle, and testing procedures will be the same as at the previous location: Patients must have an appointment to be tested. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). CHA patients can also use their MyCHArt account to set up an appointment. Testing is free and insurance coverage is not a requirement, although CHA may ask for insurance information for administrative purposes. You will not be turned away if you do not have insurance. You do not need to have symptoms to be tested. Immigration status will not be checked. Please bring a photo ID. Patients will receive a phone call with their results, which could take up to five days to come in. There is also a mobile testing unit that accepts patients at roaming locations throughout Somerville. To see the mobile site’s upcoming schedule, visit the “Symptoms, Testing, & Medical Info” tab on www.somervillema.gov/covid19 or call 311. To make an appointment at the mobile testing site please call 617-682-0583 (English); 617-398-7770 (Spanish); 617-684-5625 (Portuguese); 617-735-5553 (Nepali); or 617-625-6600 ext. 2622 (Haitian Creole).

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Mark your calendars. This year’s What the Fluff? festival will be a little zanier than usual as they celebrate through the sphere of cyberspace. In a world reinventing itself, Fluff Fest 2020 unites us – albeit virtually – through the one thing we can all believe in: the sweet, sticky, tasty, magical power of Fluff. For the love of Fluff, wherever our e-news reaches you, get ready to boast your worldwide Fluff pride, support independently-owned by scoring your Fluff stuff online, take part in innovation jubilation with arts, eats and oodles of family fun, and flock with fellow friends-in-Fluff through the first-ever, virtual Fluff Festival on September 12.

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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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Healthy, local food is important. The Farmers Markets are open again in Davis Square (www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis) and Union Square (www.unionsquaremain.org/2020-season). But this year they will be different. Both markets will encourage only one person per household to do the shopping, incorporate social distancing guidelines and allow a limited amount of shoppers in the space. Please sign up for a shopping spot in advance at the market websites. SNAP and HIP benefits are accessible for shoppers in both markets. No gathering or socializing is allowed in the markets.

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