Please remember, it is important to support local businesses during this trying time. Sadly, True Bistro in Teele Sq. had to permanently close their doors on September 6. They are sharing this message with the community: “The best way that you can take action to protect independent restaurants, is to contact your local representative about the Restaurants Act and ask that they pass this business-saving legislation. If you’re interested, more information on the Restaurants Act is available at saverestaurants.com.”

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On the morning of Friday, September 11, the City of Somerville held a small ceremony to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the September 11 terrorist attack and its aftermath. The ceremony was recorded and will be shown on City Cable TV (channel 13 on RCN, channel 15 on Comcast) and is available on the City’s YouTube page at www.youtube.com/SomervilleCityTV.

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Somerville’s artists and the cultural community, as well as all interested persons, are invited to join in for a virtual town hall to discuss challenges faced by the arts community that have been amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as possible solutions. The town hall will be held on Tuesday, September 15, starting at 6:30 p.m. Details are available at somervillema.gov/news.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Mary Jo Rossetti, who is a lifelong resident and a hard working Councilor At-Large. We wish her a very happy birthday. Also this week, we wish another local person, Conor Brennan, the owner of PJ Ryan’s in Teele Square, the very best on his birthday. Happy birthday to a lady whose family has deep roots here in Somerville, Donna Piro-Andon. We wish Donna the very best. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Gay H. Sheldon, Kimberly LaCascia-Winslow, Ed Grandmont, Cathy Harrington, Jackie Shepardhancock, Debra Lawson Kennedy, Toto Peras, Christina Marie, Jonathan O’Connell, Ellen Gagliardi, Stephen Green and Adelester Chang 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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The 2020-2021 skating season is about to begin. Bay State Skating School is one of Greater Boston’s most established and popular skating programs. They have taught Learn-To-Skate classes to children ages 4-18 in the Greater Boston area for over 50 years. Bay State Skating School is compliant with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Covid-19 guidelines. The number of students allowed on the ice will be limited. Professional Instructors teach Recreational, Figure and Hockey Skating Skills to the beginner, intermediate and advanced skaters. Students can wear either figure, recreational or hockey skates. For more information and to registration, visit www.BayStateSkatingSchool.org or call Bay State Skating School at (781) 890-8480.

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The city, working with Northeastern University and Stantec, has launched a community wastewater testing program to monitor for the coronavirus. Testing sewer water can provide earlier detection of increased spread of the disease. The program is designed to reveal COVID-19 hotspots up to one to two weeks earlier than testing of individuals would. Testing began last week. Up to ten samples will be collected weekly and locations will vary. In short, you could say Somerville is flush with new initiatives.

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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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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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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.

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Support your neighbors through the Somerville Cares Fund (or apply for assistance): Now that the additional $600 per week federal unemployment benefit has ended, more people in our community are facing financial hardship and making tough choices when it comes to paying for essentials. If you’re fortunate enough to be able to, please consider making a donation to the Somerville Cares Fund. If you are in need of assistance, you can apply to the fund via the same link. This donation-based fund gives direct assistance to Somerville residents, workers, and families to help cover basic needs like groceries, diapers, personal hygiene products, medical copays, and prescriptions. The community has been immensely generous, donating more than $650,000 so far, but the fund has run dry. Even a small donation will help.

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Here’s a free, easy way to support the community: fill out the 2020 Census. The deadline to respond to the 2020 U.S. Census is just weeks away. We only have until September 30 to get everyone in Somerville counted. It takes just 10 minutes to respond online at my2020census.gov or by phone at (844) 330-2020. Billions of dollars are at stake for things Somerville needs right now, like health care centers, housing, education, and emergency response. Our vital representation in Congress is also determined by the count. Right now, U.S. Census takers are visiting homes in Somerville to help you respond. You can call 212-882-7100 to verify a census taker’s identity before opening the door.

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CHA Somerville Hospital offers free COVID-19 testing at Assembly Row by appointment. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.). The mobile testing unit also offers testing in our neighborhoods to make access easier for residents. Mobile testing schedules and more information on both can be found under the “Symptoms, Testing, & Medical Info” tab on somervillema.gov/covid19.

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The Somerville Public Schools and the City of Somerville will jointly host a virtual Schools Reopening Town Hall on Monday, September 21, at 5:30 p.m. Updates on safety measures and what to expect in the new school year will be provided. Details are available at somervillema.gov/news.

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September is National Recovery month, so we wanted to take this opportunity to remind the community about virtual recovery resources. The social distancing necessary to control the spread of COVID-19 can make it difficult for people in recovery to connect with others and access support. Groups like Narcotics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, and Herren Project (among others) are offering virtual recovery meetings and resources during the pandemic. We have a list of additional resources at somervillema.gov/coronavirushelp.

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With generous support from the City of Somerville, Cradles to Crayons, The Beautiful Stuff Project, the Diaper Circle and individual donors, Somerville Family Learning Collaborative provides free diapers to Somerville families every Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. outside the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St., and West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powderhouse Blvd. No signup or ID required. Since March, more than 200,000 diapers have been donated to families in need. Donations may be made to The Beautiful Stuff Project or contact the SPS/SFLC Volunteer Coordinator at jCapuano@k12.somerville.ma.us to donate packages of unused diapers. (Sizes 4,5,6 preferred, but any size N-7 and pullups are welcomed), or to volunteer.