Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all of our readers. No matter what one’s ancestral heritage, we can all be a bit Irish on this day. And as they say on the Emerald Isle, may the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, the rains fall soft upon your fields, and, until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

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The City of Somerville is remaining in reopening Phase 3, Step 1 until at least March 30 and capacity limits in Somerville businesses will remain at 25% or the limit set in the business’s city-approved health and safety plan until further notice. Until such time, Somerville continues to hold the limit on attendance at gatherings to no more than 10 persons until further notice. The limit applies to both indoor and outdoor gatherings of any kind unless otherwise specifically permitted by City activity-specific guidelines or city-approved health and safety plans. For more information and regular COVID-19 updates, visit www.somervillema.gov/coronavirus and sign up for city alerts at www.somervillema.gov/Alerts. Community members are encouraged to sign up for every alert method: phone call, text, email. Also follow FB.com/SomervilleCity and @SomervilleCity.

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Townie Tours is back. They are doing private tours and small group tours offering a fun, outdoor activity that supports social distancing and is safe for everyone. Visit townietoursboston.com for more information.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Ward 7 Councilor and mayoral candidate Katjana Ballantyne. We hope she had a great birthday for herself with her family. Happy birthday to former alderman and great guy, Jack Connolly of Wedgwood-Crane & Connolly Insurance in Davis Sq. We hope he has a great birthday. We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends such as Patrick Fitzgerald, Kristin Gore, Patrick Salvato, Sally Colman, Maria Parziale Pacheco, Michael Sullivan, Neil Gillis Sr., Alexander Levering Kern, Carla Hunter Gates, Shirley Benoit McMenimen, Michael Cirrone and Joe Bossi, who are all celebrating this week. To all the others we may have missed and, yes, we must admit there are a few more out there, we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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Somerville residents can once again drop off select waste items at the DPW Yard at 1 Franey Road. Yard waste, electronic waste, and tires will be accepted. Note that yard waste cannot be in plastic bags. Residents may drop off eligible items’ weekdays between 8:30 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. or between 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill, is required and must be presented at the guard shack. Drop-off will be open to residents only, not contractors. The city reserves the right to refuse drop-off for any reason. Residents are required to wear a mask and observe all City COVID-19 protocols during drop-off. DPW office buildings remain closed to the public. For more information, please visit somervillema.gov/recycling or call 311.

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The Somerville High School PTSA is fundraising to support Senior Class of 2021 activities and celebrations. Interested community members can contribute through Venmo @SHS-PTSA-1. Visit their Facebook page for more info.

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Massachusetts Military Support Foundation (MMSF) will be distributing USDA Farmers to Families Food Box to local families in Somerville and surrounding communities on Saturday afternoons on a weekly basis. 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. at the Somerville Lions Club, 9 Washington Street, Somerville. Those wishing to receive food are asked to register online by visiting the Massachusetts Military Support Foundation website www.mmsfi.org. On the day of the Food Box distribution, individuals shall arrive in a vehicle, remain in the vehicle and wear a surgical mask at all times. Volunteers will place the box in the vehicle’s trunk, back seat or pick-up truck bed. Distributions will take place once a week at this location.

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The East Somerville Market is back at Deano’s Pasta, 15 Garfield Ave. on Sunday, March 28, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Check-out the participating vendors at www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org/market.

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There have been a couple more announcements for the upcoming November election. Judy Pineda Neufeld, a small business owner, former executive director of Emerge Massachusetts, and advocate for equity and justice, has entered the race for Somerville City Council in Ward 7. Visit www.judyforsomerville.com. Also, Justin Klekota has announced that he is running for Somerville Councilor At-Large. He is looking forward to serving Somerville to create a future free of the pandemic and the climate crisis. To learn more, visit electjustin.org.

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Congratulations to Argenziano student Piper for winning the President’s Choice Award 2021 in the Youth Art Month competition. Read the district blog post about this amazing class project with Ms. Taremi: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/blog/artistic-inspiration-somerville-neighborhoods-argenziano-students?fbclid=IwAR12zHu-3FD6i2SYLLZmVHxkSI2qOcUVamnNGlyiDvvycUZKiu_aY8BEhk4.

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Now that people are home more often than usual, 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 without the need for going out for a copy of the print edition.

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Hate incidents impact victims as well as the community. In an effort to make reporting hate incidents easier for the residents of Somerville, you may now report them by visiting the Somerville Police website under the Home tab and submit your Hate Incident report: www.somervillepd.com/home/.

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Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) is offering free transportation to COVID-19 vaccination sites to Somerville residents age 60 and up as well as adults of any age with disabilities. Appointments must be scheduled in advance. To learn more or schedule an appointment, contact SCES at 617-628-2601 or info@eldercare.org.

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You can find video updates from GovTV about progress in the vaccine rollout, as well as recordings of vaccine informational sessions with medical professionals by clicking the “Videos and Podcasts” tab on somervillema.gov/vaccine. There are recordings available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, and Nepali. Or watch the videos on basic cable or GovTV on YouTube.

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The city has been holding virtual vaccine information sessions and Q&As in multiple languages throughout the vaccine rollout. To find out when a session is coming up, click the “Events” tab on somervillema.gov/vaccine.

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If you or someone you know would prefer to get occasional vaccine updates via a phone call, you can sign up by visiting somervillema.gov/vaccine or calling 311. If you prefer email updates, don’t worry, you won’t be missing any information if you don’t sign up for calls. All information sent out via calls will also be included in these email updates.

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Make sure you’re wearing the right face covering. The CDC has guidance on choosing a face covering that best protects those around you. Three things to keep in mind: Your face covering should be made of at least two layers of washable, breathable fabric. It should completely cover your nose and mouth. It should fit snugly against the side of your face. That means if you’re getting a face covering for a child, you should look for one designed for smaller faces.

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Apply for small business relief funds. The City of Somerville has made $5 million available to small businesses in its third round of the Small Business COVID-19 Relief Fund. Eligible businesses can apply for grants of up to $25,000. Applications are now available and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more about the funding, including eligibility requirements, or apply for funds online.

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Somerville’s Winter Farmer’s Market takes place Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., through April 10, at 191 Highland Ave. Offering the best locally grown and produced agricultural items and more. Online pre-order market with a small outdoor “live” shopping market. They offer a diverse range of local and New England produce, as well as cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, pastries, chocolate, and wine. They feature rotating guest vendors each week, as well as live entertainment and activities. They accept SNAP/EBT, CREDIT and DEBIT cards. $10 SNAP match for EBT customers. For market information visit: http://www.somwintermarket.org.

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The Pandemic – Electronic Transfer (P-EBT) Program was created spring 2020 to provide eligible families funds to purchase food while schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended through the end of the 2020-21 school year. Visit https://www.map-ebt.org/home/#ihdtab for additional information.