Spring has finally sprung in Somerville and elsewhere, so here’s to hoping that in the months to come we can all begin to enjoy a return to something more akin to the kind of living that we are accustomed to. May one and all stay safe, remain patient, and keep looking forward to better days. They are on their way.

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott, and city staff invite you to a virtual public meeting to discuss remediation at Conway Field. Representatives from the EPA and DEP will detail the site cleanup plans, safety precautions, and construction and address any questions or concerns. The overall cleanup process will include preparing the site for remediation, removing soils, preparing the site for final field construction, and restoring the site for public use. Cleanup activities are expected to begin later this spring and continue through 2021. After the site is cleaned, an athletic field will be installed. The meeting will be held virtually tonight, Wednesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m. For more information on the project and to register to attend, please visit somervillema.gov/conwayfield.

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The state has announced when all remaining groups will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Monday, March 22: People age 60 or older and certain workers will be eligible. Eligible workers include those in restaurants and cafes, food service, retail, grocery and convenience stores, transportation, and more. See the full list at mass.gov/vaccine. Monday, April 5: People age 55 or older and people with one certain medical condition will be eligible. See the full list of medical conditions at mass.gov/vaccine. Monday, April 19: People age 16 or older will be eligible. For more information and to pre-register for an appointment, visit mass.gov/vaccine or call 211. The City of Somerville is also available to help those who face barriers to accessing vaccines, including people who need transportation or language assistance. If you are currently eligible to receive a vaccine and need help accessing the vaccine, please call 311.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday to former Somerville resident, now in the western part of Kansas, Carolyn Calier, a great lady. Happy birthday also to one of the famous Sullivan’s of Spring Hill, Michael Sullivan. He is celebrating this week. A nice guy, we wish him the very best. Happy birthday to Rachael Hart-Adams. We wish her the very best of birthdays, celebrating with her great family and, of course, with her son, Finn. Happy Birthday to MaryLynn McWatters O’Malley. We hope she has a great day. Happy birthday to great guy and lifelong resident, Ed Bean from Prospect Hill. Happy birthday to Jim Halloran, long time real estate agent in the city formally from The Norton Group. We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends such as Rhonda Annette, Beth Redmond, D.j. Dabenigno, Judy McCollem, Maureen D Kelley, Christine Andrade McSheehy, Megan O’Brien and Kathleen Kennedy 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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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 1 City Councilor Matt McLaughlin, Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott, and city staff invite you to a virtual community meeting to introduce the Public Safety Building Project. The meeting will take place Wednesday, March 31, at 6:00 p.m. The Public Safety Building Project will provide new facilities for the Somerville Police Department’s Headquarters and the Somerville Fire Department’s Engine 3 at 90 Washington Street in East Somerville, as well as space for additional civic, residential, and/or commercial functions. At this meeting, staff will introduce the project, outline its major milestones, and highlight its goals for sustainability and neighborhood connection, which include providing space for multiuse development on portions of the site. Meeting attendees will have the opportunity to provide input on their priorities and concerns. For more information and to register to attend, visit somervoice.somervillema.gov/public-safety-building.

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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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Congratulations to Somerville High School artists Gabriel and Tyler for placing in the juried Massachusetts Art Education Association (MAEA) Recognitions Virtual Art Exhibition. Gabriel’s artwork is called Exploration. Tyler’s piece is called The Picture of Dorian Gray. Both can be viewed in the online gallery at: https://maearecognitions2021.artcall.org/pages/web-gallery.

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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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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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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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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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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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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.