We wish all of our readers, their friends and families, a happy Easter and Passover. May the blessings of these occasions bring healing and strength to all of us throughout these challenging times. It is a time to embrace hope and optimism as we look together towards the future.

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#NeighborsHelpingNeighbors: Clarendon Hill Towers residents want everyone to know that they are so thankful for your compassion and generous support of them during this last year. In the last year alone you all have contributed nearly $25,000 worth of grocery gift cards, food and personal hygiene products.

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The Somerville Community Growing Center is a contender in the Nature’s Path Gardens for Good competition. They have an amazing opportunity to receive $5000, just from crowdsourcing votes. The short window for voting is from now until April 7, but the top 21 vote-getting non-profit gardens will receive the money. Please help them rack up points by voting here (you can only vote once): https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/gardens-for-good/?fbclid=IwAR1415cy4tXIbxzgqjBTWTdM4qHWfpzUsc1OYaDzIdTh9zYI_mye9xbN3wo#the-somerville-community-growing-center.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday Sue Pye, of the famous Pye family from Somerville. We hope she has a wonderful birthday. Happy birthday to Tyler Hart, of the famous Harts. We wish him a great birthday. Happy birthday to Pat Scrima, a great guy and former resident. We hope he has a great birthday. We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends such as Daniel M Rivera, Chris Fusco, April Yarasitis, Charles Ryan, Heather Ann, Douglas Kelley, Michael R. Foster, Leo Connerty, Sarah O’Brien, Liam Seward, Joanna Costante Callinan, Patricia O’Leary Shanahan and Carolyn Ryan, 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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Wednesday, March 31 at 6:00 p.m. Somerville Media Center will host Watch Party – SMC Producers Zoom Tips and Tricks. Community Producer Series kicks off with a discussion by members about their Zoom productions. The SMC Community Producer Series is aimed to promote discussion and learning about media production. The first in this quarterly series focuses on the app that has made human connection possible over the past year. Join in for this watch party on Facebook to either get your Zoom production started or to take it to the next level. Community producers Doug Holder (Poet to Poet, Writer to Writer), Diane Wong (Let’s Talk About Race), Greg Hill (The Somerville Labor Show) and JoJo LaRiccia (Dead Air Live, Somerville Connects) offer insight into the transition to remote video and audio production. https://www.facebook.com/events/779896836290580

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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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Join the City of Somerville planning team and fellow community members to help shape the future of the Brickbottom area of Somerville through an interactive workshop. This will be the first of several events to help us create a Vision Plan that reflects the community’s shared vision for the future of this area and can serve as a guide for future development. In this first session, we will discuss the existing conditions as well as several key improvement opportunities identified in our community outreach thus far. Brickbottom: First Visioning Workshop, Wednesday, April 7, at 6:30 p.m. This is a virtual meeting. You can register at https://tinyurl.com/BrickbottomWorkshop. You can learn more about this initiative at somervoice.somervillema.gov/brick. Questions? Email at planning@somervillema.gov.

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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 became 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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Greg Nadeau has announced his candidacy for Ward 7 School Committee in November’s election. Nadeau has dedicated his life to public education. In addition to his professional career in educational systems, he has been active with Somerville schools. Any Ward 7 voters interested in meeting to share ideas about working together to better support Somerville young people, should register their interest at PeopleWorkingWithGregNadeau.org. Three Zoom meetings are scheduled: Monday, April 5, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m., Sunday, April 10, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m., and Wednesday, April 14, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

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Some reopening restrictions to ease starting April 5. As more residents have access to the COVID-19 vaccine, including essential and service industry workers, the City of Somerville is moving forward with some additional modest business reopening steps starting Monday, April 5. Somerville is still reopening at a more cautious pace than the state, remaining in a modified Phase 3, Step 1 of the state’s reopening plan until further notice. Starting April 5, restaurants may stay open beyond 9:30 p.m. until their regularly permitted closing hours, but must remain at 25% indoor capacity. The city will work with recreation facilities to expand their operations in ways that are safe for each business. The Somerville Museum will be allowed to open, but must adhere to special event capacity caps in effect citywide of 10 persons indoors and 25 persons outdoors. The City of Somerville continues to monitor COVID case, vaccination, and other related data on a daily basis. As more people are vaccinated there is hope for further reopening in the near future, but guidance from public health experts does not support further openings at this time given the recent increase in case numbers across the state.

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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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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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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.