It has been announced that the City of Somerville will move into a modified Phase 4, Step 1 of the state’s reopening plan starting on Friday, May 7. This means that indoor capacity for several businesses will be increased significantly, something that the local economy desperately needs. For specific details and general guidelines, go to https://www.somervillema.gov/reopeningphase4.

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Somerville Open Studios, a city-wide traditional open studios event across the city of Somerville, will hold a virtual open studios and an outdoor art fair with member artists the first weekend in May from noon until 6:00 p.m. Artists will be available in individual booths through an online platform to display artwork and talk with visitors on May 1 and 2 from noon to 6:00 pm at: https://my.boothcentral.com/v/events/somerville-open-studios-2021. Outdoor spaces for the masked/distanced art loving public to visit some artists in person will be set up outdoor art-fair style on Saturday May 1 (Rain-date Sunday May 2) from noon to 6:00 p.m., see the SOS website for locations. The Somerville Open Studios website (www.somervilleopenstudios.org) is updated with over 250 participating artists in all art mediums (books + paper, collage, drawing, fiber + textiles, furniture, glass + mosaics, graphic design, installation, jewelry + beads, mixed-media, painting, photography, pottery, printmaking, sculpture, video), artists recent work and video introductions of artists, so that visitors can become acquainted with SOS artists and their work.

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The East Somerville Main Streets plant sale will take place this weekend, Sunday, May 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pre-order pickups for the East Somerville Market are available at Deano’s Pasta from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. this Sunday. Also, lots of day of sale vendors are taking pre-orders at https://www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org/market.

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To those celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday this week to several locals: Big happy birthday to our good friend over at Ball Square Café, Mike Moccia. Happy birthday this week to Linda Beebe, who is celebrating this week. We hope she celebrates big time, she deserves it. Also, happy birthday to Anthony Fraser, who grew up in East Somerville. Sal Ferro III is celebrating this week. He is well known here in Somerville and the son of our photographer, Claudia. He comes from a great family and we wish him a great birthday. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Dom Panzino, Chris Lavelli, Joseph DeSousa, Rose Lister, George Sharpe, Charlotte Scanzillo Perkins, Barbara A. Balkwill, G.P. Redmond, Lillian Bove Litchfield, Fred Parker, Eric Pedro Sr. and Johnny Ferola 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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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, State Senator Pat Jehlen, State Representative Mike Connolly, City Council President and Ward 1 Councilor Matthew McLaughlin, and City of Somerville staff invite you to the second virtual public meeting to discuss the Kensington Connector Revitalization Project. The Kensington Connector is a 148-foot pedestrian and cyclist corridor below I-93 at Mystic Avenue in Somerville. It sits at the intersection of East Somerville, Winter Hill, and Assembly Square neighborhoods. This public space project seeks to beautify the corridor and advance safety improvements in coordination with the City’s Mobility Division and MassDOT to connect the neighborhoods more effectively and reclaim this underpass as a space for people. At this meeting, the city will provide updates on an art installation planned for this spring, ongoing Mobility and MassDOT work, and three proposed concept designs to permanently transform the connector into an art-inclusive space. The designs are also posted on the project website, where residents can review and provide feedback. The meeting will be held virtually on Monday, May 3, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Visit somervillema.gov/KensingtonConnector to learn more and register to attend.

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Congratulations to the Winter Hill 7th and 8th graders whose video Next Chapter won the Middle School category of the 2021 Massachusetts Partnerships for Youth, Inc. Public Service Announcement contest. The contest asked students to reflect themes like restorative justice, empathy, loving engagement, and diversity inspired by the Black Lives Matter at School organization. Watch the student Winter Hill Community Innovation School Student video on SPS facebook https://www.facebook.com/SomervillePublicSchools.

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Do you have ideas on how to keep cool in the heat? The City of Somerville, in partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, is now accepting applications for the Keep Cool Somerville Community Projects Grant Program to support creative and impactful cooling solutions this summer. Residents and community groups are invited to propose small-scale pilot projects to improve resilience to hot weather. A handful of projects will be funded to be implemented over the summer. No project is too small. Grants can range from several hundred dollars to just under $10,000. Potential projects could seek to raise awareness of extreme heat risks and coping strategies, improve access to cooling resources, promote mutual aid during heat waves, or any other idea that improves community resilience to hot weather, especially among residents most likely to be impacted. Grant applicants are encouraged, but not required, to draw on the Cooling Strategies Toolkit for inspiration. There are several opportunities for interested applicants to get feedback or assistance before submitting a proposal. The project team is hosting a virtual Keep Cool Idea Workshop on Tuesday, May 4, at 6:00 p.m., as well as virtual coffee hours for community members to discuss potential projects and ask questions. Multilingual assistance is available. Applications are due Wednesday, May 26. For more information, including application instructions, virtual event links, and the Cooling Strategies Toolkit, visit somervillema.gov/keepcool.

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The City of Somerville Department of Veterans’ Services invites local Veterans and family members of Veterans to submit short video messages to celebrate Memorial Day. Veterans and Veteran families are encouraged to record short videos, about 10 to 15 seconds long, to share what Memorial Day means to them or a message for troops deployed overseas. Submissions will then be compiled into a larger video to mark this year’s holiday. Videos should be submitted by Friday, April 30. They can be emailed to Ted Louis-Jacques, Director of Veterans’ Services, at tjacques@somervillema.gov or texted to him at 617-404-5290.

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The state is expected to announce additional reopening guidelines this week. The city will review any additional reopening measures to determine which might be adopted in Somerville. The City of Somerville continues to monitor COVID case trends, vaccination rates, and other related data on a daily basis. As more people are vaccinated there is hope for further reopening in the near future. All persons age 16 or older are currently eligible for vaccination. For information on how to schedule an appointment, visit www.somervillema.gov/vaccine or call the statewide helpline at 2-1-1. Remember to mask up and keep gatherings to under ten people: Facemasks are still required in all indoor and outdoor public spaces in MA. The private gathering limit in Somerville remains at a maximum of ten persons. This applies to events held indoors or outdoors. Please stay vigilant as we seek to beat the virus.

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CHA Somerville Hospital offers free testing at Assembly Row. To make an appointment, call 617-665-2928 (Mon-Fri, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.). The mobile COVID-19 testing unit offers testing for all in our neighborhoods. To make a mobile appointment, call 617-682-0583. Mobile testing schedules, as they become available, and more testing information can be found at somervillema.gov/covidtesting. The state’s Stop the Spread testing sites are also an option, including in the nearby communities of Chelsea and Everett. For more information, visit the State’s website: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test.

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The Somerville Community Preservation Committee is holding its annual Community Preservation Plan public hearing on Wednesday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m. The Community Preservation Plan establishes how $2 million in Fiscal Year 2022 Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds will be allocated across affordable housing, historic resources, and open space categories. The draft plan is available at somervillema.gov/CPA. Immediately before the hearing, at 6:30 p.m., the Committee will host a workshop for individuals and organizations who would like to learn more about how to apply for CPA funds. The workshop will cover the process for applying for CPA funds for a project on City land, restrictions for open space and historic resources projects, and the program to support feasibility studies for some proposed projects. The workshop and the hearing will be held virtually. Visit somervillema.gov/CPA or call 311 for instructions on how to join. Written comments about the Community Preservation Plan may also be emailed to Judith Tumusiime, Community Preservation Act Manager, at jtumusiime@somervillema.gov by Friday, May 14. For more information or to share feedback about the CPA, visit somervillema.gov/CPA to take the CPA survey and sign up for the email newsletter.

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Applications are now available for Somerville youth 14 and up to apply for the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program. Applications will be accepted through Friday, May 14. Employment opportunities are available in the Parks and Recreation Department, Department of Public Works, and other city departments. Some positions can be done remotely or in a hybrid of remote and in-person work. Youth who are hired can expect to work 20 hours for approximately six weeks starting in late June or early July. All positions pay the city’s living wage rate, which is currently at $15.46 per hour. Youth who would like to apply can do so by visiting http://bit.ly/SomerJobs2021. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis upon receipt of applications.