All city buildings will reopen to the public on Monday, July 12, with limited staffing. Both visitors to city buildings as well as staff will be required to wear face coverings while inside the buildings. Staff will be available on a walk-in basis in all departments for quick transactions like paying a bill or picking up a document. For matters that will take longer, residents will need to schedule an appointment with city staff. Many city services are also available online and, whenever possible, residents are encouraged to continue to use online services.

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West Branch and East Branch Libraries will be closed on Thursday, June 17 in observance of Bunker Hill Day. Central Library will be open for contactless pickup on Thursday, June 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All SPL locations will resume contactless pickup on Friday, June 18.

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Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone will submit a request to the Board of Health (BOH) this month that would revise and extend the city’s current residential eviction moratorium for 90 days, until September 15. The proposal would, as of the date of its passage, end the commercial eviction moratorium and allow landlords and their agents to enter residential units for non-emergency reasons, with 48 hours advance written notice to tenants, an opportunity to reschedule where necessary, and provided that COVID protocols are followed. The city’s emergency declaration will remain in effect throughout this 90-day period. The BOH will consider the proposal at its June 17 meeting. The Emergency Order Establishing a Moratorium on Eviction Enforcement in the City of Somerville was issued by Mayor Curtatone and the BOH in March 2020. The city’s Office of Housing Stability (OHS) is available to help residents facing eviction. If you are facing eviction or have been unable to pay your rent, contact OHS by filling out the intake form at www.somervillema.gov/ohs or calling 617-625-6600 x2581.

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Celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to Steve Mirabella. We wish him many more. Happy birthday to one of the famous Winter Hill family members, Linda Spinosa, who celebrates this week. Happy birthday to former Spring Hill resident Gail Chambers, who is celebrating this week as well. We hope she and Bill enjoy the day and go out and celebrate. Happy birthday to one of our former writers, Jack Nicas, a successful reporter now at the New York Times. As always, we wish him the best. Happy birthday, Jack, and many more. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Shawn M. Lynch, Former Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz, Gretchen Ann Graham, Martin Janet, Pindi Singh, Donna M. Gilberti, Chris Marshall and Kathi Mullins 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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Somerville landlords and realtors are invited to join the city’s Office of Housing Stability for a virtual workshop about the benefits of renting to Section 8 tenants. Learn how Section 8 ensures stable rental income, how higher payment standards can lead to higher rent receipts, and how landlords and realtors can qualify for additional incentive payments and technical support through the city’s SomerVIP program. This event is Thursday, June 24, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Register to attend at somervillema.gov/OHS.

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The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc. Center for Teen Empowerment is hiring for multiple summer positions and looking for young people interested in organizing around community issues. Application: http://tinyurl.com/ApplyTE. If you have any questions, please reach out to meat spost@teenempowerment.org.

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Venture out to the Somerville Community Growing Center on select Thursday evenings in June and July for live music. Dates are 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. on June 17, July 1, 15, and 29 (rain dates on alternative weeks, as predicted rain will cancel by mid-day). Experience a mix of jazz with Latin flavors. Spread your blanket or grab a chair, bring your own picnic, explore the native pollinator garden or the food and herb beds and enjoy a summer serenade. For more info visit https://www.thegrowingcenter.org/.

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The school year is coming to an end. Please consider thanking a special teacher or staff person at your child’s school with a STAR certificate from the Somerville Education Foundation (SEF). Each recipient receives a beautiful certificate with your name and a personal message. You may purchase a STAR at a price you choose from $20 to $200. Your donation will be used towards SEF’s new teacher grant program that we hope will provide schools with the resources they need to develop and implement innovative instructional methods, acquire additional teaching materials, as well as pilot new technology and community partnerships in the classroom. SEF’s mission is to support Somerville youth, whether it’s for basic needs (food, clothing, etc.), out of school time learning, applied learning, and now teacher grants. Thank you for your support! Follow the link: http://www.somervilleedfoundation.org/store/p1/star.html#/ to purchase STAR certificates online. Your recipient(s) are sure to smile.

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Walk-in vaccinations are available at multiple locations: You now can get a COVID-19 vaccination without having to pre-register or make an appointment. There are walk-in vaccination sites all around Somerville, and just outside it as well. Cambridge Health Alliance vaccine clinics have larger supplies of doses and can vaccinate kids ages 12-17. You do not need to be a CHA patient to use these clinics. They are free and open to all. Local CVS pharmacies and the Stop & Shop on McGrath Hwy. are also offering walk-in vaccines. Local Walgreens pharmacies require a brief pre-registration, but can process people quickly if they have open slots and you walk in. Here are the CHA walk-in sites: CHA Somerville Vaccine Center at 176 Somerville Avenue in Somerville, Mon.- Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tufts University Gantcher Center at 161 College Ave. in Medford, Wed-Thurs. 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Encore Boston Harbor at 1 Broadway Center in Everett, Mon.-Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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Individuals younger than 18 will need parental or guardian consent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. A parent or guardian can either accompany a minor age 16 or 17 to their vaccine appointment, or fill out a consent form that the minor can then bring with them to the appointment. Consent forms in multiple languages are available at the state’s website. Parents must accompany children ages 12-15 to their vaccine appointments.

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Help support your neighbors through the Somerville Cares Fund. If you’re lucky enough to have some extra money, please consider a donation to the Somerville Cares Fund. This donation-based fund provides direct assistance to Somerville residents, workers, and parents of school children so that they can cover basic expenses like housing, food, and utility bills. If you’re unable to donate you can still help by sharing information about the Somerville Cares Fund with your friends and family.

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