Somerville Arts Council’s ArtBeat is back in person this summer to celebrate pop art! This year’s theme is “Pop!” so expect to see pops of color, eyepopping art installations, and a whole lot of surprises popping up all over Davis Square. This year’s event will be held on Saturday, July 10 (rain date July 11) from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. throughout Davis Square, with a kickoff parade featuring the School of HONK starting at 10:30 a.m. ArtBeat is free, but with a suggested donation of $3 you will get an ArtBeat dog tag. Please see the attached PDF for a full schedule of events or visit www.somervilleartscouncil.org.

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Put on your Parisian best and come picnic in celebration of Bastille Day on Wednesday, July 14, at Bow Market, 1 Bow Market Way. Pre-order a cute tote on Bow Market’s Facebook page which includes a fresh baguette, cheese, two glasses, and either a bottle of rosé from Rebel Rebel or a crowler of French inspired beer from Remnant Brewing. Celebrations will also include a mime, a pétanque court, and cotton candy. Pick up your tote of treats and enjoy them in our courtyard or in the Remnant courtyard from 5:30 – 10:00 p.m. that evening.

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 5 City Councilor Mark Niedergang, and city staff invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss the proposed expansion and renovation of Somerville Junction Park. City staff will give an overview of existing conditions, present conceptual ideas for potential future uses, and gather feedback from attendees. The meeting will take place tonight, Wednesday, July 7, at 7:00 p.m. Register to attend at somervillema.gov/JunctionParkMtg1.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: We wish former mayor and great guy Gene Brune a very happy birthday this week. Gene gives so much to this community. Happy birthday Gene, we hope you have a great birthday with your many friends, family and admirers here. We wish a big happy birthday to another great person, Rebecca McLaughlin of Century 21 North East. We hope she has a great day and we are sure her kids will make it extra special. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as John Hughes, Maureen Pirone, Charles Zammuto, Yvette Wilks, Michael Terrio, Barbara Passero, John Taglilatela, David Figueiredo and Tom Fitzgerald a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. 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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Sunday, July 11, is Somerville Vaccine Day. Three mobile clinics will be set up around the city to provide COVID-19 vaccines to anyone 12 or older. Clinics will be held at Holy Bible Baptist Church, 64 College Ave.; St. Anthony’s Parish, 12 Properzi Way; Brazilian Presbyterian Church, 212 School St. The clinics will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at all three locations, allowing people to get a free vaccine, while enjoying free food, music, and a gift. Walk-ins are welcome at any of these mobile clinics. The clinics are free and open to all people 12 years or older, regardless of immigration status or health insurance. Identification is not required. If you prefer, you can pre-register at tinyurl.com/MobileVaxClinic. All minors must have parent or guardian permission, and anyone who is 12 to 15 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Permission forms are available here and will also be available on site. If you have questions or need assistance, please call 311 (617-666-3311).

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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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The City of Somerville’s annual SomerMovie Fest returns this year with a series of seven family-friendly films being shown in parks around Somerville. Screenings begin at sundown and the schedule is as follows: Thursday, July 8, The Empire Strikes Back, Seven Hills Park; Thursday, July 15, Mulan (animated version), Nathan Tufts Park; Thursday, July 22, Mrs. Doubtfire, Nunziato Park; Thursday, July 29, The Sandlot, Lincoln Park; Thursday, August 5, Coco, East Somerville Community School; Thursday, August 12, Black Panther, Baxter State Park; Thursday, August 19, Guardians of the Galaxy, Seven Hills Park. While attendees are not required to wear masks, anyone who is not fully vaccinated is advised to wear one whenever they are in a crowd.

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The City of Somerville’s Licensing Commission is seeking one Somerville resident to fill a vacancy on the three-member board. Commissioners serve three-year terms and earn a stipend of $3,600 per year. Meetings are held monthly, typically Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m. Interested residents should submit a brief statement of interest and a resume to the City Clerk’s Office by email to jlong@somervillema.gov or by mail to Attn: City Clerk, Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02143. Applications must be received no later than Monday, July 19, at 4:30 p.m. For more information, visit somervillema.gov/licensingcommission. 

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The City of Somerville’s Veterans’ Commission on Monuments, Memorials, and Dedications Committee is accepting applications for five positions – three to be filled by veterans. The commission will have charge and control of the construction of any memorial for a veteran and will have custody and care of the memorial after its construction. The commission, which will also develop policies and procedures to follow for dedicating memorials, will meet when needed to name these assets. Meetings are expected to begin in the fall of 2021. If you are interested in applying, please send a statement of interest to the Department of Veterans’ Services at veterans@somervillema.gov by Friday, August 6. For further details or questions,call(617) 625-6600, ext. 4700.

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The City of Somerville and its contractor, Simple Recycling, are making several changes to Somerville’s curbside textile recycling service to improve the program for residents and the environment as of Thursday, July 1. Pickups must be scheduled in advance. Under the current model, a Simple Recycling truck drives the entire trash route every day and picks up the pink textile-recycling bags on the curb. Scheduling pickups will significantly reduce the contractor’s driving miles, which will reduce gas usage and emissions, and it will streamline service so bags don’t get missed. Pickups can be scheduled at simplerecycling.com or by calling 866-835-5068.For more information, visit simplerecycling.com or somervillema.gov/textilerecycling.

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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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