Because of rising COVID-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant, Mayor Curtatone has submitted a request to the Board of Health to reinstate a face covering mandate for indoor public spaces for anyone age two or older. If approved at the August 19 BOH meeting, the mandate would go into effect on August 20.

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The deadline to register to vote or update your party affiliation or address for the September 14 preliminary election is Wednesday, August 25, at 8:00 p.m. Massachusetts voters have the option to register online or via a paper form. To register by mail, you can call (617) 625-6600 ext. 4200 and request a form be mailed to you, or you can download one from the Elections website. Don’t forget that your form must be returned to the Somerville Elections Department by 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 25. You can also visit the Elections Department in City Hall to register to vote. Please note face coverings are required in all city buildings. This year there will be preliminary votes held to narrow the field of candidates for Mayor, Ward 5 City Councilor, and Ward 7 City Councilor.

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The Somerville High Class of 1971 is looking for classmates for their 50th reunion on Saturday, October 23, at Anthony’s Function Hall in Malden from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. The price is $65 per person. Please contact Rosalie DeLucia or Jimmy Del Ponte, or the SHS71 page on Facebook for more information. Wave high your guilded banners as SHS 71 celebrates their 50th!

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to local good guy and popular barber at Albraindi’s, Paul McGlashing, who does a great job there. Happy birthday to Cliff Clark, who is also a great guy. We wish him the very best. Happy birthday Jenny Bonham Carter. We wish Jenny a great day. We wish all our celebrating Facebook friends, such as Roy Bertocchi, Carmine D Ambrosio, Maureen Marenna, Anna Rosella, Anita Dill Fusco, Laureen DeBrase, Pat Lane, Pam Keith, Debbi Hession, Alicia Marie and Arthur Copelanda 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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The Somerville High Class of 1961 is holding their 60th reunion on September 28, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. at Seasons 52, 6 Wayside Rd., Burlington. The cost is $40, you can mail checks to SHS Class of 1961 c/o 30 Murray Hill Rd, Cambridge, MA, 02140.

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Seek housing assistance before eviction moratoriums expire. Somerville’s residential eviction moratorium is in place until September 15, 2021, and the federal moratorium has been extended until October 3, 2021. In light of these extensions, the city is urging anyone who may need it to proactively seek financial support now to avoid later threats to housing stability. Support is available through the Office of Housing Stability (OHS) for tenants who need help making overdue payments or upcoming payments. Services are also available to help landlords pay mortgages and bills that would be covered by rental income. Somerville residents in need of assistance can contact OHS at 617-625-6600 ext. 2581 or fill out the referral form at somervillema.gov/ohs.

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The City of Somerville seeks three residents to serve on the city’s Traffic Board. The Traffic Board is an appointed body that reviews decisions of the city’s Traffic Commission upon appeal petitions. If a decision of the Traffic Commission is appealed, the Traffic Board is required to hold a public hearing, accept public testimony, and issue a ruling to approve or disapprove the action of the Traffic Commission. Members will serve in a volunteer capacity for a term of one to three years. Applicants should submit a short statement of interest with their name and home address to TrafficBoardSearch@SomervilleMA.gov by Monday, August 16, 2021.

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The City of Somerville Elections Department is hiring polling place workers for the municipal elections on September 14 and November 2. Polling place workers will be paid $200 per day and work from 6:30 a.m. until shortly after the polls close at 8:00 p.m., with a two-hour break. You must be a registered Massachusetts voter to work at a polling place. No prior experience necessary. Email personnel@somervillema.gov or call 617-625-6600 ext. 3300 to learn more today.

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The City of Somerville’s Economic Development Division recently published its second Diversity Catalog, which highlights women-, minority-, veteran-, and LGBTQIA-owned businesses in the city. The Diversity Catalog can be found at www.somervillema.gov/diversitycatalog. The catalog serves as a marketing tool for Somerville businesses that want to offer their products and services to customers throughout the region and the information gathered to create it helps Economic Development staff design business support programs that meet the needs of local businesses.  For more information about the Diversity Catalog, contact Daniela Carrillo, Economic Development Assistant, at dcarrillo@somervillema.gov.

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Kitty Connection, an all-volunteer non-profit dedicated to rescuing and finding safe, loving homes for local cats and dogs, will hold an End of Summer/Back to School Online Auction from 4:00 p.m. Friday, August 20, through 9:00 p.m. Sunday, August 22, at www.myminiauction.com/kittyconnection. Auction rules and logistics are posted on the auction website, and items up for bid will appear there at the auction start time (4:00 p.m., Friday, August 20). To learn more about Kitty Connection’s mission and pets available for adoption, visit: www.kittyconnection.net.

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Groundwork Somerville is excited to announce their 2021 South St. Farm Open Hours. Stop by any Saturday between July and September, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., 138 South St., and check out Somerville’s very own urban farm. This time is set aside for our community to tour the farm, enjoy the green space, volunteer, or have a picnic. No registration is required, just come by. http://www.groundworksomerville.org.

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All city buildings are now open, 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 Somerville Flea kicked off their 10th year in Davis Sq. on Sunday, August 1, at 10:00 a.m., 56 Holland St. The best local vintage purveyors and artisans are back. Come on out and support them after a year-long hiatus. Shop local!

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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 remaining schedule is as 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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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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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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