All of us here at The Somerville Times want to wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day weekend. As summer transitions into fall, we want everyone to keep looking forward to the better times ahead. May the troubles of the past soon be far behind us.

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The Somerville Board of Health (BOH) approved a face-covering mandate for all indoor public spaces at its August 19 meeting that went into effect as of Friday, August 20. The mandate applies to anyone two or older, and face coverings can be removed when people are actively eating or drinking. Masks should have a snug fit and cover the nose and mouth. The order can be read at https://www.somervillema.gov/sites/default/files/COVID-19-Mask-Order-Proposed-8.21.pdf. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone in areas of high or substantial COVID-19 transmission wear face coverings when in indoor public spaces regardless of vaccination status. Currently, all Massachusetts counties have either high or substantial transmission. For more coronavirus and vaccine information, visit somervillema.gov/COVID19 or somervillema.gov/vaccine and sign up for City alerts at somervillema.gov/Alerts. We urge you to sign up for every alert method you are able to receive phone call, text, email. Also please follow FB.com/SomervilleCity and @SomervilleCity.

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This Friday is the last day to fill out the Union Sq. Public Space Redesign survey. The survey will provide the Union Sq. Community Design Team (CDT) with valuable feedback that will inform + shape the future designs of Union Square’s public spaces. If you live, work, or play in Union Square. The survey will close Friday, September 3 at midnight. It takes about 10 minutes. Survey link here: bit.ly/UnionRedesignSurvey. Next Steps? In September they will organize the feedback they heard from the community and work with Toole Design and Klopfer Martin Design Group to turn the community’s ideas into designs. Look out for updates from them in October when they’ll be sharing back the findings and preliminary designs with the public.

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The East Somerville Market will be closed for Labor Day. They will return on Sunday September 12, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at their new location: East Somerville Library, 115 Broadway, Somerville. For a list of vendors visit https://www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org/market.

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The September breakfast and lunch menus are available on the Food and Nutrition Services website: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/fns. Breakfast and lunch will be free for all students enrolled in Somerville Public Schools.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to our own photographer, Claudia Ferro. We can’t say enough nice things about her, we are very happy to have her as our photographer. We wish her a very happy birthday and know she will have a great day with her husband Sal and all of her family around her. Happy birthday Patty Oppedisano. We wish her a great day. Happy birthday to the sister of our former publisher, Marilyn Publicover, who is celebrating this week. We wish her the very best. Happy birthday to hard working city employee, Nancy Gaudet Bacci. Happy birthday to Judith Medeiros, we wish her very happy day for herself. Happy birthday to local realtor and successful developer, Stephen Bremis, of the famous Bremis Real Estate. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Nancy Batterton, Thomas B Mercier, Donna M Morabito, Mary Casavant, Len Glionna, Dennis Kacoyanis, Nick Stavre, Guillermo Samuel Hamlin, Justin Moeling and Billy Harrison 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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Registration is open for musicians who want to participate in this year’s PorchFest on Saturday, October 2. Performers will be given a time to play based on where they are located: west of Willow Avenue performs from noon to 2:00 p.m., between Willow Avenue and Central Street performs from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., and east of Central Street performs from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Performers who want to register should sign up at somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest by Thursday, September 30.

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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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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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Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar, Davis Square is hosting Hostess & Little Debbie Milkshake Month. Grab a milkshake with your favorite Hostess/Little Debbie treat. Each week through mid-September, a different dessert will be showcased: Cosmic Brownies from August 29 to September 4, HoHos from September 5 to September 11, and Nutty Buddies from September 12 to September 18.

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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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Call for light artists and performers for the Ignite festival. Application deadline, September 7. The Somerville Arts Council is issuing an open call to artists working in various genres in the field of light for this year’s Ignite Festival – an evening celebration of global culture and all things illuminated. They are open to ideas for light and are particularly interested in work that responds to the Ignite festival theme. Proposals could include, but are not limited to: illuminated roaming performers, artists who incorporate light as a focal point of their performance, and/or light-based installations. To review the guidelines and apply, visit: somervilleartscouncil.org.

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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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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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With the spread of the Delta variant on the rise, don’t delay getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The Cambridge Health Alliance Vaccine Center is right here in Somerville at 176 Somerville Ave., open for walk-ins five days a week to anyone 12 years and older. Monday, Tuesday: 11:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. No insurance needed, no ID needed. Free for all, regardless of immigration or health insurance status. No appointment necessary, just walk right in.  Open to anyone, you do not need to be a Somerville resident or CHA patient

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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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