Congratulations to the winners of the preliminary election. Once again, the people have spoken. Best of luck to all in the general election in November.

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Because West Nile Virus (WNV) has been detected in surrounding communities, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has raised Somerville’s WNV risk to high. To date, no WNV has been detected in Somerville. Residents should take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites and mosquito-borne diseases, including WNV and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). WNV and EEE are usually transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. While WNV and EEE can infect people of all ages, people over the age of 50 are at higher risk for severe WNV, and people under the age of 15 are particularly vulnerable to EEE. WNV symptoms and EEE symptoms tend to include fever and flu-like illness. More information, including all WNV and EEE positive results, can be found on the Arbovirus Surveillance Information web page at mass.gov/dph/mosquito or by calling the Massachusetts DPH Epidemiology Program at 617-983-6800.

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Somerstreets, Strike up the Bands will take place Sunday, September 19 from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Highland Ave. between Central St. to Lowell St. There will be two stages of music curated by Arts at the Armory and ONCE Somerville. Activities along Highland Avenue will include: Local craft vendors, aerial performances by Esh Circus Arts, parkour with Parkour Generations Boston, activities and games with Somerville Recreation, Wash Away Your Fears Community Project with Illegal Art, explore a fire truck and ambulance, Community vendors and local businesses including 7ate9 Bakery, Pop-up hoola hoop performers and more.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Mary Jo Rossetti, who is a lifelong resident and a hard-working Councilor At-Large. We wish her a very happy birthday. Also this week, we wish another local person, Conor Brennan, the owner of PJ Ryan’s in Teele Square, the very best on his birthday. Happy birthday to Donna Piro-Andon. We wish Donna the very best. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Gary DiZoglio, Jane Becker ,Jessica OBrien, Gay H. Sheldon, Kimberly LaCascia-Winslow, Jackie Shepardhancock, Ed Grandmont, Cathy Harrington, Christina Marie, Debra Lawson Kennedy, Toto Lorence Peras, Jonathan O’Connell, Stephen Green and Ellen Gagliardia 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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‘My Neighbor is a Museum’ Block Party is scheduled for this Saturday, September 18, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 1 Westwood Road. Help the Somerville Museum fundraise for their Access for All & More Campaign which supports making their 100-year-old building more accessible to the community. This event is also celebrating the opening of their next exhibition, Penny Chronicles and the Stories They Tell. Curated by David Guss, this exhibition is a history of Somerville through the medium of the vintage postcard. There will be live music, food, local artwork, raffles, and games. To learn more about the Access for All & More Campaign and how to donate go to: http://somervillemuseum.org/accessforall/. To learn more about the Penny Chronicles exhibition, go to: http://somervillemuseum.org/postcard-show/

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By a unanimous vote of the Somerville Board of Health, the local eviction moratorium is extended until April 30 of next year. Somerville residents in need of assistance are urged to contact OHS at 617-625-6600 x2581 or fill out a referral form at somervillema.gov/ohs. The city has already leveraged more than $2 million in rental assistance during the pandemic from local, state, and federal sources. CAAS can be reached at 617-623-7370 or caasomerville.org/need-help.

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The East Somerville Foodie Crawl is back for its 9th edition with more restaurants, more beer, and more entertainment. On Tuesday, September 21, take a cultural crawl through the East Somerville restaurant corridor. With the purchase of one ticket, you will be off on a culinary journey full of authentic foods, colors and smells all the way from Ethiopia, El Salvador, Italy, Brazil and Mexico. Your ticket will give you unlimited access to sample East Somerville’s best restaurants. Food will be served from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org

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The Somerville Board of Health (BOH) approved a face-covering mandate for all indoor public places 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. Everyone is urged 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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The East Somerville Market will return on Sunday September 19, 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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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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Riverfest 2021 will take place Saturday, September 18, 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Assembly Row at Assembly Square. Highlights include: Live local music powered by PUMA, free family-friendly activities and a firework spectacular over the Mystic River. Plus, don’t forget to check out Night Shift’s Owl’s Nest Beer Garden plus and family friendly games including pickleball and shuffleboard by PKL Boston – located near The Smoke Shop BBQ.

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Groundwork Somerville Harvest Gala takes place Saturday, September 18, 198 South St., Somerville. Celebrate Groundwork Somerville’s 21st year of farming and environmental education. Visit South Street Farm for an evening of games, music, raffles, drinks and delicious food. Full price tickets are $40, with the option to pay less based on your income. Ticket prices include a meal at one of several food trucks as well as two drink tickets for wine or beer. Tickets Harvest Gala – Groundwork Somerville.

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Have you received your COVID-19 vaccine? The City of Somerville will hold three mobile clinics this fall. The clinics are free, regardless of health insurance or immigration status. ID is not required. Walk-ins are welcome, but you can pre-register at somervillema.gov/vaccine to make the process go faster. Pfizer Clinic (12+), Wednesday, September 15, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m., Somerville High School, 89 Highland Ave. Second dose will be the same time, same place on October 6. Pfizer Clinic (12+), Friday, September 24, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., West Somerville Neighborhood School, 177 Powder House Blvd. Second dose will be the same time, same place on October 15. Johnson & Johnson Clinic (18+), Monday, October 18, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Ave. Please note that all minors must have parent/guardian permission, and anyone 12–15 years old must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  At this time, City of Somerville vaccine clinics are only open for first and second doses. If you are immunocompromised and are looking for a third dose, please first reach out to your healthcare provider. If a third dose of the vaccine is indicated, they will provide you with a list of locations offering the vaccine. If you have questions or need assistance, please call 311 (617-666-3311).

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