COVID-19 vaccine booster clinics will be held January 12, 19, and 26 from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Ave. The Moderna booster will be offered. Registration is required. Please register at tinyurl.com/SomervilleVax or call 311. The clinic is free, and open to all people 18 years or older, regardless of immigration status or health insurance. Identification is not required. Please bring your vaccine card with you to your appointment, and arrive at the time of your appointment to avoid overcrowding in the building.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Ward 1 Councilor Matthew McLaughlin invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss roadway upgrades and traffic safety improvements on the eastern portion of Pearl Street, from McGrath Highway to Mount Vernon Street. As part of the Pearl Street Reconstruction and Traffic Safety Improvements project, sidewalks will be rebuilt, the road will be repaved, and traffic safety upgrades will be installed. Construction is expected to begin this spring. At this meeting, city staff will present a proposed design for Pearl Street and gather input from attendees. After the meeting, the proposed design will be posted to the project website along with a survey for additional feedback. The meeting will take place virtually on Wednesday, January 19, at 6:00 p.m. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Learn more and register to attend at somervillema.gov/pearlstreet.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Katie McDaid. We wish her a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to retired high school teacher Marion Joyce. She was a great teacher. We hope she enjoys her day. Happy birthday to Bill Rogers of Winter Hill, a nice guy and we wish him the very best of birthdays. Also celebrating, James Ribeiro. We wish him a great birthday. Happy birthday Phil Forsyth, a nice guy. Happy birthday to Donna Desrescente. We wish her the very best. Big birthday greetings to Ken Kotch, a great photographer. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Janice Burpee, Rick Jackson, Suzanne Ryan Marks, and Paul Nunziato 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’s King Solomon’s Lodge is holding a community blood drive, Monday, January 31, at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG and enter “KSL” to schedule an appointment.

For families with children who have sensory needs or accommodation needs, there is a vaccine clinic specifically for you. Please visit the VaxAbilities website to sign up for the next local clinic of this type on Friday, January 21, at the Museum of Science. or other local vaccination events. https://vaxabilities.com/

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The fifth annual competition for Community Curators has been extended. All applications are now due by Friday, January 14, 11:00 p.m. The Somerville Museum welcomes proposals and encourages applicants to visit both the museum and its website to learn more about the museum’s wide-ranging exhibition history. Two finalists will be selected to install their proposed exhibits in the museum’s gallery spaces at One Westwood Road, Somerville, MA. The chosen applicants will also receive a seed grant of $2,500 towards exhibition costs. All applications must be submitted digitally to info@somervillemuseum.org.

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The Somerville Arts Space Risk Assessment analyzes the impact of development pressure on arts organizations across the city and makes recommendations for how to protect art spaces and support the creative economy. Join them on January 19 at 6:30 p.m. to learn more about our Somerville Arts Space Risk Assessment work. Hear about policy recommendations to support Somerville arts spaces. Please spread the word and invite colleagues and fellow artists. Register now for this online meeting: https://bit.ly/somerville-art-space RSVP to their Facebook event page for updates and reminders. In this public meeting we will learn more about the Somerville Arts Council work this year concerning arts spaces, zoning and planning. As a community let’s get ready for the New Year to roll out these policies and initiatives. There will be a Q and A and break out rooms to discuss topics and ask questions.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville Housing Division are pleased to announce an income-restricted resale homeownership opportunity in Assembly Row. Unit 602 at 375 Canal Street is a one-bedroom condo available to households with a yearly gross income at or below 80% of Area Median Income ($70,750 for a one-person household, or $80,850 for a two-person household). To schedule a showing, contact Ben Wyner at 617-625-6600 ext. 2578 or bwyner@somervillema.gov. How to Apply: Multilingual applications and full eligibility requirements are now available at somervillema.gov/inclusionaryhousing. Applications must be submitted by Tuesday, February 1, at 2:00 p.m. Completed applications can be emailed to inclusionary@somervillema.gov, mailed or hand-delivered to the Inclusionary Housing Program (Housing Division) at 50 Evergreen Avenue, Somerville, MA 02145 (must be received by this date, not postmarked), or faxed to the Inclusionary Housing Program at 617-591-3235. The lottery will take place virtually on Thursday, February 10, at 3 p.m. For more information, visit somervillema.gov/inclusionaryhousing, email inclusionary@somervillema.gov, or call 617-625-6600 ext. 2566.

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Rent a space at the Arts at the Armory’s unique spaces. Are you looking for a unique and memorable venue for an event? Their historic and spacious Performance Hall, intimate and charming Café, and comfortable and functional B5 meeting/classroom/rehearsal space are all available to rent. Learn more about our spaces here. For more information, please contact events@artsatthearmory.org.

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On January 26, 7:30 – 9:00 p.m., join Mystic River Watershed Association for a virtual public meeting to discuss a Mystic River Path connection to the Minuteman Bikeway. This first meeting will share existing conditions and solicit feedback that will inform initial design concepts. More info and meeting details visit their Facebook page or website https://mysticriver.org/

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The Greater Boston League has temporarily halted all athletic events for the remainder of the week, due to COVID-19 concerns. Somerville High School plays in the Greater Boston League.

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Brickbottom Gallery, 1 Fitchburg St., Somerville, presents Somerville as Muse: 12 Artists Influenced by the City through January 15. This exhibition, curated and organized by Debra Olin, highlights 12 artists, including painters, photographers, collage artist, illustrators and printmakers whose work is heavily influenced by their Somerville surroundings. It features lost landmarks of the city’s past, shows the Somerville of today – including the overwhelming scenes of construction – and offers a glimpse of possible futures. Somerville as Muse is made possible by a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Somerville Arts Council, and support from the Somerville Museum.

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The City of Somerville invites Somerville residents, workers, and visitors to complete a survey to inform citywide parking policies. This survey will provide vital insights into existing travel patterns and public priorities for parking management and curbside space. It is one component of the Citywide Parking and Curb-Use Study, a multipronged effort to collect data and develop recommendations to make Somerville’s parking system work more equitably, efficiently, and consistently for residents, businesses, and visitors. Responses will be accepted through January 14. The survey is available in multiple languages at somervillema.gov/parkingstudy.

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Prepare for the 2021/2022 snow season by reviewing parking rules and signing up for alerts. Because this winter begins in an odd-numbered year, snow emergency parking will be on the odd side of the street all winter, unless posted signage says differently. Check streets signs in your neighborhood so you know where you can park ahead of winter weather. You can also learn more about the city’s snow policies at somervillema.gov/snow.

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Somerville’s Winter Farmers Market takes place Saturdays, 9:30 – 1:30 p.m., through April 16, at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. Offering the best locally grown and produced agricultural items and more. They offer a diverse range of local and New England produce, as well as cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, pastries, chocolate, and wine. They feature rotating guest vendors each week, as well as live entertainment and activities. Check out the schedule and map at www.somwintermarket.org. They accept SNAP/EBT & HIP, CREDIT and DEBIT cards. $15 SNAP match for EBT customers.

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Somerville’s requirement to wear a face covering in public indoor spaces remains in effect. Make sure your mask covers your nose and mouth at all times when in public spaces and that it fits snugly around the sides of your face. The CDC has recommendations on how to improve your mask effectiveness. In general, masks with more layers offer better protection and masks with nose wires help achieve a secure fit around your nose. We’ll say it again though, be sure your mask covers your nose too and not just your mouth for effective protection.

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If you are unable to access a COVID-19 vaccine due to transportation challenges, but otherwise are able to leave your home, please call 3-1-1 to get connected to transportation assistance.

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Individuals who are homebound are encouraged to schedule an in-home COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the state’s COVID-19 In-Home Vaccination Program. The program is open to all individuals who are homebound, including 5- to 11-year-olds, and individuals seeking both initial or booster doses. To schedule an appointment, call the In-Home Vaccination Central In-take Line at (833) 983-0485. The Intake Line is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Representatives are available in both English and Spanish, and also have access to translators for over 100 languages. Due to high demand, the current estimated wait time for an in-home vaccination appointment is 4-6 weeks.

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