Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and City of Somerville staff invite you to attend the second community meeting to discuss 90 Washington Street, a 4-acre site near the East Somerville Green Line station envisioned as the future home of a new Public Safety Building and a range of civic, commercial, and residential spaces. The meeting will take place virtually on Wednesday, February 16, at 6:00 p.m. To learn more and register to attend, go to somervillema.gov/90washington.

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The Somerville Arts Council and Nave Somerville present From the Inside Out Exhibition at Nave Gallery, 155 Powder House Blvd. through February 27. Our world shrunk during COVID. Like others whose work or schooling moved to their living spaces, many artists turned their focus inward. Some, fearing possible contamination of shared studio spaces or public transportation, moved their creative practice into their homes as well. It was a time of reflection. Relationships between interior and exterior shifted. New perspectives affected artist’s work and lifestyle. For more information visit https://somervilleartscouncil.org.

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On Thursday, February 17, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m., join in a virtual evening about the history of sweets by beloved confectioner Jeremy Spindler of Spindler Confections. This event is part of the Bittersweet exhibition’s Chocolate Stories Salon series and is co-sponsored by our friends and partners at Historic Somerville. Join in for a look at the fascinating candy history of the Boston metro area. You have likely heard of NECCO, but in its heyday the Boston area was home to over 140 factories producing a wide variety of chocolates and candies. Due to a variety of factors none of these companies exist anymore. However, there are still remnants of this once thriving industry sprinkled about the city. Sweet City: A History of Candy Manufacturing in Somerville, Cambridge, and Boston. Visit the Somerville Museum website for more information www.somervillemuseum.org.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday to Donna Alibrandi, who is celebrating this week. We hope she has a great day. Also celebrating this week is Denise Racicot-Kallis. We wish her the very best of birthdays. Happy birthday another popular lady, Celia Taylor, we hope she has a great day. Happy birthday to local realtor Sammy Alves, who is celebrating this week. We wish her a nice day. A big happy birthday to a real good guy, Elio LoRusso, who is celebrating this week as well. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Dave Ortega, Jeannie Malone DeMase, Joelle Hochman, Dee Manuel-raposo, Barbara L Amaral, AnneMarie Gates and Sheila Borges-Foley 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 CHA Somerville Vaccine Center is now accepting walk-ins, as supply allows. The center is open to all, five days a week and some Saturdays. You can get booster shots for ages 12+ and initial vaccines for ages 5+. The vaccines are free, regardless of immigration or health insurance status, and you don’t need to show ID. Full hours and details are here: challiance.org/vaccine. You can still make an appointment at tinyurl.com/metronorthvaccine. If you’re a CHA patient, you can also make an appointment through MyChart: challiance.org/mychart. If you need assistance finding a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, you can call 3-1-1 (617-666-3311).

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Massachusetts has established a temporary program requiring employers make paid leave time available for employees impacted by COVID or who have side effects from vaccination. Learn more: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/covid-19-temporary-emergency-paid-sick-leave-program.

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The Somerville Community Growing Center will host a Winter Sowing Workshop, Saturday, February 20, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. February and March are a quiet time in the garden, and now is the perfect time to get a head start on planting by doing some winter-sowing of hardy cool season plants. Growing Center volunteer, Danielle Krcmar, will lead in transforming plastic jugs into mini-greenhouses. Seeds, Soil and empty jugs will be provided. If you have extra empty clear gallon jugs, please feel free to bring them. Visit www.thegrowingcenter.org for more information.

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If your child or teen is struggling with stress or anxiety, you can help by reaching out, listening, understanding, offering support, and connecting the student with key staff at school. Learn more about the #SomervilleTogether campaign for youth mental health at http://bit.ly/3s5uMfu.

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Looking for a way to practice social distancing but still remain connected to other people? Look no further than the Somerville Council on Aging’s Friendly Phone Caller program. They have many wonderful volunteers who are waiting to give you a call. Whether you are looking to make a new friend or would just like a friendly chat to look forward to every week, this program has you covered. Call Natasha at 617-625-6600, ext. 2317 to learn more about the program and to sign up.

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Live Music is back at Sally O’Brien’s, 335 Somerville Ave., Somerville. This week features The Return of the Big Band, BT/ALC Big Band, Thursday February 17 at 7:30 p.m., Tim Gearan & Friends, Saturday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m. and Dub Apocalypse, Sunday, February 20, 9:30 p.m. Visit www.sallyobriensbar.com for a full list of future shows.

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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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If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 or were exposed to someone with COVID-19, you should get tested. Find a testing site near you or where to get an at-home test kit at somervillema.gov/covidtesting. If you test positive: The CDC advises to isolate for at least five days.

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The City of Somerville is looking for feedback on the Pearl Street Reconstruction and Safety Project. You can get the survey in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Nepali, and Haitian Creole.

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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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Mark your calendars. After a long three-year hiatus, the Somerville Homeless Coalition is very excited to announce that its Spring into Action event is returning the evening of Thursday, March 24. This year they are bringing the fun and energy to the Somerville Theatre’s newly refurbished Crystal Ballroom. Join them for an evening of cocktails, live jazz, passed apps, local bites and live music. All proceeds from this event will benefit Somerville Homeless Coalition clients facing homelessness, eviction and food insecurity. They look forward to sharing news about their work in the community and how YOU help them to continue advancing their mission of finding everyone a home. Single Ticket Price: $125, Discounts available for bulk ticket orders. For more information, visit their event page https://igfn.us/e/TRWwTw.

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The 47th Boston SciFi festival will celebrate the creativity of science fiction and cinema at the Somerville Theatre, Davis Sq. The festival will run through February 21. They will host a live and a virtual event this President’s Day holiday. There are features, shorts, talks, events, The Marathon and more. Visit www.somervilletheatre.com for a full schedule.

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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.

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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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The Somerville Council on Aging hosts Bingo, Tuesdays at Ralph & Jenny Center and Thursdays at Holland Street starting at 10:00 a.m. Grab and Go lunch available following Bingo. RSVP to Debby Higgins by calling 617-625-6600, ext. 2321 or email Debby at DHiggins@Somervillema.gov.

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