Open Studios 2022 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Artists across Somerville will open their studios to the public to display their latest work and meet visitors. www.somervilleopenstudios.org.

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Streetwise (formally Bike Talk Social Hour) takes place on Wednesday, April 20, 6:30 p.m., at Aeronaut Brewery, 14 Tyler St. (with Zoom option). Join the Somerville Alliance for Safe Streets and the Somerville Bicycle Advisory Committee for a new monthly speaker series that aims to share wisdom on the path to complete streets. The first event will feature Amber Christofferson from Mystic River Watershed Association with a talk titled Movement on the Mystic: New biking infrastructure in the works from Mystic Lakes to Boston Harbor. For the Zoom Link (and poster) visit bit.ly/3NSpJYj

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The City of Somerville is participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this month, hosting two collection events for residents to safely dispose of prescription medications. On Saturday, April 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., join the Community Outreach, Help, and Recovery (COHR) Department and the Prevention Services Division at 220 Washington St. and 6 Newbury St. Staff will be onsite at both locations to collect unused or expired medications and provide overdose prevention information and resources. Free Narcan will also be distributed at each location. In addition to collection events each spring and fall, Somerville offers 24/7, year-round disposal kiosks at the Public Safety Building, 220 Washington St. for medications and sharps (needles and syringes).

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To those celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to former alderman and great guy, Jack Connolly of Cleary Insurance (formally Wedgwood-Crane & Connolly Insurance) in Davis Sq. We hope he has a great birthday. Happy birthday to Julie Phelan Brady. We wish her a great day on this her birthday. Happy birthday to Jim Cook, who is celebrating this week. Happy birthday to Bob DiGuardia, who is also celebrating this week. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Carol Duffy, Jackie Coviello, Patricia Ferrelli, Lee Erica Byron Palmer, Paul Stanford, Bob DiGuardia, Benjamin Holmes, Celia Miller-Saltman, Jim Ospenson, Susannah Buzard, Sylvia Cabrera, Tina Kneeland, Tommy Knockher, Angelmarie Dinunzio, Debbie Shansky Murray and Kate Sherlock Guiliano 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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Reconstructed is a photography exhibition that explores the ideas of belonging, origins and home by bringing together the work of five photographers: Astrid Reischwitz, Eleonora Ronconi, Hugo Teixeira, Iaritza Menjivar, and Yorgos Efthymiadis, who is also the curator of the exhibition. Reconstructed will run from April 17 to June 4 at FPAC Gallery, 300 Summer St, Boston, with an opening reception on April 21 from 5.30 to 8:00 p.m. http://www.fortpointarts.org/. To see the work of Somerville photographer Iaritza Manjivar, visit https://www.iaritza.com.

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Reminder: Street sweeping began for the season on Friday, April 1. Make sure you know when your neighborhood is swept and where you can park by checking signs in your neighborhood and visiting www.somervillema.gov/sweeping.The schedules are currently being updated. Street sweeping helps keep leaves and other debris out of storm drains, which helps prevent flooding. Help keep the streets clean – and avoid getting a ticket – by moving your car on street sweeping day.

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East Somerville Main Streets hosts Spring Neighborhood Cleanup, Saturday, April 30 at 10:00 a.m. Come join your neighbors, friends, and larger community to help clean up and beautify East Somerville. Meet at the East Branch Library, 115 Broadway, at 10:00 a.m. Pickers, trash bags and gloves will be available. Feel free to bring your own gloves or tools, as well.

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In honor of Earth Day, Groundwork Somerville is hosting a volunteer cleanup event at its South Street Farm and surrounding area, 138 South St., Somerville, and you’re invited. From 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 23, come help pick up trash, collect yard waste, spread compost, clip back invasive species, clean our tools, and prepare the farm for the growing season. Please feel free to join for any portion of this time. And don’t forget to bring sunscreen, a water bottle, clothes you feel comfortable getting dirty/working in, a hat if you want it, gloves if you have them (Groundwork will also provide gloves), and enthusiasm. For more information, please see Groundwork Somerville’s event webpage. (https://groundworksomerville.org/event/earth-day-cleanup/)

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The Somerville Homeless Coalition (SHC) Big Sleep Out weekend is weeks away! While you sleep in your yard, basement, porch, couch or anywhere that isn’t your bed, we will be sleeping outside (rain or shine). No planning necessary, just register with the link below and share the event with your friends and family. To register: https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/22SLEEPOUT

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Calling all Somerville High School students! Apply for the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program. Applicants must be Somerville residents, at least 14 years of age, and enrolled in high school. Summer jobs require approximately 20 hours per week for six weeks starting in June, though actual schedules will vary by employer. Some jobs require an orientation before the program begins. Some positions can be done remotely or in a hybrid of remote and in-person work.  Apply online at somervillema.gov/summerjobs, or pick up a printed application in the Human Resources Department at City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue. Applications are due by Friday, April 29, at 12:30 p.m. All applicants will be interviewed the week of May 9. For more information, contact Community Services Manager Javier Torres Trinidad at 617-625-6600 ext. 2406 or jtorrestrinidad@somervillema.gov.

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Are you a member of Somerville High School’s Classes of 1970, 1971, or 1972? The SHS Class of 2022 is looking for participants for this year’s Class Day festivities, which will take place on Friday, June 3, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at Somerville High School. This year will be the first Class Day that will take place in the new school building. Because there was no Class Day in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19, they are inviting alumni who did not have an opportunity to participate in this great tradition on the 50th anniversary of their high school graduation. They are looking for 50 graduates in total from the classes of 1970, 1971, and 1972 to participate. If you were an SHS 1970, 1971 or 1972 graduate and would like to participate in the 2022 Class Day festivities, please call Barbara Favaloro at (617) 625-6600, ext. 611018, or email her at bfavaloro@k12.somerville.ma.us. The SHS Class of 2022 looks forward to seeing you!

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Somerville’s indoor mask mandate ended but businesses can still set their own mask policies, so make sure to check before heading in. More information, including where to find the latest health guidance can be found at somervillema.gov/maskmandateupdate.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne has announced that the City of Somerville launched mattress and box spring recycling starting the week of April 4. This free service is available to all residential households that have city-managed trash collection. Residents will simply need to schedule a pickup and place their items on the curb on the pickup day. For more information on recycling in Somerville, please visit www.somervillema.gov/MattressRecycling

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Somerville’s yard waste pickup began on Tuesday, April 19. A full yard waste calendar is available at somervillema.gov/yardwaste and will be in the Environmental Service Guide, which will be mailed to all households later this month. Yard waste should be put out with your trash and recycling on your normal pickup day. Yard waste must either be in a paper bag or a trash barrel with a “Yard Waste Only” sticker. Stickers are available free of charge at the DPW Building, 1 Franey Road, or the entrance desk at City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue. To request a sticker be mailed to you, please call 311 or email 311updates@somervillema.gov. For more information on yard waste pickup, visit somervillema.gov/yardwaste or call 311 (617-666-3311).

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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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The Somerville Historic Preservation Division invites you to take home a piece of Somerville history. Designed by local artists, this historic collection of Somerville stickers and magnets tell a unique story of Somerville’s history. Purchases help support local organizations and small business, and display the Somerville pride. Visit the Somerville Historic Preservation Division website to find out more about their historic events, education, and preservation efforts: https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ospcd/historicpreservation.

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Are you due for a COVID-19 dose or booster? The next clinic will be Monday, April 25 at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Ave., from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. This COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine Clinic is open to everyone age 12 and up for 1st dose, 2nd dose, or booster. Walk-ins are welcome. Students under 18 do not need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian as long as their parent has filled out the online registration and consent form. Sponsored by the City of Somerville Department of Health & Human Services and the Somerville Public Schools. Please use this link to register: https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/somerville?calendar=f73e9955-4ec2-4273-bf21-024a8690b6d2

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