Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott invite you to a virtual community meeting to discuss roadway upgrades and transportation safety improvements on the western portion of Washington Street, from Line Street to Webster Avenue. The city is planning to reconstruct sidewalks, repave Washington Street, and install changes that will improve street safety and usability, including wider sidewalks at bus stops, raised crosswalks for traffic calming, and protected dedicated bike lanes. Construction is expected to begin in 2023. At this meeting, city staff will present a proposed design for Washington 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 on Wednesday, September 28, at 6:00 p.m. Visit somervillema.gov/westernwashington to register to attend.

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Join the Somerville Public Library (MA) and SustainaVille for their fall speaker series on building equitable, sustainable, and resilient communities. Talks begin on Wednesday, September 28, with MIT Associate Professor Andres Sevtsuk on urban street planning. For the full schedule and to register, visit somervillepubliclibrary.org/calendar

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to AnnMarie Carey-Browne. We hope she has a great birthday for herself with her great family. Happy birthday to Karen F. McWatters, who celebrates this week. We hope she has a great birthday. Happy birthday to Sal DiDomenico, who is also celebrating this week. A special happy birthday to Ena Johnson who will be celebrating on October 2. She has lived in Somerville for 60+ years and we wish her the very best of birthdays. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Joseph Leblanc, Debbie Price King, Linda Malone, Edward Barry, Rick Gaetano, Terri Monsalve and Kevin Driscoll 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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This Thursday, September 29, the Evicted Exhibit will be holding a Services Fair in Arts at the Armory’s Performance Hall from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. 191 Highland Ave Somerville, MA 02143. Join in to talk to staff and learn about housing services offered by Somerville housing agencies and organizations.

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September is Recovery Month. Additional Narcan distributions will take place on Friday, September 30, at Foss Park from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, resources, or to get involved, email mmitchell@somervillema.gov or visit https://www.somervillema.gov.

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To celebrate Union Square’s sizzling food landscape, the Somerville Arts Council brings you the IGNITE Festival. Expect an evening of international eats, fire throwers, roving entertainment, and a raucous celebration of global culture. In addition to many local food vendors, there will be interactive light installations, numerous illuminated performers and to top it all off, FIRE! Local eateries throughout the Square will be featuring Ignite themed specials on Saturday, October 1, 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. in Union Square.

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The Somerville 5K Road Race is this Saturday, October 1 and they are kicking off the festivities by sporting their new event T-Shirts As it gets closer to race day, make sure to sign up and bring your energy to the race. Don’t want to run or walk alone? Take on the race with friends, family or a pet then enjoy a continental breakfast once you’ve finished. Register: https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Somerville/Somerville5KRace

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Ward-based Community Meetings, formerly called the ResiStat program, are back this October. Hear from Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and city staff to find out what’s happening in your neighborhood, learn how to get involved, and ask questions about issues that are important to you. All meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. and can be attended in person or online. First up is Ward 5 on Monday, October 3, at the Kennedy School. A meet-and-greet with refreshments will begin at 6:00 p.m. Interpretation and accessibility assistance is available. For the full schedule and to learn more, visit somervillema.gov/communitymeetings.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and City of Somerville staff invite you to attend the next community meeting to discuss 90 Washington Street, a 4-acre site near the East Somerville Green Line station envisioned as the home of a new Public Safety Building and a range of civic, commercial, and residential spaces. The meeting will take place Thursday, October 6, at 6:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross Street. Interpretation into Spanish and Portuguese will be provided. The meeting will also be live streamed on YouTube. For more information, go to somervillema.gov/90washington.

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September 15 through October 15 is designated to celebrate the contributions and diverse cultures from the Latino, Latinx, Latina community in the U.S. It is also a time to reflect, educate, and expand the meaning of this celebration. There are many ways to celebrate. You can fellowship with family and friends, read a book about Latin American history, enjoy a traditional dish from a Latin American or Caribbean country, or watch a captivating documentary on all the impactful contributions from the Hispanic/Spanish-speaking community. Happy Hispanic Heritage month.

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Become part of an incredible team of school volunteers. Join the in-person Volunteer Orientation on Thursday, October 13 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. to learn more. Email JCapuano@k12.somerville.ma.us to RSVP.

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Somerville Public Schools is hosting three clinics at school sites in October for children, families, and staff. Registration and more information at: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/vaccineclinics. October 11, Tuesday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Winter Hill Community Innovation School. Influenza vaccine only. October 15, Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at East Somerville Community School. Influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. October 26, Wednesday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at West Somerville Neighborhood School. Influenza vaccine only. The city of Somerville is also hosting weekly vaccine clinics offering the bivalent COVID-19 vaccine. Those clinics start on October 5 and run on Wednesdays (except October 26) from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at City Hall Annex, 50 Evergreen Ave.

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The SHS Class of 1982 40th Reunion will be held at the Sons of Italy, 117 Swanton St, Winchester, MA on November 15, 6:30 – 11:30 p.m. Cost: $40 per person, dinner included, cash bar. ($50 after November 4). Payment methods: include Paypal: mbmbrennan44@gmail.com, Venmo: SHS Class of 1982 @shsclassof1982, Check: made out to SHS Class of 1982 mailed to Marybeth Caturello, 85 MacArthur Road Stoneham, MA 02180. For any other questions, please email Marybeth Brennan at mbmbrennan@comcast.net or call Marybeth Caturello at 617-851-2519.

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The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is now available 24/7, 365 days a year in Massachusetts and across the country. 988 is a direct three-digit phone line to trained National Suicide Prevention Lifeline call takers. If you need suicide, substance use, or mental health crisis support, or if you are worried about someone else, you can call or text 988 or use the chatline at 988lifeline.org to access compassionate care and support.

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Mark your calendars: students in grades 9-12 and their families won’t want to miss the in-person College Fair on October 18 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the SHS Cafeteria.

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The Somerville Mobile Farmers Market is open for the season, selling fresh, local produce through October 15. The market schedule is as follows: Fridays: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Council on Aging/SCALE (167 Holland St.); 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.: East Somerville Community School (50 Cross St.) Saturdays: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.: North Street Housing (24 North St.); 1:30 to 3:00 p.m.: Mystic Housing (Playground between 15B and 25B Memorial Rd.). The market accepts cash, debit, credit, SNAP, WIC Farmers Market Coupons, and Senior Farmers Market Coupons, and it offers an unlimited 50% discount for anyone who needs it. To learn more, visit: somervillema.gov/farmersmarket.

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