Join the Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs and the Missionary Church of the Haitian Community to reflect on the thirteenth anniversary of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti on Thursday, January 12, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Missionary Church, 100 Temple St.  This free event will feature a keynote address from journalist and sociologist Jean-Samuel Trezil, remarks from the City’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and Somerville Department of Racial and Social Justice, food, music and dance performances, and much more.

****************************

Somerville’s Department of Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) will host a MLK Day of Service Youth Workshop on Monday, January 16, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at The Dojo at SomerNova, 15 Properzi Way. The workshop is in partnership with the Somerville Human Rights Commission, The Somerville Center for Teen Empowerment, The Dojo at SomerNova, and the Somerville Education Foundation. RSVPs are not required to attend the workshop. Interested youth ages 14 and up are encouraged to RSVP by contacting RSJ Deputy Director Steven Flythe via email at sflythe@somervillema.gov or via phone at 781-808-7502. Masks will be available on site. Volunteers are needed from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. on January 16, to help collect, sort, and bag donated clothes.  If you are interested in volunteering to help with the Community Clothing Drive, please contact RSJ Deputy Director Steven Flythe via email at sflythe@somervillema.gov or via phone at 781-808-7502.

**************************

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. We hope she enjoys her day. Happy birthday Phil Forsyth, we wish him the best. 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 Rose Amabile, Chris Walsh, Livia E. Sharpe, Alberta Healey, Janice Burpee, Rick Jackson, Suzanne Ryan Marks, Paul Nunziato and Leslie Figueira 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.

**************************

Congratulations to The Best of Somerville 2022 winners! Please support their businesses and let them know you saw them in The Somerville Times.

**************************

The bike path Girl Scout cookie sign is back for another year. Troop 82122 is saving their proceeds to take a trip to Savannah, Georgia this spring. Girl delivery in Somerville/Cambridge/Medford http://villecookies.info

**************************

The Somerville Community Growing Center is seeking new Board Members for 2023. They are looking for energetic individuals with diverse backgrounds and life experiences to help lead them into their 30th year. Interested in supporting and growing with them? To learn more and apply visit: https://www.thegrowingcenter.org/board-search

**************************

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne announces that the City of Somerville is now seeking proposals that aim to address the gender wage gap, particularly for women of color who face the greatest pay disparity. Programs that create and maintain employment opportunities for low- and moderate-income women residing in the city are sought. The grants are made possible by the City’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, the Job Creation and Retention Trust, City funds, and funds generated from development impact fees. Proposals will be accepted until January 31. Interested organizations can download the Request for Proposal package here: www.somervillema.gov/wfd. Print copies are available by emailing WFD@somervillema.gov. For further information, please contact WFD@somervillema.gov.

**************************

Beginning on or around January 3, city contractors will begin working on subsurface utility improvements in the intersection of Highland Ave. and Central St. While work in the intersection is underway, access to Highland Ave. from Central St. will be restricted. Eastbound traffic will continue to be able to proceed through the intersection and along Highland Ave. Westbound traffic will continue to be detoured. While construction in the south side of the intersection is underway, there will be no access to Highland Ave. via Central St. northbound during work hours (weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 7:000 p.m.). Central St. will remain accessible for residents only. All other traffic will be detoured via Summer St. and Lowell St. Highland Ave./Central St. intersection (north side partial closure). While construction in the north side of the intersection is underway, there will be no access to Highland Ave. via Central St. south bound during work hours (weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 7:000 p.m.). For more information visit voice.somervillema.gov.

**************************

Join in on the fourth Tuesday of each month for the Boston’s The Moth StorySLAM. This month’s Juggle is on January 24 at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave, doors at 6:30 pm. This community-focused, open mic storytelling competition is open to anyone to share a story on the night’s theme. The Arts at the Armory bar will be serving a special food menu including a selection of delectable house-made appetizers, in addition to wine, beer, and snacks. Don’t miss The Moth Special–two appetizers and a bottle of wine for $35. Tickets available here: https://themoth.org/events/juggle-boston

**************************

Local small business owners can now apply for forgivable loans of up to $15,000 to assist with financial losses related to COVID-19 via Somerville’s Small Business Recovery Program. To qualify, businesses must be located within the City of Somerville, have 20 or fewer full-time employees, and be able to demonstrate a decline in revenue during the past two years. Home-based and brick-and-mortar businesses are welcome to apply. Learn more and apply www.somervillema.gov/bizrelief.

**************************

CAAS would like to hear from you in their Community Needs Assessment survey. They will use the results to improve their understanding of the challenges facing this community and to develop a plan to meet them. They will also share the assessment with you and the broader community. This survey is available in several languages. Your responses to this survey will be kept confidential and anonymous. Deadline b. Survey in English: https://forms.gle/JEVTUxo5c652Pdzd7; Survey in Spanish: https://forms.gle/DcMsXVFnyQeYmLck9; Survey in Portuguese: https://forms.gle/Vv626PAMaRVmJNDD9.

**************************

Streetwise Talk next meeting will be held on January 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Aeronaut Brewing Company, 14 Tyler St. Come hear Joe Barr, former Director of Transportation for Cambridge, talk about his seven years working to create safe streets in Cambridge. Attend in person at Aeronaut or Zoom in at: bit.ly/3ORnXHn

**************************

Looking for a way to practice social distancing but 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 Naim at 617-625-6600, ext. 2317 to learn more about the program and to sign up.

**************************

Because this winter begins in an even-numbered year, snow emergency parking will be on the even side of the street all winter, unless posted signage says differently. Check street 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.

**************************

Somerville teens 13 years and older are invited to earn some extra money by snow shoveling this winter with the City of Somerville Teen Snow Shoveling Crew. www.somervillema.gov/applytoshovel.

**************************

The Fuel Assistance Program, also known as the Home Energy Assistance Program, helps low-income households pay their winter heating bills between November 1 and April 30. Renters and homeowners in Somerville are eligible to apply if they meet federal income guidelines. Learn more and apply online at somervillema.gov/fuelassistance.

**************************

The 13th Annual Somerville Winter Farmers Market (SWFM) is held every Saturday through April 8. The Center for Arts at the Armory is located at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA 02143. To learn more and for a complete listing of vendors, weekly specials, and live entertainment, please visit www.somwintermarket.org. You can find the market on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SomervilleWinterFarmersMarket, and on Instagram @SomWinterMarket.

**************************

Don’t forget, if you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website over to the right side and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the paper.