Join the community in honoring the service of our military heroes. Somerville’s Memorial Day Parade will take place on Sunday, May 28, at 12:00 p.m. The parade will begin at the Davis Square Rotary (9/11 Memorial Granite Circle Site) up Holland Street then proceed to Broadway/Teele Square and end across from Veterans Cemetery. There will be a brief ceremony immediately following the parade at the Veterans’ Cemetery. Rain date: May 29.

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In 2018, Conway Park and the adjacent splash pad were closed after soil testing conducted in advance of proposed park renovations revealed contaminants. Five years of extensive soil testing and remediation followed, which included a Public Involvement Plan (PIP). The park reopened in its entirety on Friday, May 27, 2022. Mayor Ballantyne, Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott, and the city’s Public Space and Urban Forestry Division invite you to a virtual public hearing on Thursday, May 25, at 6:30 p.m. where city staff will present Activity Use Limitation and Permanent Solution Statement drafts as part of the final stage of the PIP process. Learn more and attend at somervillema.gov/conwaypip.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to Mary Hart, the matriarch of the Hart family. She is a great to everyone around her and we wish her the very best of birthdays. Another special person to wish a happy birthday to, Chrissie Clark, our own Editor’s wife. We hope they have big plans to celebrate her birthday and we wish her a very special day. We want to wish a very happy birthday to Magoun Sq. resident Pina Mingace. We hope she has a great day and a great year to come. We send another special birthday wish to Shannon Henry, who is also celebrating her birthday this week. We hope she has a wonderful birthday. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Iona O’Brien, Danielle Scrima, Breanna Lungo-Koehn, Danny McLaughlin, Peggy Ryan Lookliss, Karen Ferullo, Tim Devin John Gore, Mary Champagne Adamson and Helen Mooney 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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SHSSF’s Annual $10,000 Raffle was held last week but the Somerville High School Foundation is still accepting donations for this great scholarship program. To learn more visit www.shsscholarship.org.

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Union Square Market Tours are back. Looking to learn more about Union Square’s unique and diverse offerings? Come join us for a Union Square Market Tour. Union Square’s numerous markets offer a wealth of culinary delights. These small markets are not only ethnically diverse – ranging from Brazilian to Bengali – they serve a surprisingly broad clientele, as well. Take a group tour with us and discover the delicious diversity of Union Square. Each group tour visits three markets. Tours are free but we highly encourage you to buy a few things during the tour. The next tour is next Thursday, May 25, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., starting at Nibble Kitchen, 1 Bow Mkt. Way, Somerville. To sign up use this link: https://forms.gle/1vmB6CwKG9kWZQ8y6

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The Somerville City Council Traffic and Parking Committee will hold a virtual (online) public hearing on Wednesday, May 31, on the City of Somerville Bike Network Plan. The hearing will start at 6 p.m. Community members may submit testimony either at the hearing or in writing. The hearing will offer an opportunity for community members to share thoughts, ideas, and concerns about the Bike Network Plan. The plan was developed via a one-and-a-half-year public engagement, research, and analysis process. Visit the city’s website to learn more about the plan and how to attend or submit testimony at www.somervillema.gov.

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Medford St. behind the High School will be one-way starting as early as May 25, in order to accommodate a temporary Community Path detour. https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/green-line-extension

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The 2023 Taste of Somerville takes place June 14, outside at Assembly Row, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Produced by the Somerville Chamber of Commerce Dining and Nightlife Group, the Taste of Somerville is a unique way to experience our dining and nightlife scene. For tickets and more information visit http://tasteofsomerville.org.

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The City of Somerville’s annual Water System Flushing Program has begun and will continue through late October. This annual program flushes pipes at high velocities to clean water mains and maintain the highest possible water quality. Flushing will take place Mondays and Thursdays between 6:00 p.m. and midnight to minimize potential disruptions to water service. In most cases, residents will not notice any changes to their water service. However, some homes may experience a temporary, slight drop in water pressure and/or discolored water. In these cases, though the water may be discolored, it is safe to drink. Until the water runs clear, it is advisable to avoid washing laundry, especially white fabrics. If any rust stains appear on wet laundry, it should not be dried in a dryer machine, and residents can call 311 (or 617-666-3311 from cell phones or outside the city) for a free bottle of rust remover. Residents will be notified via signage when their neighborhood will be affected by the flushing program. For more information, please contact the Water Department at water@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 5850.

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Groups from all over Somerville will be testifying at City Hall on May 25, 7:00 p.m., at a City Council public hearing about their negative experiences with the city planning process for real estate development in their neighborhoods. At the hearing, residents and businesses will propose how to move forward to accomplish planning that is collaborative and development that minimizes displacement.

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For the 13th year, SomerStreets: Carnaval is back. For this free event, bring the family for many activities and entertainment including: Let’s Get Truckin’, Esh Circus, Dunk Tank and get to know your local non-profits and community organizations. Shop 30+ artisan vendors and dance along with Grooversity and many more live acts. Thanks to partners East Somerville Main Streets for organizing this event. And a warm shoutout to Dave Ortega for the vibrant poster design. June 4, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. (rain date June 11) between McGrath and Franklin St.

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Stay in the loop with the latest news on Somerville’s art spaces. Sign-up for the Art Space Updates from the Somerville Arts Council at tinyurl.com/SACArtSpace. To read past updates go to our website: somervilleartscouncil.org/artspace/updates.

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The Free Lockboxes for Seniors Program is intended to provide police, fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) access to your residence in the event of an emergency where you are unable to open the door. A key to your residence will be stored in a secure metal storage device, like a realtor’s lockbox, at your residence. The access code to the lockbox will only be available to police, fire or EMS personnel and used only during an emergency. The program is targeted towards Somerville residents who live alone and are aged 65+, or those who are disabled and/or suffer from major medical issues at any age. Individuals living in apartment complexes or other facilities with maintenance staff are not eligible for this program. For more information, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321 or email Debby at dhiggins@somervillema.gov.

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Musicians, where do you rehearse and perform? As part of their ongoing art space initiatives, the Somerville Arts Council (SAC) is interested in understanding where musicians rehearse and perform. If you are a Somerville musician, please fill out this short questionnaire: https://forms.office.com/g/0iMCFX5fUR.

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The Welcome Project is excited to announce the 14th Annual YUM: A Taste of Immigrant City on June 7 at 6:30 pm. The event will be virtual. Please join in to celebrate the work of immigrants across the Boston area and highlight local restaurants that reflect the diverse and beautiful community Somerville has become. If you would like to be a sponsor of this event or purchase tickets, please use this link: https://bit.ly/YUM2023

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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.