The City of Somerville’s Health and Human Services Office, and Housing Families Inc., opened an overnight warming center for the remainder of the winter 2024 season. The warming center will operate seven nights a week from 6:45 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., on the second floor of the Armory (191 Highland Ave). Guests will have access to free hot and cold meals, water, bathrooms, yoga mats, and space to sleep. Learn more at somervillema.gov/warmingcenter.

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“What do you want to see in Somerville’s community live arts center?” The Somerville Armory currently has six tenants and several other spaces that could become arts spaces. Already the building is home to music building education, production, and live performances. Help develop the vision and guiding principles for the Somerville Armory as they transition it from private ownership to public stewardship. They are looking for the voices of diverse performing artists who have connections to Somerville, residents, and community partners to participate in this upcoming meeting series. Read more: https://voice.somervillema.gov/armory-master-plan. Meeting I: Our Arts Ecosystem, January 24, 6:00 p.m. at Warehouse XI,11 Sanborn Ct., Somerville.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy Birthday to Philip Ercolini, from East Somerville. We wish him a great day. Happy birthday to Katie Lathasha Harris, we wish her the very best of birthdays as well. To Nancy Huber Coutoumas, who is celebrating this week as well, we wish her the very best. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Leslie Figueira, Rachel Tonello, Rosemary Ardagna, Joseph William Schenkenfelder, Bob Crowley LeBlanc, Roy Moulton and Linda LoPresti 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 city’s Inclusionary Housing Program has eleven income-restricted rental opportunities at Union 346 (346 Somerville Ave.). The lottery includes studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Attend a virtual information session on Wednesday, January 17, to learn more. Applications must be submitted by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 8. For more information or to apply, visit somervillema.gov/inclusionary.

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Green & Open Somerville (G&OS) is hosting a presentation on rat poison, with Save Arlington Wildlife founder Laura Kiesel. The presentation is Tuesday, January 23, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Central Library (79 Highland Ave). They will be recording it and posting it online afterwards.

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Our condolences go out to the family and friends of retired Firefighter Richard M. Casey of Ladder 3, who passed away on January 12. May he rest in peace.

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Visit the ROOTED Armory Café for their Sunday Brunch, 9:00 – 5:00 p.m. with live music 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 191 Highland Ave. Enjoy French toast, pancakes, frittata, pulled pork tacos, mimosas, espresso drinks and much more. This month’s line up will be January 21: Antonio Tiriti Tran (Flamenco Guitar) and January 28: Eva Gertz (Singer Songwriter).

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Visit the Somerville Museum for the ongoing Museo Inmigrante: Stories of Resilience from Somerville’s Padres Latinos exhibit. A Community Collaboration Project with Somerville’s Padres Latinos. Padres Latinos is a mutual aid group of more than 230 Spanish and Portuguese-speaking parents with children in the Somerville Public Schools (SPS). Visit the museum website for more information and hours www.somervillemuseum.org.

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Join Union Square Main Streets for the Keeping Small Strong Neighborhood Open House at Counter Culture on Tuesday, January 23, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. 374 Somerville Ave. This choose-your-own adventure style gathering offers a chance to connect with business leaders and the USMS team to learn more about USMS’ work in the community and how the organization is piloting an alternative business model to best support Union Square businesses in this period of recovery and beyond. Stop by for a slice of pizza and help shape the future of Union Square’s business district.

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Be sure to cast your ballot for The Somerville Times’ Best of Somerville 2023. Categories are listed on our ballot (see page 9), and If you don’t see your favorite category there, you can simply add it to the list. To cast your vote, email us at thebestofsomerville@yahoo.com. You have until February 2 to vote for your favorites in each category. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, February 7.

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The Somerville Homeless Coalition announced the return of their annual Spring Into Action event to be held on Thursday, March 28 at the Crystal Ballroom in Davis Square. Join them for an evening packed with live music, local Somerville grub, and get the opportunity to meet the SHC team as they share impactful updates about our work and discuss our new transformative vision for the future. To learn more and buy tickets please see the link below. Tickets and Information: bit.ly/SIA24

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School-age kids (best for grades 2-6) are invited to join Jessica Garrett, coauthor of Oh, Ick!: 114 Science Experiments Guaranteed to Gross You Out! in learning about and creating Kinetic Sculptures on Friday, January 19, 3;30 p.m. at the East Branch Library, 115 Broadway. All materials will be supplied, just bring your enthusiasm! For more info, please contact Meghan: morsell@somervillema.gov. No registration required.

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Parents and guardians are invited to the MLPAC meeting on January 18 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the East Somerville Community School, Room #118. Gladys Valle: gvalle@k12.somerville.ma.us. The Multilingual Learner Parent Advisory Council (MLPAC) meets monthly to share ideas on ways we can improve your child’s learning experience. These meetings are open to all families in Somerville Public Schools. Coffee and light snacks will be provided.

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Join @somervillecity next Tuesday, January 23 at Connexion in East Somerville, 6:30 p.m. to discuss how federal funds should be used to benefit low- and moderate-income persons.

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Give feedback on Somerville’s Climate Forward Plan Update. Launched in 2018, Climate Forward established 13 top strategies to reduce Somerville’s contribution to climate change and create a more climate-resilient community. It’s updated every five years to meet changing needs and seize new strategies to meet our goals. Now at the five-year mark, the city has released the latest draft goals, strategies, and actions for the Climate Forward plan update. Review the plan and submit comments on what’s proposed and prioritized: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m_EGwkHa7mGJ9xxj5crnZeLVbCV3W3yW/edit Comments will be accepted until Wednesday, January 31.

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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 at somervillema.gov/heatingassistance.

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Join the Somerville Council on Aging’s Friendly 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.

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Is your teen looking to make some extra money? The city’s Snow Shoveling Program is hiring youth to assist shoveling seniors and homeowners with disabilities out after snowstorms this winter. Teens and homeowners are paired for the season. After each storm, the homeowner will contact their assigned youth to request shoveling services. Somerville teens ages 14 to 19 are welcome to apply. Learn more and apply at somervillema.gov/shoveling. Looking for snow shoveling services? Contact Debby Higgins at dhiggings@somervillema.gov.

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In preparation for the cold months ahead, the Somerville Homeless Coalition is in urgent need of winter clothing and apparel to keep their clients warm and safe. Donations of socks, hats, jackets, hand warmers, sweatpants, and more will go a long way towards keeping the most vulnerable clients protected against the unpredictable New England weather. All donations can be dropped off at their Engagement Center located at 1 Davis Square, Somerville between and Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed each day from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. for lunch. Help keep our neighbors safe this winter.

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Help keep our waterways clean in your neighborhood by joining Somerville’s Adopt-a-Drain program. A storm drain clear of leaves, trash or other debris allows water to flow into the catch basin sump and can prevent flooding. When you adopt a drain (or drains), you commit to caring for a local storm drain of your choice by checking on it before and after heavy rain, wind, or snow. Bonus perk: you can also give it a name. Claim your drain at somerville.mysticdrains.org.

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The Center for the Arts at the Armory offers a weekly winter market with 71+ local food vendors with the best locally grown and regionally produced foods, including fresh produce, cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, tamales, pastries, chocolate, skincare products, and more. The market accepts SNAP/EBT and HIP benefits. They also offer a $15 SNAP match to customers each week. Visit the Somerville Winter Farmers Market on Saturdays, 9:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., 191 Highland Ave. Through April 6. For a list of weekly events visit www.somwintermarket.org.

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