Join Mayor Ballantyne in celebration and the Somerville Arts Council tonight for their Local Cultural Council grant season and awards. Meet and network with the 2024 LCC grant awardees, LCC review panelists, and Arts Council staff and board. Wednesday, February 21, 6:30 p.m. Join in to celebrate these awardees and this community process at Warehouse XI, 11 Sanborn Court, Union Square. https://fb.me/e/8c7woC2eY.

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Protect yourself and loved ones against the flu this winter. Somerville’s Health and Human Services department is hosting a free flu vaccine clinic on Friday, February 23, at the City Hall Annex (50 Evergreen Ave.) from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Walk-ins welcome. To register and to find other vaccine clinics, visit somervillema.gov/vaccines.

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State Representative Christine Barber’s Winter 2024 office hours are scheduled. Stop by and share your thoughts on local affairs and legislative priorities. Saturday, February 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Winter Hill Brewery includes Ward 4 Councilor Jesse Clingan and Andre Green, Ward 4 Somerville School Committee. March 9 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Yego Coffee, 1212 Broadway will include Ward 7 Councilor Judy Pineda Neufeld, Leiran Biton, Ward 7 Somerville School Committee Member and Senator Pat Jehlen.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday to City Councilor Kristen Strezo. We wish her a very happy birthday and hope she enjoys her day. Happy birthday to Sean Fitzgerald, who is celebrating this week. We wish Sean a great day. Happy birthday to Christine Resmini. We hope she has a great day as well. Happy birthday to great guy, Eamon Fee, who celebrates this week. We hope he has a great year. Happy birthday to Elio LoRusso, we hope he has a great birthday and enjoys one of wife’s beautiful cakes. Happy Birthday to Rod Kreimeyer. We hope Rod has a great day. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Sheila Borges-Foley, Sammy Alves, Jason Rabin, Elio LoRusso, Celia Taylor, David Tiger Williams, Lauren Daddio, Las Carolinas, Wayne A Fournier, Ann Bourque, David Mangan and Lu Alves a very happy birthday. To all those that are also celebrating this week, we wish a happy birthday.

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Join the Somerville Public Library and co-founder of Yego Coffee, Francois Tuyishime, for a presentation on and sampling of Rwandan coffee. Saturday, February 24, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. East Branch Library, 115 Broadway. Yego Coffee is a family-owned company based in Somerville. Coffee business has been part of Tuyishime’s family for over four decades. Registration required. To register, visit http://tinyurl.com/yegocoffee.

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Visit the Somerville Museum, Saturday, February 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for Museo Inmigrante: Pintar Melatas Workshop with Laidy Saenz. Explore the immigrant experience by packing your suitcase. A suitcase becomes a new vehicle for carrying memories of home. What to pack? What is essential to establishing a new life? It may contain clothing, photographs, and other mementos of family and homes left behind. Join artist Laidy Saenz for a participatory workshop about the immigration experience as part of the exhibition, Museo Inmigrante: Stories of Resilience from Somerville’s Padres Latinos. Pack and decorate a suitcase and fill it with items to take to a new place. These suitcases will become part of the exhibition and then can be kept by each participant once the exhibition ends. Visit www.somervillemuseum.org for more information.

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The Somerville Homeless Coalition’s Amazon Wish Lists are updated monthly with the most requested items from their food pantry to meet the needs of their clients experiencing food insecurity. If you would like to learn more and donate through our wish lists, please see the link here: https://bit.ly/SHCLinks.

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The Presidential Primary Election is on Tuesday, March 5. Take steps to make sure you’re prepared: Register to vote by February 24. Submit your “Vote by Mail” application by February 27 at 5:00 p.m., Vote early at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.) February 24 – March 1. Learn more at somervillema.gov/elections.

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Artists and members of the community are needed to help shape the vision of the Somerville Armory for years to come. Join the next meeting in-person, online, or asynchronously via our online forum. Think about what the Somerville Armory could look like in 100 years. If you could be around, what would you want it to look like, feel like? Share your thoughts, February 27, at 6:00 p.m. at Connexion (149 Broadway) – hybrid is available. Visit Somervoice to register: https://voice.somervillema.gov/armory-master-plan.

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Join the Growing Center for the Maple Boil Down and experience the process of boiling sap into maple syrup. Taste fresh local syrup collected from sugar maple trees on the Tufts Campus, learn the process of sugar mapling, and connect with other folks in the community. T-shirts will be available for purchase, or you can order at bit.ly/fcgc-store. This event is free and open to all. Saturday, March 2, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Rain Date Saturday, March 9, The Growing Center, 22 Vinal Avenue, Somerville.

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Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., the Somerville Bike Kitchen, 15 Properzi Way (the Dojo at Somernova), a volunteer-run bicycle repair cooperative, hosts open-shop nights. Maintain your bike or learn more about cycling. Upcoming Bike Kitchen Dates: Thursday, February 22, and Tuesday, February 27. Each month, The Dojo hosts Gaming is Not a Crime by YouthStream. Come build community through playing your favorite games. The event features cash prizes and pizza. The next event will be hosted on Wednesday, February 28, at 6:00 p.m. For more information visit https://somervillebikekitchen.org/.

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The Central Library children’s room hosts board games for kids. Wednesday, February 28, at 12:30 p.m. Stop by, have fun with checkers, chess, Mancala, Scrabble, and other board games on half-day Wednesdays. (This is not an instructional session.) This program is for children. No registration required.

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Do you love the Great American Songbook repertoire: Gershwin, Berlin, Ellington, Arlen, Porter? Do you want to sing challenging music with a fun group of experienced singers? The Halalisa Singers welcome enthusiastic, experienced singers in all voice parts (especially basses) for their spring concert I’ve Got The World on a String: Great American Songbook and Beyond at the First Parish in Arlington on Saturday, April 27. For more information info@halalisa.org.

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During the month of February, the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) will be conducting water valve maintenance exercises in Somerville. This work may cause discolored water but is not expected to create any pressure losses. Residents and businesses that experience discolored water are asked to run their faucets until the water runs clear, which can take up to ten minutes.

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Groundwork Somerville is hiring. Seeking diverse candidates who are passionate about urban agriculture and addressing food access and insecurity issues in Somerville. Are you an experienced urban agriculture advocate who is interested in growing culturally relevant crops and sharing the abundance with the community. Find the full job description on their website www.groundworksomerville.org.

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Applications are now available for an income-restricted homeownership opportunity through the city’s Inclusionary Housing Program at 7-11 Aldersey St. near Union Square. The unit is a three-bedroom condominium available for purchase to households making at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Applications must be submitted by Friday, March 1, at noon. Learn more and apply at somervillema.gov/inclusionary.

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The Walk for Hunger, Project Bread’s annual fundraising event and the Commonwealth’s largest and oldest day of community action against hunger, is seeking walkers for the celebration. The one-day event is set for Sunday, May 5, on the Boston Common, and will feature family-friendly activities along the 3-mile loop. Likeminded anti-hunger organizations can enroll in the nonprofit’s co-fundraising program, The Commonwealth, forming teams to raise money to support their own work, while also furthering Project Bread’s statewide effort. To register for the event and create a personal or team fundraising page for the Walk for Hunger or to make a donation, visit projectbread.org/walk or email walk@projectbread.org.

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The City of Somerville is hiring polling place workers for the upcoming 2024 Presidential Primary Election. Poll workers must be available on Election Day: Tuesday, March 5. The workday starts at 6:30 a.m. and ends after the polls close at 8:00 p.m., with a two-hour break. Poll workers earn $200 for the day. Interested? To learn more, please call the Elections Office at 617-625-6600 ext. 4200.

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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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Somerville Public Schools is looking for substitute teachers. Join an amazing team of educators, earn $150/day, and play an important role in our schools. Learn more about job requirements and apply here: https://somerville.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=1146.

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Call to artists: East Somerville Main Streets is gearing up for Carnaval 2024 and they are looking for your talent to create the perfect poster that captures the essence of the festivities. Fill out the Google form to participate: https://forms.gle/unApjMVwYagLHbRn6

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Parents of children ages 3 to 8 are invited to enroll in the virtual Power of Parenting [TM] free workshops. This popular program starts on March 5 for Spanish-speakers and March 6 for English-speakers. The program runs for 12 weeks. Register at the link: http://tinyurl.com/SomervillePOP2024 Space is limited, so sign up now.

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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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