Celebrate Somerville’s newly updated community climate action plan, Climate Forward. Step into Somerville in 2050, an inspiring community where our collective efforts have triumphed in creating a climate-forward society. Enjoy live music, refreshments, and interactive art installations that depict our shared vision of resilience in the face of climate change. Wednesday, April 24, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Greentown Labs (444 Somerville Ave). Registration recommended but not required:https://greentownlabs.com/.

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Interested community members are invited to learn more about foster parenting at a virtual information session sponsored by Somerville Public Schools, Cambridge Public Schools, and MA DCF. April 24, 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Register: bit.ly/cps-register

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Big happy birthday to a good friend over at Ball Square Café, Mike Moccia. We wish him a great day. Happy birthday to Anthony Fraser, who grew up in East Somerville. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Blake Maddux, Sylvia Cabrera, Tina Kneeland, Bella Khadijah, Dinunzio Angelmarie,Kate Sherlock Guiliano, Debbie Shansky Murray, Dom Panzino, Joseph DeSousa,Chris Lavelli and Rose Lister 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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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Ward 4 Councilor Jesse Clingan, and city staff invite you to join a virtual community meeting to learn about flood relief and water quality improvement efforts planned for Winter Hill, Ten Hills, and the surrounding neighborhood. The meeting will take place Wednesday, April 24, at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Visit the project website at somervillema.gov/mysticoutfall to learn more and attend the meeting. For those unable to attend, a recording of the presentation will be available on the project website, as well as on City YouTube and the City’s GovTV channels.

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On Friday, April 26, GLOWBALL will transform the Armory Performance Hall into an immersive Glow-in-the-Dark Rave created by DJ Saucy Lady with hypnotic visuals by Jay Medina, all in support of The Center for Arts at the Armory. Visit their website for more information: https://artsatthearmory.org.

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National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 27. Somerville’s Community Outreach, Help and Recovery (COHR) and Health and Human Services teams will be collecting unused or expired medications at two sites: 220 Washington Street and 6 Newbury Street from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Overdose prevention information and resources will also be available. And remember: Somerville offers a 24/7, year-round kiosk at 220 Washington Street for medications, syringes & needles. For more information, contact COHR Director, Patty Contente, at pcontente@somervillema.gov.

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Join Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and the City of Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment for a series of free and family friendly events and interactive activities to celebrate SustainaVille Week, April 20-27, an annual celebration of climate action in Somerville during the week of Earth Day. See the full schedule of events online at: www.somervillema.gov/sustainavilleweek.

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East Somerville Spring Community cleanup will take place on April 27, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Join in and make a difference in the East Somerville community. Meet at the East Branch Library.

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A reminder that yard waste pickup has begun. Yard waste should be put out with your trash and recycling on your normal pickup day and be in either a paper bag or a trash barrel with a “Yard Waste Only” sticker. Get stickers free of charge at the DPW Building (1 Franey Rd.), at the entrance desk at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.), or by emailing 311updates@somervillema.gov.

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Applications are now available for an income-restricted homeownership lottery for four affordable condominium units through the city’s Inclusionary Housing Program at 71 Bow Street. Two 2-bedroom units will be offered to households with an annual gross income at or below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). One 1-bedroom unit plus study and one 2-bedroom unit will be offered to households with an annual gross income between 81% and 110% AMI. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday, May 15, at 5:00 p.m. Learn more and apply at somervillema.gov/inclusionary

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne invites community members to attend the city’s spring Civic Day celebration on Saturday, April 27, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.) and on the City Hall concourse. Civic Day aims to provide community members of all ages with fun, interactive opportunities to learn about City government, programs, services, and ways to get involved. For more information, please contact Victoria MacGregor at vmacgregor@somervillema.gov or visit somervillema.gov/civicday.

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Municipal Scholarships are available for high school seniors. Five $1,000 municipal scholarships are available for high school seniors graduating in 2024 through the City of Somerville Municipal Scholarship Committee. Applicants must be residents of Somerville who have been accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution.To apply, students are asked to complete a profile and answer three short essay questions by May 1. Learn more at somervillema.gov/scholarship.

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Enjoy, Meet Our Poets: Somerville Poets Reading Their Own Poems and Poems They Love, a free event on April 28. The poets include Jennifer Badot, Simeon Berry, David Blair, Zack Bond, Elizabeth Callahan, Parama Chattopadhyay, Jennifer Clarvoe, Linda Conte, Linda Haviland Conte, Donna Donna, Gary Duehr, Kirk Etherton, Michael Franco, Bridget Seley Galway, Seth Garcia, Doug Holder, Katherine Hollander, Lucy Holstedt, Gloria Mindock, Tam Lin Neville, Pat Peterson, Denise Provost, Andrea Read, Hilary Sallick, Lloyd Schwartz, Michael Steffen, Janaka Stucky, Patrick Sylvain, Gilmore Tamny, Christie Towers, Anna Warrock, and Dan Wuenschel. This free event, organized by Somerville Poet Laureate Lloyd Schwartz and the Somerville Arts Council, will take place at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, 1C, on Sunday, April 28, at 5:30 pm. This event is free and open to the public. https://somervilleartscouncil.org/poetry2024.

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The 2024 street sweeping season has resumed and will continue through December 31. Check signs in your neighborhood for sweeping days. Visit somervillema.gov/sweeping for a full schedule and to sign up for complimentary street sweeping reminders by text, email, or phone. For more information on street sweeping procedures, visit park-somerville.com.

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Somerville’s Memorial Day parade will return this year on Sunday, May 26. It will begin at 11:00 a.m. from the Davis Square Rotary (9/11 Memorial Granite Circle Site), and end at Broadway and North Street. The city’s annual remembrance ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, May 27, at the Somerville Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while in service to our country.To learn more, visit somervillema.gov/memorialday.

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Upcoming events at Somernova this week. The Dojo Game Day, April 27,  from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. for the monthly Game Day. Hosted on the last Saturday of each month, they invite the community to The Dojo to play games such as bingo, trivia, various video games, donut eating contests and more. Winners of the games will receive gift cards. Food will be provided. Financial Literacy 101: In partnership with Somerville Community Corporation, The Dojo will be hosting a series of workshops around financial literacy. Come learn more about budgeting for college, entrepreneurship and freelancing, stocks and investments, saving money and more. Hosted at The Dojo (15 Properzi Way, Somerville) on April 30 from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m.

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Join Union Square Main Streets and 50+ of your favorite local food producers for the 20th Annual Union Square Farmers Market, 66-70 Union Square. Shop local Saturdays from May 11-October 26, except September 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Union Square Plaza. The market provides visitors and residents with top-quality, fresh, and local produce at fair prices; encourages active lifestyle values; educates consumers about farming and locally sourced foods; and gives customers opportunities to interact directly with farmers. For more information about the Union Square Farmers Market, visit unionsquaremain.org/2024-fmseason.

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Visit CultureHouse Union Square, 64 Union Square, Somerville, Wednesday – Sunday: 1:00 – 8:00 p.m. This week they will be hosting Climate Café, April 25, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Queer Potluck: Potatoes, April 26, 5:30-8:00 p.m., Trauma/Healing & other works: Opening Reception, April 27, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Asian Culture Dance, April 28, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Office Hours with Councilor Willie Burnley, Jr., April 28, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Open Mic for Writers, Comedians, Storytellers,April 28, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. For more information visit https://culturehouse.cc/.

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Join a family oriented Spanish immersion for those who practice the language or for those who want to learn. The program includes bilingual storytelling, music and dance, dynamic games, and arts and crafts. In celebration of Mexican-American culture, hear The Real Cinco de Mayo Story. Please register at https://tinyurl.com/2spjprsy. Questions? Contact Keri at kbradeen@somervillema.gov. Central Library, April 28. Ages 5 and up.

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This May, join the Somerville Public Library and the City of Somerville Health and Human Services Department to “Paint Your Pride!” in a joy-filled series of community art events. The completed works will be displayed in the Library’s Gallery @ SPL for Pride Month (June 2024). During the month of May, patrons of the Somerville Public Library, and citizens of Somerville can: Attend a Library painting program in-person at one of their 3 locations. Pick up a “Paint Your Pride” Kit and attend a virtual painting program. All completed canvases and artwork should be turned back into the Library by June 1 to be included in our “Paint Your Pride Tiny Art Show,” showcased in the Gallery @ SPL during the month of June. Questions? Contact Kerry: keodonnell@somervillema.gov

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April is National Fair Housing Month. In recognition, the Somerville Public Library (MA) and Somerville Fair Housing Commission are co-hosting two events. First was is a virtual and in-person discussion on Tuesday, April 16, then on Saturday, April 27, join a film screening of Segregated by Design, and discussion of Richard Rothstein’s book, The Color of Law. For more information, contact Kerry O’Donnell at keodonnell@somervillema.gov, or Hanalei Steinhart at hsteinhart@somervillema.gov. Registration is required. Learn more at somervillepubliclibrary.org/calendar.

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Somerville PorchFest 2024 will take place on Saturday, May 11, (rain date May 12) from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. Perhaps you’ve sat on your porch and overheard a neighbor strumming guitar on another porch? Porchfest takes this idea and multiplies it. This is not a festival per se but rather a community event where Somervillians share their love of playing and listening to music … from their porch, driveways, yards, etc. Registration is now open: https://beta.somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest/porchfest2024/.

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The COA is offering free taxi rides to Somerville residents over the age of 60. Rides are available to go to the grocery store, farmer’s market, and pharmacy in Somerville and routine medical appointments in the surrounding communities. To best accommodate the needs of everyone in the city and to maximize the use of our funding, they will be capping the number of rides per week. To ensure the health and welfare of every resident of Somerville, exemptions will be made for chemotherapy and radiation appointments. To find out more information or to schedule your ride, please call Connie Lorenti at 617-625-6600 ext. 2319. All rides must be booked two business days in advance. This program is funded through ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) Funding.

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April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Somerville Police Department is committed to supporting victims and vurvivors, and as a team, pledge to continue to Start By Believing. Anyone with questions or a need for additional resources can reach out to the Advocate without the pressure to disclose. The Advocate can make advisements about what the process of reporting to law enforcement looks like, what local resources are available, and what rights are afforded to victims of crime in Massachusetts. Maureen DiPaolo can be reached by email at mdipaolo@police.somerville.ma.us, by calling 617-625-1600 x7279, or by call or text at 857-270-8744.

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The Welcome Project welcomes back YUM 2024: A Taste of Immigrant City to an in-person event on May 2. After a five-year hiatus, they will be returning to the Arts at the Armory for a night of great food, music, and conversations about how the immigrant community continues to be an asset to Somerville and the U.S. For more information visit. https://www.welcomeproject.org/yum2024.html.

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Are you a member of Somerville High School’s class of 1974? The class of 2024 is looking for participants for this year’s Class Day festivities which will take place on Friday, May 31, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at Somerville High School. They are looking for 50 graduates in total from 1974 to participate. The Class of 2024 looks forward to seeing you. Email any questions to Irma Calderon at icalderon@k12.somerville.ma.us.

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Somerville Open Studios 2024, 25th Anniversary will take place on Saturday and Sunday, May 4 – 5, from 12:00 to 6:00 p.m. each day at artists’ studios and homes throughout Somerville. Over 350 artists in 90 locations citywide will open their studios to the public. Map, artist, and trolley info at https://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/. The SOS First Look Show at the Somerville Museum opened on April 11 and will run through May 11. For more information, map, artist, trolley and other events visit https://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/.

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Through the generosity of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and from the direction of Mayor Ballantyne, the Council on Aging is now able to provide Durable Medical Equipment at no cost to Somerville residents. Residents with a documented need for medical equipment must be over the age of 60, or have a permanent disability, and must be otherwise unable to afford or access needed medical equipment. They currently have available: Commodes, Bath Chairs, Bath Benches, Rollator Walkers, Incontinence Supplies and Transport Wheelchairs (wheelchairs are intended for transport and are not self-propelling or self-breaking.) For additional information, or for an application, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321.

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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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