Somerville’s porches, yards, and stoops are once again set to host free mini-concerts across the city as part of the city’s annual Porchfest hosted by the Somerville Arts Council. This celebration of local, live, homegrown music offers something for everyone at drop-in home-based shows. Participants can simply stroll from house to house to enjoy the open-air entertainment. More than 300 bands are set to participate across wide-ranging musical genres from youth playing classical music to electronica groups, karaoke, and – a first this year – stand-up comedy. The 2024 Porchfest is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. it will take place in three 2-hour blocks (Rain date Sunday May 12). For map, times and resources visit somervilleartscouncil.org/porchfest. Be considerate to porch hosts, neighbors, and residents.

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Somerville community members are invited to the “Slice of the City” spring meet-up series. This new series of family-friendly pizza parties in the park offers attendees a new way to connect and engage with city leaders and staff, local elected officials, as well as neighbors, all while enjoying Somerville’s parks. Events in each of the city’s seven wards will occur throughout the month of May from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. For more information and to find all event locations, visit somervillema.gov/slice.

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To those celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to Melissa Hurley, who is celebrating this week. We hope she has a great birthday. Happy birthday to Donald Chamberlain, we wish him the best. Happy birthday to Caroline Shea Rosas, who is also celebrating this week. Happy birthday to local attorney Neil Berman. We hope Neil has a great birthday. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Eileen Schofield, Jason Mackey, Cynthia Saltman, Jill Marie, Jim Breath, Karen Dupont, Lisa Dervishian, Janet McLaughlin-Hanscom, Paul Curley, Ann Kane-Peters, Mary Ellen Myhr, Jordan Harris, Diane Murphy Sullivan and Donny Caprigno 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 Somerville Public Library will host a Poetry Reading with Local Poets on Wednesday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m. West Branch Community Room, 40 College Ave. Join local poets Holly Guran, Gloria Mindock, and Timothy Gager as they read from some of their recent work.

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As the city is still trying to figure out how best to handle the water bill issue that has shocked and upset many residents, City Councilor Kristen Strezo has had an order approved for the Committee on Equity, Gender, Seniors, Families and Vulnerable Populations to conduct a Committee of the Whole Public Hearing for public hearing to hear how the increases in water and sewer rates are affecting Somerville residents. Wednesday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. in person and virtually. Copy and paste the following link into your internet browser to view this meeting live: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HjYlNim_RG62H21wtDiyCA.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, and the Somerville Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA), is inviting community members to join the Cambridge-Somerville Asian Festival in celebration of Asian American Heritage Month. Somerville’s event will take place on Saturday, May 11, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Somerville High School (81 Highland Ave.). The Cambridge portion of the festival will take place on Friday, May 10, from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. at the Cambridge St. Upper School (850 Cambridge St). For more information on the Cambridge-Somerville Asian Festival, please visit cambervilleasianfest.com.

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Join the People’s History Walk of Davis Square and Ball Square as part of May Preservation Month. Journey through personal stories and local history to learn how the once-dubbed “Slummerville” has transformed into a trendy, gentrified city. Led by a local guide, you’ll witness the resilience of Somerville’s spirit amidst demographic shifts and changing trends. Location details and sign-up links can be found here: somervillemuseum.org/preservation-month. The walk takes place Saturday, May 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All Preservation Month events can be found at somervillemuseum.org/preservation-month. All are open to the public and ADA accessible.

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Somerville Rotary Club is planning an event to celebrate 100 Years of Service to the Community. The celebration will take place Tuesday, May 14, 6:00 p.m., at George Dilboy VFW Post 529, 351 Summer Street, Somerville. Individual Event tickets are $75, purchase tickets at somervillerotary.org. For any additional event information, contact David Worzala at dworzala@gmail.com or 608-695-3278.

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Join the Mystic Learning Center’s Casino Night for the 14th Annual Spring for Children Fundraiser on Friday, May 10, from 6:00 to 10:00 p.m. Hosted at Somernova (8 Tyler St., Somerville), The Casino Night themed event will include Casino Gaming Tables (Black Jack, Craps, Roulette, and Poker), raffle baskets, live music, delicious food, and a limited open bar – all in support of Mystic Learning Center, Inc.’s mission to improve the lives of low-income children and families who live in the Mystic Public Housing Development and surrounding neighborhoods.100% of all ticket sales and sponsorships will go directly towards the Mystic Learning Center, Inc. scholarship program for low-income youth and programming experiences for youth and community members. Tickets and more information can be found at mysticlearningcenter.org.

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George L. Doherty Funeral Service is seeking family members of Jeremiah O’Leary. Mr. Jeremiah O’Leary passed away on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at the Cambridge Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Cambridge, he was 84. He was a former resident of Capen Court Senior Housing, 1 Capen Court Somerville, MA before being admitted to the Cambridge Rehabilitation Center. He was born on April 10, 1940, unfortunately not much else is known on Mr. O’Leary. It is believed he has surviving siblings in the local area. If there is anyone who might be related to Mr. O’Leary, they need to speak with a blood relative, and respectfully ask someone to please reach out to the funeral home at 617-625-4320.

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Join the Somerville Growing Center for a few of their upcoming events. Introduction to Plant and Wildlife Monitoring for Conservation with Earthwise Aware, Saturday, May, 11, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Join Claire and Earthwise Aware (EwA) citizen scientists and learn how to observe and record the plants, insects, and animals of the Somerville Growing Center. Contact: Claire O’Neill at claire.oneill@earthwiseaware.org and Festa Junina Prep @ CultureHouse. Sunday, May 19, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. For all ages. This crafting session will take place at the CultureHouse pop-up in Union Square, at 64 Union Square. Help prepare materials for the June 15 Festa Junina at the Growing Center. Just show up and have fun. Portuguese language-friendly activity. Contact: Yumi at yumiisu65@gmail.com. For more information and other events visit https://www.thegrowingcenter.org

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Somerville High School proudly presents the 2024 Music and Art Spring Showcase, Thursday, May 16. The Art Exhibit opens at 5:00 and the Concert begins at 6:00 p.m. Enjoy music performed by the Somerville High School Chorus, Orchestra, Band, World Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Guitar Class. Artwork from current High School art students and select 7th and 8th grade students will be on display. All staff, family, and friends of the Somerville Public Schools community are invited to join us for an evening celebrating the arts.

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JoyFest will be a block party/festival in Somerville at Prospect Hill Park on Saturday, May 18, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. (rain date May 19). JoyFest is a celebration of local arts and culture, highlighting local artists and organizations that support artists and musicians and advocate for affordable spaces for living and playing. Five bands are lined up to perform, with an open mic hour and DJs between sets. Community organizations will be tabling at the event, and artists will be there to share and sell their work. A few local organizations are hosting some in-person workshops. They will have food available for folks throughout the day. For more information visit thier event page https://partiful.com/e/o0C4VXs4IcCDKiGg2rIB, sign-up for open-mic, etc., here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ohR6S4L2mZlPVQXLyxmKcfkITtUm-mCWgA0EkAfi1mc/viewform?edit_requested=true

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On Sunday, May 19, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Somerville Bike Kitchen is hosting its annual Bike Pageant at Somernova in the Aeronaut Brewing Courtyard at 14 Tyler St., or, in case of rain, at The Dojo at 15 Properzi Way. Somerville Bike Kitchen’s Somerville Bike Pageant is a celebration of unique, fun, creative, colorful and/or otherwise one-of-a-kind bikes. The event will have a handful of prize categories, ranging from self-explanatory to entirely unserious. The pageant is an excuse to come out, meet people and look at other people’s great, beloved, funny, wacky, rusty, stylish, mostly safe bikes. Anyone with a bike they want to share can enter it in the pageant. The event is free to attend and participate. For more information on categories, or to pre-register your bike, visit somervillebikekitchen.org.

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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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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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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 to 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 ROOTED Armory Café , 191 Highland Ave, for their upcoming events: Tunefoolery Coffee House, Wednesday, May 8 at 7:00 p.m., Pub Sing, Thursday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m., Red Cross Blood Drive, Wednesday, May 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Make your appointment here: https://www.redcrossblood.org, Strummerville Ukelele Club, Wednesday, May 22 at 6:30 p.m.

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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. For a list of upcoming “Paint Your Pride!” events visit https://somervillepubliclibrary.org.

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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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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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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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