Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, along with Somerville’s Department of Public Works and Parks and Recreation Office, invite all local ghosts and ghouls to “Truck O’Treat” on Thursday, October 24, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. outside City Hall (93 Highland Avenue). In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved to Thursday, October 31. Costumes are encouraged at the family-friendly event, which will include safe Trick-or-Treating on the City Hall concourse, a spooktacular visit from a decorated City of Somerville truck, refreshments and more.

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The 2024 Halloween Block Party Pet Spooktacular takes place on October 26, at Chuckie Harris Park, 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. Dress up your pet in their most creative costume and join in for a day of Halloween fun like no other. Watch cute pets and their owners in a costume contest, play fun games, take great photos, and enjoy tasty food. Don’t forget to check out local artisans and vendors.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to a great guy and local realtor, Clifton Verdieu, who grew up in East Somerville. We wish him a great birthday with his family. Happy birthday to a former alderman and great guy, Dennis Sullivan. We wish him a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to poet and writer Timothy Gager. We hope he has a great day. Happy birthday to our own Mike Rais who celebrated last week, we hope he enjoyed his birthday. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Stephen Bertoncini, David LaCroix, Harry Levasseur, Kip Lyall, Patricia Capadanno, Diana Riel, Dorothy O’Malley, Jeffery Varney, Nicholas Cubides,  Erin DiBenedetto and Russell Chiary 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 Homeless Coalition is holding the Halloween Tooth Care Drive from October 21 to November 1. Have any extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss or other dental hygiene products hanging around the house? SHC is collecting essential dental hygiene products and distributing them to their clients who need them most. All donations can be dropped off at our admin office located at 255 Elm Street, Suite 204, and requested items include toothbrushes, toothpaste (all sizes), dental floss, toothbrush covers, mouthwash (travel size)

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Register to vote for the November 5 election one of three ways: online at somerville-ma.gov/registertovote, in person at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.), or by calling the Elections Department (617-625-6600 ext. 4200) and requesting a voter registration form. The in-person registration deadline is Saturday, October 26, by 5:00 p.m. or online by midnight. Your registration can also be mailed and will be accepted with a postmark of October 26 or earlier.

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Early Voting for the November 5 Presidential Election will take place at Somerville City Hall on Wednesday, October 23, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., October 24,  Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., October 25, Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., October 27, Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., October 28, Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., October 29, Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and October 30, Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, the Somerville Commission for Women, RESPOND, Inc., the Somerville Public Library, and the Department of Racial and Social Justice (RSJ) invite residents to attend the city’s annual Domestic Violence Vigil on Wednesday, October 30. This annual vigil is dedicated to commemorating the lives lost to domestic violence in the past year, recognizing the strength of survivors, and renewing our community’s dedication to eradicating domestic violence. The 2024 Somerville Domestic Violence Vigil will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Library (115 Broadway). If there is rain, the vigil will move indoors to Connexion, 149 Broadway. The event is free and open to the public. Light food and refreshments will be provided. There will be American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation at the event. If you would like to attend, please consider RSVPing in advance here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-of-somerville-2024-domestic-violence-vigil-tickets-1038275519027?aff=oddtdtcreator.

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Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is pleased to share that the City of Somerville has created a new web page where voters can look up their current address to verify their ward and polling place ahead of the November 2024 Presidential Election. The portal is designed to provide Somerville voters with localized, precise ward and polling place information so you know where to go on Election Day. To use the portal, visit www.somervillema.gov/votesomerville and start typing your address into the search bar. Simply keep typing until you see a match, and then click on the correct matching address. The portal will then display your ward, precinct, and polling place with address, as well as the names and contact information of your city, state, and federal officials.

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Docent tours take place from May through October at three historic sites in Somerville: Milk Row Cemetery (Somerville Avenue), Prospect Hill Tower (above Union Square), and Old Powder House (Nathan Tufts Park). They are open to the public on certain days and evenings. Inclement weather cancels any event. For full schedule and more information on the Docent Program: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/docentprogram.

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The second Tavern Talk hosted by the Somerville Museum at Aeronaut Brewing takes place on Sunday, November 3, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Tavern Talk: Vitamin B for Victory: How Beer Helped Win World War II. In this special presentation by Dan Breen, PhD, follow the course of American beers from the Solomons to Bastogne, as the Greatest Generation marched towards victory with Lagers in hand. For tickets and more information visit https://www.somervillemuseum.org/.

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Local Somerville non-profit arts organization Around Hear is holding a fall concert in partnership with the Somerville Housing Authority on Saturday, October 26, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., at the Mystic Activity Center, 530 Mystic Ave. Somerville. Free, open to the public, listeners of all ages are welcome, refreshments served. Write, draw, move while you listen, after-concert pizza party.

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Arts at the Armory will present a screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Monday, October 28. Dive in to this classic musical-horror flick once again this year in the Performance Hall, 191 Highland Ave. Costumes and call backs are highly encouraged. The Teseracte Players will lead the charge and make sure you don’t miss a moment of the raucous ride. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. The viewing starts at 8:00 p.m. Come early and enjoy wine, beer, and a new food menu from the Hall bar. Visit https://artsatthearmory.org/.

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Visit the Somerville Bike Kitchen, a volunteer-run bicycle repair cooperative, hosting open-shop nights at The Dojo (15 Properzi Way, Somerville). Come maintain your bike or learn more about cycling. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Every Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. join Parkour Generations Boston for Teen Jams at The Dojo. This is a flexible time for teen community members to use the pop-up training space at The Dojo @ Somernova and connect with fellow community members in the process.

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Are you an emerging artist looking to share your artistic skills with your community? The City of Somerville, through the Somerville Arts Council (SAC), invites emerging artists (or a group of artists working as a team) to submit project concepts to be considered for a commission to create a temporary public artwork. This opportunity is funded in partnership with the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), making it public program. $750 for Finalists. $15,000 Selected Project budget. Applications are due on October 31, by 11:59 p.m. Apply here: www.somervilleartscouncil.org/TemporaryPublicArt.

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East Somerville Main Streets is gearing up for their Fall Clean-Up on Saturday, November 2, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Join them at 115 Broadway, East Branch Library, as they clean and beautify the neighborhood. Pastries and coffee will be provided.

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The Elections Department is looking to hire multiple inspectors for the upcoming November 5 Presidential Election. The hours the polls are open to voters are 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 5. If you would like to learn more, please call the Elections Office at 617-625-6600 ext. 4200. https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/elections.

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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, 6670 Union Square. Shop local on Saturdays through 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/2024fmseason. SNAP customers get $1 for $1 match up to $15. See the Market Manager tent for more info.

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Davis Square Farmers Market is now open. Every Wednesday through November 22, 12:00 – 6:00 p.m. visit the Davis Square Farmers Market, across from American Flatbread at 44 Day St. Visit: www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis. This long-running market features over two dozen Massachusetts farmers and food producers offering a vibrant selection of delicious produce, protein, baked goods, ready-to-eat meals, alongside a host of other locally made products. The market accepts cash, credit/debit cards, WIC/Senior coupons, and EBT cards and offers a weekly $15 SNAP Match.

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Somerville Public Schools are now in session for the 2024/2025 school year. Visit the SPS district website calendar for more information: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/events/calendar. Visit the 2024/2025 School Year Calendar page for an English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole calendar to print: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/schoolyearcalendar. Visit the Food and Nutrition Services Department page for school meal menus. Breakfast and lunch are free for all students: https://somerville.k12.ma.us/fnsd.

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Somerville Public Schools is hiring substitute teachers for all of our PK-12 schools. For more information or to apply visit https://somerville.tedk12.com/hire.

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The Somerville Flea is back at 52 Holland St. Join in as they celebrate their 12th year smack dab in the middle of Davis Square. Vintage vendors, artisan makers, farm stand and DJ. Find that treasure you never knew you even existed. 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Sundays, August through October.

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All Wednesdays during the school year are now early release days. You may talk to your child’s teacher or school administrators if you have any questions about drop-off and pickup. Prekindergarten: 12:00 p.m., Grades K–8 (except Next Wave): 1:00 p.m., Next Wave/Full Circle: 12:10 p.m., Somerville High School: 1:33 p.m.

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The Council on Aging Flu and COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Dates at the Holland St. Senior Center, 167 Holland St. Senior Only Clinics, please register by calling the COA directly at 617-625-6600, ext. 2300. For clinics open to the general public, please register via the City of Somerville website. November 18 (ages 19+) noon – 2:00 p.m., December 12 (ages 19+) 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Both flu and COVID-19 vaccines are conveniently offered at multiple locations across Somerville, improving access for all residents. Both vaccines are available with no out-of-pocket costs, and we accept those without health insurance. If you do have health insurance, please bring proof of coverage. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Walk-in appointments are limited.

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