Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers and fans. We hope everyone has a great day with their significant other or with close family and friends. Enjoy the day!

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AARP is taking appointments to help with income tax preparations starting February 10 at the Holland Street Senior Center at 167 Holland Street. Please call Josephine to schedule an appointment at 617-625-6600 ext. 2300.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: Happy birthday to Elaine Hill, formerly of Ball Square and now in Florida. We wish Elaine the very best on this, her birthday. Happy birthday to Lou Ferrara, a lifelong resident. We wish Lou the very best on his birthday. Happy birthday to Patricia Latham, formerly of Somerville. We wish Patty the best on her birthday. Happy birthday to a great lady, the very popular Cheryle Snow. We wish Cheryle the very best on her birthday. Happy Birthday to Albert Piacentini, we hope he has a great day. Happy birthday to a well-known commercial real estate agent, Bernard Gibbons of ABG Realty. We wish him the very best on his birthday. To the many others not mentioned here but in our thoughts, we wish you a very happy birthday.

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Join Mystic River Theatre Company teens for their first fundraiser. They will present Misfit Love at the Café at the Somerville Armory, 191 Highland Ave., on February 19, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Misfit Love will be filled with songs of not-fitting-in from Broadway and beyond. Silent auction and 50/50 raffle. Food and beverages for sale at the Armory Café. For more info, go to http://mysticrivertheater.org/ and www.gofundme.com/f/mystic-river-theater-first-show.

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Join the City of Somerville, Ward 6 Councilor Lance Davis, and Ward 7 Councilor Katjana Ballantyne for a community meeting on Monday, February 24, to discuss planned improvements to Holland St. and College Ave. The meeting will be held in the Atrium Room of the Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland St., from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. City staff will introduce the purpose and scope of this project, provide existing conditions data, and present concepts for potential roadway improvements to support sustainable, multi-modal transportation and improve traffic safety. Community members are invited to provide input about the conceptual designs and priority locations for different types of improvements. Plans for the project include resurfacing the roadways and sidewalks on Holland St. (from Davis Square to Teele Square) and College Ave. (from Davis Square to Powder House Circle). For more information or if you have any questions, visit https://somervoice.somervillema.gov/hollandandcollege or email transportation@somervillema.gov

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Our sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of Mary Rita “Marita” (Clark) Doherty, who passed away on Monday, February 3. She will be missed by all he knew and loved her.

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Join Somerville Media Center at their first Art Wall reception of 2020. TeeCee Stitchery is a newly launched fiber arts practice by Tori Costa. Inspired by the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Tori creates contemporary textile art using traditional techniques of quilting, embroidery and more. Drawn to color, texture and pattern, Tori uses abandoned fabric – old clothes, neglected ties, torn denim and upholstery samples – as her medium. On view at Somerville Media Center, 90 Union Square, Somerville, from February 18 through March 28.

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Join Ward 5 Councilor Mark Niedergang and the Somerville Engineering Department on Wednesday, February 26, for a community meeting to discuss water, sewer, and roadway upgrades planned on Hall St. The meeting will be held from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Kennedy School cafeteria, 5 Cherry St. The water and sewer mains on Hall St. date back to 1900. As part of the Hall St. Infrastructure Upgrades project, both the water and sewer mains will be replaced to provide better system functionality. After those underground improvements have been made, some aboveground roadway upgrades are planned, including constructing new cement concrete sidewalks, curb ramps, and raised crosswalks for ADA compliance and improved safety. Construction is tentatively expected to start this summer and finish by the end of the year, with final paving planned for the spring of 2021.For more information, contact Haleemah Qureshi at hqureshi@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 5411.

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The Somerville Arts Council is looking for musicians to perform at their annual jazz and blues festival. Get involved so you don’t miss out. The application deadline March 9. Joe’s Jazz and Blues Festival is back this year with an all-day free concert at Powderhouse Park on June 20 (rain date June 21) and is looking for talent to perform. This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your unique jazz and blues sounds. Past performances have included everything from swampy Cajun to Ethiopian Jazz. Preference will be given to bands with a Somerville connection. Please note, they are only considering applicants who haven’t played at this event in the last two years. Bring a friend, blanket, and a picnic for a great afternoon under the trees in one of the nicest parks in Somerville. If you are interested in performing, please fill out the call to musicians here: https://forms.gle/oXwjsvfKp7YU4P7m7.

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Somerville middle schoolers (grades 6-8) are invited again this year to participate in workshops to help them become powerful public speakers and debaters. Hosted by Debate Spaces, an award-winning, Harvard-affiliated non-profit, workshops will take place on February 29, March 14, and April 11, 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Suffolk University. Past workshops have included students from the Argenziano and East Somerville Community School. Students will participate in skill-building games, a debate round, and community activism projects. Most students attend all three sessions though it is possible to attend only one or two. Scholarships available. No prior public speaking or debate experience is necessary. For more information, visit www.debatespaces.org, or email info@debatespaces.org.

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The Somerville Community Growing Center is polling its supporters and friends regarding what the Center’s theme for 2020 should be. Every year, the Growing Center selects a theme around which to develop and orient programming, and is seeking input from Somerville families about this year’s theme. Visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkSb8mkKT8_ueTJNeLLEp5cd14Z6ELtwCO8eZdWg_dhfhJ3g/viewform to vote.

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Check out the Somerville Parks and Recreation Department website (www.somervillerec.com) for information about their February Vacation Floor Hockey program, and other programs and events available this winter. A full list of classes, clinics, events, youth and adult league sports, and activities, as well as cost for each is available at http://www.somervillerec.com/info/activities/default.aspx?type=activities.

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