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On Tuesday, Feb. 20, families with children ages 10 and up will spend a morning of their February school vacation boxing fresh produce and pantry staples for neighbors in need through Food For Free’s Just Eats grocery box program. Forming a production line, volunteers will work to fill 320 grocery boxes, each adding a single item, such as sweet potatoes, beets, plantains, or beans, to each Just Eats box. Once closed and stacked onto pallets, Food For Free will load the boxes onto trucks for delivery to food programs across 16 Eastern Massachusetts communities.

Bob Sweeney, President of the Boston Bruins Foundation (center) and representatives from Bosch Power Tools meet with students and staff from the Somerville High School Center for Career and Technical Education’s Carpentry Program to celebrate a new partnership. — Photos courtesy of Boston Bruins.

This week, Bosch Power Tools and the Boston Bruins formally announced a new partnership that will directly benefit students in Somerville High School’s Center for Career and Technical Education. Through the partnership, which solidifies Bosch’s position as the Official Power Tools, Power Tool Accessories and Measuring Tools Partner of the Boston Bruins, Bosch Power Tools will donate tools and directly enhance career readiness opportunities for students in the SHS Carpentry Program. On Wednesday, February 6, representatives from Bosch Power Tools visited the Carpentry Program to formally launch the partnership at SHS.

City buildings will be closed Monday, February 19, in observance of Presidents’ Day. Trash and recycling collection will be delayed by one day.

The Somerville Bike Kitchen invite all cyclists to come and learn a few things about bike maintenance.

By Emmett Biewald

The Somerville Bike Kitchen is a volunteer-run bike cooperative open to anyone with an interest in learning about their bicycle. The space is located on 15 Properzi Way in Somerville, and hosts walk-in shop nights twice a week. These open shop nights are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The SBK was founded in 2015 and has since been providing tools as well as information to people who come in looking to fix a bike.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

When I went to the Western Junior High School in 1968, there were a few classifications of people. There were the Mods, the Studs, Hippies, and the Rats had slicked back hair, pegged pants and pointy black shoes. The rats walking around the city are four-legged ones.

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Take steps to protect yourself against COVID-19 and the flu this winter. Somerville’s Health and Human Services department is hosting free vaccine clinics on Thursday, February 15, at Somerville Public Library Central Branch (79 Highland Ave.) from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and February 29 at the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs (42 Cross St.) from 3 to 5 p.m.

Walk-ins welcome. To learn more and register, visit somervillema.gov/vaccines.

This week the Union Square Neighborhood Council (USNC) and US2 signed an amendment to their Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) that paves the way for the development of a 51-unit affordable housing project in Union Square.

Deano’s Pasta in Somerville offers freshly made pasta and other items made from locally sourced ingredients.

By Bridget Frawley

Off of Garfield Avenue in Somerville is an industrial bright red and white building featuring various murals of assorted pasta and factory machinery. 15 Garfield Ave. houses both a pasta factory where over 100 different types of dry, fresh and frozen pasta are produced each day, but also a shop open to the public to purchase pasta and sauces.