The Ignite Festival will be lighting up Union Square this coming Saturday evening.

This year’s Ignite Festival promises to be more tasty, fiery and international than ever. Numerous Union Square restaurants will be out on the street vending, along with many Nibble program chefs.

New security, programming, and supports will support safety and welcoming space for all  — Photo by Bobbie Toner

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is announcing that the city expects the Central Library to resume normal hours by the end of next week. This follows work to enhance safety measures and expand programming for patrons of all ages. Residents are encouraged to stay updated through the city and library websites.

— Photo courtesy of Somerville Fire Dept.

Congratulations to Father Matt Westcott on being named the new Chaplain for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM). Fr. Matt was born and raised in Somerville attending St. Clement’s grammar and high schools.

— Photos courtesy of Somerville Police Dept.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne and Somerville Police welcomed the new Somerville Chief of Police, Shumeane Benford, who was sworn in on Monday, September 16. The new Chief brings over 30 years of law enforcement experience, joining in from roles as Boston Housing Authority Police Chief and Boston Chief of Emergency Management. Congratulations to Chief Benford!

The City of Somerville’s SustainaVille program hosted the Park(ing) Day event this past weekend on Broadway in Somerville. — Photos by Jeffrey Shwom

By Jeffrey Shwom

After living in Ball Square from 2019-2023, there are a lot of things I could not imagine. Ball Square Bowling being taken down and a new train station, for example. Two permanent turning lanes that have been removed from Broadway at Boston Ave. What about Neighborhood Produce and Ciao! Pizza moving to Ball Square with their respective second locations?

Rafi Properties, Owner and Operator of Somernova, the 7.4-acre innovation campus and community dedicated to helping people and companies iterate and grow faster, announced today that the Better Future Project, a local non-profit organization committed to building diverse, powerful, and democratic grassroots movements to address climate change, has joined The Dojo at Somernova.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Ward 6 Councilor Lance Davis, Ward 5 Councilor Naima Sait, Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen, Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott, and city staff invite you to a community meeting to discuss the Elm Beacon Connector. September 25, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Learn more about the project at somervillema.gov/elmbeacon. Register in Advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_6FYX8cSgQBqOgnv3aQ8yAg.

A rainy-day edition of the beloved What the Fluff? Festival was enjoyed by the many who joined in. — Photos by Katherine Davis

By Katherine Davis

Despite the steady rain this past Saturday, Somerville’s annual “What the Fluff?” Marshmallow Fluff Festival continued to pull in an impressive crowd for the 19th year in a row. Food and craft vendors, as well as community groups from all over the city, gathered together in Union Square to not only celebrate the beloved marshmallow spread, but also the city of Somerville itself.

(L-R) – Van Jones; Collin Yip (Founder and Managing Partner of Rafi Properties); Majic Alphonse (Director of The Dojo at Somernova); Havilah Nimako (Student/The Dojo); Tatiana Arroyo (Student/The Dojo); Delmy Janet (Student/The Dojo); Joe Curtatone (President of The Alliance for Climate Transition and Former Mayor of Somerville).

The Alliance for Clean Energy (ACT – formerly Northeast Clean Energy Council), hosted its Green Future Gala on September 19 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. The Gala gathered hundreds of climate champions, activists, policymakers, corporate leaders, and the startup community to celebrate the power of civic engagement and its role in shaping the clean energy future.

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It’s that time of year when pumpkin is everywhere. And I do mean everywhere. Pumpkin flavored coffee, beer, baked goods, energy bars, cereals, yogurt, and so on. The beverage industry alone projects the pumpkin spice category to exceed about $2.4 billion by 2031!