Somerville recently held a celebration of immigrant communities, featuring speeches from Mayor Joseph Curtatone and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

The City of Somerville’s Economic Development Division recently published its second Diversity Catalog, which highlights women-, minority-, veteran-, and LGBTQIA-owned businesses in the city. The Diversity Catalog can be found at www.somervillema.gov/diversitycatalog.

The catalog serves as a marketing tool for Somerville businesses that want to offer their products and services to customers throughout the region and the information gathered to create it helps Economic Development staff design business support programs that meet the needs of local businesses.

Born July 29, 1925, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Sidney and Alva Maynard Whitaker, Fred passed away on June 22, 2021 at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange, CA.

Fred always described his childhood growing up in Somerville, Massachusetts and Hamilton, Ohio with idyllic stories.   His father Sidney Whitaker, a veteran of World War I was very involved in civic leadership on the vestry of their church, the Elks, the Masons, and the American Legion.  The family was proud of its heritage going back to the founding of Massachusetts and service from the Revolution to the Civil War, and World War I. It was this legacy of service that Fred followed his entire life and later instilled in his own sons.  

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New intersection design aims for safer travel for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers

Improvements to Powder House Circle will be officially underway in mid-August as the City of Somerville makes a series of safety upgrades to benefit all road users. Powder House Circle is a high-crash intersection with an antiquated design. The city will convert the high-speed, chaotic rotary into a modern roundabout intersection using low-cost “quick-build” materials including pavement markings, signage, and flex posts.

Walk-in clinics for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be held Sunday, August 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three locations:

1. Holy Bible Baptist Church, 64 College Ave
2. St Anthony’s Parish, 12 Properzi Way
3. Brazilian Presbyterian Church, 212 School St

Increasing spread of Delta variant warrants increased vigilance

Given the increasing case numbers of COVID-19, both locally and nationally, due to the emergence of the Delta variant, and in light of the CDC’s updated guidance on masking, the City of Somerville is strongly recommending all people wear face coverings in indoor public settings regardless of whether they have been vaccinated against the virus. While vaccinated individuals have vastly better protection against being infected by the coronavirus and suffering severe COVID symptoms, it is still possible for them to get infected with and transmit the virus. This was demonstrated by a recent outbreak in Provincetown that featured numerous breakthrough infections among vaccinated individuals.

The Somerville Community Growing Center has announced their in-person free public events for August:

MOTS: Modular on the Spot
Sunday, August 1, 4:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Modular on the Spot is a free and inclusive music community focused on offering a home for modular synth enthusiasts to share their performances with the public. Hosted by Richard Tarantino. This event is free and open to all.

ONCE Somerville has found new life for their live events at Boynton Yards while they search for a permanent indoor venue. — Photos by Joshua Pickering

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

As restrictions loosen and businesses and venues begin reopening around the Commonwealth, the demand for events and entertainment has been soaring like never before.

One of the venues which has been flourishing recently is ONCE Somerville, a space where various musicians and artists have performed for six years.

On Sunday, August 1, three mobile clinics will be set up around the city to provide Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to anyone 12 or older. Clinics will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the following three locations:

• Holy Bible Baptist Church, 64 College Ave.

• St. Anthony’s Parish, 12 Properzi Way

• Brazilian Presbyterian Church, 212 School St. 

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries and letters to the Editor of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Several years ago, I made a choice to switch to reusable grocery bags. But when I go to the Whole Foods on Beacon Street, I am cornered into filling those cloth bags to the brim with single-use plastic. From the plastic bags I use to hold my fruits and vegetables to the plastic containers that carry my soups and salads, I always seem to leave the store with my arms full of pollution.