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This city offers a plethora of choices of talented artists to interview. Janeann Dill, caught my eye and interest, so I managed to catch up with her for an (online) interview.

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Bill Falcetano is an occasional contributor to The Somerville Times. A former professor of philosophy, he divides his time between Somerville and Gloucester.

A town hall meeting on school reopening originally scheduled for January 19 has been rescheduled for Tuesday, January 26.

The Somerville Public Schools and the City of Somerville will jointly host their next online Schools Reopening Town Hall on Tuesday, January 26, at 6:30 p.m. The presentation will provide updates on local efforts related to the 2020/2021 school year amid the coronavirus pandemic, including information on building ventilation and COVID-19 testing plans. Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole interpretation will be available.

Cambridge Health Alliance and Mass General Brigham  are pleased announce that as of January 4th, 2021, $490,524.73 is being offered to the community to fund Community Health Initiatives (CHI). This funding is available per the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Determination of Need (DoN) Regulation, through DoN Application # PHS-19093011-HS, filed by Massachusetts General Brigham Incorporated f/k/a Partners HealthCare System Inc. for a proposed project by Massachusetts General Physicians Organization (MGPO) for the expansion of its existing imaging clinic to a new satellite at Assembly Square, Somerville. MGPO has partnered with Cambridge Health Alliance for the process of determining the distribution of CHI funds.

The City of Somerville and the Somerville Public Schools take part in an MLK Day virtual celebration.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health  announced that the first case of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 has been detected in Massachusetts. This is the same variant initially discovered in the United Kingdom. The individual developed symptoms in early January and tested positive for COVID-19.  A genetic sample was sent to an out-of-state laboratory as part of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) established surveillance process to identify COVID-19 variants. The State Public Health Laboratory was notified last evening of the results.

Nathan Lamb is Director of Outreach and Community Relations at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services

By Nathan Lamb

The pandemic of 2020 created many challenges. Staying connected is high on that list for most of us.

I can speak from personal experience on this one. 2020 was the first Thanksgiving I could not visit my parents. Instead, my mom arranged a last-minute Zoom call with the extended family.

Due to the MLK Day holiday weekend, parking meters and resident parking enforcement will not be in effect on Monday, January 18.

Starting on Monday, trash and recycling pickup will be on a one-day delay for the rest of the week.

Somerville’s newest green space at the former Powder House Community School is now open. The new park includes 16 new trees, many native plant species, the city’s first public bike repair station, and seating and an amphitheater made from reused materials from the school building. Along with the park, the pathway connecting Holland Street and Broadway has been reopened. The park adds an additional half an acre of open space to the city.

The Somerville Public Library (SPL) is launching a new Pathways to Citizenship program for English-language learners seeking U.S. citizenship. With funding provided by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, the two-year program will create a 14-week combined language and civics class, provide naturalization workshops, and expand related library materials offered at each of Somerville’s three branches.