The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for a community member position on the School Opening Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will make COVID-19 data-based  recommendations to the Mayor and Superintendent on school closures and reopenings. 

Calling all young ’Villens: Winter may, in fact, be coming, and daylight hours are dwindling, but don’t forget – SomerSocial is here to brighten your weekday afternoons with fun, free, virtual after-school programming. Perfect your podcast pitch, join a crew for Among Us, or get crafty with local creatives. Sign up for parkour lessons, nature club, animation workshops, theater classes, and more.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Originally published May 26, 2012

There’s a small crowd of people standing outside near The Rosebud Diner in Davis Square. It’s not a line to get into the Surrey Room for a night of dancing. It was a line of folks waiting to buy donuts. Somehow, we went from shiny to crunchy, but it was sure a lot of fun.

Beginning November 18 and through Thanksgiving, Whole Foods Market stores throughout Massachusetts will be selling specially baked apple and pumpkin pies to support Community Servings, a nonprofit provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition services.

Noor Mediterranean Grill has recently become the target of alleged hate crimes. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Max Eidelman

The city’s Human Rights Commission met virtually for its monthly meeting last Thursday. The first half of the meeting focused on the recent hate crimes directed at Noor Mediterranean Grill.

By Jim Clark

As the Somerville Public School system has been pursuing a plan for a phased in return to in-person classroom attendance by early December, delays in fitting classrooms with suitable ventilation and other resources have forced officials to push the reopening into January of next year.

Dear Friends of Next Wave and Full Circle,

Due to the ongoing pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our annual NWFC Tree and Wreath Sale this year. The health and safety of our students, staff, and community is of the utmost importance. We do not want to put anyone at risk of contracting or spreading the virus.

The 2020 Illuminations Tour will have a new COVID twist this year. Even though the traditional trolley led Illuminations Tour this winter will not take place, the spirit of Somerville will shine through. The Somerville Arts Council believes that our neighborhoods and squares have much to share, so they are going to deconstruct their tour to allow you to develop your own self-guided tour. Come celebrate the folk artistry of residents who transform their houses and yards with lights, illuminated ornaments, and shrines of devotion and fantasy. Somerville Lights Up! They will be developing a Google Map so you can take a social distance personal tour. Their map will be available for viewing starting on December 12. The map will include different emojis and map layers to indicate the different kinds of locations you can visit. Are you illuminating and bedazzling your home or business? Tell them about it here: https://forms.gle/K1x53vimTadT1k1d6.

The Somerville City Council is currently examining the feasibility of establishing an ordinance prohibiting the use of tear gas by local law enforcement authorities.

While the proposed ordinance is only in the early exploratory stages by the City Solicitor’s Office, the idea is already generating a fair amount of discussion throughout the community.