A Tribute to Union Square Innovation Festival
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What the Fluff? A Tribute to Union Square Innovation returns for a 15th year this Saturday, September 12. This zany, madcap festival honors the invention of Marshmallow Fluff by Archibald Query in Somerville in 1917 and salutes the spirit of innovation that thrives in Union Square today. 

The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is seeking resident feedback to help guide its Community Preservation Act (CPA) spending recommendations. Through a short online survey, you can share with the CPC how you would divide CPA money among the areas it can fund – affordable housing, recreation/open space, and historical preservation. The survey is open through Monday, November 9, and can be found at http://bit.ly/SomervilleCPA2020. 

By Jim Clark

Somerville Police officers were dispatched to the Star Market on McGrath Hwy. shortly after midnight on September 1 on reports of a man with a knife threatening the reporting party’s husband.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Remember when driving was our biggest thrill? We couldn’t wait to get our drivers licenses.

We would pile out friends into the car and just cruise all day and night. If you had wheels you were a popular person.

The new bar doubles as a takeout pickup station offering several local beers and tequila-based cocktails. Dining booths are located in the rear, but social distancing guidelines don’t allow for indoor seating yet.

By Denise Keniston
tw:@denisekeniston

Taco Party, Ball Square’s vegan taco restaurant located at 711 Broadway, has expanded to the space next door and is now serving alcohol and beer. Whether by luck or design, or both, owner Keith Schubert is well-positioned to benefit from a rare shift in the restaurant industry. Large swathes of eat-in restaurants are closing due to COVID-19 measures but many Mexican and vegan restaurants, well-versed in takeout culture, are surviving.

Be sure to tune in to the virtual edition of the Fluff Fest this coming Saturday. — Photo courtesy of Union Square Main Streets

By Isabel Sami

The first-ever virtual Fluff Fest takes place this Saturday, September 12. “In Fluff We Trust: Sticking Together Thru Fluff” is an all-day event viewable in the comfort of your home on the Fluff Fest website (https://www.flufffestival.com/). The beloved community tradition will be accessible to Somerville residents past and present, as people around the world will be able to view the events online for the first time in its 15-year history.

The Phase 3 Step 1 reopening has begun in the city this week, and several local business owners are already taking advantage of the newly eased restrictions. We wish them all the best of luck, while also cautioning them and all their patrons to keep following safety guidelines that are still in effect. We want everyone to remain safe and healthy as well as the business owner renewed success.

FAB Balloon Factory to create flagship location in Somerville
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Art, culture, and sciences will soon collide within the confines of the former Powderhouse School in Somerville’s Teele Square. This year, the flagship space will open as an artists’ collective that plans to create a new normal for the community.

The “What the Fluff?” festival, an event that has grown in the hearts of so many here, is going virtual this year. Obviously, this is necessary because of the restrictions imposed on public gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, it’s nice to know that the tradition will be carried on in some form that most of us can enjoy.

Arrests:
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Paul Phaneuf, of Woburn, September 1, 12:07 a.m., arrested at McGrath Hwy. on a charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.