Using pellets creates wood-fired flavor that elevates the grilling experience. — Photo © Jennifer Danella

You’ve been grilling all summer long, which means you may be in need of some new ideas this Labor Day Weekend. Experts say, no matter what equipment you’re using, the secret to making a big impact on the flavor of your food is BBQ pellets.

“With the amazing wood smoke flavors that cooking with wood pellets offer, it’s truly a game changer for any backyard barbecue,” says Ben Madden, product manager at Bear Mountain BBQ Woods, crafter of gourmet, hardwood pellets. Bear Mountain BBQ pellets are made from 100% premium all-natural hardwoods, with no flavorings, fillers, or additives, which create amazing wood-smoke flavor.

The City of Somerville Housing Division is giving away a limited quantity of $100 gift cards to residents and property owners who install a qualifying energy-efficient household appliance this year. Appliances must be eligible for a Mass Save rebate or HEAT Loan financing and be installed at a Somerville residence between January 1 and December 31, 2020. This offer is valid through December 31 or until gift cards run out.

Shared Streets open up low-volume or residential side-streets to pedestrians, cyclists, and other users while still allowing vehicle access for residents who live on the street or who need to use the street to get to their homes, their guests, and service vehicles such as first responders, delivery drivers, sanitation trucks, and street sweepers.

Partnership with Northeastern University researcher and Stantec to offer early detection of COVID-19 spread in city 

Mayor Joe Curtatone announced today that Somerville is launching a community wastewater testing program to monitor for the coronavirus and provide earlier detection of increased spread of COVID-19. In partnership with Northeastern University Asst. Professor Ameet Pinto of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Stantec, the city’s on-call engineering firm for sewer work and design, the program is designed to reveal COVID-19 hotspots up to one to two weeks earlier than current individual testing. 

Mayor Joe Curtatone announced today that certain Phase 3 Step 1 businesses, including fitness clubs and gyms, may open – with restrictions – in Somerville on Tuesday, September 8. All businesses seeking to open must have a city-approved health and safety plan and meet stringent COVID-19 safety requirements.

By Jim Clark

Last Friday, while traveling on Mystic Ave., a Somerville Police officer queried the license plate of a vehicle directly in front of him, resulting in a report that the plates were canceled and attached to the wrong motor vehicle.

The officer contacted Somerville Police control and asked for confirmation on the license plate status, then activated his lights and sirens.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Somerville in the late ’70’s and ’80’s was a lot different than today. High School was a bit stricter and we had creative ways of letting off steam. Please be assured I have the utmost respect for most teachers and the education system.

As the Labor Day weekend and cooler temperatures approach, residents should continue to take precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites and mosquito-borne illnesses. Somerville and surrounding communities are still at moderate risk of West Nile Virus (WNV), and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) cases have been confirmed in Massachusetts. 

Uber drivers pull over hoping to quickly pick up their fares on Beacon Street, but often times they end up sitting for several minutes.

By Denise Keniston

On any given day you can find delivery trucks parked in the designated bike lane on Beacon Street while drivers load and/or unload their cargo. Delivery truck drivers have lost much of their parking space in Somerville as bike and bus lanes have been introduced across the city.

Loyal customers of both Dragon Pizza and Sligo Pub are delighted to have a place to enjoy their favorite fare at their outdoor patio area. ~ Photo courtesy of Sligo Pub

By Rachel Berets

The parking lot behind Dragon Pizza in Davis Square used to be an eyesore – a mess of patchy gray concrete with worn white lines marking the parking spaces.

Now it has been transformed into an outdoor patio serving food and beverages, a COVID-collaboration between Dragon Pizza and their Davis Square neighbor Sligo Pub.