Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville Board of Health have announced that facial coverings will be mandatory starting Wednesday, April 29. In an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, anyone over the age of 2 must wear a facial covering when in any indoor or outdoor space that is open to the public.

Daniel, Anne, Marcel and Jade Sprintzen.

After many residents in the Partridge Ave. area began working from home, Roxane Scrima and her neighbor, Tina Lu, decided to start a neighborhood “Google Group” In mid-March. They rang doorbells to collect emails to begin this process. All that work paid off when on Monday, April 20, they celebrated their first event: The Partridge Avenue Marathon, running the lower half from Medford St. to Vernon St. Everyone was told to wear masks and sign up to run down the middle of the street or to cheer from their doorsteps. The event was a huge success.

Landscape designer, Doug Scott.

Container gardens are a viable and popular cultivation option, especially for those who have limited sun-exposed spaces or are looking to start small and learn the basics of gardening.

“Containers, whether bought or recycled, are a great place to plant herb and vegetable gardens,” says landscape designer, Doug Scott of Redeem Your Ground in Atlanta, Ga. “But to get it right, there are a few things to keep in mind.”

New Fire Department deputy and district chiefs cars were recently spotted on display in Somerville.

Eagle Feathers #203 – The French American

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

His father was a Huguenot, born outside Bordeaux, France. He arrived alone in Boston by way of Guernsey, England when he was only 13 years, old with not much more than his name, Apollos Rivoire. The young man worked hard learning the gold and silversmith trades. He changed his name to appease the English vernacular, and subsequently passed it and his shop on to his eldest son, the patriot Paul Revere.

It can sometimes seem overwhelming, keeping up with all the latest orders and advisories that are issued as we all deal with the daunting task of protecting ourselves and others against the further spread of the COVID-19 virus.

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Weaponized

Review by Off the Shelf Correspondent Ed Meek

Poetry is always the subject of the poem
— Rowan Ricardo Phillips

I had NPR on in the fall and I heard poem called Violins read by Rowan Ricardo Phillips. I loved the sound of it. Words are repeated and then rhymed and off-rhymed linking sounds and concepts and combining jarring images and language. The poem ends with a date: 1916 and it expresses a bold vision of the 20th century. It’s the best poem in Phillips’ new collection. It begins, “He never saw a violin. / But he saw a lifetime of violence.” Right away Phillips makes this unlikely association of violins and violence – an apt comment on our current era of privilege and Black Lives Matter. He goes on:

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Kaleigh Putnam is a senior from Connecticut attending Endicott College and pursuing a degree in Sport Management. A four-year member of the Women’s Basketball Team she is currently finishing up her last year of classes. She is taking Creative Writing 101 to develop writing skills she hopes to take her into her career.

Somerville residents, workers, and families of SPS school students can apply for assistance

Applications for support are now being accepted for the donation-funded Somerville Cares Fund jointly launched by Mayor Joe Curtatone, the United Way, and the Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS). The Somerville Cares Fund will provide emergency financial assistance to individuals and families during the COVID-19 public health crisis to meet needs such as food, housing, medicine, funeral costs, and other essential expenses. 

A new community-wide COVID-19 mitigation program for testing, tracking, contact tracing, and safe social isolation for Somerville residents was announced today by Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) CEO Assaad Sayah, MD, and Doug Kress, of the Somerville Board of Health.