Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone has secured the former K-Mart site in Assembly Square so that Partners HealthCare can deploy cutting edge N95 protective mask cleaning technology. The new machine, developed by Battelle, will be able to clean 80,000 masks per day and will go into production early next week. It will be the fourth such site in the United States.

Tragically, this morning we got word of the first coronavirus-related death in Somerville. My first thoughts go out to the family and friends of the deceased. Words cannot encompass the pain of your loss, but know that I share your grief. I suspect everyone else in the city will be joining me as they hear this news. Even though we’re all socially distanced from each other, thousands of people will be feeling the sadness of your loss in their hearts.

You can minimize the negative effects of a recession by heeding a few fundamental personal finances principles. — Photo © fizkes / iStock via Getty Images Plus

Financial experts agree that no one is completely immune from risk when a recession occurs, and that an economic downturn can have a significant impact on your personal and financial situation. However, they also agree that it is important to avoid panicking and to remain focused on your long-term financial plans and strategies.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

When we were kids we had a nice choice of fun places to go for family fun. We had Revere Beach, Whalom Park, and Paragon Park with a variety of rides and amusements. There was always Canobie Lake Park in Salem New Hampshire and, of course, up north a bit further, Old Orchard Beach.

Director of Health and Human Services for the City of Somerville, Doug Kress, provided an update on current coronavirus mitigation measures for the Public Health and Safety Committee on Monday.

By Jim Clark

At the latest meeting of the Somerville City Council Public Health and Public Safety Committee of the Whole on Monday, March 30, the Director of Health and Human Services, Doug Kress, updated Committee members on measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and to support anyone who may become infected.

Here is a COVID-19 update for March 31, 2020. We know many community members are experiencing financial hardships due to the crisis. Below you’ll find a list of support that the new $2 trillion CARES Act may be able to offer you, your business, or your employer. Please also be sure to check www.somervillema.gov/coronavirus for additional information on the city’s COVID-19 response and resources available to residents and businesses during this public health crisis. The website is updated frequently as more information becomes available.

In response to COVID-19, the Somerville Winter Farmers Market will be a pre-order only market held in the Armory parking lot from 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 4 and 11. You can order from several of their vendors this week, and then pick up your goods on Saturday. This is a great way to support vendors, especially smaller vendors who do not have the capacity to set up their own delivery systems at this time. Please consider purchasing some of their delicious products. To pre-order or for more information, go to https://www.somwintermarket.org/vendors. SNAP/EBT are accepted.

By Mike Festa
AARP Massachusetts State Director

Even in ordinary times, the 840,000 of unpaid family caregivers in Massachusetts face a daunting set of daily tasks. Oftentimes with little or no training, they may be responsible for wound care, tube feedings, dressing, managing the finances and medical bills of their loved ones, transportation and more.

By Shiao shen Yu

Shiao shen Yu writes to The Somerville Times: I am an 80 years old Chinese woman, and I like to share my Chinese culture with others. I have been in Canada and the United States since I was 26. Before I came to Cambridge MA to be close to my daughters, I wrote columns about Chinese for Pueblo Chieftain, a daily newspaper in Colorado (1986-1994). I wrote and self-published two books: Chinese Mosaics and Two Swordmasters in 2017. They are on Amazon.com and BN.com. There are many Chinese people in Somerville and everywhere in the States. I wish, with my writings, to give the readers some glimpse of the Chinese.

The Chinese refer to the Dragon Boat Festival or Spring Festival as the Double Fifth because it falls on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. That date corresponded to June 5 in 1992.

Eagle Feathers #201 – Four-Hundred Years

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

The first Governor of Massachusetts, John Winthrop, arrived in America from England in 1630. The Governor first settled in the Ten Hills section of Charlestown/Somerville, where he assembled the first ship built in New England. He christened this ship, The Blessing Of The Bay.