Somerville is celebrating Women’s History Month with an evening of storytelling. Somerville residents are invited to a storytelling evening on March 31, celebrating women’s stories at “Her Stories, Our Somerville.” Hosted by the Somerville Commission for Women (SCW) and the City’s Department of Racial and Social Justice, the event will elevate women’s voices and experiences through short, spoken word narratives. Women-identifying community members interested in sharing their story can register to do so via the event RSVP form. No prior storytelling experience is required to participate. The themes for Her Stories, Our Somerville include: A moment that changed me, Finding my voice, and A woman who has shaped my life. Stories must be submitted in advance. If you are selected to speak at the event, the Commission for Women will contact you within one week of the event to coordinate storytelling logistics. Tuesday, March 31, 7 p.m. CultureHouse HQ,16 Union Sq. Due to a maximum capacity of 50 persons, RSVPs are strongly encouraged. For more information about the event, please contact the Somerville Commission for Women at somervillecommission-forwomen@gmail.com.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: First, a very happy belated birthday to former Somerville resident Michael Sullivan, who now resides in Worcester. We hope he had a great birthday. Happy birthday to Pat Scrima, a great guy and another former resident. We hope he enjoys his birthday. Happy birthday to Sue Pye. We hope she has a wonderful birthday. A big happy birthday to Karen Michelle. We wish her the best, and we hope she has a great day. Happy birthday to Tyler Hart, of the famous Hart family. We wish him a great birthday. We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends, such as Rhonda Annette, Edward Bean, Beth Redmond, Don Joe, Maureen D Kelley, Christine Andrade McSheehy, Jim Halloran, Megan Donovan, Kathleen Kennedy, Christopher John, and Daniel M Rivera, who are all celebrating this week. To all the others we may have missed, and yes, we must admit there are a few more out there. We sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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Regular street sweeping schedules resume on Wednesday, April 1, and will continue through December 31. Community members should check street signs to know when parking is prohibited due to sweeping. On designated street sweeping days, vehicles must be moved from the side of the street being swept, as noted on signs posted on each street. Vehicles that do not move may be ticketed and towed. For more information on street sweeping, visit somervillema.gov/sweeping or call 311 (617-666-3311).

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Join Connexion and East Somerville Main Streets for an Easter Egg Hunt, family fun activities, and a visit from the Easter Bunny at Foss Park on Saturday, April 4, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Activities begin at 11:30 a.m. and the Easter Egg Hunt will begin exactly at 12 p.m. Please make sure to arrive before 12 p.m. in order to participate.

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Somerville’s 2026 high school graduates are invited to apply for City of Somerville Municipal Scholarships designed to help students launch their next steps, be that professional training, college, or a job in the trades. Selected applicants will receive $2,000 to help with post-secondary education expenses, including tuition, professional programs and certifications, and union fees. To qualify for consideration, students must be in high school, a resident of the City of Somerville at the time the financial aid is awarded, and be accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution. Awards are granted both on the basis of merit and need. To apply, students must complete the online application at bit.ly/municipalschol26 by Friday, March 27, at midnight. For more information, visit somervillema.gov/scholarship or contact 311 (617-666-3311).

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Somerville High School and the Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation are proud to announce the formation of the Somerville High School Alumni Newsletter. Through this newsletter, they aim to strengthen the bonds of the SHS community by providing important updates, honoring the achievements of their alumni through inspiring stories, assisting alumni with opportunities to engage in the SHS Community, and fostering the spirit of SHS pride and belonging that unites them all. The Somerville High School Alumni Newsletter will be published semi-annually in December/January and May/June. Subscribe to the Somerville High School Alumni Newsletter at https://www.shsscholarship.org/shs-alumni-newsletter, and they will email you the alumni newsletter when it comes out this spring. They are also in the process of creating an SHS Alumni Home Page that will be found on both the school’s and foundation’s websites. Make this your go-to place for all things SHS alumni-related. More information on this will be published in the upcoming SHS Alumni Newsletter.

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The Somerville Recreation Adaptive Sports Clinic is a welcoming, inclusive program designed for participants of all abilities to explore hockey, basketball, baseball, soccer, and football in a supportive and fun environment. With an emphasis on skill-building, teamwork, and confidence, this free clinic creates opportunities for athletes to move, play, and shine at their own pace. Saturdays, March 14 – April 11. Register online at www.somervillerec.com.

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In Somerville, if you are a senior, you may be able to reduce or defer your property taxes – and now is the time to apply before the April 1 deadline. The city’s Senior Tax Deferral program allows qualifying seniors age 65 or over to delay paying all or a portion of their tax bill as long as they live in the home they own, and their gross income is below $86,000. Tax deferral works like a loan with 2.5% percent interest currently charged. Payment is not due until the property is transferred to heirs or others. See the application form at bit.ly/taxdeferral. Learn more about deferral or other tax relief options at www.somervillema.gov/assessing (click on Exemptions and Other Tax Relief).

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Join the Somerville Homeless Coalition for a night of local love at The Crystal Ballroom featuring some of Somerville’s best. Their 2026 Spring into Action celebration on March 26 brings together local flavors and fantastic live music from West of Willow and The Loomers. Be part of it and celebrate their community with them. Save the date; tickets drop in February. For support or additional information, please contact mcon-lan@shcinc.org.

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Please join Somerville Media Center in honoring former Mayor Joe Curtatone with their Public Service Award on Thursday, June 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Arts at the Armory, 119 Highland Ave, in Somerville. The celebratory evening will feature cheeses and specialty bites provided by Formaggio Kitchen and more, tasty drinks from Arts at the Armory, live music by Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, raffles, and a special presentation honoring Joe Curtatone’s long-standing advocacy for community media and Somerville Media Center. Proceeds from the event will directly support our programs and services. Tickets are available online: https://tinyurl.com/joecurtatone

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The Somerville Arts Council invites musicians, dancers, street performers, installation artists, craft vendors, buskers, and creatives of all kinds to be part of ArtBeat 2026, Somerville’s beloved summer arts festival in Davis Square. This year’s theme is REVolution, a celebration of transformation, creative energy, and the ideas that move us forward. July 18, Davis Square. Apply now and help bring this year’s ArtBeat to life. Learn more and apply: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/artbeat/calls.

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The next episode of the SPS podcast is now streaming on #Spotify. Second-grade teacher Becca Faigan has some new innovative ideas as she leads the Healey School’s project-based learning initiatives. Plus, hear how our young students thrive in a multilingual environment as we stop by the Healey for this edition of “Teach Me Something.” https://somerville.k12.ma.us/podcast.

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The City of Somerville treasury & collection department provides a web-based look-up directly from official City records that enables access to bill information without the need to contact the treasury department.  Citizen Self Service (CSS) is the same official city records database treasury staff members use to answer your questions.  View real estate tax bills, water/sewer (utility) bills, and personal property tax bills online, in real time, 24/7.  There is even a “payoff date calculation” option, simply change the date to a future one of your choice.  Because CSS is in real time and live, when a payment posts in the office it shows on CSS immediately.  Note that payments made on City Hall Systems, the city’s online payment vendor, will appear on CSS the next business day after the payment file is loaded.  CSS also links to City Hall Systems, enabling easy payment access that is safe, secure and free of charge if a checking account is used as the payment method.  Visit www.somervillema.gov “Services” dropdown menu for 24/7 Citizen Self Service look-up access.  CSS is also available on the treasury webpage, www.somervillema.gov/treasury.  To pay a bill, use the “Payments” dropdown.  Contact treasury@somervillema.gov or (617) 625-6600 x-3500 with questions, or for assistance.

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SCC’s Annual Member Block Party is coming up on April 2 at Arts at the Armory. This celebration brings together neighbors, supporters, local leaders, and community members to celebrate the work that is being done together to build affordable housing, expand economic opportunity, and strengthen community in Somerville. Expect great food, music, and conversation. SCC has been helping families build stability and opportunity in Somerville for more than 55 years. Register today https://www.somervillecdc.org/

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Uprooted / Transplanted – Stories of Displacement Call for Entry. Deadline: March 30. The Nave Gallery, in partnership with the Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church (CHPC), invites artists to contribute to the curated exhibition. This exhibition will present images and stories of displacement, the forced movement of people from their homes due to conflict, violence, or natural disaster. Learn more at https://navegallery.org/wp/uprooted-transplanted-call-for-art/.

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Please return your completed City of Somerville Census. Participation in the census is essential for keeping an accurate population count, and it updates or maintains your status as an active voter for upcoming elections. Completed census forms can be returned via the postage-paid return envelope included in the mailing, by scanning the form and emailing it to census@somervillema.gov, or in person at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.).Please call 311 (617-666-3311) with any questions.

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On Friday, April 10, GLOWBALL will transform the Armory Performance Hall into an immersive Rave created by DJ WhySham and visual projectionist Jay Medina, all in support of The Center for Arts at the Armory. GLOWBALL is an “anti-gala”—there will be no speeches, presentations, or auction. There will be pop-up performances by Sean Bjerke and RHOUSE Dancers; The House of Nahdra, AfroFuture Fashion Portal, and Circus 617. This year’s honorees: Ellen Waylonis, Lifetime Achievement Award; Willie Burnley, Community Arts Advocate; and Wendy Jehlen, Outstanding Artist. GLOWBALL tickets include complimentary international bites and glow-in-the-dark styling and face painting. This will surely be Somerville’s most illuminating party of 2026. For tickets and more information, visit: https://artsatthearmory.org/.

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Don’t forget, if you would like to subscribe to receive a digital edition of our paper, go directly online to our website, over to the right side, and fill out your email address to receive a free, full PDF copy of the paper.