Holly Simione, recently a candidate for City Council At Large, is said to be “seriously considering” a campaign for State Representative to replace Christine Barber, who is giving up her seat to run for retiring Senator Patricia Jehlen. Simione brings more than 30 years of experience in healthcare systems, disability rights, public finance, and policy implementation. Former Chair of the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council has been fielding calls from friends and supporters urging her to run for the seat. She expects to make a formal announcement soon.

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The Somerville Arts Council invites the public to celebrate its 2025 Artists of the Month. Meet the artists, learn about their work, and celebrate creativity in Somerville. Join them on January 21, 6:30 p.m. at Connexion (149 Broadway). Light refreshments served. And be sure to nominate your favorite Somerville artist, info at: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/aotm/.

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Happy birthday this week to the following: A big happy birthday to our own Dorothy DiMarzo, who gives us all those delicious recipes every other week in our paper. We wish her the very best of birthdays this week. Another local who is celebrating this week is Maria Nella Nunes. We wish her the very best. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Bob Crowley LeBlanc, Evelyn Moreno Moreno, Roy Moulton, Linda LoPresti, Eddie Hardy, James Casazza, and Kai Su, a very happy birthday. We hope everyone has a great day. To all the others we may have missed, we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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The City of Somerville opened an overnight Winter Warming Center during the coldest months of the year to provide a safe, warm place to sleep for our residents experiencing homelessness. Open 5 p.m. – 7:30 a.m. daily, 12/8/2025 – 4/12/2026. For questions about the Warming Center, call 311. If you need assistance getting to the Warming Center or after-hours assistance, please call (339) 242-4744. Email warmingcenter@somervillema.gov. The Cummings Building, 42 Prescott St, Somerville.

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Collage from the Collection is back this Friday, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. at the Somerville Museum, and there are just a few spaces left. Dig through images of old Somerville, art magazines, books, and programs from our collection and reinvent them in a collage. Dig through images of old Somerville, art magazines, books, and programs from our collection and reinvent them in a collage. Take home a piece of the museum when you create a collage from their collections. Join in for this special Friday add-on event. There will be one limited time slot for you to craft for an hour and a half: 5:30-7 p.m. Limited seats are available, so bring a friend or meet someone new. Recommended for teens and up; younger children can participate with an adult to use scissors. Somerville Museum,1 Westwood Road, Somerville, MA 02143 https://www.somervillemuseum.org/.

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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 mconlan@shcinc.org.

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The Winter Hill Community Innovation School PTA is hosting a Cutest Critter Contest, a fun fundraising event for their school. Submit your pet’s photo with a $20 donation and give them a shot at awesome prizes: 1st place: A free exam by a local veterinarian, as well as six months’ worth of preventative. 2nd place: A pet gift basket tailored to your pet, worth over $50. 3rd place: A gift card to Scritches and Boops Pet Boutique Shop. Not entering a pet? No problem, you can vote for your favorite furry pals for just $1.50 per vote!Voting ends on PuppyBowl Sunday, February 8. For more info or to donate, visit: https://givebutter.com/CfLdZn.

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Does your family speak more than one language at home? Check out one of two workshops about Bilingualism and early language acquisition in children raised in multilingual families. Presented by Tufts University Associate Professor Calvin Gidney. January 22, 7 – 8:30 p.m., in English. January 27, 7 – 8:30 p.m., in Spanish. Register tinyurl.com/yc7ff8az.

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A reminder that Christmas tree pickup is underway in Somerville through Friday, February 13. Trees can be placed curbside on your regular trash day after removing all decorations. Do not put trees in a plastic bag. Constituents should contact 311 (617-666-3311) if their tree has been out for over two weeks.

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The City of Somerville is seeking one new resident to join the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust (SAHT) in a volunteer role. The current vacancy is for a City Resident representative. Applicants must be Somerville residents who are income-eligible for state and/or federal housing programs. If you’re passionate about advancing affordable housing in our community, this is a great opportunity to make an impact. Applications are due by Friday, February 6. Please submit a resume, cover letter, and any relevant supplemental materials. Email: housingtrust@somervillema.gov or mail Sheniqua Roper, City of Somerville, OSPCD Housing Division, 50 Evergreen Ave., Somerville, MA 02145. For questions or more information, contact Housing Trust at housingtrust@somervillema.gov or call 617-591- 3200 ext. 2587.

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Registration for Somerville Open Studios 2026 is open through February 15. If you want to apply for financial aid, the deadline is Sunday, January 18. The event is Saturday and Sunday, May 2 – 3. Visit their website for registration details https://www.somervilleopenstudios.org/web/join.

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Lego Derby, January 24. Bring your creativity to build and race LEGO vehicles. Prizes will be awarded. This program is intended for children ages 6 and up. Central Library (79 Highland Ave.) from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

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Low-income households may be eligible to receive help with winter heating costs through the Home Energy Assistance Program. This program serves residents of Somerville and Cambridge. Participants receive assistance with their heating costs between November 1 and April 30. Learn more about the program, check if you qualify, and apply for assistance today at somervillema.gov/heatingassistance.

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Take steps to protect yourself and loved ones against COVID-19, the flu, and other illnesses this winter. Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department is hosting free vaccine clinics at locations across the city. Upcoming clinics include: Thursday, January 22, West Branch Library (40 College Ave.), 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Find all vaccine clinics on the city website and register online at www.somervillema.gov/vaccinations.

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Attend the inaugural SomerWrites event on Tuesday, January 27, at 7:00 p.m. at Portico Brewing, featuring an open mic and guest talk with Somerville Poet Laureate Lloyd Schwartz, and moderated by Somerville Arts Council Board Member Sarah Beckmann. These events are free and open to all, no matter your genre or background. Whether you have academic experience in a writing field or are simply curious to learn more about different types of writing, this space is an opportunity for you to share your work and/or network with local artists. Contact Sarah (beckmann.sarah12@gmail.com) to add your name to the open mic list or to become a featured guest during one of these events.

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School meals are free for all students. Nutritious breakfast and lunch are free for all students in Somerville Public Schools. Breakfast starts at 8:15 a.m. for prekindergarten students, at 7:30 a.m. for students in grades K–8, and at 7:15 a.m. at Somerville High School and Next Wave/Full Circle. Check out the menu: https://linqconnect.com/public/menu/FE53U3.

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Apply today for Creative Space at Somerville’s Armory. All creative disciplines are encouraged to apply for open spaces now through March 11. The city is now accepting Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from arts and creative enterprises interested in leasing space at the city-owned Armory at 191 Highland Ave. Full details on eligibility, available spaces, lease terms, evaluation criteria, and how to submit a proposal are available on the Armory Master Plan SomerVoice page, which will serve as the primary hub for this process: www.voice.somervillema.gov/armory-master-plan.

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Some reminders for the 2025/2026 snow season: Snow emergency parking is on the odd side of the street all winter, unless posted signage says differently. Sign up for alerts or update your information at somerville-ma.gov/alerts. You can call 311 (617-666-3311) if you need assistance. Flashing blue lights at major intersections indicate a snow emergency. Snow emergencies are announced on the city’s website, social media feeds, City TV, and via information shared with local media. Property owners are responsible for clearing snow from sidewalks within six daylight hours of the end of snowfall. For more information on the city’s snow policies, visit somervillema.gov/snow.

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The Connexion closet is accepting clothing donations, all seasons, all genders, and all sizes. The most wanted items are pants and jackets. You can drop off donations at Connexion, 149 Broadway. Please make sure you leave donations inside the building with a label that says, “For Connexion closet.” Need clothes? The Connexion closet opens Mondays and Fridays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays 4 to 6 p.m. Want to donate and can’t drop it off? Email closet@connexionumc.org to coordinate a pickup. Questions email: closet@connexionumc.org.

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Somerville’s Teen Shoveling Program is back for the 2025/26 season, providing a paid opportunity for youth to assist local seniors and homeowners with disabilities in clearing snow after a storm. The program is available for teens aged 14 to 19 years old. All interested youths must submit an application. Youths aged 18 or 19 must also submit a CORI form. For questions and to learn more, visit somervillema.gov/shoveling, contact Daniel Harris at dharris@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 ext. 2406, or 311 by phone (617-666-3311), email, text, mobile app, chat, social media, web, and more at somervillema.gov/311.

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For anyone in need of food resources, go to the Somerville Food Coalition’s website: www.https://bit.ly/4ocJ6NB. Free local pantries, community meals, community fridges, and more. Find more information at https://www.somervillema.gov/snap. Here are some locations where you can find free food at Somerville’s Community Fridges can be found at 35 Prospect St., Elizabeth Peabody House, 275-277 Broadway, St. Clements, across from 29 St. Clements Road. Donations are welcome at these locations.

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The Center for Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., will host and manage the 16th Annual Somerville Winter Farmers Market (SWFM) every Saturday through April 11, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This weekly market offers the best locally grown and regionally produced agricultural items, including vegetable produce, cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, pastries, and sweets. In addition to cash, credit, and debit, SNAP / EBT is also accepted at the market. CAA raises funds to be able to provide a $15 match so that SNAP / EBT for every SNAP/EBT customer who spends at least $15 of their SNAP/EBT dollars at the market. The market is also participating in the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), which allows qualifying customers to receive between $40 – $80 worth of free farm-fresh fruits and vegetables from participating HIP vendors. To learn more and for a complete listing of vendors, weekly specials, and live entertainment, please visit www.somwintermarket.org.

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We would like to take this opportunity to thank our Arts Editor, Doug Holder, for setting up a GoFundMe campaign for The Somerville Times. With the cost of printing going up and a lack of businesses having the resources to advertise, free papers feel the effect. We sincerely thank all who have already contributed and thank any future contributors. If you are interested in helping, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/manage/support-the-somerville-times . Or if anyone is interested in advertising, please contact Bobbietoner@aol.com. We offer great discounts to help our advertisers be able to advertise. Thank you all so much for your support!

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Through the generosity of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and under the direction of Mayor Ballantyne, the Council on Aging can provide Durable Medical Equipment at no cost to Somerville residents. Residents with a documented need for medical equipment must be over the age of 60 or have a permanent disability and must be otherwise unable to afford or access the medical equipment needed. For additional information or for an application, please contact Debby Higgins at 617-625-6600, ext. 2321.

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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.