SCC’s Annual Member Block Party takes place 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 at www.bit.ly/sccblockparty. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) will be the keynote speaker, a leader whose voice and vision continue to push forward the fight for equity, dignity, and justice. They will also be joined by Somerville’s Mayor, Jake Wilson. At a time when so much is changing in our city, this is a moment to be in the room.

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March 30, 2026, marked 31 years without Justice for Deanna Cremin. Anyone with information regarding Deanna Cremin’s unsolved murder, please call this confidential tip line: 617-544-7167.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Happy birthday to our good friend Ida Fasano. We’re wishing her a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to Sissy McWatters-Ankenbauer, who is celebrating this week. We hope she had a great day. Happy birthday to Bruce Rollins II, who also celebrates this week. We hope he enjoys his day as well. Happy birthday to Chris Pedersen. We hope he has a great day. Happy birthday to Linda Rock Coutoumas, who is celebrating this week. Happy birthday to Cheryl Constantine Leatham, who is also celebrating. We hope she is having a great day. We wish a happy birthday to all of our Facebook friends, such as Charles Ryan, Heather Ann, Michael R. Foster, Leo Connerty, Joanna Christine, Lyss Nicole, Rachel Fuller-DeAmato, Sarah Obrien, Liam Seward, Patricia O’Leary Shanahan, Carolyn Ryan, and Jeanine Jenks Farley, 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 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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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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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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Open Sewing Hours at West Branch Community Room, Monday, April 6, 6 – 8 p.m, 40 College Ave. Join in for an Open Sewing Night at West. Bring your own project and use their space and machines to work on it. Adventurous beginners welcome, but be aware that this is not a sewing class and there will be no instructor present. Questions? Email Brigid at bblack@somervillema.gov.

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Attend the next SomerWrites event at Portico Brewing, 101 South St., on April 21, 7 p.m., featuring an open mic and guest talk with Somerville writer Lesley Bannatyne, 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! Questions welcome.

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Attention, activist street bands! The applications for this year’s HONK! Festival in Somerville are now open. If your band would like to be considered for this year’s festival, just follow the application https://honkfest.org/2026-festival/2026-band-application/. This year’s festival dates will be October 8-11.

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Calling all artists age 2-18: Submit your work for the Somerville Open Studios Kids & Teens Art Show. Join an Open Studio to create your art on Tuesday, April 14, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m., West Branch Library, 40 College Ave. Art will be displayed in the West Branch Library Atrium April 27 – May 11. Contact Elena with any questions: elenaclamenart@yahoo.com.

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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. Deadline is Wednesday, April 15.

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With Fiscal Year 2027 approaching, the Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) is once again inviting residents to help shape the next round of CPA-funded projects through the CPA survey (www.bit.ly/cpasurvey2026) or by giving feedback at a virtual public hearing (www.bit.ly/cpahearing2026) on April 22.

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Deadline extended to April 4! Modeled after the first residential telephone in the world, which was installed here in Somerville in 1877, the Somerville Museum’s “Let Freedom Ring” public art project celebrates lesser-known sites in Somerville where freedoms were fought. Artists are invited to pick up and paint a 3D printed replica of the first residential telephone, inspired by one of the historical sites. Information provided. This project is funded by an MA250 grant from the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. Learn more and apply at www.somervillemuseum.org/freedom.

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The Somerville Arts Council is pleased to announce the March Artist of the Month, Barbara Mangum, an art conservator and long-time board member of the Somerville Museum. Read the full interview here: https://somervilleartscouncil.org/aotm/2026/barbara-mangum/.

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Sign up for the city’s Mobility Newsletter. The Mobility Division works every day to fulfill the city’s Vision Zero commitment to eliminate fatalities and serious injuries from our transportation system by making our streets safer and more accessible for people of all ages and abilities. Learn more about what the Mobility Division does and keep up with current projects by signing up for their newsletter https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/ospcd/mobility.

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Stop by the Somerville Winter Farmers Market this Saturday and next as they wrap up this years winter market.It will be running until  April 11, 2026,191 Highland Ave, at the Armory, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm.  The market offers  65+ local food vendors with the best locally grown and regionally produced foods, including fresh produce, cheese, eggs, meats, fish, breads, tamales, pastries, chocolate, skincare products, and more. They accept Pay with cash, card, check, and SNAP/HIP. Visit https://www.somwintermarket.org/

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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: 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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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/f/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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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.