Broadway Magoun Open House. The City of Somerville is planning to reconstruct sidewalks, repave, and redesign the segment of Broadway that passes through Magoun Square (Winchester Street to Central Street) to improve safety, accessibility, comfort, and sustainability. The Mobility Division is hosting an open house to share preliminary design concepts that seek to address these concerns and provide a safer, more comfortable experience for everyone using the street. Wednesday, May 6, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Arthur D. Healey School Cafeteria, 5 Meacham Street.

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Join the city and Mystic River Watershed Association for a virtual community meeting on Thursday, May 7, from 6 to 7 p.m. to learn about construction plans. More info at: www.voice.somervillema.gov/shore-drive-greenway. The Shore Drive Greenway project will create a 12-foot-wide shared-use path through Blessing of the Bay Park along the Mystic River, improving waterfront access and connections to transit, jobs, and community resources. The project features multiple ecological enhancements to advance climate resiliency: 85 new shade trees, 1,520 sq ft of native plantings, and underground green stormwater infrastructure.

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To those celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to Melissa Hurley, who is celebrating this week. We hope she has a great birthday. Happy birthday to local attorney Neil Berman. We hope Neil has a great celebration. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Jack Costello, Karen Mancini, Millie L McCarthy, Eileen Schofield, Jason Mackey, Cynthia Saltman, Jill Marie, Jim Breath, Karen Dupont, Lisa Dervishian, Janet McLaughlin, and Paul Curley, 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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Don’t miss the SHS Dance Concert, a joyful celebration of creativity and community that brings together dance classes and afterschool arts programs on stage in the Somerville High School auditorium. Friday, May 8, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can and can be purchased at the door.

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Somerville’s RSJ Fund is making up to $100,000 total in community programming grants available for residents, advocates, and local service providers working to advance racial and social justice work. Individual applicants may request between $250 and $9,999. Applications are open now until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 29. https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/department-racial-and-social-justice/rsj-fund.

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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 longstanding advocacy for community media and Somerville Media Center. Proceeds from the event will directly support SMC programs. Tickets are available online: https://tinyurl.com/joecurtatone

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Community members are invited to a hands-on design workshop to help shape how a new school building at 115 Sycamore Street could serve the community beyond the school day. Join the city’s project team on Monday, May 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Tufts Administration Building (167 Holland St.) to share ideas on potential uses for indoor and outdoor spaces, including after-school programs, recreation, community events, and more. Feedback will help inform the design efforts as the project moves forward.

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Celebrate Somerville’s Haitian community and honor Haitian Flag Day by joining a Haitian Flag raising ceremony on Monday, May 18. Hosted by the City of Somerville’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (SOIA), in partnership with the Haitian Service Providers Coalition (HSPC), all are invited to attend. The event celebrates Somerville’s Haitian community and honors the history and enduring spirit of Haiti. Attendees will hear from Mayor Jake Wilson and SOIA and HSPC staff. Where: City Hall concourse (93 Highland Ave.) When: 3 p.m., Monday, May 18. For more information, please contact 311 (617) 666-3311.

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The public is invited to attend an informal art reception with SOS artists, Arts Council staff, and the mayor to celebrate the SOS show and the launch of Community Collections. The reception will be held at Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., 2nd Floor, on Monday, May 18, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome.

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SustainaVille Week takes place May 2 – 8. Participate in Somerville’s annual week-long series of free events and workshops showcasing the city’s climate progress, creativity, and goals, and sharing useful tips and information. Visit the Kennedy School to see recent energy efficiency upgrades at work: tour highlights include new chillers, pumps, and controls. Energy Efficiency Tour of the Kennedy School, Thursday, May 7, 4-6 p.m., The Kennedy School, 5 Cherry Street. Arbor Day Picnic in the Park, Friday, May 8, 3 – 6 p.m., Lincoln Park, 290 Washington Street. For more information, visit www.somervillema.gov/sustainavilleweek

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Somerville Music Mixer. Meet, mingle, and connect with others in the Somerville Music Ecosystem. Join the Somerville Arts Council on Sunday, May 17, 4 – 6 p.m. at Portico Brewing, 101 South Street, in Union Square. Bring flyers and cards. Hosted by Somerville Arts Council, Music Ambassador Ajda Snyder and #ARTSTAYSHERE. RSVP is appreciated, https://maymusicmixer.eventbrite.com/.

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Pints for a Purpose: Gilman Square Arts & Music Festival. Treat yourself and support the Gilman Square Arts & Music Festival with a special edition ice cream collaboration with Gracie’s Ice Cream. For a $15 donation, you can reserve one custom pint of ice cream created just for our community. If you would like to contribute more, additional donations are always welcome and directly support the festival. If you would like to donate and not reserve a pint of ice cream, please use our 2026 Festival Donation form: https://givebutter.com/GSNCg26.

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Somerville High School is currently accepting prom donations on behalf of our senior class. We welcome attire to help make this special night accessible for all students. Monetary gifts are appreciated; however, we ask that cash donations not be given. Thank you for being so supportive in making prom a memorable experience for our seniors. All donations can be dropped off at the Somerville Police Station.

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Vendors are wanted for a Flea Market to be held at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Avenue, near Davis Square, on Saturday, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seeking vendors of items, either useful or fun, such as vintage finds, household items, toys, knick-knacks, handmade crafts, etc. It costs $20 to rent a table. For more information or to reserve your table, contact Heather Roderick, hroderick32@gmail.com.

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Help Save Buddy’s Diner! Buddy’s has received Historic Preservation Committee approval for a $75,000 grant from Somerville’s Community Preservation Act funds. This is mood-shifting news for us at Buddy’s, but it’s not enough to open our doors. They help close the gap of $100,000. This is all they need to dish out everyone’s favorite diner fare once again. https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-buddys-diner.

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Garden workshops on the library lawn. Join staff and patrons at the Central Library in the demonstration garden beds as we group delicious food and herbs throughout the seasons. Farmers from Green City Growers will lead hands-on workshops designed to teach you when and what to plant, and how to maintain, fertilize, and harvest successful crops. Learn more at somervillepubliclibrary.org.

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Somerville community members are invited to the “Slice of the City” spring meet-up series. This new series of family-friendly pizza parties in the park offers attendees a new way to connect and engage with city leaders and staff, local elected officials, as well as neighbors, all while enjoying Somerville’s parks. Events in each of the city’s seven wards will occur throughout the month of May from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information and to find all event locations, visit www.somervillema.gov/slice.

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Join Union Square Main Streets and 60+ of your favorite local food producers for the 22nd Annual Union Square Farmers Market. Shop local Saturdays from May 9 to October 31, except July 4 and September 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Union Square Plaza. They continue to offer our SNAP matches. Check the market webpage for the latest info and to see which vendors accept SNAP. To get the latest updates about the Union Square Farmers Market, visit www.unionsquaremain.org/2026-season.

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Want to sell your goods? Applications for 2026 are now open for the Somerville Flea. Join them in Davis Square from August to October. Apply now and be a part of the action. https://www.thesomervilleflea.com/sell.

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A reminder that yard waste pickup began the week of April 13. Yard waste should be put out with your trash and recycling on your normal pickup day and be in either a paper bag or a trash barrel with a “Yard Waste Only” sticker. Get stickers free of charge at the DPW building (1 Franey Rd.), at the entrance desk at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.), or by emailing 311requests@somervillema.gov.

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Hazardous Waste Drop-Off, Saturday, May 9: Next monthly Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Day at DPW (1 Franey Rd., 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.)

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Regular street sweeping schedules resumed 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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Sign up for the city’s Planning, Preservation, and Zoning (PPZ) Newsletter. Stay informed on the updates shaping your neighborhood and city. Curated by PPZ staff, get quick updates on planning initiatives, efforts, and zoning updates. Sign up now and explore other cities and department newsletters at www.somervillema.gov/subscribe.

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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.