Attend the FY27 Water and Sewer Rates Public Hearing. The City of Somerville Water and Sewer Department invites all community members to a hybrid public hearing to review proposed Water and Sewer rates for Fiscal Year 2027 on Thursday, May 28, at 6 p.m. Join in person at the Highlander Forum located at Somerville High School (81 Highland Ave.). This is a change of location from Franey Road to the High School. Virtually via Zoom: us06web.zoom.us/j/87092143821, Webinar ID: 870 9214 3821. If you’re unable to attend but would like to share feedback, please send comments by email: water@somervillema.gov with the subject line “RATE HEARING.” Comments must be received by 12 p.m. on May 28 to be conveyed to the Department during the hearing.

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On Saturday, May 30, join the third annual New England Hong Kong Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Seven Hills Park in Somerville to celebrate the culture, food, and creativity of the Hong Kong community across the region. The event is free and open to all. Rain date is Sunday, May 31. Hosted during Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Month, this year’s festival brings together 40 local vendors, artists, and community groups offering food, gifts, and interactive activities. For more information, including full event listings and vendor updates, visit newenglandhkfest.com and follow @newenglandhkfest on Instagram and Facebook.

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Celebrating their birthdays this week: A big happy birthday to a special person who is celebrating this week, Chrissy Clark, our own Editor’s wife. We wish her the best and wish her a very special day. Happy birthday to a great guy, former City Councilor At-Large Bill White, who is celebrating this week. We wish him a very happy birthday. A big happy birthday to a wonderful person with a big heart, Mary Kane Hart. We wish her a special day, celebrating with her family and friends. We wish all of our Facebook friends, such as Karen Ferullo, Tim Devin, Jack Perenick, Patrick Courtney, John Gore, and Mary Champagne Adamson, a great 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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Somerville’s Land Use Committee and Planning Board are hosting a virtual joint public hearing on Thursday, June 18, at 6:30 p.m. https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qFtvv6-zQLilBdyIXqoHOA#/registration. Hearing items include a request to approve Urban Center Housing Tax Increment Financing and amendments to Somerville’s current Zoning Ordinance regarding homeless shelters. Submit public comments for this hearing to the City Clerk’s office at City Hall (93 Highland Ave.) or via email at publiccomments@somervillema.gov by 4 p.m. on June 18.

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The Union Square Neighborhood Council is excited to invite local organizations, nonprofits, artists, makers, volunteers, and neighbors to join them for their upcoming Kickball Connect Community Event. It happens on Saturday, May 30, at the Lincoln Park softball field, starting at 2:30 p.m., with the “first pitch” at 3 p.m. Register your team or register as an individual by May 27 if you’d like to play. Tournament rules and schedule released on May 29. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeclkxPFWpwwjHnSWWbq6kr-TZ55RudDILvF1zoGyRYNLrvNQ/viewform.

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Somerville’s Elections Department recently sent its second round of census forms to residents. Annual 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 questions.

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Aspiring gardeners of all ages are invited to workshops led by Green City Growers. Learn when and what to plant and how to maintain, fertilize, and harvest successful crops. The next event in this series will be held on Saturday, May 30, on the Central Library lawn (79 Highland Ave.) from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

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Join the Somerville Museum for Monuments, Burials & Restoration at Milk Row Cemetery on Thursday, May 28, at 6 p.m., 439 Somerville Ave. Art Conservator Barbara Mangum will lead a special talk on Civil War monuments, burials, and restoration efforts at one of Somerville’s oldest historic sites. Come learn more about the stories, preservation work, and local history held within Milk Row Cemetery. The event is free and open to the public.

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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. Get your tickets in advance for this great event because they will cost more at the door! Advance ticket sales end on June 3.

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#ARTSTAYSHERE’s new exhibition, Faces, Spaces & Places, opens Friday, June 5, at the Somerville Museum, 6 – 8 p.m. One Westwood Rd. Faces, Spaces & Places is a visual exhibition exploring the causes, impact, and potential solutions to end artist displacement, offering a spatial justice view of the overlooked value of affordable artist workspaces across Massachusetts. Through photographs, maps, testimony, and community engagements, The #ARTSTAYSHERE Coalition shares insights into what’s caused artist displacement over time and how their volunteer advocacy organization, in partnership with community and other stakeholders, has turned the displacement trajectory around. RSVP: https://www.somervillemuseum.org/

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Somerville’s annual Water System Flushing Program began Monday, May 18, and continues through late October. This program consists of flushing pipes at high velocities to clean water mains and maintain the highest possible water quality. Flushing will take place on Mondays and Thursdays between 6 p.m. and midnight to minimize potential disruptions to water service. Temporary drops in water pressure and/or discolored water can occur. In these cases, though the water may be discolored, it is safe to drink. Until the water runs clear, it is advisable to avoid washing laundry, especially white fabrics. Learn more at: somervillema.gov/hydrantflushing.

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Jane’s Walk: Assembly Row – A Historical Perspective, Sunday, May 31, 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., 330 Canal Street, Assembly Row. Join the Somerville Museum for a Jane’s Walk through Assembly Square, exploring how this waterfront neighborhood has changed over time. Beginning at 330 Canal Street, the tour traces the area’s evolution from early transportation routes and industrial sites to today’s vibrant mixed-use district, with stops highlighting the Ford Assembly Plant, the Mystic River, and the public spaces of Assembly Row. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.somervillemuseum.org/.

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SomerStreets: Carnaval is returning to East Somerville to kick off the 2026 SomerStreets season. The festival will take place on Sunday, June 7, from 2–6 p.m. (rain date: Sunday, June 14) and will once again transform Broadway into a vibrant, walkable celebration of community and culture. The festival will stretch along Broadway, from McGrath Highway to Pennsylvania Avenue, creating a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy. https://www.eastsomervillemainstreets.org/carnaval2026.

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Taste of Somerville, one of the region’s signature community food festivals, returns on Wednesday, June 10, bringing together more than 50 restaurants, breweries, bakeries, beverage makers, and local food businesses for an evening celebrating Somerville’s food scene. Taste of Somerville 2026, featuring 50+ restaurants, breweries, bakeries, beverage makers, and local food businesses. 5 – 8 p.m., Boynton Yards, Somerville. For more information and tickets, visit www.tasteofsomerville.org.

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The Gilman Square Neighborhood Council has announced that Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson will be coming to Gilman Square next month to share his vision for the Homans Site. This is the empty city-owned lot at the T stop, at 352 Medford Street. Come hear about plans for development, bring your questions for the mayor about his vision for the site, and enjoy some early evening refreshments with your neighbors. The GSNC continues to advocate with the city for development of the site, so please feel free to reach out to the board with any feedback you would like included at board@gilmansquarenc.org. Monday, June 8, 5:30 p.m. at the Homans Site, 352 Medford St. Pizza Provided.

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Meet Somerville’s K9 Unit at Nunziato Dog Park Water Fountain Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, June 2. Community members and their furry friends are invited to a ribbon cutting for a dual water fountain for dogs and people on Tuesday, June 2, at Nunziato Field and Dog Park (7 Putnam St.) from 1 to 2 p.m. Rain date: Wednesday, June 3, from 3 to 4 p.m. Somerville K9 Team dogs Fluff and Missy, will join the officials gathering with the community to mark the occasion. Please keep dogs leashed during the ceremony.

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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. The series continues on Wednesday, June 3, in Ward 3 at Prospect Hill Park (68 Munroe St.) from 5 to 7 p.m. Ward 3 includes northern Union Square, Prospect Hill, Spring Hill, Central Hill, and more. For more information, 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 through 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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The Davis Square Market has opened for the 2026 Season. The market will run every Wednesday from 12 noon to 6 p.m., through November 25, at 44 Day St., Somerville. This long-running market features over two dozen Massachusetts farmers and food producers offering a vibrant selection of delicious produce, protein, baked goods, ready-to-eat meals, alongside a host of other locally made products. The market accepts cash, credit/debit cards, WIC/Senior coupons, and EBT cards and offers a weekly $15 SNAP Match. Visit https://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/davis.

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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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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.