Updated:Somerville Public Schools are closed Mon., Feb. 9 

All cars must be moved by 2 p.m. to avoid ticketing and towing. Residents encouraged toshare extra driveway spots.

 In accordance with the city’s Snow Emergency Procedures, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has declared a snow emergency for the City of Somerville to go into effect at 10 a.m. on Sun., Feb. 8.  During snow emergencies, parking is allowed on the odd-numbered side of the street only (unless otherwise posted).  Cars not moved by 2 p.m. Sun. will be subject to ticketing and towing. Residents unable to find a parking space on the odd-numbered side of the street may park in any municipal or school parking lot for the duration of the emergency, and may park in lots immediately on Sunday as regular parking enforcement is not in place on Sundays. Full snow emergency and snow removal policies may be found on the city’s website at www.somervillema.gov/snow. A video statement from Mayor Curtatone on the historic snowfall and the city’s ongoing response will be available at www.somervillema.gov/snow.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

Timeline: Sunday February 1, 7:25 a.m. Superbowl Sunday is finally here.

If I hear the word “deflate” again I’ll freak out! So here’s the deal. We have our Chinese food order written down and ready to call in. The TV people they sent to Arizona ticked me off because while they were blabbing, I was in Somerville shoveling and shivering. They ran out of interesting topics days ago.

By Jim Clark

Police officers were dispatched to the Community Laundry on Bow St. Sunday afternoon on reports of a breaking and entering in progress.

By Rebecca Danvers

On Saturday, February 7, at 2:00 p.m., a men’s basketball game will be held at Tufts University in Cousens Gym vs. Williams, where this year’s annual Fane the Fire event will be hosted, in support of national Autism Awareness Day.

Services offered in connection with kickoff of neighborhood planning process

A new city program that offers technical assistance, financial services and other support to small businesses and in multiple languages will launch in Union Square as part of the community planning process for the neighborhood now underway, in partnership with master developer partner Union Square Station Associates (US2), which is funding the program.

By Joseph A. Curtatone 

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

As organizers and community leaders work to put together an Olympics bid for metro Boston we need to cast our thoughts to 2124, not 2024. I support bringing the Olympics to Boston—if done right (which does not include a velodrome in Somerville). With thoughtful planning, I believe hosting the games could create an opportunity to deliver civic benefits to our region and to Somerville. We should not be planning to host a three-week party. Instead, we should be looking to dovetail Olympic preparations with community-building initiatives. We pride ourselves in being national and international thought leaders and a Boston bid should advance the Olympic ideal, using the Games as a transformative event to better the lives of the people in the city/region where the Games take place.

By Rebecca Danvers

Valentine’s Day is almost here and nothing says “I love you” more than a gift for your beloved and your beloved community.

The deadline for applications to serve on the Union Square Civic Advisory Committee (CAC) has been extended to Friday, Feb. 20. The City put a call out for new members in January due to recent openings made available and a desire to expand and broaden the committee. Attributes and skills desired by the city and the CAC might include understanding of local population diversity; green, blue, and open space advocacy; emerging economic sectors expertise; fiscal analytics; or other applicable experiences. Community members interested in serving on the CAC should submit a short letter of intent detailing their interest, applicable skills or knowledge, and resume by email to amaher@somervillema.gov, or by mail to Amanda Maher, Senior Economic Development Specialist, 93 Highland Ave., Somerville, MA 02145. Please include contact information, with your phone number and e-mail address.

We have some interesting headlines for the latest Somerville Neighborhood News show, a community news production brought to you by the dedicated staff, volunteers and interns at Somerville Community Access TV.​ Here is one featured headline:

In accordance with the City of Somerville’s snow removal policies and the city’s traffic regulations, residents are reminded that residential permit parking stickers must be clearly visible as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, and that cars and parking spaces on public streets must be shoveled out by Thursday, Feb. 5, at 6 p.m. Mayor Curtatone asks residents to help the city’s snow removal crews by ensuring vehicles are free from snow and ice, alleviating the potential for damage to vehicles that cannot be seen from the street by snow removal crews, and freeing up additional parking for Somerville residents.