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I recently hooked up with Somerville artists Cara Giaimo, Lena Warnke, Martha Schnee, Hava Horowitz, a band of friends who experiment with music, performance, and zine publishing.

They call themselves “sidebody.” They are part of the fabric of Somerville, MA, the “Paris of New England.”

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Dan Sklar, our poet writes: “The chair of Endicott College’s English Department hired me in 1987 because of this poem about my paper route. He had one too. I have been teaching creative writing at Endicott ever since. I was the youngest member of the faculty, now I am the oldest. This spring I will be done. Who says poetry doesn’t do anything?”

The Somerville Public Schools (SPS) is offering free Preschool Screenings for 3- to 5-year-old children residing in Somerville. Screenings are scheduled on February 26, and April 30, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Capuano Early Childhood Center, 150 Glen Street, Somerville, MA.

Annual review survey open through March 31, public hearing scheduled for March 26 as CPA Committee prepares for FY26 funding round

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is inviting residents to help shape the future of Community Preservation Act (CPA) investments by participating in the CPA Annual Review process. The Community Preservation Committee (CPC) has launched a survey to gather public input on community needs and priorities for CPA funding. The survey is open through March 31, 2025, and can be accessed at this link.

Interested in learning more about upcoming bridge repairs and safety improvements on Maffa Way and Mystic Avenue? MassDOT is hosting a public information meeting to review the planned improvements and provide a look ahead to upcoming construction. February 26, 6 p.m. Somerville Central Library, 79 Highland Ave.

Portico Brewing has earned silver designation as a Bicycle Friendly Business from the League of American Bicyclists, taking its place alongside more than 1,100 businesses across the country contributing to the movement to build a more Bicycle Friendly America for everyone.

Service changes are taking place to support critical signal upgrade work on the Orange and Red lines, MassDOT’s Maffa Way/Mystic Avenue Bridge Superstructure Replacements project, Maintenance of Way work at Bowdoin, and signal upgrade work at North Station.

The MBTA  announced service changes in March on the Orange, Red, Blue, Newburyport/Rockport, Haverhill, and Lowell lines.

Riders can find more information on service changes through in-station signage, in-station public announcements, and at mbta.com/alerts. Transit Ambassadors and MBTA staff will be available on-site to offer information and assistance during these service changes. Riders are encouraged to subscribe to T-Alerts or to follow the MBTA on X @MBTA, @MBTA_CR, and @MBTA_CR_Alerts for up-to-date service information.