Learn about rodent control at a virtual information session. The city’s Inspectional Services Department and the SomerViva Office of Immigrant Affairs invite community members to attend a virtual workshop about rodents on Thursday, January 9, from 5 to 6 p.m. online via Zoom. Attendees will learn about identifying if rats are on your property, rodent control methods, tips for prevention, and city resources that can help. Interpretation into Spanish will be available. Learn more and attend or get tips now at somervillema.gov/rodentsaway.

“The Phoenix Tree” mural currently graces the grounds of Trum Field.

By Lexi O’Neil

A new year brings new appreciation for The Phoenix Tree mural on Trum Field playground. Originally commissioned to bring the Somerville community together, it reminds us that art is in the eye of the beholder. In the city known for great artistic expression, Somerville renews its glow on a favorite artist who is paving the way for their passions.

The Somerville Public Schools’ (SPS) annual school enrollment period for prekindergarten and kindergarten students opened on January 3, 2025, and SPS staff are ready to support families through the process of enrolling their student(s). All students who will be 4 years old by August 31, 2025 are eligible for the district’s PK program. All students who will be 5 years old by August 31, 2025 are eligible for kindergarten. 189 Somerville families enrolled a student on the first weekend of the enrollment period.

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How quickly a year has gone by! A truly much needed addition to the neighborhood, this family-owned coffee shop offers a variety of specialty coffee drinks like, latte’s, cappuccino’s, macchiato’s, cold brew, and pour overs.

As we get into the snowy months of winter it’s good for all of us to make sure we understand what the odd-even rules are and where we stand this season.

Here is a reminder of what the city’s snow parking rules and guidelines are for the 24/25 winter season:

During snow emergencies this winter, residents must park on the EVEN side of the road only, unless otherwise posted.

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I have been a patron of the Bloc 11 Cafe since its inception. And over the years, the paintings and photographs on the walls have attracted my interest. While munching on my everything bagel and updating a syllabus for classes I teach at Endicott College, I noticed a number of vibrant watercolors of scenes from Boston and just beyond. Well, I was on it like the proverbial hornet, and I decided to ask the artist for an interview.

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Olivia Darmanin (she/her) is a junior Mathematics Secondary Education major at Endicott College from Worcester, MA. Outside of academics, she is heavily involved in theater and has been a stage manager and sound designer, in addition to other roles, for ten productions on campus. She has recently begun to explore creative writing, and is honored for the opportunity to be published.

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne makes her midterm address to the city, also with newly sworn in President of the City Council, Judy Pineda Neufeld, and Chairperson of the School Committee, Ilana Krepchin.

Anna Agretelis of Somerville, MA passed away peacefully on January 1, 2025, a month shy of her 97th birthday.

Anna was born on February 15, 1928 in the village of Arhanes, Crete, Greece to her parents, Nikolaos Nisotakis and Maria Markodimitraki. She was one of six siblings including Mihalis Nisotakis, Stella Nisotakis, and Yiannis Nisotakis of Archanes, Crete and Manolis Nisotakis of Hudson, New Hampshire who have predeceased her. She is survived by her sister, Eleftheria (Nisotakis) Manetas of Disputanta, Virginia. At the age of 13 during World War II, Anna witnessed German paratroopers launch a large-scale airborne assault on her native land, leading to the Nazi occupation of Crete. Thereafter, alone and on-foot, Anna assisted with clandestine deliveries of food and supplies to resistance fighters in the mountains near her village.