Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 2, the annual road race benefiting the Somerville Homeless Coalition will be held in and around the Davis, Teele, and Ball square areas. Short traffic delays may occur in the areas of Holland Street, Broadway in Teele Square, North Street, Powder House Boulevard, Broadway in Ball Square, and Cedar Street. 

The Somerville City Council has passed a new ordinance that sets guidelines for when and how leaf blowers may be used within the city. With the fall season now here, community members are urged to familiarize themselves with the new rules, which apply to all users including the city and city contractors, residents, commercial properties, and landscaping or property maintenance companies that deploy leaf blowers. A full copy of the ordinance and regulations can be found at somervillema.gov/leafblowers, but key provisions include:

Voters can cast ballots by mail, at early voting, or on Election Day
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On Tuesday, November 2, voters in Somerville will cast ballots for Mayor of Somerville; four City Councilor-at-Large seats; Ward City Councilor in Wards 2, 5, and 7; and School Committee Members in Wards 3 and 7. Below is information on upcoming deadlines related to the election as well as information about options for voting.

Assembly Row and the Somerville Arts Council are thrilled to unveil a collaborative art project at Assembly Row titled We Are Somerville.  This art installation takes the form of three giant vertical banners, which feature portraits of people who live and/or work in Somerville. Collectively, these intimate yet bold portraits by local photographer Kristen Joy Emack convey the personality and diversity of Somerville. The banners adorn a facade along Great River Road and face the Mystic River and the Orange Line. 

By Jim Clark

A Somerville Police officer was dispatched to Assembly Row last week on reports of a shoplifter who fled the Adidas store. 

The officer entered the nearby Puma store and observed a male fitting the description provided standing at the register.

Upon seeing the officer, the man reportedly dropped the item he had in his hand and attempted to leave the store.

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I figured if we always talk about the old days, we need to talk about one of our favorite past times, well mine anyway, and that’s watching old TV shows.

I have mastered the art of maneuvering my remote without having to look at it! That’s how much TV I watch. All I ever wanted to do was stay home and watch TV and now I can do it since I retired a few years ago.

The City of Somerville’s Treasury Department launched Citizen Self-Service (CSS), an online tool that allows residents to look up and access bill information. Residents can now view real estate tax bills, water and sewer bills, and personal property tax bills online, in real time, 24/7. CSS also allows residents to see official city records and check their payment history directly,  and it links to City Hall Systems, the city’s online payment vendor, enabling easy payment access that is safe, secure, and free of charge if a checking account is used as the payment method.

Completion of the new Somerville High School athletic field has been pushed to early 2023, due to issues related to removal of asbestos in the field’s soil.

By Joe Creason

The City Council held a regular meeting on Thursday September, 23.

Upon the Mayor’s request, the ARPA Director and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) were given an opportunity to provide the City Council with an overview of the American Rescue Plan Act. This piece of federal legislation was signed into law on March 11, 2021 in response to the economic and public health crisis brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

After going dark for the past 18 months, the Somerville Theatre has reopened, featuring a newly renovated interior.

By Fernando Cervantes Jr.

On September 17, the Somerville Theatre’s Instagram website released a new post with the caption, “Did you miss us? We’re back! Starting today we’re showing LAST NIGHT IN ROZZIE, PIG, and CRY MACHO.”

After closing on March 15, 2020 more than 18 months ago, the theater opened its door for their first screenings since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.