The last two years have been difficult on many, allowed us to see our system weaknesses and strive to do things better. I have always known that Ward 7 and Somerville residents are caring and generous of heart! Especially during the pandemic you displayed this as we gathered food, personal hygiene products, food gift cards and holiday gift cards for children.

The new building opened to students in March 2021 to support the District’s return to in-person learning while final renovations continued on a 750-seat auditorium. Those renovations finished in early November, and all building construction is now complete.

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The City of Somerville is forming a civic advisory committee to inform the redevelopment of city-owned properties in Gilman Square from now through construction. There are many steps in the redevelopment process and this committee will be a sounding board for the neighborhood through each phase. We are looking for a diverse group of Gilman Square residents, business representatives, and institutional leaders who are excited to gather ideas from the community and share updates with their neighbors.

Collaboration supports the city’s Accelerating Reinvestment in our Communities program

The City of Somerville announced that it is working with The Democracy Collaborative, an economic policy research and development organization, to help the city design its Accelerating Reinvestment in our Community (ARC) initiative.

More than 80 volunteers helped Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services deliver thanksgiving dinners on November 25. Among those helping out were (front row, L to R): Cora Smilack, Katryna Hadley, Susan Goldin, Eda Kosma, Julie Constantine, Viet Van, and Lindsey Smilack; (back row L to R): Bob LaPointe, Lyn Hardy, and Daniel Morrissey; (on stairs) SCES Nutrition Director is Meghan Ostrander.

More than 80 volunteers converged at Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) on Thanksgiving morning to help deliver 535 holiday meals.

SCES delivers a Thanksgiving meal – with turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and pumpkin pie – to local older adults who want one each year. The program typically gets around 320 requests, but had 550 requests last year, said SCES Nutrition Director Meghan Ostrander.

Here is the COVID-19 update for Thursday, December 9. Please also check somervillema.gov/covid19 for information and resources that are updated often.  

Dramatic rise in local case numbers: Somerville tallied 592 positive tests for the COVID-19 virus in November. That is up from 311 in October and is the highest monthly total since March. Residents are urged to practice caution, masking in all public spaces, and planning carefully around travel and gatherings in order to prevent a generalized outbreak like the city experienced last winter. Sadly, the number of known Covid deaths in Somerville now stands at 98. See the latest Somerville case data at somervillema.gov/covid19dashboard.

As we enter the darkest season of the year, an alleyway in Union Square will be lit by a large-scale light sculpture called Iluminaciones by Zebbler Studios. The pixel-mapped LED sculpture debut will be the evening of Thursday, December 9, to kick off the Somerville Arts Council’s month-long Illuminations celebration. Iluminaciones can be found between 329 and 341 Somerville Avenue.