— Photo courtesy of City of Somerville

Join your ward’s City Hall Community Meeting for an overview of the latest City and neighborhood news.

City Hall Community Meetings are an opportunity to learn more about City programs and initiatives, meet your neighbors, find ways to get involved, talk with elected officials and City staff, and enjoy local pizza. The Fall 2025 meeting series continues next week with meetings in Ward 5 on Tuesday, October 7, and in Ward 6 on Wednesday, October 8.

Kick Off Meeting on 10/15

Help shape the future design of one of Somerville’s most used streets.

The City of is planning to rebuild the segment of Broadway that passes through Magoun Square, spanning from Winchester St. to Central St. In addition to rebuilding the sidewalks and repaving this roadway, the City will look to redesign the street to make it safer, more accessible, and to promote sustainable transportation options. 

Head over to Arts at the Armory Oct 30 for the 4th annual Rocky Horror Picture Show with the Teseracte Players for a special 50th anniversary screening.

The 20^th Annual Honk Festival of Activist Street Bands will be hitting the streets of Somerville from October 9 through 12 (rain or shine).

Ordinance updates effective October 1

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is sharing that starting today, October 1, 2025, updates to the City of Somerville’s Condominium Conversion Ordinance take effect. These updates are part of the city’s continued efforts to prevent residential displacement and enact stronger protections for tenants.  

Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

I was 16 in 1969 when I got a job at Woolworths in Davis Square. I was hired as a stock boy but graduated to the luncheonette counter. WT Grant and FW Woolworth were 5 and 10 cent stores, or “five and dimes” in the square. Those are the two, along with Savel’s in Ball Square, that I grew up with.

The Somerville City Council Finance Committee discussed a number of issues of importance at their latest meeting in September.

By Jordan Pagkalinawan

Somerville’s finance committee met on September 23 to approve several grants and prior year invoices, as well as extend and amend a contract with Eastern Bank. The councilors also expressed concern about proposed requirements for Urban Area Security Initiative grants, which include cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.