This Saturday Somerville Winter Farmer’s Market is offering a pre-order only market, outside at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. You can order from several of the vendors this week, and then pick up your goods on Saturday. This is a great way to support their vendors, especially smaller vendors who do not have the capacity to set up their own delivery systems at this time. Please consider purchasing some of their delicious products.

Tufts University is opening up its dorms to a variety of medical personnel, first responders and patients.

The university has offered to house:

Jess Bloomer is the Arts at the Armory Blue Ribbon Recipient of the Month. The Blue Ribbon recognizes a staff member, volunteer or intern who has demonstrated great dedication and outstanding performance at Arts at the Armory.

Mayor Joe Curtatone uses his emergency powers to give Partners Healthcare a site where it can sterilize 80,000 medical masks a day.

Free Grab & Go Meals available at 1,200 sites statewide for 18 and under

As Massachusetts grapples with the shuttering of public buildings, schools, and businesses due to coronavirus, the one in 11 households and 1 in 9 children experiencing food insecurity before this crisis can depend on uninterrupted access to a critical child nutrition resource: school meals. Project Bread, in partnership with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, is leveraging decades of experience with federal nutrition programs and school meals in particular, to support community partners and school districts operationalizing grab & go meals at more than 1,295 alternative meal sites throughout the state.

Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services committed to helping the people we serve throughout this emergency, and we are taking steps to safeguard the health and well-being of our clients and staff.

The agency is working with state and local stakeholders to balance delivery of essential services with precautions that reduce exposure.  As a result of those discussions, SCES is taking the following measures:

Dear Community Members,

Today, Mayor Curtatone has a message specifically for seniors, which you will find further below. Our additional COVID-19 update for April 4 precedes it.

Latest News:
Case counts: As of 10 a.m. today, April 4, a total of 110 Somerville residents have tested positive for COVID-19, 32 have since recovered, and sadly one person has passed away.

Friday’s  decision, which embraces what we have been doing in Middlesex County since this crisis began, calls for a collaborative and individualized approach that utilizes law enforcement expertise and the medical information surrounding this pandemic to strike a balance between public safety and the risk to the individual being held.

The doors may be closed, but the virtual parking office is open. You can renew or apply for a new resident parking permit online at somervillema.gov/parking. New residents should ensure their vehicle is registered and insured in Somerville, and that you have proof of residence (like a utility bill or bank statement).

You can make your garden bird-friendly by following a few simple steps. — Photo © mirceax / iStock via Getty Images Plus

You may not think about it often, but wild birds use your lawn as a rest stop and place to call home. As you spruce up your lawn and garden for the season, there are simple steps you can take to protect them and help them thrive.

According to Spencer Schock, founder of WindowAlert, makers of bird-friendly products for homes, the following changes are easy to implement in order to create a safe harbor for wild birds: