Last week, we challenged folks to share the decorations that they felt best captured seasonal merriment, people’s humanity, or much needed humor during this clearly historic year.  Since then, we have received several fantastic entries from Somervillians all around the City!  However, the season is not over yet, so to maximize holiday cheer, we've decided to extend the deadline for entries to Tuesday, December 29th!

The Somerville City Council and School Committee will hold combined virtual organizational meetings on Monday, January 4, beginning at 6 p.m. Members will elect leadership for each body. Visit https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5454878807998400015 to register to attend the meeting.

In its third and largest round of COVID-19 business relief to date, the City of Somerville has made an additional $5 million available for small businesses affected by the pandemic. 

Open Positions: Eight positions available
Term: 12 months (anticipated)
Availability: Immediate

The City of Somerville is seeking community members to serve on a Charter Review Committee and the deadline to apply has been extended to January 19. 

Like everyone else, we are watching events unfold on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. To say that it is disheartening would be a gross understatement. It is an assault on our beliefs and our values as a nation. While this shameful chapter in our national history takes place, we are grateful for our own community's civic strength and want to assure our residents, workers, families, and students, that we are being vigilant at the local level to make sure that no one here imitates the violence we are seeing in our capital. We are committed to the safety of our residents.
 

With high numbers of new COVID-19 cases, Somerville will remain in a modified Phase 2, Step 2 of business reopenings until further notice. Somerville rolled back to this earlier phase of reopening on December 17.

A new playground is now open for some of Somerville’s youngest residents near Union Square. The Allen Street Garden and Pocket Park, which officially opened last month with a COVID-compliant ribbon-cutting ceremony, now features imaginative and engaging play structures for kids aged 2 through 5, as well as renovated community garden facilities.

The City of Somerville’s Prevention Services Division, in partnership with Cambridge Health Alliance, will host a virtual photovoice exhibition facilitated by Somerville youth to raise awareness about underage problem gambling. Photovoice is a method of exploring social issues that empowers individuals to tell a story through photography. The event will be held on Thursday, January 28, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Visit somervillema.gov/ProblemGambling at that time for a link to attend.

Somerville’s 100 Homes program is now accepting applications to be added to its affordable housing waitlist. Eligible applicants include people facing displacement, Section 8 voucher holders, and households earning between 80% and 100% of the area median income.

Learn more at SomervilleMA.gov/FrozenPipes