Please join the Somerville Public Space and Urban Forestry Division, and Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen on Wednesday evening, January 8, 2020, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for a community meeting to discuss the final landscape plan for the Central Hill Campus (Phase I). The meeting will be held in the Somerville High School cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave.
Just in time to complete your holiday shopping, the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission has “Preserving Somerville” merchandise available for sale. All merchandise can be viewed on the Commission’s website atwww.somervillema.gov/historicshop, and a list of available items is below.
In its annual tradition, the City of Somerville will kick off the New Year on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, with a reenactment ceremony for the anniversary of the "Grand Union" flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park. Important note: the park is currently closed for renovations, so the event will be held along Munroe St. adjacent to the park. The road will be closed during the morning events. A processional led by a re-enactor portraying General George Washington on horseback will leave from the City Hall Concourse at 11:30 a.m., followed by a ceremony at Prospect Hill Park.
Join the City’s Economic Development team and Ward 4 City Councilor Jesse Clingan for a community meeting on Tuesday, December 17, to discuss the vacant site of the former Star Market on Broadway. The meeting, which will be an open house-style event, will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Healey School cafeteria, 5 Meacham St. Community members can drop in at any time to chat with city staff, talk to neighbors, and learn more about what an urban renewal plan could mean for the site.
Please join the Somerville Department of Public Space and Urban Forestry, Ward 7 City Councilor Katjana Ballantyne, and the Somerville Public Schools on Wednesday evening, December 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. for a community meeting to discuss layout and design options for the new West Somerville Neighborhood School schoolyard. The meeting will be held in the WSNS cafeteria, 177 Powder House Blvd.
For more information contact Arn Franzen at [email protected].
The Somerville Parks and Recreation Department is launching a new program: family-friendly field trips to fun locations in and around the Boston area! Beginning in December 2019, Parks and Recreation will sponsor trips to places like the Stone Zoo, the Blue Man Group, Museum of Fine Arts, and more! Activities are appropriate for all ages, but children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. A full list of dates, activities, and pricing is below and is also available at www.somervillerec.com.
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and the Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment announce an expansion of the city’s Community Choice Electricity Program (CCE) which will bring lower rates and increased renewable energy from local clean renewable sources.
The City of Somerville’s Health and Human Services Department announced that all Somerville municipal buildings are now equipped with Narcan, a life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of opioids, as part of ongoing efforts to save lives and educate the community on overdose prevention.
The former parcel at 5 Palmer Ave. in Somerville will be perpetually conserved as open space, thanks to the city’s first-ever conservation restriction which was executed in September. The property was acquired using funding from the Community Preservation Act (CPA), and will add open space to the adjacent Glen Park Community Garden.
The Somerville City Council Committee on Land Use, and the Somerville Planning Board, invite all interested community members to attend and speak at a joint Public Hearing on the adoption of a new Somerville Zoning Ordinance. The Hearing will take place on Tuesday, December 10, at 6 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. The Land Use Committee and the Planning Board will hear testimony on the proposed new ordinance. They will not be accepting written testimony.
The City Council Traffic and Parking Committee of the Whole and the Traffic Commission invite community members to a joint public hearing on Monday, December 9, at 6 p.m., to provide feedback on the design and implementation of the new traffic configuration on Broadway in Winter Hill, which features dedicated bus and bicycle lanes. The public hearing will be held in the City Council Chambers, 93 Highland Ave.
This winter, Somerville property owners can save big on utility bills with an energy-saving heating system thanks to an initiative by National Grid being offered through the City of Somerville. The City of Somerville’s Housing Division is participating in the National Grid Community Initiative for its third year. During the first two years of the program, Somerville residents completed more than 1,600 home energy assessments and 1,200 energy upgrades, saving $1.1 million.
Join City staff on Thursday, December 12, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Winter Hill Community School cafeteria, 115 Sycamore St. (please enter via Medford St.), for a quarterly meeting on parking changes on the Central Hill Campus. There is also a form on www.somervillema.gov/shsparking where community members can submit questions, comments, or leave suggestions about parking around Central Hill.
Join Mayor Curtatone and City staff for Somerville’s 2019 holiday celebrations throughout the month of December!
We’ll kick off on Thursday, December 5, with the Christmas Tree Lighting on the City Hall Concourse, followed by a meet-and-greet with Santa Claus in the City Council Chambers. All children who attend will receive a special gift from Santa. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. with live entertainment prior to the official tree lighting. Santa Claus will, as always, be escorted by the Somerville Fire and Police Departments.
Do you own or know of any older (> 50 years) properties in Somerville that have recently undergone work to restore or maintain its original architectural quality? Nominate it for a 2020 Director's Award! You can find the very brief nomination form here, as well as more details about the awards program here. The deadline for nominations has been extended to shortly after Thanksgiving on Friday, December 6th, 2019. If not for your own property, explore your neighborhood and be sure to get a nomination in ASAP!
On Thursday, November 14, the Somerville Police Department completed the After Action Report on the "Boston Straight Pride Parade" & Counter-Protest of August 31, 2019. The report is available online on the City's website at xxxxx, and was formally submitted to the City Council on November 14, 2019. A memo from the administration was also submitted noting additional next steps including a public dialogue, a proposed joint resolution on body cameras, the establishment of a Police Advisory Committee, and review of asset forfeiture fund policies, among other measures cited in the report.
Tour guides lead trolleys past the city’s most spectacular residential displays of holiday pomp, sharing stories about the families that decorate and local historic trivia en route. The tours begin and end at Somerville City Hall, where refreshments are served. Entertainment at City Hall includes music by the Somerville Community Chorus and craft activities for children.
Think you might want to become a firefighter? The Somerville Fire Department invites all interested persons to come learn about the benefits of a career in civil service at a Career Open House on Saturday, November 16, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Held at Fire Headquarters at the Central Fire Station at 266 Broadway, the open house offers a chance to meet members of the Somerville Fire Department, learn about how to become a firefighter, and get information on this important public safety career option.
The Conway Park Meeting previously announced for November 20, has been rescheduled. Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Councilor J.T. Scott, and the City’s Public Space and Urban Forestry Division invite the community to discuss site remediation at Conway Park as well as its future design at a community meeting now scheduled for Monday, December 16. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Public Safety Building, 220 Washington Street.
The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for a member of the public with expertise in urban forestry to join the Urban Forestry Committee, as well as a youth member for the Committee. The Committee’s input is intended to support and guide policies and plans currently being reviewed and advanced by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development and the Department of Public Works.
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