City Updates

Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced that the City filed suit today against opioid manufacturers and distributors, including the chain pharmacy Walgreens as a distributor, for their alleged deceptive and illegal promotion of opioids and failure to investigate, report, maintain effective control, and take steps to terminate suspicious orders of the highly addictive prescription drugs.

The Somerville Community Preservation Committee (CPC) invites residents to join a conservation about options for a dog park in West Somerville at their Wednesday, January 23 meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Visiting Nurse Association 3rd floor community room (259 Lowell St), and seeks to receive community feedback if and where there is space for a dog park in West Somerville, and how dog parks can be effectively managed in a densely populated urban community.

SOMERVILLE — If you’re interested in big issues like housing, development, job creation, and open space we need your help in planning for the future of Somerville. As part of the launch of SomerVision 2040, the City of Somerville is seeking members for a steering committee that will help shape the community process and immediate goals.

Citing concerns over health impacts on youth, the Somerville Board of Health voted on December 13 to restrict the sale of electronic nicotine delivery systems (e-cigarettes) and menthol cigarettes in Somerville. The new regulations will end the practice of allowing such products to be sold in retail establishments open to youth. Starting April 1, 2019, the sale of both menthol and e-cigarettes will be restricted to 21+, adult-only tobacco retail stores. Somerville is the first municipality in the Commonwealth to pass such regulations.

Please join the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, Ward 2 Alderman JT Scott, and Alderman at Large Stephanie Hirsch for a community meeting on Monday, December 17, for an update on remaining work to be completed at Lincoln Park in the Spring of 2019. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Argenziano School cafeteria, 290 Washington St. For more information or with any questions about the project, please contact Arn Franzen at [email protected].

Please join the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development, Ward 2 Alderman JT Scott, and Alderman at Large Stephanie Hirsch for the third in a series of community meetings, on Tuesday, December 18, to review renovation plans and the proposed construction schedule for the new Allen Street Playground. The meeting is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Academy Room at the Public Safety Building at 220 Washington St.

The City of Somerville’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) invites all interested community members to an information session on Wednesday, December 12, to discuss upcoming renovations to Foss Park, planned by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The meeting will be held at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross St., from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Somerville Historic Preservation Commission (SHPC) has extended the deadline to submit nominations for the 2019 Preservation Awards. Applications will be accepted through Monday, December 10.

During its annual celebration in honor of Historic Preservation Month in May 2019, the Commission will honor Somerville residents who performed significant restoration or maintenance efforts on designated historic buildings, or on non-designated buildings erected before 1967.

Learn more at www.somervillema.gov/PublicCharge