SOMERVILLE -- Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan and Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone have reached an agreement under which the City of Somerville’s Law Department will be able to criminally prosecute certain code violations.

The memorandum of understanding allows Assistant City Solicitor David Shapiro to act as a Special Assistant District Attorney responsible for handling Somerville cases. The agreement coordinates efforts between the City and the District Attorney’s office, and will enable the City to pursue problem property owners more efficiently.

SOMERVILLE – As part of the State’s Solarize Mass program, local volunteers and the City of Somerville recently launched the Solarize Somerville campaign to make it easier and cheaper for residents and small businesses to install solar panels.

Temperatures are expected to be high through the weekend and we urge all residents to review these hot weather information and safety tips:

About the Event: To celebrate Union Square’s sizzling food landscape we bring you: Ignite, an evening of international eats, fire throwers, roving entertainment, and a raucous celebration of global culture. We’ll have double the food vendors this year, including Pikliz International Kitchen, Casa B, India Palace, Cantina La Mexicana, Union Square Pizza, El Mineirao, Machu Picchu, Momo ‘n Curry, Bao Nation, Dosa ‘n Curry, Union Square Donuts, Gracie’s Ice Cream, and the Arts Council’s Nibble Culinary Entrepreneurs (Venezuelan arepas and Mexican agua frescas).

Current severe drought conditions have left many of our street trees in dire need of water. While our Department of Publics Works crews are working diligently to care for the needs of our parks, open spaces, and trees, we need the community’s help to provide water to our street trees during these extreme conditions. We ask residents, where possible, to consider assisting us in these efforts by watering any trees in your area, particularly those that look dry.

SOMERVILLE - Celebrate the season at “Seize the Summer,” the August installment of the City’s SomerStreets festival, on Sunday, Aug. 21, from 2 to 6 p.m. between Davis Sq. and Teele Sq. on Holland St. SomerStreets is the City of Somerville’s take on the internationally renowned Open Streets concept, closing busy city streets to vehicles, and opening them up for cycling, walking, dancing, running, and other modes of activity.

The City of Somerville successfully resolved a number of our community's core concerns regarding the Wynn casino project through our recent appeal of the casino's Ch. 91 license. For this reason, we will not pursue further appeal of the license via the courts. I want to be clear, our appeal was never about stopping the casino but rather about our civic duty to protect the health, safety, and quality of life of our residents. While we did not get everything we asked for, the appeal did yield significant and meaningful results for our residents, so we feel the process worked.

SOMERVILLE – More than $1.5 million is available for historic resources, open spaces and recreation land projects in Somerville through the Community Preservation Act (CPA). The City invites residents, organizations and businesses to submit eligibility determination forms to see if they qualify for the funding. The forms and additional application materials can be found at www.somervillema.gov/cpa/apply.

To provide background, answer questions, and take public testimony regarding the fiscal year 2017 Somerville Water and Sewer Rate Charges, an Informational Session with Q&A followed by a Public Hearing will be held Wednesday, September 7, 2016, in the Somerville High School Library, 81 Highland Avenue at 6:30 p.m.

You’re invited to join Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston, and Somerville Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Argenziano School playground (290 Washington St.) on Monday, Sept. 12, at 2:45 p.m.