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.

Join Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 3 Alderman Robert J. McWatters, the Community Preservation Committee and Community Preservation Act (CPA) project implementers on Monday, September 19, at 6 p.m. for a celebration to mark the reopening of Prospect Hill Tower. The Prospect Hill Tower rehabilitation is the first project to be completed with Somerville CPA funds. Attendees will gather at 6 p.m. at the Prospect Hill Tower for a short speaking program followed by the opportunity to climb Prospect Hill Tower and hear the lesser known history of Prospect Hill.

SOMERVILLE – A POW/MIA flag raising ceremony will take place at Somerville City Hall on Friday, September 16, at 10 a.m. in honor of the 37th annual National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

First observed in 1979, National POW/MIA Recognition Day is a day to honor returned prisoners of war and those members of the U.S. military, as well as civilians, who are still missing and unaccounted for from past wars. The day also serves to support ongoing search efforts for the missing.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, the Somerville Commission for Women, and RESPOND announce the Annual Candlelight Vigil in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month on Wednesday, October 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., at Statue Park in Davis Square.

The vigil is an annual event bringing the community together in remembrance of those who have lost their lives over the last year to domestic violence.

In addition to the vigil, there will be a display of the Clothesline Project, a visual display that honors survivors as well as victims of intimate partner violence.

SOMERVILLE – Do you have a passion for parks, affordable housing, and historic preservation? The City of Somerville wants your help and is now accepting applications for one public position on the Community Preservation Committee, which oversees the selection of projects to be recommended for funding by an estimated $2 million in annual Community Preservation Act (CPA) revenues. Residents are encouraged to apply and applications must be submitted by October 21, 2016.