The farm vendors for the Union Square Farmers Market are preparing their fields for this season's crops and here at Union Square Main Streets we're readying activities to make the market even more fabulous. The weekly outdoor market opens Saturday, June 9 and will be held every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm until October 27. It is a collaborative initiative of the City of Somerville, the Federation of Massachusetts Farmers Markets and Union Square Main Streets.

Union Square Main Streets is looking to hire a Community Facilitator to foster community involvement, foster a lively environment and promote the Market.

It's a fun, part-time position for ten hours a week. Among the activities are recruiting and scheduling family-friendly entertainment for each Saturday morning, coordinating educational activities at the market such as children’s activities and cooking demonstrations and overseeing the “Grown in Somerville Booth” – a guest vendor space for local farmers and organizations.

For all the details check out this page at the Union Square Main Streets website. Deadline for applications is April 10 !

Union Square is generally cleaner than it used to be (thanks DPW and everyone for picking up!) but it could still use some brightening for spring. The Design Committee of Union Square Main Streets is holding its Spring Clean Up on Saturday, April 28 as part of a larger city-wide effort sponsored by the City of Somerville.

Volunteers seeking to improve Union Square are asked to gather at 10 am on Saturday, April 28 in front of SCAT (the old Firehouse at 90 Union Square.) We’ll break into teams to sweep up litter and winter debris and weed the flower beds. Tools and supplies will be provided thanks to Tags Hardware, the City of Somerville and other sponsors.

After the hard work on the 28th there will be a community barbeque for all the city-wide volunteers over at Nunziato Field on Summer Street. Dessert is next door at the Community Growing Center on Vinal Avenue where Groundwork Somerville is sponsoring the SomerGreen festival that will highlight Somerville’s environmental activities and information.

USMS has ordered new planter half-barrels to replace the rotting and broken pots on the sidewalks that have seen better days. Residents and businesses are encouraged to sponsor one of the planters. Sponsors will be recognized with a plaque on a planter. For a $40 donation you can bring color to Union Square! Contact USMS@unionsquaremain.org for more info.

Jason Kean is team captain for the Union Square Main Streets Design Committee and Aldermen Maryann Heuston is coordinating more volunteers for the work. Drop an e-mail to usms@unionsquaremain.org to let us know if you can join us on the 28th so we can plan accordingly.

East Somerville has formed its own Main Streets program. They're formally launching the organization with a party on Wednesday, April 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Cross Street Senior Center (corner of Broadway and Cross St. )

East Somerville Main Streets will focus its energies on Broadway from McGrath Highway to Sullivan Square but will spread its interests to happenings at Inner Belt and Assembly Square that significantly impact the economic future of the City. Like big sister Union Square Main Streets, East Somerville Main Streets follows the "Four Point Approach" of the National Main Streets Center of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. At their launch they're looking to recruit folks for their design, promotion, economic restructuring and organization committees.

Welcome our Somerville partner, check out the winning East Somerville Main Streets logo and enjoy tasty treats from the businesses of East Somerville.

Our friends at STEP (Somerville Equity Transportation Partnership) are on top of transit and environmental issues that could affect the future of Union Square.

The Urban Ring is a proposed bus rapid transit line with a circumferential route – a “ring” – that will pass through Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Medford and Somerville. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation is hosting a series of meetings for the public to give their feedback on four potential routes for the line. Somerville is best served by one of the options which links to the future Green Line. Other options eliminate all of Somerville except a stop at Assembly Square on the way to Lechmere and a new loop to Harvard Square via Harvard's new Allston campus. The choices will mostly be made between now and May, so get involved by coming to the public meeting April 17. You may come across notices with a different date. April 17 is the correct day.

Urban Ring Public Meeting
Tuesday, April 17, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Somerville High School Auditorium
81 Highland Avenue
 

While we’re still optimistic about the future Green Line in Union Square there is a storm cloud on the horizon. A Massachusetts Transportation Finance Commission study shows a shortfall of nearly $20 billion over the next 20 years just for necessary transportation related maintenance and repairs, even without new projects.

From the study: "The Commonwealth has committed to design the Blue Line/Red Line Connector and to construct the Green Line to Somerville project as part of the Central Artery mitigation program. No commitments have been made to actually construct these projects, and there is no finance plan for them. And even if these projects were to be built, the MBTA could not afford the additional operating expenses."

The potential good news: The study includes no expansions or enhancements (using state funds) other than $750 million of Boston Region Transit Projects included in the State Implementation Plan. The "Green Line Extension to Medford" is $610 million of the $750. The rest of the $15 to $19 billion 20-year funding gap comes entirely from "state of good repair" needs and operating deficits. There is a loophole, however. The Silverline Phase III, $1 billion in 2006 dollars and the City of Boston's favorite project, is assumed to be built with Federal funds.