Okay, the chilly weather has made it seem more like Juntober rather than nearing July, but we're still doing all we can to heat up things here in Union Square.

Starting out in the morning, come on over to the Union Square Farmers Market June 27 where we're celebrating Bike Day. The kindly guys from our neighborhood bike shop on Washington Street, Open Bicycle, will be on hand to give your bike an assessment. There will be free bike maps from the Somerville Bike Committee. And of course all the usual great food.

So far this season we've been having record-breaking attendance at the Farmers Market. Late risers sometimes find that they are out of luck for some of the best offerings with the cheese as an especially big hit. Fiore di Nonno has sold out their mozzarella within the first hour and last week the goat cheese from Valleyview Farm was snapped up so fast the farmers fled back to Topsfield to bring back more.

Return in the afternoon for two happenings.

The big one is the first event of the ArtsUnion as the Somerville Arts Council presents Sew What?. Curated by Suzanne Piubeni, the marketplace will include hand-made jewelry, accessories, clothing and home goods. Designers and vendors include: PaperWorks, JOJO, Mass.production and Esoterica.

The Swap-o-rama-rama is a community clothing swap and do-it-yourself workshop in which attendees explore creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing. After diving in to the collective pile of unwanted clothing, sewing machines provided by Somerville Sewing and Vacuum Center will be on-site for the modication process to begin. Designers will also be available to share their sewing and customizing secrets and assist with the sewing machines.
Sew What?!? A Fashion, Art and Shopping Event
Featuring a Swap-O-Rama-Rama
Saturday, June 27, 3-7pm (Raindate: June 28) Union Square Plaza, Somerville
 

Need a little break? Step off the plaza into El Potro between 4:30 and 6:30 for the Somerville Women's Commission event where The Knuckledusters, Cassey Molloy and Evelyn Rosenthal will be the musical entertainment. For $15 at the door you can enjoy the music and appetizers.

Whenever there was a big job to do in my family, my mother would invite us all to a "party." There was the wood stacking party, the clean the garage party, the chicken plucking party. Oddly enough, these are some my life's warmest memories. Just calling it a party got all my siblings gathered, ready to get that big job done and to have a really fun time doing it.

So in that spirit you're invited to the Design Annex Painting Party! The construction on the new space is nearing completion and we'll ready to paint the walls and trim the weekend of July 3, 4 and 5th. The Design Annex, the latest initiative of Union Square Main Streets, will be a coworking facility for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs with conference room, studio space, lounge and resource library.

Get a super-sneak peek at the future Design Annex, help create what's sure to be a new landmark in the Boston area, and enjoy good tunes and good times and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Even if you can't make it that weekend with rolled sleeves, if you have painting tools you can loan that would be a great help. Rollers, brushes, trays, drop cloths are all much appreciated. And if you're able to bring some snacks for the hard workin' crew, that would be great too!

Design Annex Painting Party Marathon
Friday, July 3, 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday, July 4, 10 am to 3 pm
Sunday, July 5, 11 am to 5 pm
Come by for any portion of this time.

RSVP to Mimi at mimi@unionsquaremain.org if you can come by for a couple hours or can bring supplies.

Well, the gang from Somerville did it! Thanks to generosity from the business community a lively 40- member team from the City was sent to Tampa for the finals and we brought back the All America City award for Somerville. The National Civic League's annual event, celebrating its 60 anniversary this year, recognizes exemplary civic engagement and innovation.

A written application submitted last spring highlighted local initiatives to bring public transit through the Green Line, improved government communications and service provisions, and youth. That application was good enough to put Somerville among 30 finalists from across the country. In June these finalists each presented a 10- minute skit before a jury from the National Civic League. Somerville's presentation centered on community efforts to secure and support the Green Line extension.

Ten communities were given the distinction of All America City for 2009. Somerville was previously recognized with the honor back in 1972.

Check out our winning skit.

And see the enthusiastic response when the announcement of the win came followed by an acceptance speech by Mayor Curtatone.

You likely have for a long time heard talk about plans to change the traffic pattern in Union Square, with ideas thrown about to make Prospect Street a two way, alter the crazy zigzag intersection between Ricky's and SCAT, widen the sidewalks, create bike lanes and generally address the poor intersections in Union Square.

For the past six months teams of consultants have been developing specific ideas on how to improve the design of Union Square to meet the needs of all modes of transportation - pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and cars. A panel from Union Square Main Streets gave feedback to the early ideas and the consultants are ready to present possible designs to the community for your feedback.

Attend this important community meeting on Wednesday, July 8 at 6:30 pm at the Argenziano School at 290 Washington Street. The three alternatives presented at this meeting will show new roadway layouts, bike and pedestrian amenities, Green Line station enhancement and alternatives to the current plaza.

And talking about roadways and pedestrians...

On July 1 neighborhood residents will have a chance to assess road and sidewalk conditions on and around Washington, under the McGrath Highway.

While it's true that McGrath Highway is a State- controlled road, it doesn't mean that city residents can't demand safer walking conditions. An essential gateway between Union Square and Sullivan Square and essential; passageway for Brickbottom residents, the conditions of this intersections are critical for neighborhors every day.

Meet at 9 am at the Boys and Girls Club at 181 Washington Street. Breakfast will be served.

Participants will hear from walking experts from WalkBoston and learn what makes streets walkable and attractive destinations. The group will then walk around as a group and notice details such as sidewalk conditions, lighting, signage, crosswalks, trees, benches, intersections, activity and note all the barriers to a good walking experience. Some of these include trash and glass on the sidewalk, no pedestrian signals, poorly marked crosswalks, fast traffic, and concerns for personal safety. The event ends at 10:30.

Shape Up Somerville will lead the discussion on what are the best and worst elements of this intersection and how the group can best advocate for changes at the local and state level.

The event is sponsored by Walk Boston, Shape Up Somerville and The Somerville Health Foundation. The event is free. Call (617) 625-6600 Ex. 2414 for more information & to register .

Become a Sustainable Business Leader in Somerville and lead the way in making greater Boston's business community more sustainable.

GoGreen Somerville announces the arrival of the Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP).

The Sustainable Business Leader Program (SBLP) takes your business through a six-step process that identifies your current level of environmental sustainability, makes concrete recommendations for actions that will increase it, and gives you the tools and resources to make those changes happen.

An SBLP coordinator conducts a Sustainability Assessment in six areas:

• Energy Efficiency
• Water Conservation
• Recycling and Waste Reduction
• Transportation
• Pollution Prevention
• Sustainability Management

Based on recommendations from the Sustainability Assessment, each business creates a Sustainability Action Plan (SAP). Upon successful completion of the Sustainability Action Plan, the business is designated a Sustainable Business Leader and receives a GoGreen Somerville sticker and press promotion about your efforts.

Program starts September 1, 2009. It is a 6-month program (3 months assessment and 3 month to complete your action plan).

To apply, there's an application form and a cost of $650 or $500 for Somerville Local First members.

Already environmentally committed and running a green business? You may qualify for the Sustainable Business Leader Award. Check out the website to nominate your business for the award.

For more information, please contact Emily Kanter at emily@sustainablebusinessleader.org or Vanessa Rule at vanessarule@gmail.com.

Entrepreneurs often have to deal and comply with myriad local, state and federal regulations. Navigating the whole process may be overwhelming, time consuming, and frustrating. Attend this upcoming workshop presented by the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development to smoothly move through the process.

At this info session department heads give advice on the recommended steps to successfully open and operate your business and comply with local regulations. Topics to be covered include Special Permits and Variances, Zoning, Building Permits and Certificates of Occupancy, Licenses and Permits.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009
8:00am - 10:00am
Board of Aldermen Chambers Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave
Presenters: ity's Clerk John Long Inspectional Services Department Commissioner George Landers

Registration is required. RSVP call 1-617-625-6600 x 2500 or via email to dguzman@somervillema.gov . For additional details cl ick here.

The next ArtsUnion event is coming right up on July 11 from 3 to 7 pm with the Boston Handmade Marketplace.

This outdoor market features work by local artists and craftspeople associated with Boston Handmade and Etsy.com. Curated by Jessica Burko and Boston Handmade, the fair promotes independent businesses producing handmade works in small studio environments, not factories. More than 25 artists and craftspeople will be on hand, along with live music by The Grownup Noise; craft demonstrations by The Eliot School and The Common Cod Fiber Guild; and a demonstration by local martial artists from the Shobu Akido.

This same day Cantina la Mexicana hosts a special musical event just outside the restaurant from 4 to 8 pm. Cantina la Mexicana hosts a special musical event just outside the restaurant on Saturday July 11 from 4 to 8 pm. Singers George Enos and Michael Conlon will celebrate the great tunes of the 60s, 70s and 80s. Since these toe-tapping tunes are sure to get you up and moving, there's a dance contest as part of the event.

The night before, on July 10th, Third Life Studio welcomes performer/composer Nathaniel Bartlett. Nathaniel's performances seamlessly meld his five-octave acoustic marimba with electronics, a powerful computer, and an eight-channel cube of loudspeakers. With the audience positioned in the center of the cuboid loudspeaker array, a three- dimensional soundfield is projected into the audience space, totally immersing the audience.

The 8 pm performance will feature new music for solo marimba plus three-dimensional, high-definition, computer-generated sound projection. The new works are: "Take Flight," by Allan Schindler and "Sound/Space System" by Nathaniel Bartlett. "Take Flight" was made possible by a generous grant from the Fromm Music Foundation at Harvard University.

$8 admission to the event at Third Life Studio while the other events are free.

The Somerville Garden Club is planning their garden tour for August 2010 and is soliciting your nominations. For the 2010 tour the focus is on edibles and the enjoyment that comes from growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs in an urban setting. Somerville is a city with a long history of agricultural bounty, and the Garden Club is seeking gardens big and small that continue this tradition and showcase the diversity and inventiveness of Somerville.

Submit nominations of gardens that contain something good to eat. Consider elements such as vegetable beds, container gardens, vines, fruit trees, herbs, the integration of edibles and ornamentals in one space, or any unique features or successful growing techniques. The tour will be in August 2010, so the garden should make a nice impression at that time. Feel free to nominate as many gardens as you like, including your own, just use a separate form for each garden.

The form and details on nominations available on the Somerville Garden Club's website. Nominations are due by July 21, 2009.

Planning is underway for two Green Line branches in Somerville, one to Union Square and one going to the Somerville/Medford line at Route 16 along the Lowell Line tracks. The Green Line Extensions will provide new "T" stops in Somerville and Medford that will enable commercial development, reduce the need for cars, increase access to jobs and other amenities, improve quality of life, and increase open and green space.

Similarly there's two tracks of planning going on. One is by the City of Somerville as a series of information sessions on specific topics will lead into a master planning process. The other is the Community Corridor Planning Project led by Groundwork Somerville, Somerville Community Corporation, and Somerville Transportation Equity Partnership.

City Meetings:
Economic Development: July 7; 6:30-8:30pm; 290 Washington St
Transportation and Infrastructure: July 21; 6:30-8:30pm; 150 Glen Street
Housing Trends: August 4; 6:30- 8:30pm; 167 Holland St

Community Corridor Meetings:
Route 16 Meeting: July 8, 6pm
Ball Square Meeting: July 14, 6pm
Lowell Street Meeting: July 16, 6pm
Union Square Meeting: July 25, 10am
Details can be found at the STEP website