Learn about Somerville history from the folks who lived it! Some of the prominent people memorialized at Milk Row cemetery including Harriet Thorp, Osgood and Emiline Dane, Widow Rand rise from the dead and in this outdoor play share tales from their lives. Presented by Historic Somerville with the assistance of the Somerville Museum and the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission, this program is part of the Somerville Arts Council's ArtsUnion. Families welcome. Hot cider and donuts for all. $5 per Adult; $3 for Children 8 - 12 and Seniors over 65; free for Children under 8.

The Ghosts of Union Square takes place Saturday, October 18 from 4 pm to dusk at Milk Row Cemetery, next to Market Basket at 400 Somerville Ave. Rain/high wind date is Sunday, October 19. For further information contact the Historic Preservation Commission at City Hall via 617- 625-6600, x. 2525 or bwilson@somervillema.gov.

Saturday, October 18th is 24-Hour Comic Day and Hub Comics is one of the locations around the world hosting the event. Local artists will attempt to write and draw a complete, 24-page comic book in 24 hours. Can they do it?

If you'd like to participate as an artist the event is free but pre-registration is required. If you'd like to cheer the artists on, just stop on by the store. They're promising refreshments and coffee around the clock.

Get all the 24-Hour Comic Day details.

Union Square Main Streets hosts a series of workshops for businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs with East Somerville Main Streets and the City of Somerville. One resource that often is noted by speakers is the wealth of information available at the Kirstein Business Branch of the Boston Public Library.

The Kirstein Business Branch is teaming up with the Artists Foundation on November 8 and 9 for the "Artist's Leadership and Entrepreneurship Conference." This second annual event brings together Massachusetts artists working in all disciplines (visual, literary, performing, etc.) to help them advance their livelihoods. The conference is free of charge and includes a series of panels, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities to provide artists with valuable tools, education and resources.

Learn all the details

Throughout the late spring and summer Somerville Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development has been soliciting feedback on the proposed zoning changes for Union Square. In gatherings large and small, city staff have heard from residents, business and property owners, architects and developers and incorporated this feedback into a revised document. They'll present this revised proposal at a community meeting on Tuesday, October 14 at 6 pm at the Somerville High School Auditorium.

Among neighborhood concerns about the proposal are the heights and massing and how new development might be incorporated into the current fabric of Union Square. Union Square Main Streets was given help from the Community Design Resource Center who matched us with the pro bono services of the planning and architectural firm Perkins+Will.

For the last three months a capable team led by Patrick Cunningham of Perkins+Will, backed up with the talents of several Somerville architects, created a 3-D model of Union Square. This model was invaluable to test the proposed new zoning rules and to visualize what a future Union Square might look like. Thanks to this team, on Tuesday you'll be able to see in glorious 3-D, what the vista from Prospect Hill might become, how new mixed use development in the center of the Square might relate to nearby historic properties, and how open space might be incorporated into each development.

You can review the maps and proposal before the meeting from the City's website.

Community Meeting on Zoning Changes in Union Square
Tuesday, October 14, 6 pm
Somerville High School Auditorium on Highland Ave

Fluff is over for this year. Thank you to the dozens of energetic volunteers, vendors, performers, and merrymakers who didn't let a little drizzle dampen their enthusiasm for Fluff.

If you'd like to see photos and videos from the event check out the Fluff page on the USMS website.

And if you're still hungry for a taste of Fluff, there are some t-shirts and hoodies still available and on sale now at Grand. The Fluff Boy Comic Book is also on sale at Hub Comics.

If you didn't get a chance to see the original art from the book, along with the hilarious ads the artists created for local businesses in the style of 1917 newspapers - the year Fluff was invented - the show is on display until the end of October at SCAT.