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SOMERVILLE WIRE: November 9, 2021 WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Photo of the Armory courtesy of Arts at the Armory.
Photo of the Armory courtesy of Arts at the Armory.

A Highland Avenue redesign meeting, a Gilman Square street design meeting, and a concert at the Center for Arts at the Armory

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Shorts

Highland Avenue redesign meeting to take place virtually

Mayor Joe Curtatone, City Councilors Ben Ewen-Campen, Mark Niedergang, and Lance Davis will be hosting a virtual public meeting to discuss the redesign of Highland Avenue. It will be held on Nov. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

The City is restructuring nearly the entire length of Highland Avenue. According to a Facebook post, “underground improvements to upgrade aging sewers and stormwater infrastructure will begin this winter on portions of Highland Avenue as part of the Spring Hill Sewer Separation Project, and streetscape changes are expected to follow in 2023.”

“The new streetscape design will include protected bicycle lanes, pedestrian safety measures, and MBTA bus improvements. Achieving this vision will require fewer on-street parking spaces and changes to parking regulations, with particular focus paid to loading zones, pickup and drop-off locations, and accessibility,” reads the post. “At this meeting, City staff will detail the project scope and timeline, present parking data, summarize responses from customer and business surveys, and gather feedback from meeting attendees.”

Those who wish to attend can visit the following link:

https://voice.somervillema.gov/the-highland-ave-sewer-separation-project/.

Gilman Square street design community meeting

Mayor Joe Curtatone, City Councilors Matt McLaughlin, Jesse Clingan, and Ben Ewen-Campen invite the public to a virtual community meeting to discuss the Gilman Square Street Design. The meeting will take place on Nov. 22 at 6:00 p.m.

At this meeting, City staff will provide an update on present and future projects in Gilman Square. They will also present the feasibility study for an accessible path from Marshall Street to the Medford Street Bridge and Community Path extension, open a discussion on options for protected bicycle lanes on Medford Street and Pearl Street from the School Street to the Skilton Ave intersections, and gather public feedback.

Please register at the following link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2G3RVgxnTgqqGTYWfm8bnw/.

Tobin Sprout at the Center for Arts at the Armory

Painter, illustrator, author, songwriter, and former Guided By Voices guitarist Tobin Sprout will be performing at the Center for Arts at the Armory on Nov. 14. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show will begin at 7:30 p.m. A group called Hallelujah the Hills, described as “the kind of punk rock you’d expect on stage at the roadhouse from Twin Peaks” by the Boston Herald, will open.

Sprout will be playing from his latest album, “Empty Horses.” On this compilation of songs, “he reinvents his craft with a stark and poignant solo album, taking a dramatic and unexpected departure from his previous work.”

“The album is a meticulously observed study of America and Americana (not the music, but the state of mind), an alternative American Songbook, a collection of laments to simpler times and the struggle for what’s right, peppered with an examination of faith and the search for a sense of justice,” reads a press release. “In Guided By Voices, (1986-1997, 2011-2014), Sprout penned classic songs including “Atom Eyes,” “It’s Like Soul Man,” “Gleemer,” “A Good Flying Bird,” “14 Cheerleader Coldfront,” and released solo albums on Matador, Burger and Fire Records. On tour, Sprout will be joined by his longtime band with Tommy Schichtel, Steve Vermillion and Gary Vermillion.”

Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tobin-sprout-whallelujah-the-hills-tickets-188730898197/.

This article is syndicated by the Somerville Wire municipal news service of the Somerville News Garden project of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.

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Shira Laucharoen is assistant director of the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism and assistant editor and staff reporter of the Somerville Wire.

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