As we prepare to say goodbye to the year 2020, I extend my best wishes to all for a healthy and happy holiday season.
This past year has been a trying one for our whole nation, and our fair town has certainly faced a unique set of challenges. Routines have been disrupted, traditions postponed, and countless lives altered every day. Yet through it all, our collective spirit of care and compassion for one another remains Somerville Strong. For that, I applaud each and every one of you.
Nothing can replace the birthdays, graduations, proms, and backyard cookouts missed this year, but I hope your family will create new memories moving forward. The promise of an effective vaccine will hopefully mark the end of our virtual world and allow us to return to the personal interactions we all crave. As you celebrate with loved ones in safe and creative ways, I ask you to remember the less fortunate in our community. If your means allow, make a donation to a local food bank. Participate in a coat or toy drive sponsored by one of our many charitable organizations. Reach out to an elderly neighbor who may feel isolated during this normally festive time. As the Beatles put it so simply, “The love you take is equal to the love you make.”
As I finish writing this on my back porch, I can see the rooftop of Somerset Medical Center just three blocks away. I often reflect on the countless unknown stories of heroism that continue to unfold there as dedicated healthcare professionals risk their own lives to save others. Please take a moment to remember their sacrifice, and likewise think of the seven Somerville families that have lost a loved one to the terrible virus that lives among us still. Let us draw strength from the nearly three hundred Somerville residents who have fought so bravely and recovered to once again be with family and friends.
I join with every borough employee and volunteer in wishing you peace, health, and happiness in the days ahead. Marge and I look forward to the time when we can meet again, not on a computer screen, but in person, to enjoy this most special place that is Somerville. Thank you.
Mayor Dennis Sullivan
November 25. 2020