🌱 Patch AM: Why Porter Square’s beloved Big Fish Little Fish finally shut its doors

Hi Somerville! We have the latest buzz right here. Let's keep you in the loop and get this morning started right! ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Why Porter Square’s beloved Big Fish Little Fish finally shut its doors
• What the new Everett soccer stadium means for Somerville’s Assembly station
• How a Somerville artist’s kitchen gallery led to a major prize

Also on today's calendar: 5 Keys to Buying a Home and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: I got fired from the M&M factory. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Sun and some clouds, with a high of 32 and low of 23 degrees.
• Sunday: A bit of snow in the morning, temps: high: 29, low: 11. ⛄️ Brr!
• Monday: Partly sunny and quite cold, with a high of 22 and low of 20 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

• Big Fish Little Fish pet store closes (thesomervilletimes.com) — A longtime Porter Square favorite, Big Fish Little Fish pet store in Somerville has closed after serving local animal lovers since 1971. Owner Armand Ghioni, who started there as a teenager, says it’s simply time for a new chapter, leaving many residents nostalgic for the shop’s fish, small animals, and his deep knowledge of pets.
   

• Kraft Strikes $138M In Deals With Boston, Everett For New Soccer Stadium (bisnow.com) — Somerville would gain a new Orange Line Assembly station entrance, funded with $17.5M from the Kraft Group as part of a $500M New England Revolution stadium deal on the Everett waterfront. Boston and Everett also secure tens of millions for infrastructure, parks, and ticket fees, while the project still awaits environmental and planning approvals before construction can begin.
   

• Yorgos Efthymiadis: The James and Audrey Foster Prize 2025 Winner (lenscratch.com) — Somerville-based photographer and curator Yorgos Efthymiadis has won the prestigious 2025 James and Audrey Foster Prize, with his work on view at the ICA Boston through January 19, 2026. A board member of the Somerville Arts Council, he’s gaining national attention for projects that spotlight immigrant and union workers while still nurturing the local photography community through his Curated Fridge initiative.
   

📸 Around Somerville

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Somerville

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Tuesday January 6

• 5 Keys to Buying a Home
  Charlotte and William Bloomberg Medford Public Library, 111 High St, Medford
  6:30 pm

Wednesday January 7

• 2026 Discover Boating New England Boat Show, in partnership with Progressive
  415 Summer St, Boston
  12:00 pm

Thursday January 8

• Dive In Commonwealth Virtual Information Session
  Virtual,
  7:00 pm

Saturday January 10

• Sarasa Ensemble Presents 'Patron Lobkowitz'
  Friends Meeting At Cambridge, 5 Longfellow Park, Cambridge
  7:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Friday January 2

• Men Without Work
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  7:00 pm

Saturday January 3

• Florence, Stay at Home Dads
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  7:00 pm

Sunday January 4

• Matt Heaton's Burren Boogie: Family Music Sundays
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  11:00 am
• Tiger Moan First Sunday Blues ft. Shane Sager Birthday Extravaganza
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  8:30 pm

Tuesday January 6

• Honky Tonk Tuesday with the Talking Hearts
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  7:30 pm

Wednesday January 7

• Post-Holiday Blues with the Potluck Blues Band
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  7:00 pm
• The Calm Mind Toolkit - Wednesday 7pm meditation class
  Kadampa Meditation Center Boston , 2298 Massachusetts Ave , Cambridge
  7:00 pm

Thursday January 8

• Foamflower, Big Rav
  The Burren , 247 Elm St , Somerville
  7:00 pm

📣 Somerville Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Somerville PatchAM possible:

• Garbage to Garden Inc. — (207) 332-0277
  Curbside Composting Made Easy!
• Buyers Brokers Only — (978) 835-5906
  We Protect Home Buyers – Exclusive Buyer Agents
• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Union Comedy
  August is BOGO Month at Union! Every Saturday at 9p!
• Brick Marketing - Digital Agency — (781) 999-1222
  Brick Marketing, a Boston digital marketing agency.
• FIXER — (781) 218-9426
  Trusted all-in-one solutions for every need.
• The Brow Lab Somerville — (617) 764-2736
  Grand Opening November 1, 2025 - 25% Off All Services

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• The Home Depot, Inc. posted a job opening for Cashier in Somerville. Apply here.
• TJX Companies, Inc. posted a job opening for 7001-Merchandise Coordinator in Somerville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Somerville here.

🗞 Nearby News

Cambridge

• Top US Hubs Hiring Life Sciences Patent Attorneys (jdjournal.com)

Everett

• Nicholas Chiarello Promoted to Everett Fire Lieutenant (everettindependent.com)

Malden

Ok Somerville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I kept throwing out all the W’s.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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