This Thursday, June 28 (rain date July 5), join Mayor Joe Curtatone and the City of Somerville for the annual 4th of July Fireworks, with live entertainment beginning at 6 p.m. The entertainment lineup for the fireworks includes performances by the Somerville Sun setters, local Disco-Funk band Booty Vortex, the USO Metropolitan New York Performers, and the U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty, leading up to a 30-minute fireworks display at approximately 9:15 p.m.

*********************

Family fun day will be held at Trum Field on Saturday, June 30 (with a rain date of July 1), from noon-5:00 p.m. and will include FREE BBQ, children’s activities, a watermelon eating contest, face painting, a Curious Creatures demonstration, music and much more. For both events various roads leading into the activities will be closed.

*********************

Some birthdays here in the ‘Ville this week: Nicole Weston, Tara Killeen-Shannon and Paul J. Papa, all long time ‘Villen residents. Also, David Brendon of Union Square, a new resident from California who is into creating computer games.

*********************

Welcome home to former Ball Square resident, Diane Mahoney of the Mahoney family. We hope her visit home is enjoyable and wish her a safe trip back to Florida, where she now resides and works for JetBlue. Diane was quite the political junkie back in the 80’s and 90’s here in Somerville. She definitely has a lot of friends here.

*********************

Welcome home to Pat Norton who again was at MGH having another surgery. She’s home now recuperating and both her and her husband happy to be home. The wonderful people at Mass General did another outstanding job. What a great place to have in our own back yard, so few miles and minutes away and we think highly of how wonderful the care and attention they give is.

*********************

Also welcome home to Peggy Johansen, who was also at MGH. She’s doing fine and her family is glad to have her home again. Peggy is a wonderful lady who never complains about anything. We hope she is well on the road to recovery and will be out and about shortly.

*********************

Big Birthday party last week, the Toners celebrating mom’s 82nd birthday. Cam has so many children and grandchildren, and that Saturday night she had a great time. We certainly wish her many happy returns. As everyone knows, Cam is the author of our own Ms. Cam’s Olio.

*********************

It looks like our favorite DPW commissioner, Stan Koty, and his family are moving back to Somerville. They will be back we hear by the end of July. We bet the first thing he and his family do is to register to vote in the September primary. The best DPW commissioner by far, it’s a great job that he does, and some of us here at The News have seen a lot of Commissioners come and go.

*********************

We hear that City Manager of Cambridge, Robert W. Healy, is soon to retire and that maybe – just maybe – our own Mayor Joe Curtatone is thinking of applying. It’s just a rumor. We doubt it, but we’ll keep you posted.

*********************

Speaking of our Mayor, we want to wish Joe a happy birthday this Thursday, the same day as the fireworks at Trum Field, so make sure you say happy Birthday to him. Joe is a great mayor and hopefully he continues to be the mayor. We know he loves his job.

*********************

Also celebrating last week was Frank Santangelo, a close friend of the mayor and a DPW employee as well, as well as the son-in-law of Cindy Hickey. Many happy returns for both gentlemen.

*********************

To our good friends Nancy and Joe Dovidio, we wish them both Happy 26th Anniversary. Many more hopefully to come. Both Nancy and Joe are well known Somerville residents throughout the city.

*********************

Many thanks to our good friend Marge Mohahan, who sent over a pan of home cooked eggplant to The News (other office – it wasn’t to the main office) for everyone to feast on. Simply great. We hear that she also makes a great chocolate and peanut butter with nuts brownie and we’re hoping she sends some of that our way next…even to the main office.

*********************

What’s with all the dead pigeons under McGrath highway overpass? Dozens of pigeons lying side by side and rats actually running with their dead carcasses in their mouths. Could that be a major contributor to the rat infestation problems in that area? There are also literally thousands of pigeon droppings as well under that overpass. So much that the ground even looks white.

*********************

The annual SomerMovie Fest lineup has been announced for Summer 2012. Showings are scheduled every Thursday evening at dusk, beginning with a screening of “Megamind” on July 12, at Seven Hills Park in Davis Square. Movies are shown every Thursday night through August 30 beginning at dusk at locations throughout the city, culminating with a Viewer’s Choice selection, voted by attendees throughout the summer, of one of the four following films: “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Despicable Me,” “Eight Men Out,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “Pride & Prejudice (2005).”See the city’d website for the full schedule, www.somervillema.gov.

*********************

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 7 Alderman Robert Trane invite all interested residents and stakeholders to a community meeting tonight, Wednesday, June 27 to discuss final design plans for the North Street Playground. The meeting will be held in the Clarendon Housing Community Room, located at 268 Rear, Powderhouse Blvd. Section B #15, beginning at 7:00 p.m. All community members are welcome, and light refreshments will be served, courtesy of the Somerville High School Culinary Arts Program.