Coming on March 11, “Flashback Friday” at the Somerville City Club. Do you still have that poodle skirt? Maybe your bellbottoms and platform shoes? What about those ripped jeans or hammer pants? Break them out! Take a journey back in time and dance the night away to songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Costume dress optional. Join in on Friday, March 11, 7:00-11:00 p.m. at Somerville City Club, 20 Innerbelt Rd., Somerville. Tickets are $15. There will be a cash bar, raffle tickets and 50/50’s. Adults only. All proceeds benefit The Somerville PTA Scholarship Dinner Dance. For tickets, email Kristine Vallery at afaspta@yahoo.com.

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Happy Birthday to a lot of our friends and fellow Villens here this week: A big happy birthday – actually last week – to lifelong resident Irving “Elmer” Johansen of Winter Hill, who is 93 years old this past week. What a nice guy who is sharp as a tack and is sort of a history buff himself on Somerville. We wish him the very best. Also celebrating this week, happy birthday to Lou Ferrara, a lifelong Villen here in the city. We hope he has a great day for himself. Happy birthday to a great lady and friend of the paper, Cheryl Snow. We hope she’s treated to a great day for herself by her large family. Happy Birthday to Patricia Latham, who is also celebrating this week. Happy Birthday to another lifelong Villen, Brian Barton, a great electrician and union guy. We wish him the very best as well. Also, happy birthday to Robert Lomanno, who is celebrating as well. And finally, to a great guy, Scott Gamble, a retired Somerville Police Officer. We often see him around the city. We wish him a happy birthday as well.

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Join the Norton Group Real Estate this coming Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30 p.m. for a Free Home Buyers seminar. Present will be a local attorney who is well-versed in Real Estate matters, Attorney Edwin Smith, along with a representative of the Medford Rockland Savings bank and a “credit repair” specialist.

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There’s a new website in town. Check it out at www.somervillema.com. The Somerville Times is on the site. Also check out www.medfordma.com.

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Those who might be interested in obtaining certification for firearms should look up the Lawrence Rod & Gun Club. They offer an extensive program at the end of which you receive certification for Massachusetts/NRA Certified Firearm Safety Classes. They run a class once a month, which is limited to 10 people and we hear that this is the place to go to learn safety when handling guns. Email gunclub@earthlink.net for more information and or go to their website at www.lawrencerodandgunclub.org and read up about the course.

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The East Somerville Reunion is being planned for this coming June 25 at the Somerville City Club, across from Holiday Inn. They have a Facebook page set up to take reservations: East Somerville Reunion 2016. The first reunion was very successful, with well over a 100 people attending, and lots of old friendships were restarted. If you grew up in East Somerville in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s you should set aside the date and make your plans to attend. You won’t be disappointed.

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We heard that the Mayor was in Mexico this past week or so. Is Bill White, the President of the Board of Aldermen, in charge? We hope so!

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David Gregory, television journalist, author, and former moderator of NBC News’ Sunday morning talk show “Meet the Press,” will speak at Tufts University on February 18 as part of the Tisch College Distinguished Speaker Series. The series brings leaders from a range of fields and perspectives to campus to discuss pressing public issues.The free public lecture, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session, will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Coolidge Room of Ballou Hall on Tufts’ Medford/Somerville campus. The event is presented by Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service, with support from Tufts Hillel and the Film & Media Studies Program. Online registration for the event is available at http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/speakers.

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Somerville High School students are showcasing their artwork through the end of February in a gallery display at the Somerville Public Library’s central branch on Highland Avenue. The gallery exhibit, AMP 2016, features the artwork of students who completed Art Major Portfolio, one of the new Art Major courses at SHS. In this course, students create a series of artwork based on themes or concepts that are uniquely personal to each artist, working in the art medium of their choice. Students not only created stunning artwork for display, but also worked as a team to prepare the space for the February exhibit. The artwork will come down the first of March. Students who participated in this project were: Alexi Delcid-Rodriguez, Paul-Anthony Hart, Miguel Aguilar, Samira Teixeira, Anthony Araujo-Amaral, Pierrelens Rene, Kelly Cachimuel, Fabriny Souza, and Mohamed Rayhan.

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In collaboration with the Mystic Learning Center (MLC) and the PEP grant program, Cooking Matters is offering a 6-week cooking and nutrition program for families at the center. One parent and one child from 8 families can participate in the 2-hour program being offered weekly at the MLC. Share Our Strength Cooking Matters teaches families the skills, knowledge and confidence they need to prepare healthy, affordable meals. The program is supported by volunteer culinary and nutrition experts from the community. Families participating in the program learn how to select nutritious, low-cost ingredients and prepare them in ways that provide the best nourishment possible. The program started last week and will run through the middle of March. On the first night of the program, families talked about the food groups and eating colorful foods from each food group. They then prepared brightly colored whole wheat veggie pizzas and a delicious apple salad for dessert, and enjoyed the meal as a group.

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The Somerville Public Library and the Office of Somerville Commissions invite your participation in newly-created book discussion series on Race & Racism. The Somerville Library Book Series on Race and Racism is a program that features three separate books and discussions, plus a panel discussion co-sponsored by the Office of Somerville Commissions from January to April on every third Thursday evening at the Main Branch Library, 79 Highland Ave., from 7 – 8:30 p.m. The books are nationally acclaimed and include a lawyer’s analysis of the United States’ mass incarceration system, a first person’s perspective of growing up and living, as a black woman in South Carolina and New York, and the advice about race and racism from a black father to his teenage son. Each month one of the three books will be discussed by the evening’s participants, with a final event in April consisting of a panel presentation along with question/answer portion for the audience. Book discussions and book titles are as follows: February 18 – Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson; March 17: – The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander (winner of multiple awards, including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Nonfiction, 2011); April 21 – panel discussion. The panelists for the final discussion are: Joyce Angela Jellison, J.D., Urban College of Boston; Guerlince (“Lince”) Semerzier, Executive Director, Haitian Coalition of Somerville; Sassiane Estany, Program Coordinator, Center for Teen Empowerment Somerville; Victor Nascimento, Massachusetts Municipal Association. For a full description of each of the three books, visit www.somervillepubliclibrary.org. Main Branch Library, 7:00 p.m.

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Jim Carter, who plays Carson, the Butler on Downton Abbey, will be in the Boston and Portsmouth areas February 17 – 21, hosting entertaining fundraising events for victims of the devastating earthquakes of 2015. There is still much work to be done to help the Nepalese people rebuild their lives, and very little media coverage, causing the world to forget the tragedy. These evenings will feature live music, magic, and stories from Downton Abbey by Jim Carter, and the opportunity for audience members to ask questions. Inspirational humanitarian aid worker Linda Crusewill give an update on her foundation’s work in Nepal. Lesley Smith, renowned ventriloquist, entertainer and singer/songwriter will perform and MC the evening. Carter is passionate about making a difference and has collaborated with Linda Cruse to start WandAid, whose proceeds go to The Linda Cruse Foundation. WandAid uses magic, music and entrepreneurs to bring joy and recovery to the ‘forgotten people’ at home and abroad. It aims to empower challenged communities impacted by natural disaster, political crisis and disadvantage so that children and families can rebuild their lives and livelihoods. Carter will also be making charity appearances at the Somerville Homeless Coalition.

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It’s always the right time to learn something new. Register for a Somerville Adult Evening class at http://register.asapconnected.com/?org=3830, or stop by the Somerville High School main office, 81 Highland Avenue, on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:00-9:00 p.m. Contact Sophia Carafotes at (617) 628-2594 with questions regarding Somerville evening classes.