The Somerville Chamber of Commerce Monthly Business After Hours takes place on Thursday, September 7, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., at Orleans, 65 Holland Street, Davis Square. Sponsored by Great Hill Dental. Hosted by Dana Iacopucci, Cubby Oil & Energy. RSVP with name(s) and affiliation(s) for you and your guest(s) to smackey@somervillechamber.org. No cover, excellent networking, free appetizers, business card drawing.

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This Friday, the 8th, through the Sunday, the 10th, the 17th Annual Greek Food and Music Festival takes place at Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church at 29 Central St., Somerville. Lots of free parking.

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This Saturday, September 9, the 17th Annual John T. Forcellese Memorial Fund Annual Golf Tournament will be held at the Falmouth Country Club. Tee time is 8:30 a.m. Shotgun starts, all golfers meet and check in by 7:45 a.m. Format is a scramble scored by Foursome. This is a great event to raise money for scholarships, and to date they have given out 192 scholarships. You can contact John’s Team at PO Box 2462 Teaticket, MA 02536 and you can go online where you can get an application on either the website at www.johns-team.org or on Facebook. A great Somerville family that every year honors their son, John, and this has turned into a great local charity. If you want to call direct: 617-543-8152 or email at Forcellese@verizon.net.

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The Somerville Police Department will be holding a golf tournament in memory of police officer William “Billy” Nolan, a great officer and wonderful family who is remembered by many here in the city. The tournament will be held on Friday, September 29, at 7:00 a.m. for coffee. 7:45 board golf carts and 8 Shotgun start. Golfers are $150 and Dinner only is $50, to be held at the Hillview Country Club, 149 North St., No. Reading. If you’d like to participate and want more information contact Somerville Police Relief Association c/o Captain Michael S. Cabral, at the Police Department, 22 Washington St., Somerville 02143. If you’d like to help out by sponsoring, the cost is $100, send to same.

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Happy birthday this week to a great lady, always with a great sense of humor, Patty Oppedisano. She was voted a few times a best waitress here in Somerville, but has moved on to a new career, we wish her well and hope she has a great birthday. Happy birthday to Marilyn Publicover, another former Somerville resident who grew up here and loves Somerville. We hope she enjoys her day. Happy birthday to Grass Bobby, a local guy here in the Ville. We hope he has a great day. Big happy birthday to Nancy Gaudet Bacci, who works hard for the city in her job. We hope she has a great day. Former resident, again, but loves Somerville, from a great family, Judith Medeiros celebrates this week and we hope she has a great day. Happy birthday to Dan Hurley of the local cable access. Dan is the father of Melissa Hurley (Sullivan). We hope he enjoys his birthday. Big happy birthday to a local realtor who likes to proclaim he’s your realtor for life, Stephen Bremis. A good guy, from a great family with long time dedication to the city. We hope he has a great birthday for himself and celebrates accordingly.

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Check out www.ocpf.us and plug in a name to find out who and how local politicians stand in fundraising. We’re looking it over and seeing who contributes to whom. Remember, it’s not illegal to accept money from special interests, including developers, lawyers or unions of any kind

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Fifty years ago this Friday, September 1, in Columbia, South Carolina, Patricia Manahan and Donald Norton married, and have now known each other for fifty-two years. It’s been a roller coaster ride these 50 years. Pat is the best wife a man could ask for. She’s always there to talk to and we have a great relationship, and we love and respect each other very much. We have some great and not so great memories. I still make her laugh and never regretted the trip. This will be a quite year for us both, and that’s what we want. We had a nice dinner. Thanks to everyone out there in Somerville and beyond that have been good and loyal friends.

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For those that might be interested in obtaining certification for firearms should look up the Lawrence Rod & Gun Club, they give an extensive class 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 web site at www.lawrencerodandgunclub.org and read up about the course. We’ve been told that the course has seen a major increase in people applying for it. Same goes for this in Newstalk, the club has informed us that many residents of Somerville have called or gone to the club to find out about certification.

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Remember, the 175th birthday of our city is this year. Celebratory events are scheduled throughout the coming year. Go to http://www.somervillema.gov/somerville175 for more information about events you might be interested in.

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It’s 2017 and Demet’s Donuts over on Mystic Avenue is the best. We’re noticing more and more Somerville residents over there getting their coffee and donuts to start the day. The ladies working there are fantastic and always smiling. If you’re in the mood for a huge, great tasting donut drop over early since they disappear as the day gets on. We’ve noticed more and more Somerville residents over at the store on Mystic. They are finding out like we have that their coffee is better then you know.

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WARNING: Now the latest celebrity on Facebook is a person named Theo Sullivan (check him out and friend him, read and enjoy). look him up, and although some would say he’s not real or he’s someone else, those that are saying anything should be concerned with the word “indirect” – look it up. Especially on a criminal complaint, in particular a “Harassment Prevention Order G.L. 258E,” that was issued two years ago, now on the third year, against one of the publishers of that lesser known fake newspaper has a court order against him. Some of them over there should worry that criminal harassment complaints can and will be taken out on others as well. Be very careful. Don’t be fooled by the boss over there who attempts to extort those that he believes he has something against. Just ask the mayor, who won’t submit to his inappropriate demands and remarks. Again, check him out and friend Theo Sullivan on Facebook. He has some pretty interesting things about the publishers of that fake paper.

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And remember, when you’re reading gossip – even in our paper sometimes (Newstalk is a gossip column) – think of what your reading and consider this: all the erroneous allegations and unsubstantiated charges of wrong doing, and only in a partially read so-called paper – but really a rag that attacks everyone – all of a sudden you have to wonder why. Better yet, ask yourself this question: is it in The Globe? In The Herald? On Channels 4, 5, 7, 10 or 25? If it was for real would the FBI tell a known convicted felon they were investigating anything in Somerville? Somerville is smarter than this person and his associate’s thing. We know how to read and although we might or might not agree with the mayor here and there, we have to say to “where’s the beef?” There is no beef. This sandwich is a nothingburger, but those that are reaping all this havoc will find that karma is a bitch and eventually lies and made up stories are proven to be false, because they are.

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Walking by recently this past weekend we noticed again what is that big fence and iron gate at the “Winter Hill Yacht Club for Criminals” that still has convicted felons as members of the club. We can’t understand why the club, who rents from the STATE that beautiful piece of land which has a huge fence around it, not to mention a gate to keep out residents we guess, can still occupy the premises. We understood that the lease to DCR states that no criminals can be members, or is that the club rules? We get confused sometimes! We also understood that over 90% of the membership doesn’t even live here in the city, and we know that many from the city have applied, but they must “wait their turn.” Maybe they don’t have criminal records. That might be why the club won’t open its membership? Just saying. There needs to be an investigation by someone on their membership list and their applications. We raised this question before. We will keep raising it until the club cleans up its act. Don’t forget, some of us here used to be “Life Members” until the E board changed the rules. It seems like they always want to change the rules when it suits them.

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We have a lot to be thankful for, but those in Texas and Louisiana will need our help. Join us at The Somerville Times in donating to the many charities that are set up and being set up: The Salvation Army, Red Cross and various clubs and organization as well a “gofundme” page that was set up to donate directly to residents that need our help and money. We send them our thoughts and prayers for a quick and speedy recovery to normal. We are all proud Americans and we are very generous to other countries with their disasters, but we all need to step up to the plate and donate – even $10 – to help out our fellow Americans. Imagine if everyone here in Somerville sent a check or donated online. Every $10 or more would be a great help to our fellow Americans who need us now. God Bless Texas and Louisiana and all those affected by this horrible nightmare.

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The Somerville Garden Club Plant Sale, a Somerville tradition since 1995, takes place on Saturday, September 16, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Davis Square, intersection of College Ave. and Holland St. Rain or shine! Discover the perfect plant to enliven your garden or windowsill at this popular yearly sale. High quality perennials, house plants, herbs, shrubs, and groundcovers will be available for sale. Choose from hundreds of plants donated by both Somerville Garden Club members and community friends of the Club. Visit the Connoisseur Table for that unique specimen, or find a tried-and-true favorite among the many sun and shade perennials – there’s something for everyone. Horticultural books, decorative containers, and garden tools will also be for sale. And the littlest gardener in the family will enjoy the Children’s Table. Experienced gardeners will be available to answer questions and assist with plant selections. Proceeds ben-efit the educational programs and public plantings of the all-volunteer, non-profit Somerville Garden Club. Go to http://www.somervillegardenclub.org/plant-sale/ for more info.

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St. Joseph’s Church, 264 Washington St., in Union Square in Somerville will re-open their refurbished gift shop on Sunday, September 17 at noon in the lower church hall. Their special guest will be the Honorable Oyden Ortega Duran, who serves on Panama’s Supreme Court. Michael Fitzpatrick, a teacher at St. Catherine’s School, will also be available to sign his new book, Saving Peg Leg. Inspired by true events, Fitzpatrick used many details provided by Jane, the main character, who is a neighbor and friend, in an interview in writing this story. Fitzpatrick recently received a Master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University. There he learned and participated in research based learning. Research also contributed to the story’s plot. He plans to continue writing other stories in the future. Fitzpatrick is a first-grade teacher and loves teaching all subjects, especially writing, to his students. When his class writes and shares each day, it makes it the most rewarding part of the school day. Fitzpatrick also has written over thirty poems about a leprechaun who visits his classroom every year. Michael grew up in a suburb of Boston, where he still resides.