Thursday, May 3, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., join Middlesex County Registrar of Deeds Maria Curtatone at Sally O’Brien’s on Somerville Avenue in Union Square as she and her supporters kickoff the campaign to re-elect her as Middlesex South Register of Deeds. Since taking office, Maria has worked faithfully to improve the Registry for the public and its employees. Maria has made substantial positive changes and looks forward to discussing her progress to date and her vision for the upcoming years. To volunteer for the host committee or for the campaign please email votemariacurtatone@gmail.com. They look forward to seeing you.

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On Thursday, May 3, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., it’s the Somerville Chamber of Commerce’s monthly “Business After Hours” event at Flatbread Company 45 Day Street, Davis. No cover. Free appetizers, excellent networking, business card drawing, bowling, cash bar. Sponsored by Naveo Credit Union and Hosted by Dana Iacopucci of Cubby Oil & Energy. RSVP with name(s) and affiliation(s) for you and your guest(s) to smackey@somervillechamber.org.

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This Friday night, May 4, at the Dante Club on Craigie Street, it’s a Cuatro de Mayo Dance Party, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Brown School parents, staff, and friends are invited to dance the night away. 21 and over only, please. A special guest dance instructor will teach some new moves from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. – but don’t worry if you miss it, you can just do “The Floss” all night. Cash bar. The PTA will provide chips and salsa. Bring a dessert or snack to share or just bring your dancing shoes. This is not a fundraiser – just a FUN raiser. $10 at the door, or drop a check in the PTA mailbox before the event. RSVP forms went home in folders before break. You can also email your RSVP and song requests to brownschoolpta@googlegroups.com.

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Also, the Farmers Market in Union Square begins on Saturday, May 12. A sure sign that summer is near.

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All around good guy here in Somerville, who works at the Somerville DPW and is very popular here in both Somerville and Medford, Kevin “Mucca” McDevitt, is still out with a lot of pain from a torn meniscus that he suffered while on the job. He’s recently had an operation, and we wish him the best and a speedy recovery.

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The Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation presents its 2018 drawing to help our students that are graduating. The drawing is for the chance to win $10K plus by selling $100 tickets. If you have done this in the past you know how it’s done. Make out a check payable to the S.H.S. Scholarship Foundation and mail it to SHS Raffle c/o Joesph Favaloro, PO Box 440275, Somerville 02145. Or you can call Joe at 617-666-8473 or Gene Brune at 617-628-5835. As soon as they receive your check they will mail out the ticket(s) to you. Only a certain number of tickets are being sold, so hurry up. Help a student and get the chance to win $10K. The drawing is set for May 18, 7:00 p.m., at the Highlander Café, Somerville High School. Refreshments will be served.

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How different the new Board of Alderman members are. The Board has definitely gone far left progressive, along with other elected officials here in Somerville. We heard from a few sources that not one elected Somerville official showed up for the Respond Gala that was held recently. Respond does a great job. Its sole purpose is to end domestic violence here in Somerville. We’ve seen this Board of Aldermen change at other times in the past, it’s just too bad when our own elected officials don’t support local charities, especially this one!

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: Big happy birthday to our good friend over at Ball Square Café, the man with the smiling face, Mike Moccia. We hope he has a great day. Happy birthday to another great guy and restaurant owner, Brett Henry, of the famous Henry family at Mt. Vernon Restaurant. We hope he has a great day. Happy birthday this week to Linda Beebe, who is celebrating this week. Also, happy birthday to Anthony Fraser, who grew up in East Somerville. Happy birthday to our good friend and attorney Frank J. Kautz II, celebrating this week as well. Sal Ferro III is celebrating this week. He is well known here in Somerville and the son of our photographer, Claudia and her husband Sal. He comes from a great family and we wish him a great birthday! To all the others we may have missed – and yes, we must admit there are a few more out there – we sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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Sources are telling us that the so-called two-year audit on the Somerville Affordable Housing Trust Fund website (City Hall site) isn’t really an audit, as it’s more a review and really not that good of a review. Funny how with ten years of the actual business of taking in taxpayer money and giving it out, the city neglects to post any audits, except recently. The so-called one which is really, once again, a review. Audit where the money comes from and who gets it, the public has a right to know. We hear that Somerville Community Corporation Director Dennis LeBlanc also sits on the Board of Directors of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. If his organization benefits from the funds at the Housing Trust, why is there no report of where the money goes and how it benefits the residents of Somerville? Several of the Board of Aldermen members are or have been associated with SCC as well. Funny how no audit is called for by them, and they recently voted to approve a $6M bond for that fund. Who gets it? Is something wrong here? Conflict of interest? Just like most of those that appeared at the various hearings never disclosed they either currently or in the past were affiliated with Somerville Community Corporation, yet spoke in favor of the proposal. Including the director himself, who got up and talked at one of the hearings and never disclosed who he worked for and that he was on the Board of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Why are the Board of Aldermen and the mayor so interested in this TAX on homeowners? Are Somerville residents going to benefit from the fund, and if so what’s the percentage of residents as opposed to non-residents? Seems like this mayor and the Board of Aldermen – both present and in the past – can’t say no to a tax increase whatsoever. Oh sure, we hear that they changed it again, but once it’s voted in nothing stops the city from going from 1% to 5% tax to those that sell and, if they want, also from developers only to homeowners? Remember when the last time a tax was instituted and then removed? Oh, that’s right, never happened. Why no audit, even today? Transparency, where is it? Transparency is a word that some of the present Board of Aldermen members frequently use but might not know the meaning, just saying. Watch how this will affect the market here in Somerville and fast. Already, just talking about it is having an effect on the market.

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Somerville is getting a reputation as one of the most difficult cities in which to get a permit. In any department, more especially the Inspectional Services Department, some contractors and homeowners are telling the city and us that they can’t afford to do business here any longer. It seems like you can get a PhD from Harvard easier than getting a permit. Imagine, you’re a homeowner and want to do work on your own property, get ready for the process to begin. ISD was supposed to be streamlined for the community. Instead it’s become more and more cumbersome and costly. This Board of Aldermen and the administration better be careful or the permit process will dramatically slow down and they will see many contractors leave the city altogether. This new plumbing inspector is also part of the process, just too bad. This isn’t going to end well for the homeowner who sees nothing but increases in taxes everywhere.

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Somerville Car Wash is proud to announce its upcoming 50th anniversary with “50 Days of Free” from Tuesday, May 1 through Tuesday, June 19, partnering with fifty Somerville and local businesses to provide a free item during each day of the 50-day celebration. Patrons who purchase any wash package will be eligible for that day’s 50 Days of Free promotional item. There will be a special keyword each day displayed at the exit of the car wash tunnel that can be entered at www.50DaysofFree.com, This will unveil the local business providing their free item for that particular day. Those who are already Somerville Car Wash Gold members, which allows loyal customers one wash a day, can take full advantage of all fifty days in 50 Days of Free.