We hear Detective Mario Oliveira has returned to the hospital this week with an infection. Mario was shot while serving a warrant Nov. 2 and many in the city, including us here at Newstalk, are eager for him to return home soon. On Saturday night at the Overtime Sports Bar at 208 Rantoul Street in Beverly from 8p.m. to 11p.m., there will be a benefit for Mario; tickets are available at the door and on facebook.

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

We would like to welcome home long time Somerville resident and friend of the News, Nicole Blundon who was recently in the hospital and we hear is on the mend from her surgery, we wish her well.

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

Happy Birthday to one of the nicest ladies here in the ‘Ville, Nancy Moccia, who is the face of Victors Deli in Ball Square. When you walk in you feel like you’re part of the family and Nancy is just one of the biggest reasons why. We wish her many more happy birthdays, catch her this week and say hi and Happy Birthday to her. Also celebrating his over the 70’s birthday is long time resident and Real Estate Broker Billy Murphy, another nice guy who owns Colony Real Estate. He’s been there  on Broadway for about 40 years and he’s still going strong.

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

We saw an email sent to the Mayor’s office by the Somerville Police Honor Guard, basically telling the Mayor they were resigning as the official Honor Guard. They told the Mayor in the letter that it was not a decision made hastily but after careful consideration over the past several months.  We understand that the Mayor sent his regrets and thanks for their many years of service as the Honor Guard.   No more was said by either on why or what prompted this decision, but we will surely miss this unit, they did a wonderful job for many years here in Somerville.

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

We heard that Mayor Joe Curtatone and the brother of Alderman Bob Trane, Paul, are serving on the transition team for the newly elected state Auditor Susan Bump.

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

Small businesses across the city are hurting here just like everywhere, we encourage everyone to shop and use local businesses this holiday season. It’s going to be a long hard cold winter and hopefully we can get out of this recession. Dozens of closed places along the many streets indicate how difficult it is, let’s hope that the aldermen loosen up on some of the restrictions for small businesses that want to come here or start here in the city.  Too often the alderman and city officials enact laws without seeing the entire picture of what consequences it might cause for small private local businesses.

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

Happy birthday to Somerville’s own Aureo Santos, Aureo is a long time Somerville resident of Church Street and he is a nice guy.

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

Michael’s Bar on Washington Street is having its annual Christmas Party, open to all its old patrons and present patrons as well as new ones. No one is nicer then the owner, Michelle has been there all her life, with her father before her. Probably the longest running family owned bar in the city.

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

Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a multi-specialty medical group, recently recognized the contributions of Somerville resident Briana Bean-Hirsch during its annual awards ceremony. Hirsch, a data analyst at the Kenmore practice of Harvard Vanguard, received the Clinical Innovation Award as part of a team tasked to develop a hypertension clinic at Kenmore. The Clinical Innovation Award recognizes an individual or group for extraordinary efforts contributing to clinical innovation within a practice.  “Clinical innovation is the cornerstone of the rich heritage of the Harvard Vanguard legacy,” said Dr. Les Schwab, chief medical officer. “This award acknowledges a major advance in improving the health of our patients and our community.”

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

Congratulations to Enxhi Popa, a senior at Somerville High School, who has been named a semi-finalist in the 2011 Class of the Coca-Cola Scholars Program. Enxi, who carries a grade point average of 4.3, ranks with approximately 2,100 other high school seniors who are in the running for $3 million in college scholarships to be awarded in the spring. Students are selected to advance to this next phase based on the academic excellence, leadership and achievement demonstrated in school and community activities. In addition to her excellent grade point average, Enxhi stands out for her engagement in the Somerville High School Dance Team, Green Club and Debate Club. She is a member of the Groundwork Somerville Green Team and, in 2007-2008, was on the Mayor’s Youth Council. A leader among her peers not just in Somerville but across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Enxhi was named Youth Leader of the Year in 2010 by The 84, a state-wide, teen-led campaign against smoking. “Enxhi is an extraordinary young woman, who has taken full advantage of the academic and extracurricular opportunities available to her here at Somerville High School and in the community,” says Somerville High School Headmaster, Tony Ciccariello. “We are proud of her, and every one of our students who sets personal and academic goals, and seeks our strategies for achieving them through education and community engagement.” The next step in this competition is for Enxhi to work with Somerville High School Guidance Counselor to prepare additional application information. This material will be reviewed in January 2011 by a committee comprised of 30 educators from high schools and universities throughout the U.S. If advanced, Enxhi will be among 250 finalists who travel to Atlanta in April to attend the Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend. During this visit Enxhi will have a final interview that will determine whether she is designated a National or Regional Scholar. Fifty National Scholars will each receive a $20,000 scholarship award, and 200 Regional Scholars will receive a $10,000 scholarship. Enxhi follows her sister, Cvetiva (Iva) Popa, who was named a Regional Coca-Cola Scholar in 2010. Cvetiva received a $10,000 scholarship which is has been applied to support her enrollment at Yale in September 2010.

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

The Somerville High School Class of 1961 is beginning to organize its 50-year reunion on September 24, 2011 at the Hillview Country Club on North Street in North Reading. For more information email SHS6150th@gmail.com.

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

Learn to make your own evergreen decorations for the holiday season on Wednesday, December 8 at 7:00 p.m. The Somerville Garden Club’s December meeting will feature several garden club members demonstrating their techniques for constructing centerpieces, wreaths and swags from live greens. As always, the meeting will include a time for horticultural questions, and end with a raffle of plants and garden related items. The meeting is free of charge with the public invited to attend. All Somerville Garden Club meetings take place at the Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland St., at 7:00 p.m. The meeting is on the second floor and is wheelchair accessible. For additional information about the club visit www.somervillegardenclub.org.