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This Saturday is the annual
"Somerville News Writers Festival" – all day and into the evening –
tickets are only $10 and can be bought at the door or go on the website
and see the all the celebrities that will be appearing. Our own Doug
Holder and Tim Gager work hard every year on this and it shows, every
year it gets bigger and bigger. It's a great event and we enjoy being
part of it – see you there!

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Don't forget
the public hearing next week (Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.) at the Somerville High
School Auditorium (81 Highland Ave.) for the Green Line Extension
Project – the Mass DOT Office will present findings and recommendations
for the Green Line Extension. Should be interesting to see how the
project is progressing here in Somerville.

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Last
week's spelling bee put on by the PTA from the West Somerville
Neighborhood School was a huge success – Alderwoman Rebekah Gewirtz's
team won, narrowly beating out the Mayor's team. The event raised over
3K for the kids at the West Somerville Neighborhood School.

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The
City of Somerville rescinded former School Committee member / Board of
Alderman member and former Registrar of Probate John Buonomo's $3,200
per month pension. John pleaded guilty recently to charges that he
stole state copy machine money from the courthouse and also his own
campaign fund. He is appealing the decision and the hearing is set for
later this month – on the 28th.

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Former
well-known attorney and long-time Somerville resident, Frank Dardeno,
Sr. recently passed away. Our condolences to his family. Frank, Sr. was
very active here in the city and was very well liked.

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The
Somerville High Class of 1984 is holding its 25th Reunion coming up on
Nov. 27 from 7 p.m. to 11p.m. at the Dante Club (3 Dante Terrace).
Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Checks should be made
payable to Chris Westphal and can be mailed to 126 North Marshall St.,
Revere, MA 02151. You can also contact Eileen (Forristall) Westphal at
allott214@yahoo.com or Mary (Allosso) Finigan at finiganwolf@aol.com.
Both Eileen and Mary are on Facebook, so you can also look for them
there.

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Happy birthday to our good friend
and delivery / aka all around nice guy Jimmy Mastromatteo, who is
celebrating it this week. Jimmy is the go-to guy here at The News and
delivers like clockwork every Wednesday to more than 165 locations.
Another Happy birthday to Louie Oliveira, who is also blowing out
candles this week.

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Get well from The
News to local guy Charlie Moran, who is now back home recovering from
minor surgery. We all hope to see him up and about on his feet and back
to work very shortly.

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We hear that our
good friend and familiar-to-Somerville comic Stephanie Arena Peters has
started up her own Stand Up Comedy Show and is making her first
appearance at a comedy shop called "Ryles" in Inman Square, Cambridge
on Dec. 13. We wish her the best of luck – knock-em dead Stephanie. You
can visit her website at www.thecomdeydiva.com

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Herb
Chambers has to have the nicest / friendliest staff around. They make
you feel right at home and it's even nicer to know that it's a
Somerville-based dealership that is headquartered here in Somerville.