This month’s Somerville Chamber of Commerce, Business After Hours at the B2Green Expo & Networking event, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 3, at the Holiday Inn, 30 Washington Street. Free appetizers, excellent networking, free business card drawing, cash bar amid a cool, mini-expo of local green innovators. Treat yourself and your select staff, customers, and clients. B2Green is sponsored by Bunker Hill Community College. After Hours sponsored by Century Bank. B2Green is produced by the Chamber’s Green Committee and City of Somerville’s Office of Sustainability & Environment. RSVP with name(s) and affiliation(s) to smackey@somervillechamber.org.

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

This Sunday, May 6, in Malden, the ever popular former mayor and soon to retire Registrar of Deeds Gene Brune will be hosting this his last annual scholarship breakfast at Anthony’s in Malden. Gene has done a lot for the city and is so active in many organizations helping them to raise funds to help those in need. Join Gene and hundreds of his friends for this last breakfast as Registrar and say “Hi” to the many Somerville and beyond residents and friends. From 9 to 11 a.m. at Anthony’s Function Hall on Canal Street in Malden.

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

This Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m., at the intersection of Teele Avenue and Curtis Street the city will dedicate in honor of service from PFC James F. Donovan who served in the Korean conflict with the US Army. The second one is at 2 p.m. at the intersection of McGrath and Linwood Streets in honor of Sgt. Pasquale “Patrick” Tauro who served in the US Army during WWII with the 67 Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion in the European conflict. We here at The News salute both these fine heroes for their service to our country.    Both the Donovan family and the Tauro Family invite you to attend this ceremony with Mayor Joe Curtatone and various city officials.

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

Happy Birthdays this week to some of our fans here in the ‘Ville. Former Mayor Dorothy Kelly Gay is celebrating her birthday this week and we wish her many more. A Big Happy 40th to Mike Moccia from the Ball Square Café.  Best wishes to Leo Saltman, who works for the city, this week. Also to Chris Cianci, who grew up here and is seen down in East Somerville. To Linda Norton Beebe, who is a fan of The News. Other notables here in the ‘Ville: Connie McCallum, who is the wife of Former Ward 4 Alderman Jimmy. Others are Jeff Snow, who also happens recently to be engaged to be married in 2013. To these and all our Birthday ‘Villens, we wish them the best.

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

We slipped up and he reminded me that Tony and Donna Alibrandi of Tony’s Barber Shop (on Holland Street) recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last week.    The best from The News and all his fans out in the ‘Ville and they have a very popular fan base throughout the city. Make sure you stop in to get a haircut from anyone in the shop and congratulate Tony and Donna. They make a nice couple, don’t they?

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

A shout out and thank you to NSTAR and their quick response here in the ‘Ville at the Masonic Building last week. It seemed that the wiring underground was rotten and they were on it very quickly. They located the problem and immediately took care of the entire situation and had a full crew out to take care of the matter. It took two days to fix but the church group and the masons were very  pleased with the response. With all the bad things said about utilities, in this instance they were great. No complaints and everyone thanked them for a job well done.

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

Congratulations to Olivia Brown who is a 10 year old Junior Girl Scout with Troop #1318 right here in Somerville. Olivia sold over 535 boxes of cookies which raised enough money for her to take a trip to Washington DC with her troop for the 100th Birthday celebration of the Girls Scouts. Her troop is planning this trip for June. Olivia is very proud to be a Girl Scout and looks forward to becoming a Cadet in a few years. Job well done Olivia, from your friends here at The Somerville News. When she gets there, we will have Olivia get us some pictures of her troop at the celebration.

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

Once again and were not surprised, but the very popular Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche is very happy to have the largest turnout city wide of volunteers down in East Somerville for the Annual Somerville Spring Clean-up. Over seventy volunteers were visible on over 80% of the Ward 1 streets. In addition to the dozens of Ward 1 residents, Carrie Dancy organized many volunteers through the East Somerville Main Streets organization including members from the Somerville Runners Club. The Somerville Boxing club showed their support as well, participating with many teenagers eager to show their Somerville Pride. This marks, at least for the past dozen years, that Ward 1 has led the way in participation in this yearly event. Alderman Bill Roche attributes this turnout down in East Somerville to the pride that is felt throughout the neighborhood that a lot of residents have.

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

Big time Happy 100th birthday to Saint Clements Parish. Cardinal O’Malley was present this past Sunday at Mass. It is an exciting thing for a church to celebrate, and one with both an elementary and a high school. We salute St. Clements and wish them other 100 years.

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

Our sincere condolences to the family of Helen Williams who recently passed away, she was a life long resident of Somerville and well known by many here, she will be missed by a lot of people. Helen is also mother to our good friend Somerville Parking Control Officer Mary Williams Killoren. We are saddened here at The News of her passing.

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

We’re advertising for a few good people here in the ‘Ville. The Somerville News is looking for ad people, whether it’s housewives, retirees, students – full or part time – make your own hours. Huge commissions for those who are self-starters. The News is also looking for more writers. Local writers to write stories on anything or anyone in Somerville. The News is the only local community paper whose staff, owners, and writers now live and work here.

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

Our good friend and Somerville News Publisher Emeritus, Bob Publicover, is back up and about. He recently underwent surgery again, but within days he was up and out the door. The Somerville Patch did a nice story on him this month, if you get a chance read it. We think Bob has 99 lives not 9 like a cat. He is a very nice guy as well. He’s been working hard on his and his partner David LeBahn’s upcoming wedding to be held on June 17.Bob asked to note the anniversary of the Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation which he tells us he helped founded in 1990 with then SHS Headmaster, Tony Fedele and other community members including (among others) Gene Brune, Elaine Czeshiuk and the late Paul Duhamel.

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

The Annual Somerville High Scholarship Foundation is fast approaching and tickets are still available for sale. $100 per ticket with a chance to win $10K as well as 24 other prizes to be given away. The event will be held on May 18 at the Highlander Café at the high school. If you want to buy a ticket send your check for $100 to SHS Raffle, c/o Eugene C. Brune at P.O. Box 440275, Somerville 02145.

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

We heard that Central Bank here in Somerville is being bought out by Rockland Trust. That should be interesting. It will mean the only two local banks still around here in the city are Middlesex and Winter Hill Bank. Slowly, the big banks get bigger and small banks get edged out.

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

Visit nearly 400 artists in over 100 venues who will open their homes and studios for the 14th Annual Somerville Open Studios Event on Friday, May 4, from 6 – 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, May 5 and 6, from noon to 6 p.m. During this free showcase for the arts, mid-career and emerging artists working across a broad spectrum of fine art styles and craft media will exhibit and sell their work to the public.

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

The Somerville Traffic & Parking Department invites all interested residents to attend a community Open House tonight, Wednesday, May 2 at 6 p.m. to discuss an innovative new program pilot, entitled “Head-Out Angled Parking.”  The meeting will be held at Properzi Manor, located at 13 Warren Avenue in Union Square.  The new parking program, set for a section of Bow Street this spring, will increase the total number of parking spaces for visitors by 90% while also enhancing pedestrian and bicycle safety.  The program will be discussed in more detail at the open house, however a brochure can be found on the City’s website at http://www.somervillema.gov/ReverseAngleParking..  If you have additional questions, visit http://www.parksomerville.com/, email traffic@somervillema.gov, or call 311.

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

We see that Alderman Tony Lafuente wasn’t too pleased with the placing of the bike corrals. As of this week the corral was moved away from the front of Mama Lisa’s and up the street between Citizens Bank and PC Mobile store. A far better location and we bet the stores are happier this week.

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

Did anyone notice that at Traffic and Parking Dept. the fees went up?  Yup, they did. One of our staff people was there to renew permit parking. The waiting wasn’t that bad, about 35 minutes. When told that the fees went up and permit passes went up as well, we replied “really” – that’s all?