Thursday night, December 6 is the monthly After Business Hours for the Somerville Chamber of Commerce. This month it’s at the Center for the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, 5-7 p.m. Free appetizers, excellent networking, free business card drawing, and cash bar. Guests are welcome to bring unwrapped Toys of Local Children. RSVP to smackey@somervillechamber.org

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The Ward 4 ResiStat meeting is tonight, Wednesday, December 5, 7-8:30 p.m, at Healey School cafeteria, 5 Meacham St. For more information, visit http://somervilleresistat.blogspot.com and click the “Meetings” tab. Or contact Denise Taylor at dtaylor@somervillema.gov or 617-625-6600 x 2103.

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The 2012 Holiday Events have been announced. The city’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place Thursday, December 6 at 5:30 p.m. on the City Hall Concourse, followed by a meet and greet with Santa Claus in the Somerville High School Highlander Café (atrium entrance). For the first time, this event will also include a ceremonial lighting of a Hanukkah Menorah, which will remain on the concourse throughout the season. The Christmas tree lighting ceremony will feature musical entertainment by the Somerville High School Band; the SHS Chorus and the Somerville Community Chorus; and El Sistema Somerville, the city’s new youth orchestra based on the international model. Special guest Santa Claus will be escorted by the Somerville Fire Department for the ceremony and will be available for photos following the tree lighting. All children attending the ceremony will also receive a gift from Santa.

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Our condolences to the family here in Somerville of Margaret Johansen, who passed away over the weekend. Margaret, known as Peggy to her many friends, was a great lady, always smiling and so helpful to others. Some of us here at The News knew Peggy personally and we are saddened by her passing. She will be missed. Her lifelong best friend and husband Irving will, along with everyone, miss her. They were a great couple.   It’s a sad day here in Somerville. Another lifelong resident that gave a lot here in the community over the years has passed but will not be forgotten.

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Also passing recently over the weekend was Claire Johnston, the wife of Robert Johnston. They were very involved here in Somerville for many years. She was a very nice lady. Both met at Somerville High many years ago and have been together ever since, our condolences and sympathy to her family and friends.

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The word for the past couple of weeks  in Teele Square and Davis Square was “where was Willie Medeiros on Thanksgiving Day at Dilboy?” He was an obvious miss at the game and everyone noticed, so he better have a good excuse for not being there. At least that’s the word in West Somerville.

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Happy Birthday to some of our fans here in the ‘Ville: First of all, don’t forget if you’re in Victors in Ball Square to give a Happy Birthday to Nancy Moccia. She’s a hard worker, and is always there with her parents. Also, another hard working guy, Peter Blaikie, is celebrating this week. Peter lives in Winter Hill and works one of his jobs for the city. He’s a nice guy and we wish him a great day. Former Ward 4 Alderman and current License Board member Vito Vaccaro, a great guy with a great family who goes way back here in Somerville, also celebrates. Big Happy Birthday to Janet Belloste Flynn, a popular teacher at the high school, and a nice person. We wish her a great day. John Pino of East Somerville of the famous Pino family is celebrating too. John is self employed in the construction business. What a nice guy, and everyone who knows him will tell you its true.

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The Grid Iron club of Somerville remembered Somerville’s Tom Cremens, who played for the Somerville High School Highlanders, with a special tribute that took place last week at Dilboy Stadium. Tom was active in Youth Sports, played lacrosse and football for Boston State, and was the outstanding football player and captain for the Somerville High School Highlanders in 1977.

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Sad to say that longtime Somerville resident Terry Baino from Capen Court Housing is in the Mass General Hospital. Terry is the niece of former Mayor Gene Brune. Our prayers are with Terry that she will soon recover and be well again.

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What’s your take on the recent news that newly elected Senator Elizabeth Warren named her former campaign staffers, all out- of -state residents,  for her top three jobs in her tenure as our youngest and newly elected Senator?

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It’s time for DARBI’s annual December Midnight Madness shopping event, this Thursday, Dec. 6, 6pm-midnight. A collection of Davis Square retail shops and restaurants will be offering exclusive sales and deals – don’t miss out! To kick off the event, the public is invited to bring canned goods to Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate (TTRE) office at 128 Willow Ave. (on the bike path) at 5:30 p.m. for the Somerville Homeless Coalition (SomervilleHomelessCoalition.org). TTRE will also sell Mr. Davis T-shirts, caps, and bibs to benefit DARBI (Davis Area Resident Business Initiative).

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The Mayan calendar for doomsday is December 21, 18 days away and counting…should we be worried?