The annual Illuminations Trolley Tour is scheduled for Saturday, December 15, with tours departing from the City Hall Concourse beginning at 4:30pm. The 45-minute tours will showcase holiday light displays in our own Somerville. Tours leave from (and return to) Somerville City Hall where coffee, hot chocolate, and cookies are served. Entertainment at City Hall includes choral music, courtesy of the Somerville Community Chorus and craft activities for children. Trolley Tour tickets are available at the Blue Cloud Gallery, 713 Broadway. Tickets are $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children and seniors. For more information visit www.somervilleartscouncil.org.

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The third annual Illuminations Bike Tour will also be held on December 15, a joint production of the Somerville Bicycle Committee and Somerville Arts Council. The guided group ride will be shorter this year so folks can spend more time looking at the lights and stay warmer. For those who would like to tour the longer route from last year, maps will be available. Those touring the longer route may continue after the short guided tour concludes, may meet with others at the suggested times below or tour the route on your own schedule with friends. Guided Short Route Meet Location: Somerville High School Main Entrance. Meet Time: 5:50 p.m. Departure: 6 p.m. Duration: 45 minutes, or less. Required: warm clothes and bike lights. Recommended: holiday lights, costumes and good cheer. Suggested: Donate $5 to the Somerville Arts Council. Afterwards: Hot drinks and treats at City Hall. Unguided Long Route Maps: available at city hall, donation recommended. Suggested Meet Times: 7:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

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Congratulations to Doug and Bonnie-Jean Carriger on the recent birth of their daughter, beautiful Samantha Jean Carriger, 6 pounds 10 ounces 19 3/4 inches. What a great present, a new baby and a new house for Christmas. We wish them a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! This is such great news for a great family here in the  ‘Ville. The Carrigers have lived here in the ‘Ville for a few generations.

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Congratulations to Matthew Kreimeyer who was recently elected to the position of Secretary of the New England Pest Management Board last week. The board serves the five New England States. He continues to be active in the NEPMA. Of course, Matt is the son of Rod and Nancy Kreimeyer, founders of Best Pest on Elm Street, a great company with a wonderful reputation for good work. Rod and Nancy are off to sunny Florida and leave the business in very capable hands with Matt.

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Happy Birthday this week to some of our fans here in the ‘Ville: Ray Zonghetti, a well-known and popular guy in the Chamber of Commerce here for many years. A good friend to a lot of businesses as well. We wish him a good day. Good old guy and professor of Real Estate here in Somerville, Bill Murphy of Colony Real Estate. Sharon Borges Colleran is also celebrating. Happy Birthday to our good friend Joe Naggie, who waits patiently at the Police Station for the paper every week. Also, Mary Snow, another avid reader of The News and fan as well. A big special Happy Birthday to our own Bobbie Toner, the left and right hand of The News. Nothing gets by Bobbie, she’s the best and she’s very special to us. We certainly wish her the best on her birthday. Long time friend and ‘Villen before “’Villen” was even used as a phrase, is our good buddy Bob McGowan, who grew up here back in the 50’s and 60’s and is still here as one loyal friend, great guy, nice personality and always a positive person. He loves Somerville. Happy Birthday to Stacey Hersey Buckley, celebrating her birthday this week. She’s the better half of Mike Buckley, but we also remember Stacey’s Herseys. The Herseys are long time ‘Villens going way back. Originally, some of us even remember them out of South Portland.

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It’s sad that another business has decided to leave the ‘Ville recently, and one with about 12 employees. It seemed like the Zoning Board of Appeals went against neighbors, the Ward Alderman, and the planning staff, and voted down the request for the property located in Teele Square on Holland Street. So we now have a vacant building because the ZBA Board members were more concerned about parking than what the Alderman, the neighbors, and the planning staff had to say, so they voted it down. Now the building is empty and the businesses planned on being there has left and moved to Cambridge in disgust, after all that money they spent upgrading the property. Maybe that’s what we get when we have a retired two time government employee chairing the board. Maybe it’s time for a change?

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Apparently, the Johnnies Foodmaster store up in Clarendon Hill is being strongly considered by a fairly large supermarket chain. Negotiations are ongoing, we hear, and hopefully all the residents up in that area will have some good news soon. Alderman Bob Trane is very interested and will keep the residents posted as to what’s going on. We hear something will happen very soon.

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Speaking of vacant storefronts, still no news on the Winter Hill Star spot. What a shame. It’s a great location. Hopefully, Alderman Lafuente is on top of it. All the business owners along Broadway are very interested in seeing something coming there as well.

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Our condolences go out to the family of our friend Paul Wolinsky who sadly passed away this week. Paul was a very nice person and will be sadly missed.

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Guess it’s finally happened, the pure lack of interest of our Aldermen who wish to run for President of the Board next year, except for Bill White and for Vice President is Jack Connolly. Any Alderman we talk to isn’t interested. We figured since Bill is going to be President of the board that his “ride buddy” and neighbor Alderman Dennis Sullivan would at least run for Vice President. You know, to save on gas for Dennis. Yes, we know Bill has a car, but it doesn’t seem to move much since he’s moved over to the Ten Hills, across the street from Dennis who just happens to live across the street.

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Alderman at Large candidate Sean Fitzgerald is in the race. He’s running everywhere all over the city, and he’s seen everywhere. We also hear that Mike Capuano Jr. might throw his hat in the race, as well as a couple of other names being bandied around for At Large. A few more names and we will have a real primary for Alderman at Large. Won’t that be exciting? We just need some people, though, who understand all aspects of the real world. You know, non-government hacks! We’re not complaining. It would be nice to see a primary for Alderman at Large.

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Congratulations are in order for Alderman Rebekah Gewirtz’s, who recently got engaged, and for her good friend Rep. Carl Sciortino, who got engaged as well. No, don’t be silly. Not to each other. They’re very good friends. We hear they recently went on a trip to Palestine together. We do wonder if it will be a double wedding ceremony. You know, to save money?

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Robert E. Invernizzi passed away December 4 after a brief illness.  The World War II and Korean War veteran was recently honored with a square dedication on October 17 at the corner of Porter St. and Gussie Terrace.  He was one of Somerville’s most highly decorated war veterans.  He was a lifelong resident of Somerville and was a draftsman at MIT, where he worked on guidance systems for the Space Program, and General Electric in Lynn where he designed Aircraft Engines. He was the widower of Claire (Breen) Invernizzi and is survived by 7children and 16 Grandchildren.  Services were held at Roger’s Funeral Home on December 6.  He and his wife were laid to rest at the Massachusetts Veteran’s Cemetery in Agawam, MA with full military honors.  Donations may be made in his honor to the VFW post 19 or the MSPCA. He will be deeply missed.