On behalf of the owners and staff here at The Times, Merry Christmas to all our loyal readers and friends in the Ville. We wish for a peaceful family time for all, remembering what Christmas is all about.

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Happy birthday this week to a lot of our friends here in the Ville and elsewhere. Political and all-around nice guy Jim Henry is celebrating this week, as is local newcomer to the city Kevin Dickinson. A happy birthday also to Chris Gerber, who is known here in the Ville, and to Kristen Chamberlain, whose Somerville ties go back a few generations. To a good guy, Zachary Atwell, who is originally from Maine, is married and the father of a young a child here, we wish a happy birthday. Those wishes also go out to Tayla Ingle Doherty and Mary Midge Donovan Kelly. Best bday wishes to Diane Nazzaro Haley, who lives here in the Ville. And happy birthday to Glen Kulbako, who is originally from upstate New York and now lives in the Ville and is self-employed at his photography company.  Happy birthday to Michelle Barnard White, as well as to Joseph Amaral, who is self-employed at The Amaral Group in Cambridge, a computer services company.

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We did the “Person of the Week” not so long ago. While it was a good thing and we loved doing it, we stopped for some reason. At a staff meeting the other day, though, we decided to bring it back as “Person of the Month.” We will be asking the public to nominate people and give a reason why that person should be selected.  We want it to be someone who contributes to Somerville’s pride, both in leadership and him or her just being an overall nice person. We will accept nominations from anyone in the city, and the staff of the paper will vote on whom to pick each month.

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We are going to make some major announcements in January regarding changes going on at the paper, which will be good changes for the city.  We are looking to put out more newspaper boxes at more locations throughout the city, we will have more staff coming on board, and we will also have a few surprises in ownership.  We are the only locally owned, operated and Somerville-staffed paper in the city. We don’t have a P.O. box; we are right here at 699 Broadway. You can call us anytime at 617-666-4010.  We look forward to continuing to be number one with everyone here. You, our readers, can contact us anytime or walk in the office and talk to us. We listen!

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Gov. Deval Patrick has allocated a new appropriation for the Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund. These funds will allow the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) and MassDevelopment to support capital projects in the arts, humanities and sciences that expand access and education in the arts, history and sciences, create jobs in construction and cultural tourism and improve the quality of life in cities and towns across the state. Guidelines for both capital grants and planning grants are now available. Visit www.massculturalfacilities.org for the new guidelines, application deadlines and public-information session details.

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The public is invited to attend a ceremony Friday, Jan. 3, at Somerville High School to remember Lorne A. Murphy, who was affectionately known as “Mr. Murph.” Murphy, who served in the Army during World War II, passed away May 25 of last year. He worked for numerous years as a locker room security attendant for Somerville High School. Mr. Murph was a proud member of the SHS boys basketball program for over 30 years. SHS will host O’Bryant High School at 7 that evening, and the ceremony will be held at halftime. Family, alumni and friends are invited to On the Hill Tavern at 499 Broadway afterwards for a social gathering.

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The city holiday schedule is as follows: on Tuesday, Dec. 24, Christmas Eve, City Hall will be closing at 12:30 p.m. Also, parking meters will not be enforced after noon.

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From trash to treasure: How can you combine typical crafting supplies like paper and glue with old computer parts and other “junk” to create art? Find out Sunday, Dec. 29, when artist Melissa Glick leads the Library Maker Faire. She’ll be at the Somerville Public Library from 2 to 4 p.m. showing you how to reuse objects you might have otherwise thrown away.

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Become a Spiritual Caregiver Volunteer. Would you like an opportunity to learn, serve, and grow? Somerville-Cambridge Elder Services (SCES) Spiritual Caregivers provide compassionate support to enhance the well-being of older adults. Spiritual Caregivers receive 50 hours of training, over four months, to help people struggling with depression, loss, grief, illness, or spiritual concerns of normal aging; visit their client once per week for about an hour; meet for peer mentoring and continuing education twice per month. Successful candidates are asked to make a two-year commitment. Training starts January 28, 2014. The deadline for submitting applications is January 14, 2013. To volunteer or for more information contact Nancy Willbanks at 617-628-2601, ext. 3160 or email nancyw@eldercare.org.

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Don’t forget the The Winter Farmers’ Market is back at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. Every Saturday from December through March, 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Local vendors provide great fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, seafood, baked goods, and more.  There’s a fantastic range of local products and produce. Interested in becoming a vendor? Email SomWinterMarket@gmail.com.

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Join the Adventure in 2014…Volunteer at the Somerville Public Schools. Somerville Public Schools knows every student has great potential, and that a volunteer can make a difference in the life of a student. They strive to match volunteers with opportunities that are rewarding, engage volunteers’ skills and interests, and best support our students and teachers.  Volunteer to share an hour a week to support: Language Arts, English Language Learning, Saturday Math and Science, Hands-on Project Learning, Visual Arts, Music, Athletics, After School Enrichment, School Improvement Projects, and much more.  Come learn, inspire and be inspired with them  in 2014!  For more information on the many volunteer opportunities available in our schools, visit our volunteer website at www.somerville.k12.ma.us/volunteer and Apply Online to get started.  Questions? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Jen Capuano at (617) 629-5475 orjcapuano@k12.somerville.ma.us.

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Everybody has a story: Somerville Public Library is looking for Somerville teens who want to share their stories as part of a national StoryCorps project. Somerville is one of just 10 cities to be part of the “StoryCorps @ Your Library” pilot to preserve the stories of teens and their loved ones. To participate: Somerville teens interested in conducting interviews of loved ones or being interviewed, or both, may sign up by calling the Library Teen Space at 617-623-5000 ext. 2936, email Somerville@minlib.net, or just stop by the Teen Space in the Central Library, 79 Highland Ave.

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Come Join Somerville’s 238th Flag Raising! Wednesday, January 1st, 2014. Meet at City Hall at 11:30 a.m. for Procession to Prospect Hill for a Program starting at Noon. Learn about the important role OUR city played in the American Revolution! Sing patriotic songs, and enjoy light refreshments. Wear a tri-corner hat and Colonial clothing to make this celebration of Somerville’s history more authentic! For more information, including ideas for Colonial period clothing, or for a free, commemorative program, contact Brandon Wilson, Executive Director of the Historic Preservation Commission at 617-625-6600 extension 2532, bwilson@somervillema.gov, or www.somervillema.gov/historic-preservation.