Happy Birthdays this week to many Villens from here and here now in Somerville. A big happy birthday to our good friend Ken Kotch, a photographer originally from New Jersey who now lives here in the Ville. Local attorney and good guy Bob Daut is celebrating this week as well. And we can’t forget about Somerville’s up-and-coming specialty chef and all-around fantastic lady Dorothy DiMarzo. We hope she has a great day this week. And to Steven Pinkham, who comes from a longtime Somerville family and is now married and living just a little north, we wish him a good day. Joey Del Ponte, son of our own Jimmy, is celebrating this week. What a talented guy! He has his own band, “The Poison Girls Club,” and we hear that it’s a great band. Keep an eye here on this guy, folks; we might be seeing him at the Grammy’s sometime in the future. And happy bday to Shannon de la Paz, another local celebrating this week. We wish Sean Sullivan a happy birthday this week as well. To James McGowan, another local Villen, we wish a good day. And the same goes out to Linda Silva-Lambert. Finally, to Lou Brink, who is originally from Connecticut and is now living here in the Ville, happy birthday! To all the many other January birthdays -and there are a lot- a big HB to all of you.

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Best wishes to Dan Ryan of Congressman Capuano’s office who is running for the state representative seat recently vacated by Eugene O’Flagherty of Charlestown. He’s having a fundraiser this week, so we wish him the best in his campaign.

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Meanwhile, up at City Hall we now hear that Maureen Bastardi may be heading to the Council on Aging very soon. We also heard Courtney O’Keefe might not get the clerk’s position now, but she just might get a full-time position with the city. We also heard that Bruce Desmond might be getting a position with the city as well. Does it pay to be an elected official first and then get a job? We don’t know, but it seems like it so far…  Except we don’t hear about Bob Trane getting a job with the city, but who knows? Maybe over at Congressman Capuano’s office, he might land on his feet.

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We wish nothing but the best for Tom Taylor, who is in and out of the hospital. We hope he gets to stay home for awhile with his lovely wife, Celia. You can get updates on Facebook from Celia on a daily basis on how Tom is doing.

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Have you thought about real estate as a career? Well, the Somerville High School Evening School is offering a course in real estate for only $150 (other schools are asking over $300 for the course). Registration is at the high school at 6 p.m. this week. Go to the office and register and find out about this and other courses available at huge discounts. For this and other courses, you can also go online to www.somerville.k12.ma.us/eveningschool. Sophia Carafotes is the principal and would be glad to answer all your questions. Call her at 617-625-6600, ext. 6478.

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The city is looking for qualified people to work as crossing guards for the current school year. The morning shift is from 7:30 to 8:30, and the afternoon shift is from 2:30 to 3. Assignments to specific work sites will be determined. Applicants must pass a pre-employment CORI and drug screening. The salary is $25.47 per day for working both morning and afternoon shifts. Applications must be submitted to and are available at the City Hall Personnel Office, 93 Highland Ave. Applicants can also fax (617-666-4426) or email resume to employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov or to Somerville Police Safety Officer Sean Sylvester at ssylvester@police.somerville.ma.us.

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Next week there will be two important meetings regarding the proposed developments at the Stop and Shop and Patsy’s Pastries.  On Wednesday, January 29, at 6pm, developers will make their presentation regarding an apartment complex near the Stop and Shop along McGrath Highway.   This meeting will be at 165 Broadway. The next day, Thursday, January 30, also at 6pm at 165 Broadway, developers will introduce a mixed-use proposal for the site of Patsy’s Pastries.  Both meetings are open to the public.

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Somerville Brownie Troop 66099 will be having a Girl Scout Cookie sale on February 2, 2014 (Super Bowl Sunday) in front of Star Market in Porter Square from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, while supplies last.   Be sure to stop by before the game and get all your favorites!  Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbread, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lot and the NEW Cranberry Citrus Crisps, $4.00 a box.

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Tickets for the 2014 Somerville High School Musical, Annie, which will also feature elementary-grade students, are on sale now. This year’s musical production will be held at the Somerville Theater on February 6th, 7th and 8th. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $6 for senior citizens, PK-12 students, and younger children needing their own seat. Tickets can also be purchased at the door, pending availability.  To purchase a ticket in advance, visit http://www.ticketstage.com/SHS (a convenience fee applies to tickets purchased online), or mail a check to Ms. Rosemary Sears at Somerville High School (81 Highland Avenue; Somerville, MA 02143), payable to SHS Performing Arts.

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Somerville High School Art Club is raising funds for an event in March through the sale of a beautiful photographic calendar that features the art courses taught at Somerville High School and showcases stunning artwork by SHS students. Calendars are just $10 apiece, and calendar print orders are placed in batches as paid orders are received.  Contact Sean Bianchi (sbianchi@k12.somerville.ma.us) if you have any questions.  Checks, made payable to Somerville High School with the memo “Art Club” noted on the check, can be sent to Sean Bianchi at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Avenue, Somerville MA 02143.