This Friday and Saturday is the annual Arts Beat Festival 2014. ArtBeat is a massive arts hootenanny, with a slew of bands, dance troupes, 75 craft vendors, food and visual arts. This year’s theme is HATCH, so expect to see creativity hatching galore. Decorate an egg and pop it in the Hatch-O-Matic contraption. Check out the newly born MUSCRAT art bus. Behold recently hatched creatures including a baby alligator! $3 donation requested. Friday night: 6-10 p.m., Sat: 11 a.m-6 p.m. For the full schedule and descriptions: http://somervilleartscouncil.org/artbeat/2014/schedule.

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

Tonight, Wednesday the 16th, Somerville Open Studios and Daddy Jones Bar are hosting the first Summer Social. Come on by, meet artists and see what Magoun Square and SOS2015 has to offer. Daddy Jones will be creating a special cocktail especially for the event. Make sure you taste some of their awesome treats, especially the macaroni-cheese, you’ll love it. Daddy Jones is located at 525 Medford Street in Magoun Square.

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

This Thursday, the 17th, at the Chuckie Harris Park in East Somerville is the monthly “3rd Thursday Block Party World Groove Dance Party,” 7 to 8:30 p.m.

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

Also this Thursday, 7-9 p.m., come to SCATV for the next Potluck & Lecture Series with Arlington International Film Festival. This is co-organized by their colleagues at Arlington Community Media, Inc. Come mingle and network with other media and film geeks. Tour the HD studios at Somerville Community Access TV and get to know others in the industry. Learn how you can utilize SCATV as a media and film resource and get involved at a widely popular state of the art multi-media center. Guest speakers are the organizers of the Arlington International Film Festival. They will share with us some insider’s tips about organizing this very popular festival, the challenges and successes, and they will also screen some of previous festival’s film submissions. The event’s layout: 7:00-7:30 p.m. Mingle and network with other peers in the industry while indulging in tasty refreshments and people’s special dishes. 7:30-8:30 p.m. Hear from presenters about AIFF along with film screenings and a Q & A. 8:30-9:00 p.m. Close out the night with any additional mingling and networking. Please RSVP to this event. https://www.facebook.com/events/1421512128112654/?ref

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

Happy Birthday this week to some of our friends and fans here at The Times. A Happy Birthday to Ali (Koty) Fernandes, who is celebrating this week. It’s hard to believe all these years fly by. We remember her back on Ohio LN. Another special person this week, Charlotte Pye, who is very well known here in Somerville and on the North Shore. What a great lady. We wish her many happy returns. Another large Somerville family member, Paula MacLeod-Woodfill, is celebrating this week as well. From a great family and a nice lady. We wish many more great and happy birthdays. Happy Birthday to Steve Soares, who is celebrating this week. And one person who we’re still waiting for a certain phone call from who is celebrating this week, Richard Spinosa, a lifelong Villen and from a great family here in the Ville. We hear Dad’s here for the summer. Maybe this year there is a barbeque? To Mr. Ken Manzi, who lived here all his life up until recently, is having his birthday this week as well. Also celebrating this week is Joe Vanessa a nice guy and the obviously successful owner of Modelo’s Meat Market in Maguon Square. Many happy returns, Joe!

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

We have to say the East Somerville reunion was such a great time and it was nice to see how well we aged. We were very surprised to see how many still live here in the city. Talk to anyone from East Somerville and they will tell you the same thing, it’s a special place and it was great to have it as home while growing up. To the many others who couldn’t be there for many reasons, if it happens again, make sure you attend and take that walk down memory lane.

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

Well, an interesting thing is about to happen here in the city. For the first time in many years the mayor just might have to veto a recent vote by the Board of Alderman regarding campaign contributions. A majority of aldermen want to decrease the amount of contributions to campaigns from $500 to $250. The vote was 7-4, but needs an 8-3 majority to ordain it and for it to go before the mayor. Unfortunately the mayor is having a bumpy ride with some of the aldermen, so who knows, maybe next year we will see more candidates for office on the ward level from various points of view.

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

Congratulations to former Mayor Dorothy Kelly-Gay on being appointed to the Planning Board by Mayor Joe. Dorothy will bring a good perspective to the board and we wish her the very best of luck.

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

A new Somerville Police Chief will be selected real soon, if not already this week. We’re going for the local guy, Dep. Chief David Fallon. Both candidates Fallon and Mara are excellent choices.

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

Don’t forget the Mt. Vernon Restaurant and their great meals and prices. Cut out the coupon in our paper today and get yourself down for a fine twin lobster dinner for only $16.99.

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

What a great opportunity for a job someone might need on their resume. We hear that Patsy’s Pasty shop on Lower Broadway is going to remain open at least through to next spring and they are looking for a baker to come and work with them. Again, what a great opporutnity for someone to gain knowledge from these owners. Who knows? The next “Cake Boss” might just be from here in the city.

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

Do you want to help set the direction for Somerville’s anti-poverty agency? The Community Action Agency of Somerville (CAAS) is seeking candidates for its Board elections, coming up in September. “We’re at a critical time in the history of Somerville and CAAS. Without strong voices advocating for our low-income community, we may lose much of the diversity which makes Somerville such a great, strong place to live,” said Board President Rev. Justin Hildebrandt. “In order to be a board member you must be a Somerville resident with a commitment to the well-being of Somerville’s low-income persons and households.” The Board normally meets on the fourth Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m. of each month. If you are interested in serving, please contact Justin Hildebrandt, Board President (617-863-7381 or pastor@connexionumc.org) or Lisa Brukilacchio, Board Member (617-591-6940 or lbrukilacchio@challiance.org) by August 22nd.