Artisan’s Asylum, 10 Tyler Street, Open Studios and Maker Market is this weekend from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1. Twice a year, they open our doors to the public. Check out individual maker studios, watch plasma cut metal, pick up unique gifts at the maker market, and watch epic robot battles throughout the weekend. Friday 6:00–9:00 p.m. select studios showing, Saturday 12:00–6:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00–6:00 p.m. Jewelry, furniture, drawings, wearable art and more on sale. Fabrication demos in community shops including metal casting, enameling, 3D printing, and more. Tours of the 40,000 square ft. facility at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For tickets and information about Artisan Studios www.artisansasylum.com.

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Want a great lunch, in particular great sandwiches and burgers 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.? Check out Sally O’Briens, 335 Somerville Avenue in Union Square. Mention you saw it here and get ½ off sandwiches and burgers. Great burgers too. Also for bands, both local and well known, check out the Sally O’Brien’s night scene. Make sure you mention you saw it here, and introduce yourself to Liam and his friendly staff. Enjoy and relax with friends.

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Hurry up and get your ticket for the drawing for The Somerville High Scholarship Foundation that is once again having its huge drawing coming up on May 13 at the Highlander Café at Somerville High School. Refreshments will be served beginning at 7:00 p.m. Drawing at 8:00 p.m. Several door prizes will be given out during the drawing for the $10,000 grand prize. Tickets for the drawing are $100 each. You can purchase one or share the cost of one with many in your home/office or with friends. It’s a great fundraiser for the kids. Over the years the SHS Foundation has benefitted many students. Make your check out to S.H.S. Raffle and send it to SHS Raffle c/o Joseph Favaloro, P.O. Box 440275 Somerville 02144. It’s been a great organization here in the city since 1990 and has grown over the years, serving many Somerville graduates to further their education. See you at the drawing. It’s a lot of fun and a great night out.

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We hear from our sources at City Hall that the one full-time planning review guy is out on maternity leave, and the part-timer who assists him in approving permits is leaving for a new job in Melrose. Guess Goran, head of ISD and his department, is starting to get overburdened again with permit requests. Another snag in that nifty program the city has instituted. Now all those ISD inspectors can sit around and wait for word that the process will begin again. So, if you’re looking to file for a permit for anything at ISD, expect delays again.

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A meeting between Congressman (former Mayor) Mike Capuano and Mayor Joe Curtatone was held in the mayor’s office last week to discuss the Green Line Extension. Will it happen? Will it go as set as before to both Union Square  and up to West Somerville? If not, then how far will it go up the tracks? Is Union Square Station scrapped? These are questions everyone wants answered.

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We hear that a group of individuals were out here in the city on behalf of a potential candidate that wishes to run against Congressman Mike Capuano. We hear it’s a Republican candidate. One of our sources told us that the sheet she signed was filled and she was the last signature on that sheet. We don’t think Mike will be nervous. He’s very popular and it’s hard to believe a candidate is going to beat him from the left, never mind the right, politically.

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This Sunday night at Orleans, 65 Holland Street in Davis Square, Representative Denise Provost will be having a re-election Campaign Kickoff from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Special guest Attorney General Maura Healey.

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We hear that the city of Cambridge gives up to a 30% discount on residents’ water bills. That sounds great. Can Somerville do the same?

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Our good friend Alderman Bob McWatters is planning on a fundraiser in June. We don’t have a date yet but you can bet it’s going to be at his favorite place, Sally O’Brien’s. He doesn’t have large developers or property owners sponsoring or throwing a fundraisers for him. He packs the place every time on his own. He’s that popular.

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This Sunday, May 1, State Representative Christine Barber will be hosting a campaign kickoff at Sabur Restaurant, 212 Holland Street, 4:00-6:00 p.m.

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Ward 2 Alderman Maryann Heuston is being thrown a fundraiser as well at the Mt. Vernon Restaurant on lower Broadway, hosted by her good friends the Tauro family. We’re sure a lot of the regulars will be present and we hope she raises a lot of money for her campaign war chest. Maybe she’s running for something other than Alderman?

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Senator Pat Jehlen is having a fundraiser/campaign kickoff coming up on Tuesday, May 3 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Medford VFW Post 1012, 114 Mystic Ave, Medford. All are invited and encouraged to attend. Lots of big names are supporting Senator Jehlen this year. We hear she has a potential opponent from the Democratic party in the primary as well as a Republican in the final election this fall.

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One of our own Newstalkers was shopping at Market Basket the other day and a candidate from Cambridge had some of his people asking for signatures to get on the ballot, as a Republican opponent of Congressman Mike Capuano. Then there are the two candidates that are thinking of running against Pat Jehlen, who we hear recently had her signatures certified. Both Mike and Pat haven’t had a challenge in years. Yes, we know the opponents are facing uphill battles, but remember, there are more registered voters and new registered voters that don’t remember either incumbent. It should be interesting.

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Happy Birthday to a lot of our friends and fellow Villens here this week: Happy birthday to a real good friend, Brett Henry of the famous Mt. Vernon Restaurant family. We hope he has a great day for himself. This week, we wish Mike Moccia of the Ball Square Café fame a happy birthday. Mike and Omar run a great place, and the proof is in the lines of loyal customers showing up every weekend morning. A good guy and good friend who is also a good lawyer, Frank J. Kaultz II, we wish him a very happy birthday. An old friend of ours here, and one who a lot of people will remember, Jim Bain, a mortgage officer with Wells Fargo also celebrates this week. A nice guy and very knowledgeable and well liked by many he has helped over the years. Happy birthday to Chip Koty. We hope he has a great day for himself. Happy birthday as well to a special lady from Medford – but also very well known here in the city – Julie Phelan Brady. What a great personality. We hope she has a great day for herself.

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There’s a new website in town. Check it out at www.somervillema.com. The Somerville Times is on the site. Also check out www.medfordma.com. Someone asked online why we keep these two websites in Newstalk. We guess it’s because we like them.

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A well-known local Attorney recently passed away. Mr. Richard Blumsack for many years had his law practice in Winter Hill on Temple and Broadway. Richard is from an old Somerville family. Both his mother and father, Dorothy and Joe, were also as well-known and respected as he was. A great family who were involved here in the Somerville community and were generous to many charities and organizations. A fantastic attorney, Richard was very well known throughout this city and the greater Boston area. Our sincere condolences to his family and his many friends and acquaintances that he leaves behind. We here at The Somerville Times knew him well for many decades and have great memories, like so many others do.

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For those that might be interested in obtaining certification for firearms should look up the Lawrence Rod & Gun Club. They provide an extensive program at the end of which you receive certification for Massachusetts/NRA Certified Firearm Safety Classes. They run a class once a month, which is limited to 10 people and we hear that this is the place to go to learn safety when handling guns. Email gunclub@earthlink.net for more information and or go to their website at www.lawrencerodandgunclub.org and read up about the course. We’ve been told that the course has seen a major increase in people applying for it, especially women. We can tell you first hand here that it’s a great course and quite thorough. The same goes for this in Newstalk. The club has informed us that many residents of Somerville have called or gone to the club to find out about certification.

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Regarding our paper’s website: there has been some speculation on what happened to all of the former comments  that were deleted, and did we the paper ban anyone. We had to delete all the old comments . The site’s server was crashing and we were told to delete the comments. We did so, and it’s all working properly again. We haven’t banned anyone from posting, as long as they weren’t using foul language.

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Condolences to the family and many friends of Mr. Roy Keihn, who also recently passed away. Roy was formerly the President of the Winter Hill Bank and a member of many organizations here in Somerville. He touched a lot of people across the city and Boston area over the years.

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Rumors are flying around about potential races here in Somerville next year. One newly elected member of the School Board just might have competition next year. She was virtually unopposed in her first election recently. We promised no names as of now, so let’s just get through the state and national elections first. It appears that Senator Pat might have two opponents and each of the state representatives just might have opponents as well this year. It’s early. We know that Rep. Tim Toomey is going to be facing an opponent again, but he’s seen a list of names over the years that have opposed him, and they have found out Rep. Tim is one state representative that does his job both at the state house and in the community.

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Remember, for the best footwear and other name brand clothing go online to www.shoebuy.com, compliments of local resident and SVP Zach Zasloff.