On Thursday, 7:45 to 9:15 p.m., the 215th Army Band will be performing at Trum Field in Somerville prior to the outstanding fireworks display the city does every year. They are excited to be part of the entertainment this year for this wonderful event and they hope you will join them. The festivities start at 6:00 p.m. and the 215th will take the stage at 8:00 p.m. just prior to the fireworks. No tickets necessary.

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Happy birthday to a lot of our friends and fellow Villens here this week: Happy birthday to long time Somerville resident and surely a popular family as well, James “Brian” Roche, a good guy. We hope he has a great summer at Old Orchard with the rest of the Somervillens. A happy birthday to a former writer here at The Times/News, Beecher Tuttle, who now lives in NY. We wish a big happy birthday to Roland Racicot, who is celebrating this week as well. Roland is, of course, from another large Somerville family and is the owner of Roland’s Jewelers over in Medford. Dean Glines of the famous Glines family of Somerville (including a mayor) is celebrating this week. A good guy and a great family. We wish him the best.

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Say it’s not true, but we heard from a few birdies that one alderman doesn’t live in the ward he/she represents anymore but lives in another ward represented by another alderman. We hope it’s not a sleep over, but only there for milk and cookies. But you never know. Again, it’s only a rumor, but when more than three sources tell you this it means we will have to look into it and check it out. Maybe we’ll have a name for you next week.

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Coming up on July 28 and again on August 8, Somerville Community Access TV and Cambridge Community Access TV will hold a joint televised debate, first between Senator Pat Jehlen and her democratic opponent and Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung. The host is none other than well-known Ward Five resident Joe Lynch. It should be fun. The telecast will be from Cambridge studios. The second debate will be with Representative Tim Toomey and his democratic opponent.

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We want to wish Danielle McLean of The Somerville Journal the best of luck in her new job up in Maine. Bangor Maine, to be precise. We think she’s one of the best reporters to come out of The Journal in a long time and, although she worked over there, we have to admit she is a good reporter who is very thorough. We wish her the very best of success in her new job. We know she’s excited about it.

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Speaking of The Journal, the offices are now located in Danvers (that’s right, you heard it, in Danvers). The last editor left for The Herald and now Danielle McLean is leaving. We’re told they are looking for a reporter to follow up and keep the name out there, but we also heard that The Somerville Journal was going to be the same paper as The Cambridge Chronicle – isn’t it already? Just asking, but The Journal charges $2.00 and we hear that The Chronicle is for free. Is that right?

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Thanks from Patti and Donald Norton here in the city to the Somerville Fire Department Engine #2, who were called to the house and made Patti feel like she was in good hands. They were great with her and they both appreciated it. Then another thanks to Cataldo Ambulance, in particular Linda who comforted Pat all the way to Massachusetts General Hospital this past Sunday morning. The response was very fast and together with the staff at MGH emergency room made it comfortable for her. The three men on Engine #2 are to be commended for a job well done, and the entire way they made a horrible situation much better. Pat’s doing well, still at MGH, and as of writing this we have no idea when she’s coming home. Pat wanted to say thank you very much!

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The fundraiser held last Wednesday, June 22 at Sally O’Brien’s for Ward Three Alderman Bob McWatters was packed wall to wall throughout the event, about 150 or more well wishes showed up. Special guest District Attorney Marian Ryan, who herself grew up in Ward Three, was present along with Middlesex County Sheriff Peter J. Koutoujian. Lots of pictures were taken. Bob is sure a popular guy. Lots of Ward 3 residents showed up to show their support. Now we’re going to ask those who were there, see if you can name the following. At Alderman Bob’s time there were four current and former mayors from the city. Can you name all four? We bet you will have difficulty in naming them. (Hint: Congressman Mike was in Washington DC at a sit in).

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We hear through the grapevine that a couple of residents are considering running for local office next year. Heck, why not, with an alderman’s salary at $40K that’s a nice part-time position, isn’t it? We wouldn’t be surprised to see several challengers coming up next year in city elections.

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The City of Somerville budget for fiscal 2017 is on our website, at over 200 pages. We will be working to put the school department budget online as well at www.thesomervilletimes.com.

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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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There are some people who are city employees in various departments that are on paid leave. One person for almost two years and counting. Wouldn’t that be a good question for an alderman to be asked about?

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We heard a story of someone at the Winter Hill Yacht Club for gangsters that an individual had two boats, not one, tied up and one was on a mooring that was put there by this individual boat owner. When asked why he did that he threw the mayor’s name around and reportedly made the remark that Mayor Joe Curtatone said it was OK for him to do whatever he wanted. Well, a couple of weeks passed and a state trooper and an Environmental Police Officer showed up (apparently on complaints from club members) and informed him he was to get rid of the mooring and now he’s back to one boat. We guess it says in the bylaws you can’t have more than one, but then again it also says in the bylaws that convicted felons can’t be members. At least that’s what we hear from couple of present and past members. We hear that this is not the first time this individual has embroiled the mayor. Amazing, the low rent paid by that club. We hear that is paid to the state. You see, the state owns that land. The commonwealth – as in you me and all the taxpayers – we own that land, don’t we?

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The Somerville Times is in the process of putting out some more boxes, approximately 12 more in strategic places to make it more accessible. There will be some new boxes at Assembly Square as well. A list of boxes will be out with a map showing where you can get the paper, even outside the boxes. If you would like to see the paper at some location near you, call us at 617-666-4010.

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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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For the best coffee and Donuts again we hope you consider Demet’s Donuts on Mystic Avenue in Medford. We need a real donut shop here in the Ville that is similar. Don’t forget, their egg breakfast sandwiches are made fresh and much better than those sold at franchise places. Also, you can pick up a copy of The Somerville Times there as well.

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Local guy and business man Zachary Zasloff, who is SVP of www.shoebuy.com, was recently appointed by the mayor to the Condominium Board of Directors. He’s a good guy who we know will bring new enthusiasm to that board.

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Drop over to Sally O’Brien’s any night and see live entertainment and, of course, get some great burgers. Lots of friendly people there, and you can enjoy some good conversation and be entertained at the same time. The other night we tried their famous hamburger and fries that we have been hearing about, hands down the best anywhere in the city. Try them out you’ll love them. By the way, if you like to play poker they have a tournament every Wednesday night as well. On Thursdays it’s open mic for any bands that want to get up there and let people hear them. Liam is the best, he has something going every single night of the week!

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Somerville’s newest monthly comedy show, Clean Comedy Showcase, is premiering Friday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the Dante Club, 5 Dante Terrace, Somerville. Hosted by local comedians David McLaughlin and Joe Medoff, this show features some of Boston’s most talented comedians. All of the jokes on this show are free of swears and crude subject matter. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite or at the door. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clean-comedy-showcase-tickets-25930133728

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 5 Alderman Mark Niedergang, and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development invite the public to a Hoyt-Sullivan Playground community meeting to discuss potential renovations. The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 29, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the third-floor community room at the Visiting Nurses Association Building, 259 Lowell St. All are welcome to share ideas that will help to shape the design of the new playground. For more information, contact Arn Franzen, Project Manager Director of Parks, at 617-625-6600, x2545, or afranzen@somervillema.gov.