This Thursday evening, the 10th at 6:30 p.m., a public hearing on Union Square Community Benefits Agreement is scheduled, a discussion on the potential to address displacement and uphold community values. The administration’s proposal for new Union Square zoning has been under discussion by the BOA since a public hearing took place in mid-October. There are three more meetings scheduled in November. The new zoning proposal is designed to unlock the heart of Union Square, especially the area around the forthcoming GLX Union Square station for major development. This public hearing is being held as a result of an official request from 138 voters who are concerned that the development will cause displacement in Union Square. Only the BOA has the power to change zoning. A 2/3 vote of the BOA (8 of 11 Aldermen) is necessary to adopt new Union Square zoning (or any zoning change or proposal). On another, related topic, the Administration has announced it will introduce early in 2017 a second edition of the citywide zoning overhaul proposal.

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This Saturday the Little Sisters of the Poor will be holding their annual Christmas Bazaar on November 12 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., at 186 Highland Ave. Somerville. Big Raffle Prizes, Christmas Items, Games, Baked Goods including Angela’s famous Irish Soda Bread and lunch items including their popular beef stew. Mark your calendars. Don’t miss this annual event running now for over 40 years. 617-776-4420 for info.

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This Saturday, November 12, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Brigham House Assisted Living, 341 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, invites you to their 5th Annual Holiday Craft Faire. Residents and their families are given the special opportunity to kick off their holiday shopping within the comfort of their own home. As always, the public is welcome and they encourage Watertown residents and surrounding communities to come in and support their local craft vendors. There will be plenty of holiday cheer, with complimentary sweet treats throughout the day, in addition to their huge raffle give-away. The Faire puts everyone in the holiday spirit, and Brigham House is looking forward to seeing everyone there. Local Somerville nice lady Lynne Lenoir, along with her partner Dorothy DiMarzo, have been busy preparing for this event, making things to sell, you can bet if these two lovely ladies are involved its got to be good.

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Happy birthday to some of our friends and fellow Villens here this week: Happy recent birthday to Flo McWatters, an extremely nice lady who is very popular here in the city. A great lady from awesome family and we hope she has a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to our good friend Andrea Matos, another great lady and hard worker.

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Somerville’s annual Brick Jungle Reunion is being held on Friday, November 18, at the Somerville City Club. All those who either grew up in the Mystic Avenue projects and their friends are welcome. It’s less than two weeks so they we need to start selling tickets. Call 617-599-8088 for tickets and information.

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Mark your calendar for a public hearing on Thursday, November 17, 7:00 p.m., Alderman Chambers, 2nd floor, City Hall. The mayor will present a proposal for Somerville’s contribution of $50M for Green Line Extension (GLX) funding. The mayor will present a proposal for a city contribution of $50 million to the Board of Aldermen (BOA) at their meeting Thursday, November 10. A vote in favor by the BOA will be necessary for the city to send the money to the state.

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Our condolences and sympathy out to the family of Kathy Beckwith, formerly of Somerville, who passed away last week. She was waked in Wakefield. Her husband is a Somerville fireman, both grew up here in the city and are well known. Our sincere condolences to her family on this tragic loss.

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On another note, a speedy recovery to Irving Johansen, of Winter Hill, who suffered a fall couple of weeks back and is home recovering very well. Together he and his lovely daughter Diane were both were in and out of the hospital this past month or so. It’s been a hectic summer for both of them. We wish them the best.

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The one and only original “Best of Somerville” ballot is out now and the winners will be announced on Wednesday, November 16, so hurry up and nominate in your favorite category. We also want best idea this year and worst idea this year for 2016 here in Somerville. You can email, mail, call in or just drop your votes in the mail slot at 699 Broadway, Somerville.

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Victor’s Deli of Ball Square now does deliveries. Check it out on Facebook and call them so you can have one of their famous Macaroni & Cheese dishes, or maybe you’d like the Chicken Parmagian with the great sauce that Victor’s is noted for. Call today to have your lunch delivered to you from Victor’s.

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There will be a public hearing on the third version of the administration’s Athletic Fields Master Plan on Tuesday, November 15, 7:30 p.m., Aldermen’s Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall. There were several public meetings early in 2016 in which the administration presented and got feedback on the initial version of this plan. This third version has more information about the proposed surface for each field (grass or artificial turf) and also has a far better timeline for redeveloping and adding fields. The BOA has no formal power to approve or reject this plan. However, the BOA will likely need to vote to approve or deny funds for each major field project on its own.

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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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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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Join Somerville Local First and over 40 local vendors at Arts at the Armory on Sunday, November 27, for a day of local holiday shopping. Their Maker’s Marketplace offers a wide selection of handcrafted goods, confections, jewelry, home decor, apparel, textiles, accessories and art. You will be sure to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list. Shift your holiday shopping this year and support their local artists, designers and makers in the Boston area. For a list of participating vendors go to their website: http://www.somervillelocalfirst.org/events/slf-winter-market/.

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The next meeting of the Somerville Garden Club will take place on Wednesday, November 9, 7:00-9:00 pm. Susanne Lucas, Executive Director of the World Bamboo Organization, horticulturist, designer, landscape gardener and consultant based in Plymouth, Massachusetts, will give a talk about bamboo. She will cover recommended cold-hardy bamboo species, culture, expectations, and control of running rhizomes, particularly as appropriate for Somerville’s small urban gardens. All Somerville Garden Club meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings are held at the Tufts Administration Building, (TAB), 167 Holland Street, second floor, wheelchair accessible. Parking is available, and the building is a ten-minute walk from the Davis Square MBTA stop. www.somervillegardenclub.org.

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Pursuant to City Charter Section 8, there will be a Public Hearing before the Board of Aldermen on Thursday, November 10, 2016, at 6:30 PM, in the Aldermanic Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue, on the Order of Alderman William A. White, Jr., President of the Board, for public input on the matter of community benefits agreements and their potential to address displacement and uphold community values, pursuant to a request for a public hearing on the subject submitted by 138 registered voters to the Board of Aldermen on October 13, 2016 (#202235). The public is invited to attend and be heard.

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There will be a Public Hearing before the Board of Aldermen’s Special Committee on Open Space, Environment and Energy on Tuesday, November 15, 2016, at 7:30 PM, in the Aldermanic Chambers, 2nd Floor, City Hall, 93 Highland Avenue, on the Order of Alderman Katjana Ballantyne, Chairman of the Committee, for public input related to the city’s athletic fields master plan/usage plan and other field-related matters. The public is invited to attend and be heard.

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 6 Alderman Lance Davis invite you to a West Branch Library Community Meeting. At the meeting you can get updates from the project team and library staff on the plans to renovate the library, ask questions, and provide feedback. The West Branch Library Community Meeting will be held Monday, November 14, at 6:30 p.m., at the Somerville Community Baptist Church, 31 College Ave. For more information, please call the Capital Projects and Planning Department at 617-625-6600 ext. 5120.

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The public is invited to attend a public hearing and give testimony on the request for approval of the transfer of control of the cable television licensee from Yankee Cable Partners, LLC to Radiate Holdings, LP due to the sale of RCN from Yankee Cable to Radiate Holdings. The hearing will be held Wed., Nov. 16, at 6 p.m., in the Third Floor Conference Room of City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. A copy of the FCC document detailing the license transfer is available at the Somerville City Clerk’s Office at City Hall, and can be viewed during regular business hours. For more information, please call the Communications Office at 617-625-6600 ext. 2103.