On Saturday, December 10, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Union Square Main Streets is once again partnering with local businesses to bring you their second annual Union Square Holiday Stroll. They will be building on the success of last year’s inaugural Holiday Stroll with great festive offerings from local businesses, live music, a visit from Santa, a Holiday Display Contest and access to over 60 vendors.

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This Sunday, December 11, at the Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Avenue, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Somerville Local First presents their second Holiday Marketplace sponsored by Float Boston, Work Shop Salon and e. scott originals. Join Somerville Local First and over 40 local vendors at Arts for a day of local holiday shopping. Makers Marketplace features a wide variety of handcrafted goods, jewelry, accessories, confections, home decor, textiles, art, apparel and gifts for everyone on your list. This market also boasts 20 different vendors from their November event.

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Congratulations (unofficially for now – the actual vote will happen just before the inaugural) to Alderman at Large Bill White for being re-elected President by his peers on the Board of Alderman. Once again, unanimous votes were cast. Alderman White is efficient in the way he runs the Board meetings. With what used to take many late hours, a vast majority of the meetings are now well run and all the city business is done in short order. Bill is starting his 20th year representing the city and will once again be on the ballot this year, and we’re sure he will be re-elected.

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Coming on Thursday, December 15, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., the Somerville Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly Business After Hours at the Armory on Highland Avenue. This is an excellent networking event featuring appetizers and a free business card drawing, along with a cash bar. Guests are welcome to bring unwrapped Toys for Local Children. Sponsored by the Bonney Family and the Law Offices of Isaac M. Machado. Hosted by Somerville Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours Chair Dana Iacopucci of Cubby Oil & Energy.

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Don’t forget to park on the EVEN side of the street this winter during snow emergencies. The Board of Aldermen voted to alternate every year, and this year it is the EVEN side. So scramble to get your spot as soon as they declare. Hopefully, the city won’t be calling any false alarms. Commissioner Stan Koty will give the signal when it’s about to snow.

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Happy birthday to a lot of our friends and fellow Villens here this week: Happy birthday to local well-known celebrity Nancy (Moccia) Fucile. She has always had a big smile and hello for all the customers that come into Victor’s Deli over the years, always with a positive attitude. We hope she has a great day and week for her birthday. We already saw that her husband Jason took her to the Patriots game this past Sunday. Also, happy birthday to a great lady who isn’t from Somerville but is a fan, Lisa Hastings. We hope she has a great day for herself. To lifelong resident and popular guy in many circles here in the city, as well as being very involved in the business community, we hope that Ray Zonghetti has a great day. Happy birthday to longtime Somerville guy David Bell. We hope he enjoys his birthday. Happy birthday to our very good friend Bill Murphy of Colony RE. A great guy and someone who knows history here in the city very well and can tell you many stories. Sometimes we go and talk with him and he just makes you laugh over some crazy people here in the city’s past. We hope he has a great day for himself. Happy birthday to John Jenn of East Somerville. We hope he has a great day for himself. Last week, little Samantha “Sam” Carriger celebrated her birthday and, knowing her parents and family, we bet she was treated to a very special day. We send her our happy birthday greetings as well.

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Somerville Rotary is looking for some new members. Rotary is a service club for businesses and local non-profits. Somerville Rotary meets at 12:15 p.m. every Tuesday at the Holiday Inn. If you’d like to find out more about Rotary and what it does here both in the city and internationally, go to the their website at www.somervillerotary.org.

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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 hope-you-get-better to Lisa Pefine, who has been ill and in and out of the hospital since May. We hope she has a better Christmas and New Year.

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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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It’s that time of year again, when we’re thinking of shoes and boots and much more. Head online to www.shoebuy.com for the best prices and fastest delivery right here in Somerville. We think Shoebuy is great. You go online to order, and within the next couple of days you get them delivered. Go see for yourself the vast inventory they have online for sale.

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When you’re home and looking for a place to go out to that is sort of like the Cheers of Somerville, head down to Sally O’Brien’s on Somerville Avenue. Different entertainment every single night, from Open Mic to Texas holdem. Don’t forget to order up a cheeseburger. We like Open Mic night – we like watching not participating – but for those hams out there, maybe you’d like to try out your talent.

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Speaking of Sally O’Brien’s, their 10th Annual Neighborhood Food Drive will soon be underway. Bring non-perishable foods for Somerville Homeless Coalition to Sally’s December 15–22, 335 Somerville Ave, 617-666-3589.

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 4 Alderman Tony Lafuente, and the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development (OSPCD) invite all interested community members to the second in a series of community meetings to discuss planned renovations to the schoolyard at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School (WHCIS). The meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 7, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., in the WHCIS cafeteria. The first phase of the project will include the addition of a playing field, and the meeting will focus on discussions for phase 1 plans and timelines. For more information, please contact Luisa Oliveira at LOliveira@somervillema.gov.