Condolences to the family of Maxine C. Faulkner who passed away recently. Maxine was married to Burton Faulkner Jr. for 52 years, is from a long established family here in Somerville that gave much to the city over the years. Mrs. Faulkner is being waked at Doherty’s Funeral Home today, Wednesday, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m. and services are Thursday morning at St. Eulalia in Winchester. The Faulkner family is one of Somerville’s oldest families and have been well loved by many here over the years.

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Some politicians have asked why they don’t get mentioned in Newstalk. We suggest all the time that if you want an event mentioned we’re happy to talk about it. Let us know. That goes for anyone out there that wants us to recognize someone for a birthday, anniversary, an event or an award. Let us know.

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Happy Birthday this week to Clifford Clark, now of Pelham, NH. A great guy who grew up around here. His mother Paula still lives here in the city. A nice family man. We hope Cliff has a great day for himself.

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Check out www.ocpf.us and plug in a name to find out who and how local politicians stand in fundraising. We’re looking it over and seeing who contributes to whom. Remember, it’s not illegal to accept money from special interests, including developers, lawyers or unions of any kind.

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For those that might be interested in obtaining certification for firearms should look up the Lawrence Rod & Gun Club, they give an extensive class 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 web site 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. 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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Remember, the 175th birthday of our city is this year. Celebratory events are scheduled throughout the coming year. Go to http://www.somervillema.gov/somerville175 for more information about events you might be interested in.

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It’s 2017 and Demet’s Donuts over on Mystic Avenue is the best. We’re noticing more and more Somerville residents over there getting their coffee and donuts to start the day. The ladies working there are fantastic and always smiling. If you’re in the mood for a huge, great tasting donut drop over early since they disappear as the day gets on. We’ve noticed more and more Somerville residents over at the store on Mystic. They are finding out like we have that their coffee is better then you know.

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Interesting column in the DigBoston on Somerville: www.digboston.com.

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The last Youth-Police Walking Dialogues will take place Thursday, August 24, at 4:00 p.m. at the Brown School, 201 Willow Ave. This partnership with the Somerville Police Department and the Center for Teen Empowerment aims to make communication between Somerville community members and the police department easily accessible, and strengthen relationships among police, youth, community residents and business owners.

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Welcoming and Inclusive Neighborhoods Somerville (WINS) Public Meeting takes place on Thursday, August 24, at 6:00 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School, 50 Cross Street. The city’s Housing Division invites you to a public meeting to receive citizen input on the city’s Assessment of Fair Housing. The Assessment of Fair Housing, which the city is referring to as the Welcoming and Inclusive Neighborhoods Somerville (WINS) initiative, is a Department of Housing and Urban Development requirement that the city has developed to identify and address fair housing issues and factors that contribute to inequities in Somerville. Throughout the summer the city has solicited views and recommendations from community members and interested parties through surveys, tabling at public events and holding meetings and focus groups to gather information on fair housing issues. The input received has been incorporated into the Assessment of Fair Housing draft. The community is now invited to read and make further comments in person during a public meeting or online. The draft will be available for the public through Wednesday, September 20, at www.somervillema.gov/wins.

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There will be an Old Powder House Docent Tour, Saturday, August 26, at 10:00 a.m. at Somerville Powder House, 1 Powder House Blvd. For the first time, the Historic Preservation Commission will have Docent-led tours of the old Powder House, located between Ball Square and Teele Square.

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The Somerville Mobile Farmers’ Market sells fresh, local produce in Somerville. They offer an unlimited 50% discount for residents of North Street or Mystic Housing, as well as for showing your SNAP, WIC, or Senior Farmers’ Market Coupons. They accept cash, debit, credit, SNAP/EBT, WIC Farmers’ Market Coupons, and Senior Farmers’ Market Coupons. For more information: http://www.somervillemobilefarmersmarket.wordpress.com

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The Community Preservation Committee is made up of Somerville residents who set the priorities for approximately $2 million in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds each year and recommend which projects should be funded to the Board of Aldermen. A general public seat is opening on the committee on January 1, 2018, and Somervillians are invited to share feedback on the applicants’ qualifications, which can be found at www.somervillema.gov/CPA. Email feedback to City CPA Manager Kristen Stelljes at kstelljes@somervillema.gov by Tuesday, August 29. The successful candidate will have a three-year term running from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2021, and will have the option to renew for a second three-year term. State law designates that committee members shall be appointed by the mayor and approved by the Board of Aldermen. To engage the community in selecting the most qualified applicant, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has formed a review committee of community members and residents with expertise in related areas to review applications, conduct interviews, and consider public feedback on candidates. The review committee considers both professional and lived experience and seeks to nominate a candidate that has interest in all three CPA areas (historic resources, open space/recreation land, and affordable housing) and contributes to the diversity of background and perspectives of the Community Preservation Committee. From the group of applicants, the review committee will nominate a candidate for appointment for the mayor to review, and the mayor will submit the candidate finalist to the Board of Aldermen for approval. Thanks to all applicants for their interest and dedication to Somerville: Laura Beretsky; Jane Carbone; Kathleen Evans; Katie Gradowski; Stephanie MacNeil; John Reinhardt; and Kristen Strezo.