The Next Wave and Full Circle Alternative schools’ 22nd Annual Tree Lot Fundraiser is being held at a new location this year, at the Edgerly Building on the corner of Cross Street and Bonair Street. All proceeds will go to supporting student scholarships, trips and behavioral management programs. The lot is operated entirely by teachers and students, who volunteer their time on evenings and weekends during the busy holiday season. The trees and decorative wreaths are being sold from now to December 18 between 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. during the week and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on the weekends.

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Happy birthdays this week in the Ville: Happy birthday to Nancy (Moccia) Fucile, of the famous Victor’s Deli, along with her husband Jason, who celebrated last week. Nancy always has a smile for the customers who go in to Victor’s, like all the other family members. Happy birthday to a nice lady, Lisa Hastings, who works in town and is celebrating this week. Also, happy birthday to our good friend, mentor and great guy, Billy Murphy at Colony Real Estate. He has lived here in the city his entire life. There isn’t much that’s happened here over the past 80 years or so that Billy doesn’t know about. A really great guy, we think the world of him. He’s always on the go. Happy birthday to Ray Zonghetti, who is well known around the city as well and involved in several groups. We wish Ray a very happy birthday. A happy birthday to David Bell, who grew up here and is also a good guy. We wish him the very best on this, his birthday. To all the others having a birthday this week, we salute you and wish you a very happy birthday.

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The Somerville Annual Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place Thursday, December 7, 5:30 p.m. at the City Hall Concourse, 93 Highland Ave. The ceremony includes a special visit from Santa, caroling by the Somerville Community Chorus and the Somerville High School Chorus, holiday music by the Somerville High School Band and Orchestra, and festive fun and holiday refreshments.

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The Somerville Illuminations Tour takes place on Saturday, December 16. Residents and visitors are invited to the Somerville Arts Council event. Tour guides will lead trolleys past some of the city’s most spectacular displays of holiday lights, sharing stories about the families that decorate and providing local historic trivia en route. Tours depart from the City Hall Concourse, 93 Highland Ave., every 45 minutes beginning at 4:30 p.m. Refreshments, choral music and craft activities will be available inside City Hall. Trolley Tour tickets will be available at the Blue Cloud Gallery, 713 Broadway, beginning Sunday, December 3. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. For more information, visit www.somervilleartscouncil.org/illuminationstour.

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The Somerville Ceremonial Menorah Lighting is set for Tuesday, December 19, at 5:30 p.m. with the Rabbi Eliana from Temple B’nai Brith. All members of the community are invited to join Mayor Curtatone and city staff for a brief ceremony and photo on the City Hall Concourse, 93 Highland Ave. The Menorah will be lit each night of Hanukkah, and the ceremony will officially take place on the final night of Hanukkah. Light refreshments will be served.

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Tough Plants for Tough Places at the Somerville Garden Club – Dan Jaffe, propagator and stock bed grower for the New England Wild Flower Society, will give a presentation on practical tips for choosing plants that can grow in the toughest places and withstand severe drought, such as the one we had in 2016, on Wednesday, December 13. Ask the nursery for plants to fill sunny areas with rich soils and the options are endless, but most gardeners have those spaces they’d rather the neighbors not notice. How about the roadsides with the endless barrage of sand and salt? Or the area out back that receives 12 hours of direct light and only has three inches of soil above the ledge? What about that spot under the pine trees where the conditions are dry, acidic and shady? Join Dan Jaffe to learn about those plants that can fill the toughest areas on the landscape. From maple leaf viburnum to lowbush blueberry. All Somerville Garden Club meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings are held 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. 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. For additional information please visit www.somervillegardenclub.org.

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John F Kennedy School Winter concerts are coming up. Grades K-3 on Tuesday, December 19, 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., and Grades 4-8 on Wednesday, December 20, 9:00 a.m. at the JFK Cafetorium, 5 Cherry St., Somerville.

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The Argenziano PTA will host its Fourth Annual Craft Fair on Friday, December 8. It will be held at the Argenziano School, 290 Washington Street, Somerville, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Admission is free to the general public. They will have jewelry, scarves, hats, greeting cards, soap, chocolate, homemade bread, and more.

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El Sistema Somerville, the daily after school music program at East Somerville Community School, will have its annual Winter Concert on Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the East Somerville Community School auditorium. El Sistema Somerville is thriving in its sixth year at the ESCS, serving students in grades 3 through 8. They are funded by generous support from the City of Somerville, Somerville Public Schools, the 3rd year of a Massachusetts Cultural Council “Serhacer” Grant, and individual donations. In this concert, students will perform in the Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced String Orchestras along with the Beginner and Advanced Wind Ensembles and combined Symphonic Orchestra. The East Somerville Marimba Club will open the concert with an exciting work for marimba ensemble.

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Families can enjoy an evening of circus entertainment in Somerville on December 15. Cirque Us! is offering a night of high-flying fun, featuring aerialists, jugglers, acrobats and clowns. The show is comprised exclusively of youth and young adult performers. The artists, who discovered the love of circus as children, consist of alumni from Circus Smirkus, The Midnight Circus, Circus Monti and current students at the New England Center for Circus Arts, École Nationale de Cirque and École de Cirque de Quebec. The family-friendly show reflects the mission of Cirque Us! to bring high-level, affordable circus shows to local communities. Show times are 6:00 and 8:30 p.m. at the Somerville Arts at the Armory. For more information visit http://www.thecirqueus.com.