Happy Fourth of July to all our dedicated and loyal readers. We hope you have a great holiday. The fireworks that were cancelled last week are re-scheduled for Thursday, July 5, at Trum Field. We hope it’s a great time as it usually is. We hear the weather is going to be hot this entire week. Should be empty around our city this weekend, with so many making early escape long weekend plans.

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To all the fans of the Ball Square Café, the good news is that they are going to try and have night time hours, starting on Friday the 13th, and then every Friday they will be open for business until 9:00 p.m.

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Happy birthday this week to several locals: This week a lot of local celebrities are celebrating their birthdays. Happy birthday to our own awesome writer and poet Doug Holder, a great guy who is always pleasant to talk to. He has many friends here in Somerville and we hope he has a great birthday for himself. Also this week, happy birthday to Andy Puglia, a smart man who knows Somerville like the back of his hand. We wish Andy a very happy birthday. Happy birthday to Mary Walker, former Election Commissioner and a nice lady. We hope she has a great day for herself as well. Happy birthday to another Somerville local who owns his own appraisal company, Paul Gaspar. We hope he has a great day. Happy birthday to James “Brian” Roche, from a great family here in Somerville. We wish him the very best as well. Happy birthday to a great family man and new friend, Todd Headley, who is from here and is raising his family here. We hope he has a great birthday. Happy birthday as well to all the others we may have missed and, yes, there are a few more out there. We sincerely wish them the very best of birthdays.

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Congratulations to local real estate agent Ida Fasano and her husband Gennaro as they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. They were married in Gaeta, Italy, just 50 years ago. Their son and daughters threw a beautiful dinner party for them.

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The budget process is over in a marathon event – 14 days and 49 hours of budget meetings and only one and a half million cut. We hear the biggest cut came out of DPW, about $500K. Does that mean it will have an effect on the workers? The new Board of Aldermen is supposed to represent unions here in the city. Cutting $500K wouldn’t that have an effect on overtime? Just asking!

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On Monday, July 9, at 6:00 p.m. at Somerville City Hall in the Alderman Chambers, there will be a hearing on a proposed Historic Ordinance. A petition is being circulated here in the city by someone (that’s right, we can’t find a name) but the flyer is interesting. It says that the real truth behind the proposed ordinance is to make it difficult for homeowners to do work to their homes. It further states that the city wants to take control of all properties and what you do to your property including new roofs, sidings and even if you want to put on an addition. According to the flyer, you’d have to go through the Historic Commission and most importantly the “opinionated Historic Officer” – even if your home is not historic. The flyer begins with “Say No! My Home is MINE! It’s not historic!” Be there or watch it on TV. Is this proposed hearing another attempt to change the city even further?

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We’ve said this several times, this is a new Board of Aldermen, watch them. They have an agenda. You might not agree with them or you might. Still, watch them. We have heard the term “rent control” was mentioned a few times.

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The Somerville City Club is looking to increase its membership. For the time being membership is open to any resident here in the city It’s a great organization that has been around a long time, with lots of activities that support local charitable groups here. Contact the club on Innerbelt Road across from Holiday Inn for more details.

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Last month, the Winter Hill Yacht Club hosted the monthly Somerville Chamber of Commerce after business hours social. Some who were there looked around and took notice of how nice the place was and what it would look like if it was turned over to the residents of Somerville as a public marina. Right there on prime land in Assembly Square, a nice marina for the public. How does that sound? Especially since we hear their membership of Somerville residents is very low compared to the total number of those who are in the club presently. We think the city’s aldermen should move on a proposal to take over the so called club. It would make a great addition to the city. After all, it is on state owned property, leased with certain conditions and a yearly fee, whatever that is, in our opinion. Aren’t elitist yacht clubs outdated? Wonder how they serve the community by having that huge gate closed to private club members and their cars. After all, it is on public owned property, leased with certain conditions by the state DCR and a yearly fee. Maybe the state should pressure the club to turn over the membership list and addresses? Bet it would read more like Winchester, Weston, Reading, Stoneham, Melrose residents, and then Somerville residents.

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Have you thought you’d like to do some writing, a little story about Somerville as either a newbie or Villen? We have about 80K people and we would love to hear about your adventures here in the city. Maybe you want to write about a particular subject like our Bob Doherty and Dorothy DiMarzio, or like when Jimmy Del Ponte wrote his stories about the city (hey, that’s an idea maybe we can talk him into a little writing again). Or maybe you’d like to express your opinion like Bill Shelton, as many others have over the years. Not just the politicians, but those from our community. Give us a call at 617-666-4010 or email news@thesomervilletimes.com and tell us about your idea. We would love to tell it to the rest of Somerville.

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Miss watching the Board of Alderman meetings on TV? You can view them in their entirety on Comcast channel 22, as well as on YouTube. Watch your city at work and see how these dedicated members of our community are serving you, the public. We can’t say this enough, watch the meetings on either cable broadcast live, or go online to YouTube to watch them. You will find some pretty hysterical information there about what’s happening in the city. This should be required viewing for everyone who cares about what is happening here. Even the committee meetings are online. After all, the Board of Aldermen is voting to spend your money. Wow, the raises some department heads are getting. Of course, those friendly with the mayor are the ones that are getting huge ones.

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Demets Donuts in Medford is getting very busy, but those donuts and the large variety are like the old Day’s Donuts, huge and tasty. Almost a sin facing you when you come in for just coffee. It’s hard to not get that jelly or lemon, not to mention the coconut donuts. The Somerville Times is available every Wednesday at the donut shop. Stop in, get a coffee and few of those delicious donuts, or maybe the real – and we mean real – egg sandwiches, from real eggs.

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A public meeting of the Somerville Commission for Persons with Disabilities will be held on Tuesday, July 10, 6:30 p.m. at the Cross Street Center, 165 Broadway.