Community Meeting: A Cultural District for East Somerville, at Cross Street Center, 165 Broadway, July 18 at 6:00 p.m. Would East Somerville benefit from a Cultural District designation? Come to the community meeting, learn about what Cultural Districts are and what they can do for the local community.

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Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott, and Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen invite you to a public meeting for an update on the Somerville Ave. Utilities and Streetscape Improvements project and ongoing construction in the Union Square area. The meeting will be held Thursday, July 18, at 6:00 p.m. in the Academy Room at the Somerville Public Safety Building, 220 Washington St. Project staff will outline progress of construction thus far and the planned sequence of work through the rest of the year. For more information about this project, please visit somervilleMA.gov/SomervilleAve, email construction@SomervilleMA.gov, or call the Engineering Department at 617-625-6600 ext. 5400.

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We’re wondering why with all the construction and bridge closings in the city there isn’t a Professional Traffic Engineer (the last one retired but with no replacement) overseeing the management of traffic flow on the streets. Bureaucrats with little or no training are facilitating the oversight and some might think it’s a disaster traversing city streets through all the construction and bridge closures. We hope a Traffic Engineer is hired to help mitigate and ameliorate the problem. But who knows, they’re too busy hiring political hacks of the mayor for T&P. Oh, and don’t forget Inspectional Services. But then, he doesn’t need the votes for those positions – or does he?

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The City of Somerville Planning Board initially approved a permit for US2. This community process was long and hard and may have prevented other potential commercial development from happening in Somerville. Other cities like Boston and Cambridge are more amenable to development, and less have fewer demands on development

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The Friday Night Fight this year is scheduled for Saturday, August 17, at Dilboy, hosted by Somerville Youth Development & Boxing Club, located at 18 Otis Street. The event starts at 5:00 p.m. and will run most likely to 10:00 p.m. Tickets will be on sale shortly. Meanwhile, you can go to their Facebook page and let them know you are coming.

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There are Lots of potholes in Ward 3. We noticed that Munroe Street was littered with them. Maybe Stan Koty, the DPW Commissioner, is too busy now that he has to run a campaign for the mayor and recently lost his assistant. What is wrong with the city? They even have a special truck – you’ve seen it – it even says pothole truck on the sides. We understand when they get a call from the councilors, who tell residents to call 311. Wouldn’t be faster if a call was made directly to DPW Commissioner Koty?

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Celebrating their birthdays this week: Happy birthday to a lifelong resident and wonderful lady, Judy Podymaitis, who celebrates this week. We wish her well and many more. Happy birthday to a good friend of ours who is traveling the county and also celebrating this week, Michael Stenger. A good friend from one of Somerville’s finest families, Richard Spinosa celebrates this week. We wish him the very best of birthdays. But what do you get for a guy who has everything? Happy birthday to Cheryl Chaille Horan, of Green Cab fame. We wish her the very best. Happy birthday to local Eileen Costa. To those that are celebrating this week, and we didn’t post, again we wish you the best of birthdays.

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Last week the Newstalker who usually does the happy birthdays was out sick – LOL. We would be remiss not to acknowledge former Mayor Eugene Brune, who turned 90 (it seems like he never looks older). His old staff from City Hall and the Registry of Deeds threw him a happy birthday party. Belated happy birthday Gene, and many more. You do so much for our city, it’s hard not to find you on a fundraiser letter asking for donations. Gene is a great guy and we hope he has many more. First the Board of Health, then several years as Alderman from Ward 6, just about 10 years as mayor and then Registrar of Deeds for so many more years since 1990.

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Congratulations to Rosa and Victor Moccia of Victor’s Deli fame in Ball Square. They are are celebrating 49 years of marriage this week. They really are the perfect couple. May they celebrate many more years to come.

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Down in Ward 3, we only hear from Mary Marshall who is running for School Committee there, where she appears to be very active. We heard that she has quite the campaign workers, about 20 of them were coming out of a place last Saturday for campaigning. It’s good to see and hear a candidate is working hard to get elected, and Mary is doing that. Once again, we would like to hear from various campaigns and what or how they are doing. Imagine if they all had the spirit of Mary Marshall. Let us know what you’re doing in the other campaigns here in the city.

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One family which is applying for a license to sell marijuana is the Curtatones, but the mayor has made it clear he’s not on the Trust of McGrath nor is he Beneficiary, at least not yet. Who is the other political family that wants to open a place here in the city? We heard 11 places around the city are hoping to get the green line from what committee in the city?

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We heard that a group from the city is hiring an attorney to sue the city over the recent ordinance which goes into effect on July 31. Every property here in Somerville when sold and the person or developer wants to convert it or sell as condos, you have to wait 12 months in one instance. Watch prices fall in Somerville if that law gets OK’d. A developer buys a four family he or she will have wait 12 months to remove the present tenants or even if he or she buys it empty, the same wait for 12 months. So, as an example, you buy a house and want to rehab it and make it condos you will have to wait, empty or not, for 12 months and sometimes 5 years to do the work. Imagine carrying a mortgage on four units maybe 2M for the person. Who is going to do that? Would you?

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Next, the City Council is willing to pass an ordinance giving the city 2% of the sale, 1% from the seller and 1% from the buyer. Won’t that sting? So now you had a nest egg and suffered with your property over the good and bad years, you have to pay 1% to the city for the privilege of selling and having a retirement fund. So the Council is saying in so many words, we want what we want and we don’t care what it cost the residents.

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A very nice man who a lot of people liked over the years, passed away recently. Marvin Ethough was a wonderfully guy and quietly helped a lot of people. We send our condolences to the family of Marvin, he will be missed.

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Looking for a job as a real estate professional here in the Greater Boston area and Somerville? Contact Century 21 North East – Norton Group RE, 699 Broadway Somerville Ball Square. Phone 617-623-6600 or email donaldfnorton@gmail.com. Century 21 North East has over 45 offices here in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. It’s the fastest growing company around, headed by Jimmy D’Amico, originally from Chelsea. Find out why so far, since January 1 of this year, over 100 agents – both new and existing – have joined with C21 North East’s more than 800 agents. It’s all about family and good business sense. A grand opening will be coming up sometime soon.

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The Somerville City Club manager Donny Johnson is looking all the time for new members to join the club, if you think you’d be interested give him a call at 617-623-9340. It’s a great local club for the residents of Somerville, and has been around now for over 40 years, their location on Innerbelt Road. Plenty of parking and a very nice hall for rent, some say the best deal in Somerville. Call and ask for details at 617-623-9340.