The publishers, staff and everyone associated with The Somerville Times wish everyone a very Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, as well as a prosperous and healthy New Year in 2020.

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The Somerville Times staff is taking a small holiday vacation beginning this week, with the next issue coming out on January 1, 2020. Anything that comes in and is Somerville related through that period will be posted online to our website. We want to thank all our readers and fans for your support this past year. We are very proud of our paper. We try to keep it a real local paper, local stories that are about Somerville. Thank you for sticking with us! Don’t forget, you can go online to our website and register online for a free subscription of the entire paper.

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The Best of Somerville 2019 will be in the January 1, 2020, edition of the paper. There’s still time to cast your vote for the best. Email, call in or just drop off at the office your vote for who and what you think is the best. We’re looking for the Best Idea of 2019 here in the city. If you have anyone or anything you’d like to suggest, let us know.

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Happy birthday for the next two weeks while we are on break: Happy birthday to a good friend a Zachary Atwell, who is celebrating this week. Happy birthday also to Jim Henry, a well-known man in Somerville. A great guy as well. Happy birthday to former East Somerville guy Jack Basset. We wish him a great day as well. Happy birthday to another East Somerville guy who grew up here, Paul Peddle. Happy birthday to Kristen Marie Butler as well. We hope she has a great day. Big time happy birthday to Maria Curtatone, who is the Register of Deeds for Middlesex County. We hope she has a great day on her birthday. Happy birthday to everyone here and from the city who is celebrating this week. We wish every one of them a very happy birthday.

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This Thursday, December 19, is the Somerville High School Winter Concert, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.at the Somerville High School Auditorium, 81 Highland Ave. Student group performances from the World Percussion Ensemble, Highlander Drumline, Highlander Band, Chorus, Guitar Ensemble, Jazz Band and Orchestra.

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The Last Call to Shop Small! Wrap It Up! Winter Market takes place on Sunday, December 22, at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave. Hosted by Shop Small MA and Arts at the Armory, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. One more holiday market this season so you can wrap up all your holiday shopping needs while supporting our local makers, artists and small businesses.

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The Center for Arts at the Armory will once again be hosting and managing the 2019-2020 Somerville Winter Farmers Market (SWFM). The market will run every Saturday until April 11, with the exception of December 28 when there will be no market. Not only will this be a local foodie paradise, there will be door prizes, live music, coloring activities for the kids, Christmas trees to pre-order from local farms and wreaths on sale by The Somerville Community Growing Center. SNAP/HIP are accepted. The Center for Arts at the Armory is located at 191 Highland Avenue, Somerville. To learn more, and for a complete listing of vendors, weekly specials and live entertainment, please visit www.somwintermarket.org. You can find the market on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SomervilleWinterFarmersMarket, and on Twitter and Instagram @SomWinterMarket.

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Historic Somerville Merchandise is on sale for the holiday season. Just in time to complete your holiday shopping, the Somerville Historic Preservation Commission has “Preserving Somerville” merchandise available for sale. All merchandise can be viewed on the Commission’s website at www.somervillema.gov/historicshop. All items are available for purchase online by credit card and pick-up is at City Hall, 93 Highland Ave. Checks should be made payable to “City of Somerville- Historic Celebration Fund.” Arrangements may also be made for mailing or delivery of items within Somerville, by contacting in advance Brandon Wilson at BWilson@somervillema.gov, or 617-625-6600 ext. 2500.

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Are you a Somerville teen 13 years or older? If so, the City of Somerville invites you to consider being part of the Teen Snow Shoveling Program. The program is a paid program for youth to provide seniors in the community with snow shoveling assistance after a snow storm. Teens and seniors are paired for the season, and after each storm, the senior contacts their assigned teen to request shoveling services. Visit https://www.somervillema.gov/departments/programs/teen-snow-shoveling-program for more information including details on how to apply. Questions? Contact Jennifer Mancia at (617) 625-6600, x2406.

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On Sunday, December 22, a ceremonial Menorah Lighting will take place on the City Hall Concourse beginning at 5:00 p.m. All members of the community are invited to join Mayor Curtatone and city staff for a brief ceremony and photos. The Menorah will be lit each night of Hanukkah. Light refreshments will be served. For more information on the city’s holiday events, please call 311 (617-666-3311 from outside the city).

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In its annual tradition, the City of Somerville will kick off the New Year on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, with a reenactment ceremony for the anniversary of the “Grand Union” flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park. Important note: the park is currently closed for renovations, so the event will be held along Munroe St. adjacent to the park. The road will be closed during the morning events. A processional led by a re-enactor portraying General George Washington on horseback will leave from the City Hall Concourse at 11:30 a.m., followed by a ceremony at Prospect Hill Park. As always, members of the public are invited to participate, and are encouraged to wear traditional colonial clothing. Light refreshments will be served, and miniature replicas of the Grand Union Flag, both as a flag and a lapel pin, as well as colonial-era tri corner hats and a few items highlighting the city’s historic assets will be available for purchase. The tower will also be open to the public following the ceremony.

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Is there someone in the Somerville Public Schools that you would like to celebrate? The Duhamel Education Initiative (DEI) invites you to recognize them with a Duhamel Star. The Duhamel Star is a certificate of appreciation given as a donation to DEI in the honoree’s name. You can express your gratitude with a personal message and grow student engagement in SPS through your donation to DEI’s grant fund. Duhamel Stars can be purchased at any time, and the honoree will receive it within one to two weeks of ordering. For more information and to order a Duhamel Star, visit www.duhamelsomerville.org/duhamel-star.html#/.

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Please join the Somerville Public Space and Urban Forestry Division, and Ward 3 Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen on Wednesday evening, January 8, 2020, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. for a community meeting to discuss the final landscape plan for the Central Hill Campus (Phase I). The meeting will be held in the Somerville High School cafeteria, 81 Highland Ave. Phase I of the Central Hill Campus Master Plan includes the renovation of Central Hill Playground and the installation of Memorial Walk East, a celebratory walk for the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, and a new Service Memorial. For more information about the project, visit www.somervillema.gov/departments/central-hill-plan, or contact Cortney Kirk at ckirk@somervillema.gov.