Madeleine Masters, Planning Director with the Somerville Office of Strategic Planning & Community Development emailed an announcement about the upcoming meeting on the Union Square Open Space and Recreation Plan, which will be held on Tuesday, January 6th at 6:30 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall.

Pleasant Auto School and Somerville Adult Evening School have teamed up to provide a 5 week driver’s education course for any teens or adults with a learner’s permit. Students receive 30 hours of classroom instruction, twelve hours of Road Lessons, six hours of observation time.

Registration has opened for the 2009 Somerville Open Studios.  This year the event will be on May 2 and 3 from noon to 6:00pm.  Registration for participating artists is only open until January 30. You can register here: http://2009.somervilleopenstudios.org/membership/

Congratulations to Laxmi Spearing, Charlie LoBrutto, Sofia Carafotes and Lynn Soyring – all of whom won a gift in the raffle held at the All-City Elementary Winter Concert last night, 12/11, at Somerville High School. Raffle prizes were donated by Porter Square Books, Performance Music Center, and Target.

The following message was sent by Stephanie Hirsch to some ResiStat groups today. This is the park bounded by Holland Street, Simpson St., and Paulina St..

Hello ResiStat groups –

Please see below for an announcement of a planning meeting regarding Hodgkins Park:

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Ward 7 Alderman Robert…

If you buy your electrical power from NStar and can afford an additional 1.389 cents per kilowatt hour, you can sign up for the “NStar Green” program,  which promotes the development of wind energy as an alternative power source.…

A focus group of Civil and DisAbilities Rights advocates will join with the longest-running TV Access producers group in the country during Civil Rights Week in MA to tackle the challenges of designing equal opportunity communities.

Julia’s drawing entitled Red Sails at Sunset by Julia J won third prize in Crayola’s “Art of Childhood” online exhibit!

[Posted for Union Square Neighbors] Union Square Neighbors (USN) is a group of area residents who are concerned with the future of Union Square. We believe that careful planning and a cohesive community vision are critical to the future of the square.

I’ve been reviewing some of the reasons Obama will need to be pushed if he is going to be a progressive President, and some of the major areas in which we need to push him. The key thing is, we can’t wait.

More than 35 student actors, musicians, stage and costume designers, and production engineers are working on the 2009 Somerville High School production of Bye Bye Birdie. Scheduled to launch its three day run on Friday, February 6th, Bye Bye Birdie tells the story of Conrad Birdie…

Over the last five years, the city has seemed to be augmenting its revenue by issuing me one trash citation after another, often for no cause… It has become clear to me that this city government is rife with nepotism and cronies who are willing to lie in order to protect each other’s misconduct and dishonesty.

Hi Gang.. Bill from SCAT here. It’s the holiday time of year and best wishes to all of you from the members and staff here at Somerville Community Television. Today’s BIG NEWS: Santa and Mrs Claus will be live on Somerville Channel 3 on Wednesday night December 10, from 6-8pm. We would like to invite those of you with little ones…

To the Charter Review Committee, I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to give testimony at your November 10th public hearing. I hope you are not discouraged that, from mildly to passionately, all but one person who spoke was critical of your preliminary recommendations.

At the Visiting Nurse Association assisted living community at 259 Lowell Street, in the private dining room. We’ll review what’s been happening on the blog and make new plans. You’re invited!…

Please join the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee (AHOC) and Save Our Somerville (SOS) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the hearing of the Union Square Zoning Ordinance at City Hall. We are very concerned that the proposed Union Square zoning does little to protect affordability in the area.

The Somerville Public Schools is looking for businesses, non-profit partners, volunteers and community experts to work with us planning and running afterschool activity clubs from 4:00-5:30 PM for students in Grades K-8 across the City. We know you have great experience helping students learn in innovative ways, enthusiasm for afterschool learning, and a desire to help students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be successful throughout their lives.

The District is rich in activity throughout the early part of December. Highlights include…

I don’t agree with his accusatory tone–I think most people voted for Obama with their eyes open–but Sam Smith has “listed nearly three dozen things that Obama supports or opposes with which no good liberal or progressive would agree.” Most prominent among them to my perspective:

If you’ve been waiting to submit your written testimony to the Charter Advisory Committee, now’s the time. If you haven’t reviewed the Committee’s preliminary recommendations, check them out here. Here are my thoughts:

Sent by Adam Rich to Somerville-4-Schools yahoo group:

If families continue to leave Somerville, our public schools will suffer. Please join the Affordable Housing Organizing Committee (AHOC) and Save Our Somerville (SOS) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. for the hearing of the Union Square Zoning Ordinance at City Hall.

We are very concerned…

“Klass Klownz” auditions are open to any Somerville resident in Grades 7 through 9, and will be held Wednesday, December 10th at 6:00 p.m. in West Somerville Neighborhood School at 177 Powderhouse Boulevard. Performers should prepare a one-minute skit that can take the form of a funny song, an impression, or a parody of a TV ad or character. A CD player will be provided for those auditioners that have their own music.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Historic Preservation Commission Director Brandon Wilson announced that the Commission is now accepting nominations for the 2009 Preservation Awards. During the Commission’s annual award program, Somerville residents will be recognized for significant restoration or maintenance efforts on designated historic buildings, or on non-designated buildings erected before 1955. Nominations for the…

A new exhibition, cosponsored by the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and the Chinese Historical Society of New England features material from the Chinese American Women Oral History Project. Exhibited are transcripts, audio, and video clips, artifacts, correspondence, and books that document the experiences of several women who…

I just received this invitation in the mail from the Somerville Community Corporation:

The Somerville Community Corporation

Cordially invites you to attend our

39th Annual Dinner and Meeting

“PATHWAYS TO PROGRESS”

Wed, Dec 3, 2008, 6-8:30pm

Holiday Inn Boston – Somerville

30 Washington St., Somerville

Please join…