If
you can give a toy, coat or food to a family in need, however, here are
some places in Somerville that need your help more than ever.

Businesses and individiuals can send toys to the Somerville Housing Authority's
office at 30 Memorial Rd. The annual toy drive tries to add a few extra
gifts under the tree for the youngest tenants of the city's housing
complexes.

The Somerville Homeless Coalition
is accepting new or slightly used toys and clothes for children who may
not be getting much for Christmas this year. said Lisa Davidson of the
coalition. "Kids still need gifts. We're hoping to get some gift cards
to Target so we can get them something for Christmas," she said.
Donations can be sent to the Somerville Homeless Coalition at PO Box
440436.

Project Soup, at 15 Franklin St. in East Somerville, is accepting food donations for families in need.

Deputy
Chiefs Paul Upton and Michael Cabral said the new positions, filled in
September for the first time since the 1980s, increase accountability
in the department's leadership.

"Before, there were six captains
[in the department], all equal in rank. No one was the boss, the chain
of command was flattened out. So if one captain was not doing what they
were supposed to do, all [responsibility] fell on the chief," Cabral
said.

The jobs include a salary of $144,000, slightly higher
than a captain's salary of $137,000. Cabral and Upton, however, said
they could see their pay decrease because they are no longer eligible
to work private details.

Cabral supervises the patrol division
and took on added administrative duties as part of his new job. Upton
oversees investigations and the internal affairs department.

The
two new jobs are part of a department wide reorganization that includes
adding two police substations on the east and west ends of the city and
increasing community outreach efforts, Upton said. Those efforts
started under former Acting Chief Robert Bradley and continue under
current chief, Anthony Holloway.

"We've been trying to reach out
more to the community," Upton said. "When I was growing up in Davis
Square, everyone knew everyone else. You don't see that anymore. But
we're trying to get back to that."

It is a good time for the Somerville Police Department, Cabral said.

"We are the envy right now of a lot of local police departments," he said.

Shape Up Somerville is a citywide campaign, started by
Tufts University in 2003, to increase daily physical activity and
healthy eating by offering children healthier snacks in schools and
encouraging exercise.

The grant, from the Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation, will allow the city to expand the program and hire an
additional health department employee to oversee it, said Mayor Joseph
A. Curtatone..

"Over the past five years Shape Up Somerville has
shown us that through creative thinking and collaboration we truly can
combat the challenges of obesity in our community," Curtatone said.

Somerville
was one of nine communities selected this week to receive the grant. By
late 2009, 70 communities will be participating. Nationally, the Robert
Wood Johnson foundation is expected to spend $44 million on the
initiative

A
couple of radio stations started playing holiday music right after
Halloween – a lot of people felt that we shouldn't start hearing
Christmas songs until after Thanksgiving. So why did these stations
start so early? Believe me it has nothing to do with wanting to please
the listeners…having worked at one of these stations, I can tell you
it's just for bragging rights and hopefully good ratings.

Somehow
the ratings are higher when holiday music is played. Each station tries
to beat the other one to the punch by starting first. Big radio
stations do not find joy in putting smiles on people's faces when they
hear Gene Autry singing "Rudolph." These stations want to be your
"official holiday music station" – so you will buy the stuff they are
hawking.

Hopefully, the Arbitron ratings will be kind to them so
they can charge even more for advertising – that's it in a nutshell –
and good luck to them. On two of these stations, you can hear several
versions of White Christmas and Jingle Bells – and of course Dominic
The Italian Christmas Donkey – I still enjoy the Chipmunk's song.

For
years I have been writing Christmas parodies with my counterpart Tom
Doyle from WROR. My songs have graced the airwaves of Kiss 108 and
Oldies 103 – this year you can hear some of my silliness on my cable
show "Seriously Somerville" on city cable channels 13 and 16.

Some
of my past favorites have been: "We Three Kids from Orient Heights",
"Waiting For a Win at Wonderland" and "I'm Fleeing in A White Bronco" –
sung in my best "OJ" voice back in 1995. That one was actually used by
Rick Dees at a private radio awards ceremony. A favorite from my Kiss
days was "Dingle-balls On My I-ROC" – sung to the tune of "Jingle Bell
Rock."

Here are a few excerpts of some that I came up with for
this season. This one is sung to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry
Gentlemen":

Go test ye Ball Square Restaurants in each the food is great!

Before you eat you're on the street in line 'cuz there's a wait!

They just can't seem to get along so someday you may see

Breakfast battles with flying eggs and home fries, right in the eyes

Hope that I'm around if they start throwing pies!

Here's one to the tune of "Little Town of Bethlehem":

Oh little lounge in Somerville, you see a few here and there

In Teele, Magoun and Ball Square too, and many in Davis Square

Oh how we miss Pat Connelly's, Frascatis and Pine Tree

Rail Side is gone, but going strong is Rosebud and Johnny D's

This is to the tune of "Little Drummer Boy":

The shopping will be fine when Ikea Comes

I'll take the Orange Line when Ikea comes

Down at Assembly Square Ikea comes

Assemble stuff from there when Ikea comes, when Ikea comes, when Ikea comes.

I'll go to Ikea and buy a bookshelf, assemble it myself

How
about "The 12 Days of Christmas Past"?On the 12th day of Christmas my
true love gave to me: 12 coats from Cummings, 11 ties from Gorins, 10
belts from Kresge's, 9 coats from Parke Snows, 8 cards from Woolworths,
7 bras from Bradlees, 6 toys from Osco's, 5 scarves from Grants, 4
shirts from Mickey Finn's, 3 hats from Sparks, 2 meals at Waldorfs and
some smokey socks from Bargain Center too!!

Here are some others that I am working on:

I'll be at Home Depot for Christmas

Deck the Guy who blocked my driveway

Frosty's at Sligo's

Redbones the Red Meat Restaurant

Rocking Around the Rotary

We Three Aldermen

(Flashing) Blue Christmas

Chickens Roasting at McKinnon's

I saw a parking Control officer ticketing Santa Claus

It Came down Rt. 16 From Revere

No
matter what your favorite holiday song is, you can bet that you will
hear it over and over again thanks to competing radio stations, TV
commercials and in stores. Of course you can do what I do and play your
own Holiday music – if you do download your own songs, don't forget
Elvis – and the best Christmas Song of all time: The Singing Dogs
barking their version of Jingle Bells!

A 50-foot Christmas tree illuminated the City Hall Concourse Tuesday for this year's Christmas Tree Lighting.

The
free event was a family-oriented activity as dozens of kids looked up
at this year's tree, the Douglas Fur, the tallest Christmas tree to
grace City Hall Concourse.

The melody of Christmas music,
provided by local singer Patrice Peris, the Somerville High School band
and the Somerville Community Chorus, wafted through the streets and set
the tone for the night.

"It's a great family event because it's
a great feeling to see such deep, rich, family tradition in
Somerville," said Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, as a parent.

Stephanie
Hirsch who works for the City is the mother of two children aged two
and a half and 10 months. For her the night is rewarding. "It's fun,"
she said simply, with a big smile.

Outside, a group of three
Christmas wreaths, complete with white lights and arranged in the shape
of an upside-down Mickey Mouse head, graced the front entrance of City
Hall.

So, after having heard all of the cheering, out came
Santa, who addressed the children in a loud, but jolly voice, "Merry
Christmas to all, from the North Pole." Excited cheering came from the
children in the crowd.

As we stood
there Tuesday evening in the chilly air waiting for Santa to arrive at
City Hall with dozens of children and parents running around – a
conversation was struck up with someone who isn't a particular friend
of Mayor Joe. Loosely translated, the consensus was that there was no
possible way to complain about city money being spent on the tree
lighting ceremony and the reception inside City Hall afterwards.

On
this evening, we were thankful that the weather cooperated, that there
was parking, that so many children came out, that Santa finally arrived
and last but not least, that the tree lit up this year on cue. There
was much to be thankful for, and little to complain about. That's a
nice feeling.

This event, like the fireworks in the summer, is a
way for us as a community to come together, put aside our differences
and share time away from the politics, the game playing, the nastiness,
the whatever you want to call it "friction" of our daily lives. This is
an event that instills pride in us as a community and makes you
genuinely smile as you watch the faces of the children light up.

We
wish there could be many more celebrations throughout the year that
deepen the roots of our community, but quite frankly, we are thankful
for what we can get. Thank you Mayor Joe.