By Sal Ghamo

On Thursday, March 3, the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts teamed up with Operation Warm to donate 200 coats to the children in Somerville. The event was held at the YMCA. More than 2,000 children will be outfitted with brand-new winter coats because of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts.

This Friday, March 11, it’s “Flashback Friday” at the Somerville City Club. They used to call these “Sock Hops” in the 50’s & 60’s. Do you still have that poodle skirt? Maybe your bellbottoms and platform shoes? What about those ripped jeans or hammer pants? Break them out! Take a journey back in time and dance the night away to songs from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Costume dress optional. Join in on Friday, March 11, 7:00-11:00 p.m. at Somerville City Club, 20 Innerbelt Rd., Somerville. Tickets are $15. There will be a cash bar, raffle tickets and 50/50’s. Adults only. All proceeds benefit The Somerville PTA Scholarship Dinner Dance. For tickets, email Kristine Vallery at afaspta@yahoo.com.

Last week’s big Green Line Extension meeting at the Arts at the Armory packed the house and clearly demonstrated that residents here are heavily invested in the future outcome of the MBTA’s efforts to keep the project alive, in whatever form it may ultimately take.

Judging by the efforts of those making the presentation, serious efforts are being made to preserve the project and make sure it goes onward to completion.

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What better way to start off your St. Patrick’s Day than with a hearty Shepherd’s Pie and a pint?!  This pie is packed with flavor and wonderful textures that will have you craving for another piece. By adding the egg to the potatoes, it creates a firmer yet lighter mashed potato that stands up well to slicing. It’s also excellent for leftovers. If you’re looking for some Irish Soda Bread to accompany with this dish, check out the link for the recipe I shared last year: http://www.thesomervilletimes.com/archives/56820

By Tom Bannister

Two Russian students who attended Somerville High School last year and played hockey for the Highlanders, Aleksandr (Aleks) Zakirov and Anton Minaev, are now playing Junior Hockey for the Forest Lake Lakers, a Tier III Jr. A ice hockey team located in Forest Lake, Minnesota, a Northern suburb of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. They and their new team are now en-route to Boston to play for the National Championship, which starts on Wednesday, March 9.

By Jim Clark

A disturbance at the Somerville District Court was reported to the Police Court Liaison on Wednesday morning of last week.

The officer was informed that an individual, later identified as Philip Decareau, of Medford, was presumably intoxicated and behaving in a loud and argumentative manner.

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I was searching through the archives and I thought this piece would be a good one to reprint for Off the Shelf as we come closer to poetry month. Aeronwy Thomas has died since I wrote this article – so I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet her and write about her.

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Belal Sohel is a student at Somerville High School – Class of 2016. Belal sends us this poem…

Tufts alumni and administrators were met with an unexpected presence at a university advancement event held downtown this evening. As attendees filed into the Four Seasons Hotel for the Tufts Talks series, roughly fifty students and construction workers rallied outside, protesting Tufts’ practice of hiring non-union construction contractors for its major building projects.

— Photo Courtesy of Jeopardy Productions, Inc.

Annie Moriondo, a bookseller from Somerville, Mass., to compete on America’s Favorite Quiz Show® on Tuesday, March 8 on WBZ-TV. You can watch Moriondo compete on JEOPARDY! on WBZ-TV (CBS). Please check your local listing for additional information or visit Jeopardy.com.