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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.

Arrests:
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Niles Vibert, of 47 Fremont St., February 29, 6:33 p.m., arrested at Memorial Rd. on charges of violation of city ordinance possession of a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, and drug possession to distribute.

Philip Decareau, of 145 Warren St., Medford, March 2, 10:28 a.m., arrested at Fellsway on a charge of disorderly conduct.

By Charles Lane

The 16th Annual Irish Film Festival, Boston kicks off on March 10 at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, Somerville.

Irish Film Festival (IFF), Boston presents a riveting lineup of events, screenings and awards at the 16th annual Irish Film Festival, from March 10 through 13 at Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Square, Somerville, MA. A complete schedule of events is available at www.irishfilmfestival.com.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone invites all interested persons to two presentations and discussions on the city’s Athletic Fields Master Planning process on March 9 and 15. City park planners, Recreation staff, and SomerStat analysts will share data on permitted field usage citywide, discuss factors that guide field planning and maintenance, and lay out recommendations for field improvements and maintenance investments. A Q&A will follow and community members are invited to provide feedback. To enable more residents to participate, the same meeting will be held twice on different dates: