By Tom Bannister

The Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund (TNSF) committee recently awarded grants to twelve organizations in Somerville. TNSF collects donations from university employees throughout the year and then awards grants to community-based, charitable organizations that serve Tufts’ host communities (Somerville, Medford, Grafton and Boston’s Chinatown) and actively engage Tufts volunteers in their work.

The monthly Somerville Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours reception will be held Thursday, February 5 at Daddy Jones Restaurant & Bar in Magoun Square on Medford Street. FYI we suggest you try out their macaroni and cheese. Very nice, and goes very well with any of the exotic drinks in the house. RSVP President Stephen Mackey at smackey@somervillechamber.org.

By Donald Norton

A new look for Winter Hill is coming, at least on one corner. This past weekend the old Blumsack building on the corner of Temple & Broadway was torn down to make room for a new building. A condo complex is proposed for the entire corner from Langmaid Avenue to Temple along Broadway, with retail spaces on the first level. It will be a big change for Winter Hill, and hopefully the other eyesore at the old Star Market building will soon have something going in.

To celebrate the New England Patriots’ Championship victory, LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Boston has created a replica Vince Lombardi trophy made entirely of LEGO® bricks. Built by a LEGOLAND® Master Model Builder, the trophy took 24.5 hours to create and consists of 2,050 LEGO® bricks. The LEGO® replica Vince Lombardi trophy will be on display in the lobby of LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Boston (Assembly Row on Grand Union Boulevard) for fans to see free of charge beginning Wednesday, February 4 through Wednesday, February 11. After that time, the trophy will be displayed until the end of February as part of the MINILAND® exhibit within the attraction which also features a Gillette Stadium built out of LEGO® bricks.

Local families enjoyed exploring different cultures from around the world at the 2015 Somerville World’s Fair that took place at the Center for Arts at the Armory this past Sunday.

By Jason Andrew Park

Under a row of Chinese paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, children and their parents danced to music, engaged in arts and crafts, and participated in various cultural activities from around the world. These families were attending the 2015 Somerville World’s Fair hosted at the Center for Arts at the Armory this past Sunday.

Eagle Feathers #71 – Medals of Honor

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

Often, when something small is accomplished and people want recognition for it, the humorous reply is, “What do you want, a medal? “ A medal should be earned; or otherwise, its worth is diluted.

Alderman-At-Large Mary Jo Rossetti represented Somerville at this year’s MMA meeting on January 23.

By Rebecca Danvers

Mary Jo Rossetti, Somerville Alderman-At-Large, joined selectmen, mayors, managers, councilors and finance members from across the state at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s 2015 Annual Meeting held at the Hynes Convention Center on January 23.

I got the news famed Boston street artist Sidewalk Sam died. Here is an interview I conducted with him several years ago. Sam also talked about another figure who has passed away, the poet Jack Powers, found of Stone Soup Poets. Both men were great artists in their own regard, and great supporters of the arts. They will be sorely missed. 

Endicott College poet Simrin Tamhane writes of  hypocrisy, and writes about it with pith and wit.

The meeting of the Legislative Matters Committee and the Committee of the Whole of the Somerville Board of Alderman and its primary agenda item, the public hearing on snow removal regulations, scheduled for Tuesday evening, Feb.3, has been cancelled due to snow conditions.