On behalf of the owners and staff here at The Times, Merry Christmas to all our loyal readers and friends in the Ville. We wish for a peaceful family time for all, remembering what Christmas is all about.

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Happy birthday this week to a lot of our friends here in the Ville and elsewhere. Political and all-around nice guy Jim Henry is celebrating this week, as is local newcomer to the city Kevin Dickinson. A happy birthday also to Chris Gerber, who is known here in the Ville, and to Kristen Chamberlain, whose Somerville ties go back a few generations. To a good guy, Zachary Atwell, who is originally from Maine, is married and the father of a young a child here, we wish a happy birthday. Those wishes also go out to Tayla Ingle Doherty and Mary Midge Donovan Kelly. Best bday wishes to Diane Nazzaro Haley, who lives here in the Ville. And happy birthday to Glen Kulbako, who is originally from upstate New York and now lives in the Ville and is self-employed at his photography company.  Happy birthday to Michelle Barnard White, as well as to Joseph Amaral, who is self-employed at The Amaral Group in Cambridge, a computer services company.

By Jim Clark

Police responded to a report of a shoplifter at the Market Basket store on Somerville Ave. last week.

Upon arrival, the officers found the suspect sitting on the ground, detained by store loss prevention personnel. According to their statement to police, the individual, identified as Craig Thomson, 51, had been detained after being caught allegedly taking several hundred dollars worth of shrimp out of the store without paying for them.

Eagle Feathers #42–Giants

By Bob (Monty) Doherty

One was born in blue-collar Brooklyn, New York, and one grew up in Somerville, commonly called the “Brooklyn of Boston.”  One attended public school number 149 in Brooklyn, and the other received his early education through the Somerville school system. They both came from immigrant parents, and they both had an ear for music, even though one of them couldn’t read a note. Although they traveled vastly different routes to get there, these two men became icons in their chosen occupations.

Nice work if you can get it, if you like playing with Legos, that is.

By David R. Smith

Legoland Discovery Center Boston is holding a public competition that will turn someone’s love of Legos into a dream job.

“Brick Factor,” which will take place Jan. 25 and 26 at the Boston Public Library, is a competition to find the attraction’s master model builder. The full-time, salaried position is responsible for constructing new features, exhibitions and models at Legoland Discovery Center Boston, which opens in May at Assembly Row in Somerville.

Voted “Best Cook” in the 2013 Best of Somerville awards, Omar Djebbouri has been serving up delicious food at the Ball Square Café for many years. In addition to being the man behind the meals, he is also a partner in the business with Mike Moccia. Pictured here, “Best Cook” Omar Djebbouri, Somerville Times Publisher Ross Blouin and Mike Moccia, Omar’s partner at the Ball Square Café. Voted “Best Combination Breakfast & Lunch,” the Ball Square Café is located at 708 Broadway.

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At our table in back of the Bloc 11 Cafe in Union Square, I asked Poet Myles Gordon what he felt it meant to be human – a theme his poetry is deeply involved with. Gordon hesitated and seemed to be wrestling with the question. He finally opined, “We have great thoughts and deep emotions, but we have to live in the real world, pay taxes, feed parking meters – all this at the same time.”  Gordon is a poet of the profound and banal, and he is indeed a very human poet.

There are many kinds of artists – Somerville poet Kirk Etherton explains…

Arrests:
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Craig Thomson, 51, of 50C Memorial Rd., December 16, 4:51 p.m., arrested at 400 Somerville Ave. on a charge of larceny over $250.

Christopher Doherty, 36, of 824 Allen Rd., Wolfeboro, NH, December 16, 6:08 p.m., arrested at Park St. on a charge of disorderly conduct.

A body was discovered near the intersection of Interstate 93 and Route 38 Sunday. Foul play is not suspected, so authorities are not releasing the name of the deceased man.