Darlene Stout can help you gain a better understanding of the animal spirits that she feels are an important part of all our lives. – Photo by Harry Kane

By Harry Kane

Author and self-proclaimed animal spiritualist Darlene Stout published her book in August, as a step-by-step guide to understanding the true animal within all of us. Uncovering Your Personal Animal Totem is a transformational guide into the enchanting world of animal magic.

“Every animal has a particular meaning behind it,” she said. And these animals come to you. “Once you open up to that realm, it’s filled with synchronicities or coincidences.”

Totem is the symbol of the individual. The animal totem consists of seven animals, all corresponding to a chakra. These chakras, she says, “are portals that connect us to anchor to the earth, but also help us to anchor to the universe as a whole.”

The City of Somerville will be holding its annual flu clinics. Please see the dates and other information below:

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and  do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff  or publishers)

Everything we do in Somerville is evidence-based. Whether we’re figuring out which streets to repave first, what kind of development fits a neighborhood, or how we can best educate our children, every action we take is born of a fastidious process based on our core values, analyzing the data-driven facts, projecting the long-term effects, engaging in thoughtful community discussion and then investing with patience. That patience and our belief in evidence-based decision making is paying off, as Somerville’s results on the Spring 2013 MCAS exams show the clear evidence that our approach is working, in the form of phenomenal growth by all our students.

– Photo by Chris Garrity

In partnership with Maker Media and the Somerville Arts Council, Artisan’s Asylum is hosting the second annual Mini Maker Faire in Union Square on Saturday, October 5, from 3-7 p.m.

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and  do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff  or publishers)

A recent surge of young and hip newcomers being  called “hipsters” has Somerville residents up in arms, but why?  According to a Boston Globe article by Beth Teitell, the mysterious species can be summed up as “skinny pant wearing tattooed 20/30-somethings that partake in activities like chicken raising, bike riding, suit-vest wearing and microbrew-ing, all with a “more-ironic-than-thou attitude”.  These stereotypes are superficial and harmful to the fabric of our community. While the majority of the mocking is done in jest, the unspoken bitterness between newcomers and old-timers is apparent.

Actor/author Paul Carafotes offers a new labor of love
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Paul and Charlie Carafotes have been helpful, loving and kind, spreading the positive messages embodied in “The Adventures of Charlie Bubbles” and its successor, “Charlie Bubbles 2 Smartsville!”

By Jim Clark

Somerville native son Paul Carafotes has been on a mission over the past year. Together with his young son, Charlie, the two have been traversing the land, spreading the word and spirit espoused in the elder Carafotes’ self-penned children’s book The Adventures of Charlie Bubbles.

The father and son duo have been visiting children’s hospitals, schools, and various other venues spreading their “Bubble of Love” message dealing with the meaning and value of friendship that is the foundation of the book.

Arrests:
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Daniel Percival, 31, of 46 Marshall St., September 23, 5:13 p.m., arrested at home on warrant charges of miscellaneous municipal ordinance violation, larceny under $250, operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license, possession of a burglarious instrument, and possession of a class C drug.

Mark Anderson, 51, of 14 St. James Ave., September 24, 1:32 a.m., arrested at 4 College Ave. on a warrant charge of open and gross lewdness.

– Photo by Donald Norton

The former site of the Cavalia show at Assembly Row is now empty of the all the excitement that took place there.

18th Annual Somerville Homeless Coalition Road Race, Saturday, Oct 5, 9 a.m., Davis Sq.

All proceeds from the race benefit the Somerville Homeless Coalition, an innovative non-profit organization which has the mission to provide homeless and near homeless individuals and families with individualized supportive services and tailored housing solutions with a goal of obtaining and maintaining affordable housing.

– Photos by Claudia Ferro

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The eighth annual What the Fluff?: A Tribute to Union Square Invention took place Saturday, Sept 28, honoring the illustrious Fluff creator, Archibald Query, who concocted the gooey sticky spread right here in Union Square in 1917.