By Russell Allison

There isn’t greater fun in the cycle of life than reaping the benefits of handing down the mythology of Santa Claus to your kids and living vicariously through their excitement and joy and remembering your own when you were their age. There is no generation gap at this time of year, only a different perspective depending on whether you are young or old.

United States Marine Corporal Vin Dolan addresses the crowd at the Kiwanis Annual Tri-Club Meeting.

By William Tauro

The Somerville Kiwanis Club held its Annual Tri-Club Meeting last week with the Somerville Rotary Club and the Somerville Lions Club in attendance at the Mount Vernon Restaurant on Broadway.

Jimmy Tingle asks: “Got Democracy?” and hopes you will join him for this and more Q&A at The Arts at the Armory on December 29 and 31. – Photo by Jodi Hilton

By Sanjeev Selvarajah

Jimmy Tingle and his local comedic success story is coming back to Somerville to cement his roots. What is now called the Davis Square Theatre was home to Tingle’s OFF BROADWAY theatre, where Monsieur Tingle performed to packed houses as the millennium dawned and American pop culture spawned comedic social commentary like Colbert, Stewart, and Conan O’Brien.

Holiday themed books and prints are a specialty niche of collecting that can bring a new wealth of heartwarming fun to the collector.

By Kenneth Gloss

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is the obvious perennial favorite for holiday books. However, many people might not realize that holiday-themed items can be exciting and rewarding choices, simply because there is a plethora of options available. That’s not to say 1834 Dickens classic isn’t wildly popular, even today. There are people who will come into the store, seeking a first edition and will spend upwards of $70 – $1000 for that particular volume. There are people who collect all versions of A Christmas Carol, whether it be all the different illustrated versions or all the different covers. There are literally thousands of unique versions of that Christmas classic, giving a Dickens collector years of hunting.

A Somerville man has been indicted on a charge of armed assault to murder in connection with a November 11 shooting that left a victim with life-threatening injuries, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

Part 2:  How it became illegal
*

By William C. Shelton

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

The problem with conspiracy theories is Occam’s razor, the principle that favors the simplest explanation that fits all the evidence. Conspiracy theories offer too few dots, and require too many assumptions to connect them.

Police put a stop to an alleged heroin trafficking operation in Somerville last week. – Photo by Bobbie Toner

By Jim Clark

While conducting routine surveillance operations in East Somerville last week, members of the Somerville Police Department Drug Control Unit took notice of what appeared to be drug trafficking activity being conducted out of a U-Haul storage van, according to reports.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

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

With more emotion than he usually displays, President Obama summoned us all to action last Sunday night: “If there’s even one step we can take to save another child or another parent or another town from the grief that’s visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try. In the coming weeks, I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine.”

By William Tauro

On Friday, the Walnut Street Center celebrated their annual holiday party for the 200 people they provide services to throughout the Somerville, Cambridge and Arlington communities.