Fire at 82 Heath Street, Somerville. – Photo courtesy of Somerville Fire Department

On Tuesday, December 18, at 12:04 p.m. the Somerville Fire Department responded to a house fire at 82 Heath Street.  The fire heavily damaged a second floor apartment in the two story duplex and resulted in water damage to the first floor and basement.

Ward 4 Alderman, Tony Lafuente has submitted a Board of Alderman Order that would dramatically increase fines to Absentee Landlords when their properties become a nuisance or are identified as problem properties, such as illegal activity and disrepair. The measure would also call for police details – paid for by the landlords of problem units – at properties that continue to cause problems for neighbors.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone and Historic Preservation Commission Director Brandon Wilson announced that the 237^th annual “Grand Union” flag-raising ceremony at Prospect Hill Park will be held on Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 12:00 p.m.  A processional led by a re-enactor portraying General George Washington on horseback will leave from the City Hall Concourse at 11:30 a.m.  As always, members of the public are invited to participate, and are encouraged to wear traditional colonial clothing.

El Sistema Somerville, an intensive after school music program for students in third and fourth grades, is conducting a Concert Clothing Drive this month in advance of their inaugural holiday concert, “Community in Harmony,” scheduled for December 18.  The program is asking for “gently used” concert performance attire in children’s sizes, which will be worn by the 42 students in the program, currently run through the East Somerville Community School during their first-ever concert performance. The holiday concert will be held at the East Somerville Community School (Edgerly School campus, 8 Bonair Street) at 6:30 p.m.

The Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) announced their support  for a recently renovated two-family house as a model of Net-Zero Energy building for the city. “Net Zero Energy building” is a new construction practice where buildings are designed to produce as much energy as they consume, and this renovated home, owned by Chungha Cha of Susterra Partners in Korea and located at 13 Elmwood St. is the first Net-Zero home in the city. It is also the first building in Somerville to attain a Tier 3 rating from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program and conforms to EPA Federal Indoor airPLUS certification for indoor air quality through its ventilation and insulation building technique. OSE encourages others constructing residential units in the city to learn from the environmentally conscious techniques used in this revolutionary design for this home.

On the Silly Side by Jimmy Del Ponte

(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.)

Remember sitting around the TV with your brothers and sisters or maybe your cousins watching Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol? I sure do. Five years ago I purchased it on DVD so I can watch it whenever I want to. It’s my favorite Christmas special of all time. It came out in 1962 when I was nine. Among the actors are David Cassidy’s father Jack, doing the voice of Bob Cratchit, while the lovable Jim Backus portrayed Mr. Magoo.  That was the first of the classic group of Christmas cartoons that were released. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas came out in 1964 and 1965 respectively, with Frosty The Snowman debuting in 1969.

By William Tauro

Dozens of Somerville, Cambridge, Medford and Boston Chinatown Lions Club members united and filled the main banquet room at the Mount Vernon Restaurant in Somerville Tuesday evening for the Somerville Lions Club Annual Christmas Party.

The Kiwanis Club of Somerville recently hosted its Annual Head Start Children’s Holiday Party at The City Club. Sixty-one children from the Somerville Head Start pre-school program attended along with their parents, teachers and administrators. Somerville Kiwanians sponsored the children by purchasing Christmas gifts for each. Pizza was supplied by Mama Gina’s of Union Square. The hall was donated by The City Club.

William Roche (L)resigned on December 13, 2012 after 17 years as Alderman for Somerville’s Ward 1. At his suggestion, the Board of Alderman has unanimously named Maureen Bastardi (R)to succeed Roche.

Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone announced today that recently retired Ward One Alderman William Roche has agreed to use his extensive background as a human resources professional to assist the city in the role of interim, part-time Personnel Director.