It's a Fine Fall Friday!

Updated at 1:50 p.m.

TGIF! Some people may be saying TGIH (thank goodness it's Honk!) this weekend, others may not be so enthused about the 5th Annual Honk! Festival that'll be rolling through town all weekend. But now that the weather is officially back to being beautiful, you have no excuse not to head down to Union Square this afternoon to catch the Somerville Marching Band, SheBoom and NYC's Rude Mechanical Orchestra as they kick off the 2010 Honk! Festival. Start your weekend of jammin' early. Catch them on the plaza from 3-5 pm.

Wanna grab a bite to eat with our Mayor and resident devoted potluck enthusiast,Joseph Curtatone? Well then meet him at Hodgkins Park tomorrow, October 9, from noon - 1:30! Picnickers are encouraged to bring a dish to share. 

A reminder to parents--Somerville Schools will be closed on Monday October 11, 2010 for Columbus Day. (All the kids who weren't counting down the days to the holiday, and forgot it means no school are jumping up and down right now! Yipee!) Parents: check out our event calender to find something to keep them occupied on Monday. 

Mayor Recognizes Local Athletes

On Tuesday, our Mayor and resident devoted sports enthusiast, Joseph Curtatone, recognized three local athletes for their outstanding accomplishments with the first ever Athletic Excellence Awards.

As proud parents, coaches and supporters looked on, Rachel Taylor, Tenzin Nordon and Marc DesRoches received hand-crafted certificates from the Mayor during the ceremony in his office at City Hall.

In his address to the group, Mayor Curtatone described Somerville as an active city that cares about health and well-being and values achievement. He cited the three outstanding athletes as well as the Shape Up Somerville program as an example of those values (by the way, that's the third time this week that the truly laudable Shape Up program has made the news).

Rachel Taylor, 19, was recognized for her accomplishments at the American Eventing Championships (for non-equine inclined folks, that's a horse competition), which was held last month in Georgia. Taylor was the only competitor from the Bay State at the event. She and her horse Napoleon placed 3rd overall for her age-group. 

You may ask how—and where—a teen from Somerville got into horseback riding. Taylor has been riding since the age of 8, enduring hours of practice and hours of driving to the stables each week. Her coach, professional rider Sara Morton, said Taylor shows great dedication: "She really has a good feel for her horse and a great appreciation for him, she really puts a lot of time into her sport." An accomplishment for sure for a young-woman from a city without a horse in it, as the Mayor pointed out. Taylor also works as an animal control officer for the city. 

The youngest recipient honored with an award was 10-year-old star swimmer, Tenzin Nordon. The Healey School 5th grader is a member of the Charles River Aquatics swim team. During this summer's New England Championship Swim Meet, Nordon won first place in six events, second place in two events and had one third place finish. (Way to go, Tenzin!) She's since been named one of New England Swimming's Outstanding Swimmers of the Year. Nordon has only been swimming for about four years, so keep your eyes peeled for her. She's sure to be Somerville's next swim star.

Marc DesRoches was also recognized for his accomplishments as an all-around star player for the Somerville Alibrandis. The Alibrandis are part of the Yawkey Baseball League and DesRoches has stuck with the team for a full 14 years. During that time the team won a whopping 11 titles. It's no surprise then that DesRoches has won numerous awards from the league over the years. He also coaches the sport. You can catch DesRoches and the Alibrandis playing on Trum Field.