Standing there at Foss Park on Monday waiting for Paul Revere to ride up on his horse, it made us think back to years past, when the crowds who would come out to take part in this annual tradition numbered in the hundreds, if not thousands.

How sad it was to stand there, in April 2008, and realize that: a) if it wasn’t for the dedication and hard work of the Somerville Historical groups; b) people who live within 8 blocks of the park itself, and c) the handful of elected officials who really care about our local history and traditions (read Newstalk to find out who they were) – Paul Revere would have shown up to an empty grandstand and maybe some illegal immigrants looking for day work.

At least the Mayor had an excuse – he was running in the Boston Marathon – but where was everyone else? Where were the three members of our state delegation that represent 95 percent of the city? The two that represent less than 5 percent of the city were there – so was the Sheriff. How about the other five members of the School Committee or even better yet – the other nine members of the Board of Aldermen?

Schools and most employers locally were either on vacation or had a ‚Äúcasual day.‚Äù It’s tough to complain about regular people not taking part in local elections or community activities, when not one elected official west of Sycamore Street could bother to attend. How embarrassing for those of us who honor the history and tradition of this great city.