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.)

July 4th, 1776, was the day that Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. It was a big day for the United States of America and it still is. It is the birthday of our nation and everyone loves birthdays. But July 4th means more than just barbecues and fireworks. For me, it means taking some time to really appreciate the freedoms we have. Compared to many countries, we have it made, and we sometimes take these freedoms for granted.

I decided to make a list of all the things I love about my life in a free country where we have a ton of rights. These little “freedoms” may seem small to some but to me, they are huge. They include the freedom of speech, freedom of choice and just plain freedom. Lately, when I sit in my recliner with my clicker in hand, I realize how lucky I am to have a decent place to live, in a great city that I love, a healthy family and a nice big TV! I am also grateful that I can use run-on sentences!

When we were kids growing up in Somerville, July 4th was the day our local politicians gave out Hoodsies at local parks. For those of you who don’t know what Hoodsies are, they are those small chocolate and vanilla ice cream cups made by H P Hood and Company. They came with a small wooden spoon. I am not the only person who could not stand those wooden spoons. Back then, Hoodsies and fireworks were the big attraction for July 4th.  We would hit several parks until we were stupid with ice cream! We were extra excited because we had the whole summer ahead of us to sleep in, ride bikes and hang around with our friends.

As always, I tapped my old Somerville friends to find out their favorite July 4th memories. One guy remembers sitting in the bleachers at Trum Field for the fireworks along with many of us. This tradition is still carried on today with entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display. For 25 cents you could take a ride on “ The Whip” which was a ride on the back of a truck. If you could stand the stink of the truck’s exhaust, you could enjoy the ride. Lots of people would sit on their porches and watch the fireworks display on the Esplanade. Trees that grew very tall eventually blocked the view for some. One old pal of mine told me that many years ago his porch on Highland Road actually caught fire from the embers falling from the Trum Field fireworks. Thankfully, our great fire department is always standing by, especially during July 4th festivities.

Uncle Dennis used to light Brillo pads on fire in the Projects on Powder House Boulevard. Of course, everyone seemed to have a stash of their own fireworks like Black Cat firecrackers, cherry bombs and M-80s. One of my friends from East Somerville tells me that people down there saved their Christmas trees and piled them all together for a bon-fire. That was a very dangerous way to celebrate but I bet it was quite a sight. A few times when we were kids we lit rockets off and they got caught on the roofs of houses. Needless to say we opted for more open spaces to light off the fireworks (with adult supervision of course!). Do you remember those small brown sticks known as “punks?” We would light one of those and use it to ignite our firecrackers (with adult supervision….of course!). We also had a lot of fun with sparklers.

One thing I never did was join the thousands of revelers that travel into Boston to be part of the Annual Pops Celebration on the Esplanade. It’s just not my thing. But if my kids insisted, I would probably reluctantly join the throngs. I do however enjoy watching it at home from that comfy chair on that big TV I mentioned earlier.

This past Thursday we were treated to what I think was the most spectacular fireworks display ever in Somerville. A very strong  and extremely  visible contingent  of police, fire, DPW, Highway  and other city workers joined together to pull off a very memorable celebration. I never, in all my many  years  of attending the Trum Field activities saw so many people enjoying the  fireworks. Kudos to Mayor Curtatone, and his entire staff.  The Swinging Singing Moonlighters, The  Sunsetters, Booty Vortex , the USO singers and DJ extraordinaire George Landers entertained the humongous, well behaved crowd.

Whatever you do to celebrate July 4th, I hope you enjoy a safe and fun holiday. Please be extra careful with the kids near the water. Be sure to hang your flag out, and give some thanks to good old Uncle Sam that we live in the best city, in the best country in the world.