The year ahead for the city depends one man, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone.
Looking back on 2004, the record is mixed.
Right away, we were shocked by the mayor’s refusal to lift the local smoking ban. Especially after Candidate Curtatone allowed the families who own the city’s bars and restaurants to believe he would support them. Even now, the mayor’s kowtowing to Cambridge Health Alliance is still baffling.

Despite the worldwide ridicule, we supported the mayor all through the snow emergency bereft of snow. He made the tough call, and showed that he would not allow Somerville to shut down for the winter, as his predecessor was contend to do.
In the spring, the mayor’s gratuitous support of the right for out-of-state same-sex couples to lie on their marriage license application helped no one he was elected to serve.
Neither was it helpful for the mayor to sue the governor over the same-sex marriage issue at the same time the city’s Beacon Hill delegation was trying to secure funding for the Green Line extension in the state’s transportation bond bill. It was not a Somerville-first decision.
As for the ridiculous grandstanding during the ramp up to the Democratic Convention, we more than understand the dangers of ink-addiction.
Now that it is clear that the city’s congressional seat is not opening up soon and President John F. Kerry will not be able to offer him a job at Housing and Urban Development, the mayor’s focus seems to return to the city. Welcome Home, Joe.
The SomerStat program that we always thought was the crown jewel of the mayor’s program to revitalize the city is now back on track.
As the Assembly Square groundbreakings become routine, the mayor will be trumpet the case that businesses should not be afraid of Somerville.
In the next year, we are looking forward to big things from Curtatone. He has many courtiers whispering in his ear, but we believe when he listens to his Somerville heart, we will be okay.
Go ahead, Joe, we dare you to prove us right.