Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

(The opinions and views expressed in the commentaries of The Somerville Times belong solely to the authors of those commentaries and do not reflect the views or opinions of The Somerville Times, its staff or publishers)

I thought I had reached the end of the line back on May 18, 2013 when I tried to say goodbye to this column. Somehow I got a burst of inspiration and continued writing another 100 or so stories.

I wrote my first article on September 22, 2007. That’s more than 375 stories. Wow! It’s been a labor of love looking back at the old days of Somerville and sharing what I found.

As I said back in 2013, I wrote about the schools, the old stores, the playgrounds, the beaches we went to, the radio stations we listened to and the TV shows we watched. I touched on the family doctor, our music, holidays, old toys, our first jobs, and our first cars. I wrote about the bars and restaurants we used to frequent and the sub shops and corner stores that we loved. I think I’ve covered it all, ladies and gentleman. Unless you want to hear about my first college spring break, my appendix operation or my granddaughter’s first words, it looks like we have looked back at everything that I think was interesting enough to discuss.

I have been quite flattered by the compliments you have given me when we met at Y-Not Variety or at the Senior Center and even at various supermarkets. I appreciate the fact that you enjoyed what I wrote.

I have no immediate plans to start the article up again on a weekly basis, but I may submit a story every now and then if I come up with a good idea. And you really have nothing to lose because The Somerville Times is free! The paper is jam packed with all the entertainment news, city happenings, and everything else you could possibly ask for in a local newspaper.

By all means if you get an idea for a story about our great city, please notify me. I can be found at jimmydel@rcn.com and you reach me through snail mail at Jimmy Del Ponte, c/o The Somerville Times, 699 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144. You can also find all of my previous articles by searching The Somerville Times archives.

A special thanks to Bobbie Toner and Donald Norton for all their help and friendship.

So if you see me around the city please say hello. And thank you for all your support. It’s been a pleasure talking to you every week. Take care, and I hope to see you soon.