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.)

Did you wake up with a splitting headache Tuesday, January 1, 2013? I didn’t, but that’s not the way it used to be.

How has the whole New Year’s Eve celebration thing changed? Well I can only speak for myself and some of my Somerville friends. I can remember playing in the band at the Dilboy Post in Davis Square and going home with a ton of leftover Chinese food including gallon jugs full of duck sauce. I recall a certain New Year’s Eve at The Embassy Lounge on Somerville Ave. that ended with the Police Department’s van escorting some patrons to jail. But that was the old days when we were younger.

On January 1, 2013 Mary Jo Rossetti, a seven-term member of the Somerville School Committee, became President of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). She was elected to the position at the Association’s annual meeting held in Hyannis on November 9, 2012.

– Photos by William Tauro

By William Tauro

A motor vehicle flipped over leaving its driver trapped upside down after colliding with a parked unmarked Somerville police cruiser.

Part 3:  Political history
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By William C. Shelton

(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.)

Cannabis politics extend back to Europeans’ arrival in the Americas. Cannabis was indispensable to the imposition of their will by sea power. Eighty tons of hemp sales and rope drove Columbus’s three ships.

By Joseph A. Curtatone

(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.)

Music is an incredibly important part of the fabric of this city. It’s more than just entertainment; it’s part of our culture and our way of life here in Somerville. In recent years, we’ve increased music education in our public schools, allocating more resources to what we view as an important tool for boosting academic success from a young age. And that’s just one reason why we’ve supported the international El Sistema program and why we’re piloting it in our own East Somerville Community School.

– Photo by Wiliam Tauro

By William Tauro

Newly elected South Middlesex County Register of Deeds Maria Curtatone was officially sworn into office early Wednesday morning by former Registrar Gene Brune.

An architect’s rendering of the building planned for 181 Washington Street.

By The News Staff

As we usher in the new year, it is always worthwhile to look back and survey the events of the year gone by. Through the reportage of The Somerville News staff, we can assemble an overview of the notable events of 2012.

By Harry Kane

General George Washington rode in on horseback, followed by his colonial cronies, reenacting the flag-raising ceremony traditionally celebrated annually every New Year’s Day in Somerville’s Prospect Hill Park.

105-year-old Anne Glennon (right) says she owes her longevity to “clean living.” – Photo by Nick Moorhead

By Nick Moorhead

This past week, Anne Glennon celebrated her 105th birthday with her friends at Little Sisters of the Poor in Somerville. Anne has lived there since she was 85. “By now, I should own half of it,” she quips.

Happy New Year everyone, all our friends both here in the ‘Ville and outside the ‘Ville. Hopefully, 2013 will be a great year for all of us. A prosperous and healthy New Year to all.