Goodbye Good Time

By George P. Hassett

Good Time Emporium will close its doors by June 30 to make way for “a new era in Assembly Square” or more specifically, a giant Swedish furniture store.

Commentary The people I spoke to this week about Good Time's passing were quick to mention the generosity owner Dan Hayes had always offered the city. Ward 1 Alderman Bill Roche said, “Danny Hayes was the best business neighbor the city ever had or ever will have.”

Roche said Hayes was quick to sponsor Little League teams and open his space free of charge to youth and non-profit organizations since Good Times opened in 1991.

Chamber of Commerce CEO Stephen Mackey said Hayes was a leading benefactor to many East Somerville causes.

Aside from Hayes' generosity, Good Time Emporium carved out a special place in the hearts of generations of Greater Boston children and adolescents with seemingly endless space for laser tag, bumper cars and more than 200 video games. It was once aptly described as an 11 year-old boys dream.

But for me, it will be the police incidents I miss most. And the resulting police reports. Going through each week's reports is not always entertaining - domestic incidents, informants setting up drug dealers, drunk drivers - there are few unique police narratives from week to week.

But the good patrons of Good Times - rarely from Somerville and sometimes from as far away as Hollywood - often provided ample fodder for a good story.

On Easter this year we were given this Good Times dispatch from officers James McNally and James Slattery: “I observed people climbing tables and jumping on other people. I observed several out of control altercations. [Police officers] were running around trying to break up each new altercation that erupted,” and, “Tables were being knocked over, chairs were being tossed and people were running across tables to get at one another. One of the [Good Time Emporium] staff members pulled an aluminum baseball bat out of someone's hand who had climbed on top of a table.”

That incident, involving almost 200 people according to police, took place in the children's play area - the seemingly preferred place to do battle at Good Times.

On June 24, 2006 two families celebrating children's birthday parties squared off by throwing chairs and whipping belts at one another. According to a police report, one victim yelled to her attackers, “There's a baby here,” only to hear a response of “[Expletive] the baby” and see a chair hurtled in her direction. In that incident a woman from Hollywood, California allegedly took off her leather belt and whipped it across the face of a victim - all vividly captured in a Somerville Police incident report.

Mackey said IKEA's opening is the beginning of a new era of business development in Assembly Square. While it remains to be seen if IKEA will be as good a corporate citizen as Dan Hayes was, it is almost certain it will not provide as much entertainment for local reporters. That is, unless the Swedish meatballs are good enough to start a riot.

Comments

[Kate]

"unless the Swedish meatballs are good enough to start a riot."
That's really funny - I've heard that they are delicious.

I feel sorry, for all the patrons who frequented Good Times with the sole intention of relaxing having fun. I hope Dan Hayes is successful at his next location.

[Ward 3 Voter]

Yahoo good time is going. we all should celebrate and say goodbye good time. also note i never had a good time there with all those punks hanging out there, stealing cars, slashed tires, car windows getting broken, loud music etc.

[Mike S]

Ahhh, the memories of seeing 4-10 year olds playing arcade games at 1AM as their parents drink at the bar.

[THE SOMERVILLE SPY]

Good riddance to Good Times! That establishment has been nothing but a magnet for punks, gangs, fights and all kinds of other violence. Somerville needs to do more to get rid of places like this that attract such undesirables to our city. We have enough problems with crime and violence; there is no need to have venues such as Good Times to attract more of it from other cities and towns.

[Free Ride]

don't forget, where Aldermen never saw a tab !

[look out]

for an IKEA preview, check out New York papers this week. a new IKEA opening attracted hundreds of people camping on the streets 24 hrs. before they were permitted to. giving away free furniture, other promotions, people sleeping on the streets to get free sofas. sounds like just what we need.

[SpermWhale]

Lots of good memories! My fondest memory was leaving one night at around closing and seeing "jimmy the canibal" passed out in his vehicle ---- in a handicap parking spot!!! Oh Yeah WTF "jimmy the canibal" (JTC) wants to be the dog cop! I guess theres no better cop to put in that position than one that has been a defendant in federal court (oohhh yeah he was found guilty). Somerville goes on... take care of the "bag men" and leave the honest guy behind. OOOOPPSSSS did i call JTC a 'bag man? The funny thing is JTC drinks (and gets l@!d) for free but still uses dan hayes as his whooping boy. Whats he going to do when dan the perv is gone? Will he latch onto the new management? Will an international corporation like IKEA let JTC use their business as his personal little perverted playground like tage inn?

[Richard James]

SpermBoy,
What the hell are you talking about? Waht's a dog cop?

[Kate]

I'd guess that he means Animal Control Officer.

[Badger]

Hooray for IKEA!

At last, at last, Free at last!

No mo trips to Stoughton! Woo hoo!