My first column appeared 30 years ago today in The Evening Sun. Phil Heisler, the managing editor, gave me the job. Bob Keller, the city editor, edited the first piece -- a story about a well-known East Baltimore family that dealt in stolen merchandise, a father-and-son fencing team.  . .  .  I wrote about 150 columns a year for the first 26, and then all columns were cut back to twice per week. I jumped to the morning Sun back in the 1990s. Management killed off the Evening Sun in 1995. I had a few other features during the last 30 years, too -- book reviews, magazine pieces in the long-gone Sunday Sun mag, even a crossword puzzle shaped like a giant crab. It's been fun. I have this blog now, and even a Facebook page.  . . . My mother, the former Rose Popolo mentioned from time to time in my column, is still with us, God bless her. I am a grateful guy. Thanks to all the readers over all these years who have written so many nice letters and, since the late 1990s, e-mails about the columns. Those of you who disagreed with me about many things, and who refrained from attacks profane and personal, I appreciate your part in this, too. . . . . Let's move on now, and see where this goes . . . Have a lovely day, everyone.