The List of Thanks

OK, let the sap flow even though it's far from spring...what are YOU thankful for this holiday season?

I'm thankful for my wife Diane who puts up with so much news nonsense even though she long ago came to terms that more than 75% of the garbage we get exorcised over isn't really worth the effort. Nice to have such a rudder when the storm winds hit. Plus love really is a wonderful thing...

I want to thank Joe Finley and Warner Mendenhall for the nice reminder to the poobahs at City Hall that elected office really isn't a life term. Regardless of whether you voted for or against, it was heartening to see there were enough people in Akron who decided NOT to be automatic votes for either candidate and make the 2007 Mayor's race an actual race...

Thanks to Don Plusquellic for taking Finley more seriously than some of my compatriots in the media did. Lord knows it would be a boring job covering government without the thin-skinned Don of Akron launching off and tearing us a new one now and then but at the very least he understood he had to run for re-election rather than sitting back and letting it slide. Of course, he was able to do that once the Primary was over and done with and it was back to globe-trotting on behalf of Akron's economy...

Thanks to John Saros and the rest of the CSB crew and Don Davies and his ADM folks and the Summit County establishment for working hard under the radar and better yet thanks to the voters of Summit County who know a good thing when they saw it this past November. Nobody likes taxes, especially when it costs more money because of the way the law is worded -- and at a time when $3.00 gasoline was just around the corner -- but once again the people proved they aren't stupid when it comes to taking care of kids and people with big needs helped by common-sense solutions. Bravo on passing the CSB and ADM issues...

Thanks to the TSA for keeping our skies safe, even if not everybody remembers to keep the heat neat and locked in the closet...Marco's back in court next week...

Thanks to LeBron for bringing us close enough to a world championship to make us remember northeast Ohio used to be the home of champions; no thanks to LBJ, though, for wearing the Yankee hat and then acting surprised when he caught a dose of reality over it...

Thanks to Eric Mansfield, Steve Hoffman and Jody Miller for their friendship and arguments after the cameras go off on NewsNight Akron every Friday. Some think it's rude to argue; for the rest of us it's a debate, so get over it...

Finally thanks to Russ Vernon. What would the holidays be without spending our savings on Killer Brownies over the holidays? And while we're at it thanks to Luigi's even though we won't be stopping in after Thanksgiving through Sunday because everyone with Akron in their blood will be there or Swenson's this weekend. Hmmmm...I wonder how a Galley Boy would taste piled high with mozzarella cheese?