As high school football, soccer and volleyball seasons wrap up with semifinals, finals and championship games, let's give a thumbs up to the young athletes who are so inspiring and a thumbs up as well to their coaches and parents who supported them. All across the region, high school athletes have trained hard, played hard, won some and lost some - and given us the proverbial season to remember.
Thumbs up to the community spirit propelling us toward loads of special holiday events in communities large and small across Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties. We note this week the group Kennedy Pride has Santa scheduled to arrive at 4 p.m. Dec. 8 for the annual Town of Poland Christmas party at the Kennedy Fire Hall, and has also made plans for a Christmas lighting contest and the sale of memorial ornaments to raise money for playground equipment.
These celebrations, commemorations and parties roll around with the same comforting dependability of a liturgical calendar.
Thumbs up to the observance of the 30th anniversary of the opening of the I-86 bridge over Chautauqua Lake. What a huge difference that bridge has made in the life and times of residents and businesses here. Imagine how different travel patterns would be if the Southern Tier Expressway dipped south at Jamestown and headed westward on a southerly path the whole length of the lake instead of crossing it at Bemus Point.
Thumbs up to the electricity that powered the furnace to heat your home this morning, the coffee pot to make a cup of joe, the stove on which to make your morning oatmeal and the light by which to read the newspaper. Six million people across the Eastern United States this week did not have electricity for those things - and hundreds of thousands in New York and New Jersey may have to wait at least another week for their electric power to be restored.
And, finally, change your clocks, change your batteries.
If you put fresh batteries in your smoke detectors and set your clocks back an hour before retiring tonight, you will be all set to get up and go on time in the morning.