Happy holidays to everyone! Those accustomed to my usual column will find something different this month. This has been a fun, fantastic year for all of us here at the Arcadia News and we look forward to another year filled with exciting community events and neighborhood gatherings that define why Arcadia is so special.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who make this newspaper such a fun and successful endeavor. Firstly, thank you, readers. Your dedication and support to the advertisers in this newspaper is key. I hear frequently from readers that they “love this paper and read it cover to cover” and that reminds us that we are doing things right. Readers will often bring us stories, photos and news leads that assist us in our pursuit of neighborhood news, the foundation of this newspaper.

I received a phone call recently from a reader who told me that she uses our paper as a directory of businesses in the area that she likes to frequent. The advertisers of this paper, many of whom have been with us for over a decade, are the fuel of this publication. Thank you to the area shop owners, restaurateurs, real estate professionals, churches, auto dealers, medical professionals and other businesses and individals for your loyalty and support of the Arcadia News.

Thank you to our writers, most of whom are freelancers who do what they do for the love of writing, and it shows. Our regular contributors, Tracy Werth, Peter Sills, Lindsey Stevens, Vice Mayor Greg Stanton, Nancy Schneider, Dr. Darlene Treese, Gloria Willis, and Lenore Wadsworth are all fine professionals and it’s an honor to print your prose.

Thank you also to our editor, Linda, who cheerfully takes on the difficult task of determining what does and does not get printed in each issue of the paper, which isn’t easy due to the awesome volume of material we receive.

I would like to personally thank the good people of Arcadia Pride, a non-profit organization that helps our area schools and students when public funding is not enough. This newspaper and my family support Arcadia Pride and we are proud to do so. It is incredible to see the outpouring of local assistance for this organization, and this further exemplifies why this community is so unique.

As a final note, thank you to the men and women in our local law enforcement, fire and rescue, and Armed Forces, present, past and future, who make the ultimate commitment and sacrifice to the people and this great nation, ensuring that we can live the good life here in Arcadia, as well as the rest of America.

From all of us at the Arcadia News: best wishes to you and your family for a happy and healthy 2005.