EDITOIRAL: Gratitude -- lingering appreciations

On this day after Thanksgiving, instead of our usual thumbs, we are serving up some leftover thoughts on what we’re grateful for as this year slowly comes to a close. We’re thankful for ...

MOM-AND-POP BUSINESSES: Las Vegas may not be the richest place on earth (at least not monetarily), but we do have some things that enrich our quality of life, including small, independently owned shops with plenty of character and quality merchandise. So don’t forget them this holiday season.

THE BETTER PART OF HUMANITY: Perhaps you’ve seen enough of Las Vegas’ ugly underbelly to feel the weight of our problems, but that’s not even half of it. The greater half is that our community is full of wonderful people, from those who took the soup kitchen from one to two days a week to those who reopened the Samaritan House. Volunteer as a bell ringer sometime between now and Christmas, or give an evening to one of the many worthy causes here in town, and you’ll see what we mean — this town is chock full of caring and generous people.

CHANGE AT CITY HALL: We’re glad to see a reduced Las Vegas City Council, thanks to an overwhelming vote way back in 2006, and a new mayor who is trying hard to listen to the people. Add to that with four competent councilors and a strong city manager and you’ve got a recipe for good government. Sure, we’re not happy about everything that’s been done this year, but who is? We’re appreciative of the effort to do what’s right.

CHANGE ACROSS AMERICA: A new optimism lingers in the air following the historic election of Barack Obama, despite an daunting economic crisis facing the nation. After eight years of failed policies on both the foreign and domestic fronts, the American people are ready for the change Obama promised.

A DREAM REALIZED: Some 45 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. dreamed of a day in which his children would be judged “not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Barack Obama was two years old at the time, and on Nov. 4, 2008, America showed the content of its character by realizing King’s dream.