The holiday season is upon us. It seems it begins now officially with Halloween.

How did a kids’ holiday take on so much adult significance? By the time I was in high school, my classmates and I were well past even the chalk socks and egging of middle school. The morning after is All Saints Day, which meant attending Mass and there was no excuse for too much chocolate.

It is a pet peeve of mine that we do not celebrate Thanksgiving as the great holiday it is. The day is truly the only semi-religious and patriotic holiday on the schedule. Just like our Pilgrim forefathers we should give thanks for the bounty of being an American and if you are inclined to do so we should say a prayer for all that our country should stand for.

In this edition we introduce two new columns. The first is a travel one written by Marcelo Guimarāes who was reading our newspaper while waiting for Fletch from Boys and Girls Club. He contacted me and here is his debut. The second new column is one from Stuart Kiwanis, penned by Suzy Hutcheson that wrote a monthly column when she was the CEO of Helping People Succeed.

Don’t forget to read all our other columns, including Dr. Michele Libman on the latest science regarding autism. We are still seeking a food columnist so if you or someone you know has an interest please contact me.

I hope you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving and approach the coming Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanza seasons with the good will and yes, spirituality that fostered us celebrating to begin with.

Sit back, have another coffee, and enjoy our latest edition.

Have a great Sunday Morning!