Happy Thanksgiving!
We here at sticks are thankful for living right here in Tampa Bay. For all we find to complain about, there’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be.
We are thankful for local heroes that can be found all over Tampa Bay. The St. Pete Times has an example of one such hero – April Eastman helped a confused woman get back where she belongs. Hey April! Thanks for making Tampa Bay a great place to live!
We are thankful for local artists in all mediums, along with their supporters, promoters, and those who employ them. All of you do a large part to make Tampa Bay a more interesting and fun place.
Thanks goes to local entrepreneurs, too. Your passions and expertise bring all sorts of wonderful goods and services right to our doorsteps. You also keep many of us employed, so that we can enjoy those goods.
A small bit of thanks to the athletes that make up the Tampa Bay Rays, the Bucs, and the Lightning. You guys all do your part to provide an escape from the day-to-day nonsense, and it’s nice to have local pro teams to help the greater Tampa Bay community join together now and again.
Thanks also to local journalists at both dailies, the neighborhood and alternative weeklies, and all of the television and radio stations, who do the real job of digging up local news.
Thanks too, to the politicians in Tampa Bay, who really put up with a bunch of nonsense in the name of public service. All of you do so much that the public never hears about, and we thank you.
Thanks goes out to all the independent bloggers in Tampa Bay. They unearth great stories that we would never otherwise know about.
A big heap of thanks to all of our contributors here in the Sticks. They certainly increase the quality of stuff found around here, and their time and effort has been invaluable. A special shout-out to contributor and pal John Fontana. He has done a wonderful job in making Sticks of Fire look the way it does. My sincerest thanks to you for taking your valuable time and talent to make this spot on the web look great.
I also want to thank all of the readers here. That people come and read about what we find out about Tampa Bay is still nothing short of amazing to me. I hope all of you have a great day, every day.
Finally, we are thankful for all of our friends and family. My wife and her daughter have made my life everything that it is, and my little girl is the love of my life. Both kids’ other parents are wonderful, too. All of them, along with our moms, dads, grands, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers and sisters and all of our many friends certainly continue to make our life an interesting path.
We wish each an every one of you a happy Thanksgiving, and hope your day is full of smiles.
If there is something you are thankful for, and would like to share it with us, please let us know about it in the comments.
Debbie Lane
1 year ago
Living in paradise, riding my bike on Thanksgiving Day and seeing so many smiles around town. WOW! I feel blessed.
Aunt Chris Grandma Vi
1 year ago
We had a wonderful time today. Thanks
Mariella
1 year ago
Thanks to you, Tommy, for keeping this community forum going! Sticks of Fire is a great place for citizens to participate in conversations about local issues.
I’m also grateful for:
• the other local bloggers and all the thoughtful commenters who engage us in thinking about and talking about stuff that really matters.
• the WMNF Evening News — as PoHo said: “one hour of pure civic journalism that is unrivaled by any other newscast in the area, all done by host Mitch Perry and a cavalcade of volunteers and part-timers.” (I’m also a fan of Sean Kinane’s work on WMNF’s news.)
• Creative Loafing’s Wayne Garcia, WMNF’s Rob Lorei and ABC’s Brendan Maclaughlin who bring us intelligent discussion and perspective on local issues.
• those local newspaper reporters who — like the Times’ Mike Van Sickler — do their homework and give our local community that essential ingredient of democracy: investigative journalism.
• the countless civic activists around here who supply democracy’s other essential ingredient: citizen particpation. They attend hearings & send e-mail and make sure our local leaders hear the voice of the people.
• The Florida Orchestra. What a wonderful community asset! (Last weekend’s performance of American music — Barber and Copeland — was awesome!)
• the environmental richness we have managed to preserve so far. (My Thanksgiving Day kayak trip in Cockroach Bay was blessed with a vision of a hundred tiny baby horseshoe crabs — the “cucarachas” for which the Spanish named Cockroach Bay.)
• the Hillsborough County voters’ overwhelming support of the ELAPP referendum, so we can continue preserving the natural resources that make the Tampa Bay area unique and magical.
tommy
1 year ago
I’m thankful for having a great family that comes through every time.
I’m thankful for having a job in these tough times.
I’m thankful for having friends that I don’t have to talk to everyday for them to know that I love them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
tommy
1 year ago
#4 is by wifey but my name keeps defaulting to Tommy!
Ginny B
1 year ago
Thanks, Stick O.F. man, for reminding me that this may not be THE perfect place, but there sure is a lot to love about Tampa. Great job!
junior
1 year ago
My family came in from Pittsburgh and from Fort Lauderdale for my favorite holiday. I give thanks.