Well, another year is coming to a close, and it is always with a bit of sadness and trepidation that we wind up the year. What will 2019 bring us? Hopefully, more rain will fill our skies, and less fire will burn our hills and homes. 2019 is not an election year, so we should all be able to focus a little more on going out and enjoying our community. We know that the California fires have made 2018 a very difficult year for many people near and dear to us. It is our hope that we will all come together to help our neighbors rebuild their lives after such devastation, and maybe even find a way of preventing such disasters from ever happening again.
In times like these, community is more important than ever, so we will continue to highlight all that our dynamic tri-county region has to offer in order to keep our communal spirits thriving stronger than ever before. To celebrate those who have gone above and beyond, helping to sculpt our region into such a great place to live, we will be announcing the winners of our Local Happenings Magazine Local’s Choice Awards in our next issue.
Please do your part to help make this a safe holiday season as well. Don’t drink and drive. Be watchful for others on the road, with extra attention to pedestrians and motorcyclists! Make sure to water your Christmas trees so they don’t dry and start a fire. Make sure the menorah is placed a safe distance away from anything flammable. Holiday lights and turkey fryers can also be dangerous, so make sure to use them carefully. Remember, small batteries and magnets can be present in many small toys and they do not mix well with small children. But of course, enjoy yourself, too. Yes, it is a season of giving, but you should give yourself time to enjoy it, without the constant worry of doing everything for everyone. Your friends and family will remember their time with you more than that pair of designer socks or bottle of limited wine you searched far and wide to find.
Sadly, we recently lost our faithful mascot, Ben, and we know many of you saw him out and about in his younger years. He missed seeing everyone these past couple of years and we know everyone will miss him! Here he is gracing the cover in 2015. You may see more of Ben’s travels on page 17.
Finally, we’d like to send our birthday greetings to our family and friends, starting with our brother-in-law, Ken, as well as Steven M., Marla, Rod, Joanne, Tony, Jill, Rob, Michael, Jose, Bobby, Rosemarie, Vrej, Vijay, Pancho, Margaret, Stacey, Gary, Momma Hand, Monique, Connie, Lucy, Kathleen, Leslie, Jim, Elissa, Ginger, Bonnie, Linda, Bobbie, our brother Gregory B., Sid, John, Rick, Stephanie, Roman, John, Adrianna, Peggy, Samantha, and Steve, and to any and all who we might have missed, we are thinking of you as well!
Cheers to the holidays, and to the new year!
Robert Briseño
& Deanna Troupe
