Happy New Year!

As 1997 rapidly comes to a close, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all the good people of Port Washington for their cooperation during the past year. Being new is always difficult, but it's especially hard when you have to learn a community as diverse and complex as Port. So many of you extended yourselves and took time out of busy schedules to explain the nuances of the various issues and helped me in general to learn the lay of the land.

More importantly, though, I learned a lot about the people who live in Port. While many towns complain about an apathetic citizenry, I'm struck by the preponderance of residents who are sincerely concerned about, and active in the affairs of their town. But above all, I see a preponderance of decent, sincere, intelligent and truly caring people. You all make it a pleasure to edit the paper.

I and the rest of us here at the Port News, Linda Lees Adams, Arvind Purohit, William Gravert, Robin Ziegelbaum, Louise Haney, Ryan Silbert and Les Kent wish you all a healthy, prosperous, productive and interesting 1998.

-- JP