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Thumbs up, thumbs down

Thumbs up - The Mountain Village Holiday Christmas Committee pulled out all the stops when it came to making this year's holiday season the most colorful in Williams' history. The vision originated nearly one year ago when community leader Bill Sutton Jr. shared his dream of turning Williams into Christmastown, USA. As a result a committee was formed that met diligently countless Tuesday evenings to plan a holiday season jam-packed with events that the community has never seen.

The committee's efforts paid off handsomely. Not only did local traditions such as the parade of lights, tree lighting and holiday lighting contests continue, but new family traditions were born as well. Tourists and residents alike were wowed with the community Christmas tree on Second Street. The hidden child within could be seen on the faces of many at the temporary outdoor ice skating rink.

Thanks to the Christmas Committee, we've done it again ‹ we've demonstrated that Williams, Arizona is the place to be. We look forward to next year's celebration. We know that more is yet to come in 2006.

Thumbs down - While many were reveling in the successes of 2005, some were not. In the wee hours of the morning on Dec. 19, two young men decided they did not appreciate the Christmas tree on Second Street. They decided to rip several strings of lights from the tree, causing the loss of lights from the tree's backside. Luckily law enforcement was in the area and observed the two men near the tree.

The two men were subsequently arrested for their misdeeds. One man told an officer that he had been angry with the city about the possible theme park coming to Williams and was not happy about the Christmas tree. He said he damaged the tree for these reasons.

While a few less lights were visible on the community tree due to the damage, the vandalism did not put a damper on the overall spirit of the community. Therefore, the men's acts were in vain, as are most acts of vandalism.

Thumbs up - We are grateful to those who work diligently behind the scenes throughout the year, assuring everything runs smoothly. Many times these folks are working on their own time and receive no financial compensation for their efforts. Pause for a moment and think of who these people are in your life and the difference they make to you. There are so many volunteers and kind hearts throughout the community it is impossible to name them all. We don't always see their good deeds and hard work. Typically, only they know who they are. Thank you.

Thumbs down - At times, it feels as though some folks have nothing positive or good to say about anything. We all know at least one naysayer. Anyone that is out and about within the community comes across at least one naysayer each day. Naysayers can be exasperating, but their services are invaluable. Let's turn naysaying into a "thumbs up," for without naysayers, we might not examine all the facts before us when making important decisions.

If we don't have someone that always asks "why" and tells us repeatedly that something "can never be done," we cheat ourselves by not being the best that we can be or from completing a task that "has never been done." Just one look at what the Mountain Village Holiday Christmas Committee has done should be all that is needed should one need to see an example.


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