A year’s worth of thankfulness

Thanksgiving, as you probably are well aware, is a time that we as a nation set aside to be thankful.

It can be hard for an organization like a newspaper to decide for itself things for which it is thankful. Luckily, we have an editorial column and in that column, in addition to pointing out problems that need fixing, or decrying injustices we find in our community, we often take a minute to offer kudos to let people know when they did a good job.

So, in the spirit of gratitude, here’s a rundown of a few things for which we were thankful for this year in this editorial column:

• We were thankful that Gov. Sean Parnell vetoed legislation that would have made court records private after a person is acquitted. We decried this as a too-broad measure that would hamper our ability as news reporters to properly observe our legal system. The governor, at least in part, seemed to agree.

• In a more recent, less complimentary editorial about Parnell, we lauded the rare step the Alaska Dispatch News took in suing the governor in an attempt to gain access to documents relating to the Alaska National Guard sexual abuse scandal. We stand by that editorial: newspapers willing to fight back against secrecy strengthen our democracy.

• On the occasion of National EMS Week in mid-May we took the opportunity to say we are thankful for emergency medics that keep us healthy and safe.

• On a related note, we are thankful that something we have long advocated for — the professionalization of the fire and emergency medical services — is well underway in the borough.

• On yet another related note we lauded the Houston Fire Department for achieving an Insurance Services Office rating of 5 — a major achievement for such a small department with such a large coverage area and an achievement that directly benefitted homeowners with lower insurance premiums.

• We are thankful for student journalism and the news and views students contribute to our Schools page.

• Also on the education front — we are thankful Mat-Su College is constructing a theater and can’t wait to take in a show there.

• We were thankful for all the times our neighbors stepped up to lend a hand to those of us who needed it, be they a young family that had to move out of state for a daughter’s medical treatment or a firefighter who lost everything in a fire.

• We expressed gratitude that the borough is planning for growth in Point MacKenzie through the establishment of townsites.

• We were thankful when voters chose to increase Alaska’s minimum wage, a change we advocated for here.

• We hailed the coming of the Alaska State Fair, a time each year that we are thankful to live here.

• Most recently we bragged about the Valley and the people who make this place special. Christmas Friendship Dinner, Santa Cop and Heroes, Mat-Su Special Santa, or Valley Thanksgiving Blessing — we think there’s lots to love about the Mat-Su.

All of these, we feel, are great reasons for anyone to be thankful they live here. Happy Thanksgiving, neighbors!