The Free Press did not post their usual "5 Things to Do This Weekend" list that I use to kick off the topic. Perhaps the editor, Brendel Hightower, may have been given a rest for the holidays.

So, I got the idea that it would be a good opportunity to pause and think about things to be thankful for. And, as I like to say, feel free to add your suggestions below.


  1. I’m thankful for all the enlightening and entertaining posts you, the forum as a whole, have made about the surrounding communities of our beloved international metropolis of Detroit-Windsor. I have learned so much from your collective knowledge and wisdom and look forward to learning more.
  2. I’m thankful for the overall civility of these conversations and that, while we encompass a broad range of views on policies and politics, and write in from locations here, across the country, and around the world, we continue to maintain unity when it comes to care and concern for our metropolis and its future.
  3. I’m thankful for those who have supported the DetroitYES project with contributions and many kind remarks of encouragement.
  4. I’m thankful for the wit and humor of the many posts that have made me chuckle or even burst out laughing.
  5. I will be thankful to watch this forum, which began in 1999, celebrate 25 years of discussing Detroit in 2024.


Happy Holidays to all of you, your families, and friends.

I’ll close by posting a somewhat Santa Claus-like-view painting of mine called “Moonset over Michigan” which shows our metro as a united ball of light straddling the Straits of Detroit.