If you’re expecting a blue Thanksgiving in tough economic times, maybe these 61 pieces of positive news gleaned from the pages of the Whidbey News-Times will remind you to be thankful for what we have.

1. Unlike last year, Thanksgiving 2011 was not hampered by a week of snow and ice (or so we think as of this writing).

2. The old horse ring downtown survived the Pioneer Way makeover.

3. The assessor deleted most of our online house photos, meaning we can again bask in the clouds in our bikinis.

4. The state Attorney General wisely sided with the Whidbey News-Times in an open meetings dispute with the city of Oak Harbor.

5. All our sailors and marines returned home alive from danger zones around the world.

6. Our teachers are still faithfully teaching, despite what the Legislature is doing to education.

7. A real ferry boat, the Chetzemoka, started serving the Coupeville to Port Townsend run again. Just don’t wait for the boat at Toby’s Tavern.

8. State ferries ran into money problems but not any docks.

9. The county’s clean water utility tax must be working, because our water is clean.

10. Insurance companies actually paid when North Whidbey Fire and Rescue submitted bills for responding to accidents.

11. Whidbey General Hospital, on a per capita basis, has more than its share of nice nurses.

12. The Oak Harbor Arts Commission worked hard on picking downtown art even if its advice was mostly disregarded by the city council.

13. Commissioner Kelly Emerson may help balance the county’s budget by paying up to $37,000 in land use fines.

14. Gary Wallin got a funeral home to call his own.

15. We’re pretty much assured the new P-8 Poseidons will be stationed at Whidbey, unless Congress spends the country into oblivion.

16. The county commissioners have yet to get physical in their various public disputes.

17. Oak Harbor started putting prisoners to work, giving the unemployed hope they can find a job if they can only get arrested.

18. We’re no longer complaining about rising property values.

19. Rich people’s houses are losing value more slowly, meaning they’re paying a bigger share of the taxes.

20. Oak Harbor officially dedicated the newly remade Pioneer Way, except for the part that’s still gravel.

21. Sure, Indian bones were found during the Pioneer Way project, but it’s not like more than a few hundred people and the state Department of Archeology knew it would happen.

22. Great people still volunteer to be firefighters throughout the island, although all districts could use more help.

23. Voters approved a levy to keep the Oak Harbor pool open. On a minor note, they also elected a new mayor.

24. We won’t have Mayor Jim Slowik to kick around any more when he walks out of a store with one of his own, slightly altered, campaign signs, for which he won a coveted “Shrammie.”

25. The city council has managed to keep the Element night club open, despite years of complaints from whiney neighbors.

26. The historic Roller Barn was saved from fire thanks to its sprinkler system and the fire department.

27. Gray whales still return to Puget Sound in the spring.

28. Killer whales aren’t so predictable, but it’s always nice to seem them around.

29. Oak Harbor’s only “riot” of the year consisted of one man with a BB gun and baseball bat, plus three other guys.

30. Loanne Gulick came back to make sure the November election ran smoothly without her.

31. The city-owned Whidbey Island Marathon was successful again, drawing hundreds of in-shape socialists from off-island.

32. In hard times, many people continue to donate food to Help House and Gifts from the Heart.

33. Islanders are getting older, sparking a boom in the funeral home business.

34. The city’s Scenic Heights trailhead was dedicated, climaxing a 20-year waterfront trail building effort.

35. More than 60 percent of voters supported the pool, but only 55 percent the hospital bonds, so islanders must be a healthy lot.

36. There’s nothing like Easter morning at Sunnyside Cemetery.

37. The huge A-3 Skywarrior “Whale” flew into Whidbey one last time before becoming a static display.

38. Whidbey Island still has one video store, Blockbuster in Oak Harbor, for people who hate computers and vending machines.

39. Fresh volunteers saved the Penn Cove Water Festival from becoming history.

40. They caught the Barefoot Bandit, who will bring a media hoard to the Island County Courthouse in December.

41. The popular Paul Brewer lost his bid return to the Oak Harbor City Council, guaranteeing him a happy, healthy future.

42. Island Transit keeps landing federal grants, bring our tax dollars back home.

43. Oak Harbor and Coupeville are faithful in honoring our veterans.

44. The new $10 Discover Pass created plenty of room to park and roam in our state parks.

45. Whidbey Island Bank did it right and prospers during the economic slump.

46. NAS Whidbey put on a nice show for the 100th anniversary of naval aviation.

47. If there were such an award, the Whidbey News-Times would win for “Most use of the word ‘bones’ in a headline.”

48. The National Night Out continues to be an August highlight in Oak Harbor.

49. We have the Lions Clubs to thanks for the holiday American flags that fly in Oak Harbor and Coupeville, and many other service clubs who help in innumerable ways.

50. Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen stood up to public pressure and refused to take a pay cut, while Reps. Barbara Bailey and Norma Smith wilted.

51. The police called to guard a Whidbey General Hospital board meeting were not needed.

52. It was a great year for catching humpies off the shores of Whidbey Island.

53. Juvenile crime has dropped so much that we wonder why we built the juvenile jail.

54. Islanders argue about what’s more beautiful, sunrise over the Cascades or sunset over the Olympics.

55. All three geographic areas of Whidbey have nonprofits who help people with their health care costs.

56. We’ve got guys like Bob Barber who will call the newspaper when he gets stuck in the hot tub.

57. Whidbey Playhouse continues to provide outstanding live theater to North Whidbey residents. WICA does the same on the Southend.

58. For the first time in years, Island County was able to adopt a budget without major cuts.

59. Test scores show Whidbey Island students are all above average in something.

60. Island farmers are growing more food for local consumption.

61. Finally, be thankful that the Whidbey News-Times adopted a smaller tabloid format a few years ago, otherwise this list could go on forever.

Happy Thanksgiving.