When I started my career in journalism in 1979, I wrote a sports column called Backseat Coach. The idea was that the column would be like a backseat driver or a Monday-morning quarterback – someone who would give another point of view on a topic. While that column ran in sports for five years, I’ve decided to revive it in 2018 to include all news – such as the monthly Praise and Raze. It will appear whenever the need arises in different parts of the paper – sports, education, entertainment … I hope you enjoy it.

Praise to those keeping their Christmas lights turned on. It’s keeping the towns looking festive.

Praise to Arlington and Marysville for their A Simple Gesture programs to help feed the hungry all year long.

Praise to those who donate to the growing Food for Thought program at the Marysville Food Bank. So sad that it is growing so fast.

Praise to those who donate time to drive cancer patients to their appointments. They should not have to worry about that.

Praise to Arlington’s Lee Harman, who plans to drive his 1938 Model A across Asia to Europe to raise money to end polio.

Praise to Dana Brothers, who wants to educate others on the only thing that’s unavoidable in life – death.

Praise to the Marysville Fire District for promoting Kate Songhurst to be the department’s first female captain.

Raze to the Marysville City Council for ending talks with Arlington regarding a Regional Fire Authority, especially since it was only a week or so since you had voted to extend talks for another year. We know the talks have been very difficult. But why give up after all this time?

Raze to the woman who wouldn’t let me over on the 172nd overpass so I could get on the freeway. People who don’t drive that all the time don’t know that you have to get over, so a little courtesy would be nice, especially around Christmas.

Praise to the Tulalip Tribes for not only building a new casino, but also a hotel and garage to go with it.

Praise to the Stillaguamish Tribe for getting rights to the name of the Everett area for the Angel of the Winds. What a great marketing tool for our area.

Praise to Sno-Isle for getting a library to Smokey Point so quickly.

Raze to the grinch who stole from the Arlington Boys and Girls Club.

Praise to Housing Hope for giving the homeless hope for housing at Twin Lakes Landing.

Praise to the Reids for opening an old-fashioned candy shop downtown.

Praise to Dennis Warren for being Marysville’s Clark Griswold each Christmas.

Praise to all the volunteers and people who donate to the Toy Store and all of the other great programs that help people in need each Christmas.

Praise to lobbyist Al Aldrich for representing Marysville and Arlington so well in Olympia.

Praise to former Globe-Times columnist Robert Graef for making us all less ignorant about ignorance.