From the Editor: December 2024

Erin Phillips

How's everyone holding up?

Boy, has that been the question of the last six weeks or so. In November's edition of From the Editors, I was but a sweet, summer child — truly believing in my soul that Harris would win the election, and believing this while I was enjoying lovely, sunny, 60-degree autumn strolls about my neighborhood.

How much can change in the span of a few weeks? Apparently way too much.

Shortly after we all collectively learned that we'd have to endure yet another Trump presidency, we were hit with a winter storm the likes of which have been seldom seen in Erie before — we officially surpassed the single-day snowfall record and the governor had to call in the National Guard. I mean, even for Erie, this was pretty nuts.

After day four or so of being unable to leave my house, eating nothing but Thanksgiving leftovers, and having to write the behemoth, 5,000-word Year in Review for this issue with my children home from school asking me for snacks every 10 minutes — I was having straight up traumatic flashbacks to 2020's COVID lockdown. And I'm sure I'm not the only one.

If you're feeling a bit like Kevin McAllister in Home Alone after this past week (featured on our cover this month, created by the incomparable Nick Warren), fending off Snowmageddon, armed only with a shovel and some hair dryers, you're not alone. They even made a shirt about it — get yours (and a few for your loved ones) at (my personal wardrobe supplier) Erie Apparel. And while you're at it, go ahead and get everything local all the time! This snowstorm didn't just psychologically damage niche content writers — so many of our local small businesses lost a lot during a time of year they usually depend on to get a little bit ahead. Buy local or it's bye, local — read more on this from local business owners within.

So somehow, I did, in fact, succeed at writing our Year in Review, despite the inconvenient living situation, and it is featured herein. In it, I look back at Erie's year economically, politically, artistically, educationally, environmentally, and Reader-ly. We have accomplished a lot, grown collectively as a community, and we should be proud — a solid, helpful, generous community is going to become increasingly more important as we move into the uncertain future and Erie has a strong one. We saw this on display, not only in all of the aforementioned categories, but in neighbors helping neighbors through this snowstorm — shoveling out driveways, digging out cars, offering rides to work, or to pick up groceries. Small acts of positivity and kindness, that when all performed together, en masse, truly make a community strong.

So that's that. As we wrap up 2024, all of us here at the Reader  want to say happy holidays and happy new year!

(The mug in the photo is also available at Erie Apparel)