By Jacob Levy, editor and publisher

As a voracious consumer of media in its many forms, I have a guilty pleasure: year-end lists. Every publication produces them, it seems, and I read many of them.  

Regular readers know that Irvine City News produces opinion pieces, in-depth features and even a share of breaking news, noteworthy for a monthly. But we don’t shy away from a fun “listicle” feature, either.  

As I was reading the weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal last October, I was pleased to see the prestigious publication dedicated an entire section to lists. 

That was enough to free us to something we’d secretly been hoping to do: an issue dedicated to roundup stories, bests, superlatives and other lists. 

Time will tell if it becomes a January tradition. Whatever time of year they’re observed, New Years celebrations in different countries, cultures and faiths often include an opportunity to look at our lives and focus on the bigger issues we face as individuals, families and communities. 

Whether this past year has been one of the greatest of your life, or one that you’re glad is finally over, a fresh calendar brings with it a feeling of opportunity.  

And often it starts with a list.  

We do some soul-searching, make some resolutions, and prepare to take on the year’s challenges with a renewed and revived sense of purpose.  
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Whatever your hopes, dreams and aspirations for the New Year, we hope 2018 is a happy, healthy and productive year for you and yours.  ​

By Jacob Levy, editor and publisher

The holidays have taken me by surprise this year. As I write this Christmas decorations have already been up for a month or more. When did the end of October mark the start of the celebration? I blame the 1993 Tim Burton film “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” which conflated the two holidays in the minds of a generation of impressionable filmgoers, not to mention Disneyland fans, that have ridden the Jack Skellington-themed Haunted Mansion makeover since 2001. 

I don’t mind the early decorations, or the commerce that at least partially inspires it. I’ve even bought a few gifts already, which is ambitious for me. This year has been divisive, both nationally and in Irvine, and I’m ready for a break. So bring on the giving of thanks, the first candle of the festival of lights, the tidings of comfort and joy, and the auld lang syne.

I look forward to second helpings of turkey and a third glass of wine; to a bustling Spectrum Center filled with holiday shoppers on a Sunday afternoon; to Nutcracker performances; and to snow at City Hall for Winter Wonderland. We at ICN can’t wait for menorah lighting and hanging stockings with care. New Year’s Eve will find me snug in my bed well before midnight, ready for a long winter’s nap. 
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Irvine citizens celebrate a variety of faiths and family traditions. Whatever you and yours celebrate, we hope you have a wonderful month. Chag Urim Sameach, Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Holidays. We’ll be back in January with a look back at the year that was, and a look forward to 2018.