Sunday's headlines, and a bit of hope

Good morning, it’s Sunday, July 20.

A week ago, I could have written "it's Bloody Sunday" for the streets of Bradenton that day. That reality is reflected throughout the Herald today -– in my "Letter from the Editor", in Jim Jones’ column, in Tiffany Tompkins-Condie’s Military Moms blog, in Beth Burger’s coverage of William White’s funeral…

Thank goodness there's Snooty. We're celebrating our county's mascot on his 60th birthday with unabashed glee. As our story says this morning in the Herald, at least 5,000 strong turned out for Snooty's party yesterday. Now, for a guaranteed smile, check out Herald videographer Paul Videla's Snooty video. Turn up the sound and sing along.

There is hope for the streets of Manatee County. But there have to be a lot more gentle souls like our favorite manatee among us.

Joan