Happy New Decade!

I suspect that many of you, like me, are not entirely sorry to see the decade end. What with wars, recession, financial market downturns and the collapse of real estate values, the last few years have certainly been challenging. Perhaps there's hope, however, that 2010 represents a new beginning.

For me, one major offset to all of the rotten stuff is the great reward I have experienced in writing this bog, now eight months old. Since I began, I have come to know a lot of great people in the neighborhood that I probably would not have met had I not embarked on this project. It has been a lot of fun researching and writing postings, and I have appreciated the feedback (mostly positive) of the many readers who have taken the time to email me, stop me on the street, or add their comments on the blog. Please keep doing so.

I see that many other neighborhood blogs have ended the year by listing their top stories for 2009, so I have decided to fall into line. Here are the most-read Madison Park Blogger postings for the year:

1. MadArt will accost you
2. Preview of a possible 520 solution
3. Girl injured jumping off diving board
4. When it comes to crime, vigilance is better than the other thing
5. Christmas ships to arrive
6. Madison Park loses out on water taxi
7. Why the police won't come running
8. What next for the notorious Deno's
9. MadArt wows
10. June Real Estate Report

In spite of the fact that the series did not make it to the most-read list, the postings that I enjoyed the most were the three entries Defining Madison Park, in which I spent 6,000 words trying to say what, exactly, is meant by the term "Madison Park." We never did decide!

My least favorite posting was the recent announcement of the death of Scott McKee.

I, for one, am ready to move on. I offer to each of you my best wishes for a great end to 2009 and a happy and successful new year ahead.

See you in the new decade!

Bryan Tagas
Madison Park Blogger