Since most New Year's resolutions are broken within the first three weeks of the year, I've decided that from now on I will only make New Year's wishes. My wishes for 2007...

• It's been a long drought, and I wish that all Blue Devils teams could experience a winning season. While I'm at it, I wish that all the people who want to do away with the Blue Devil mascot would go away. Don't go away mad, just go away. And take those people who don't like a particular logo of the Blue Devil with you. We are the Blue Devils and I don't care if it is the mean-looking Blue Devil, the Arizona State Blue Devil, the Duke Blue Devil, or the little Casper the Ghost type Blue Devil. Some people just spend way too much time on non-issues.

• I'm going to be a little selfish here and wish that I win Lotto in 2007. I'm thinking 30 million dollars ought to do it. I'm going to donate $6-8 million to the Ellenville Central School District to build the absolute best athletic facility in the state. Additionally, I'm going to purchase several luxury coach buses so that our athletes who must travel the hour and a half-plus to compete against Pine Plains, Webutuck, and Millbrook can travel in class. And while I'm at it, every time one of our teams makes one of those long trips, I'm going to provide everyone a catered meal from the Lighthouse Deli.

• I wish the N.F.L. would give up on those new referee uniforms. The refs wearing those long, black pants with the white stripe down the legs look they're working an intramural football game at a Division III college with a minimal sports budget.

• I wish the Ellenville Central School District would invest in a quality sound system for the high school gymnasium. Whenever Athletic Director, Mary Borriello uses the microphone to read the starting lineups or make an announcement, it sounds like someone is talking underwater.

• I like the National Anthem as much as the next person, but the rendition that is played before home Blue Devils contests is entirely too long. Coaches and players know that when the National Anthem is played that the game is about to begin. It is a brief moment between reflecting on the pride we have in our country and the thrill of athletic competition. It should not leave the coaches, players and fans wondering when the song will end. Besides, I like it best when the National Anthem is sung by one of our many talented Ellenville students.

• I wish this unseasonably warm weather would last throughout the winter. You're probably thinking that a guy who wants to win $30 million in Lotto wouldn't have to worry about some cold and snow. I enjoy watching our basketball and wrestling teams compete, but don't you really want to get to spring? When the temperature hits 75 degrees and the trees start to bloom, you know it's track, tennis, baseball, and softball season.

• I wish that J.V. girls' basketball coach, Tom Nolan would get some recognition. Nolan currently has his team at 8-0. The junior Lady Blue Devils recently won their own Holiday Tournament and everyone on the team is seeing ample playing time. The season is no fluke. Nolan was 14-6 last year.

• I wish that our varsity wrestling team had a modified wrestling team to serve as a feeder program and teach the seventh and eighth graders the basics of the sport so that Coach Merrill Conner doesn't have to start from scratch every year. I'm not sure why there isn't a modified wrestling program, but having over thirty-five years experience in the sport, I know it's not fair to ask kids to be competitive when they start wrestling in ninth grade, while the schools we compete against are putting out wrestlers who have several more years experience. Maybe the patricians who run 28 Maple Avenue could look into that and get back to us?

• I wish more people would come out and support our Blue Devils at home games. I'm tired of seeing the opposing teams have more fans than us.

• I wish more Ellenville Board of Education members would attend athletic events. They can get a ride from Chan Rivera, who is at many.

• There are three gas stations in Ellenville, all within a block of each other, and they always have the same price for a gallon of gas. I wish Getty, Citgo and Stewart's would all get involved in an old fashioned, American price war…and I wish everyone a Happy New Year! Until next time…

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