It was only fitting that the “My Opinion” column by Town Councilwoman Cassie Hansen was published the day before Thanksgiving.

Cassie, in her usual elegant yet flowery prose, highlighted nicely her thoughts of public service in Fountain Hills.

We who are blessed enough to live in Fountain Hills owe a debt of gratitude to Cassie Hansen for her many years of service to this community – first as town clerk and lastly as a member of the Town Council.

That does not even begin to encompass countless other hours she spent over the decades volunteering for various church, non-profit and other local charitable and civic causes.

Her wistful column brought back many wonderful memories for me, who as a reporter/editor-type, spent plenty of hours in her Town Clerk’s office gathering information, quotes and, yes, the occasional gossip tidbit.

It was exciting to be in the news business and see a community go through the incorporation process (three times, no less) and ultimately become a “fledgling town.”

Not too many folks get to witness the birth and development of a town from day one…

Time passes on, issues come and go, and opinions – as a wise philosopher named Jerrod once told me – are like elbows. That is, everyone has a couple of ‘em.

Through the years Cassie and I had various opinions, and we might not have agreed on every issue, but that’s OK. I was always comforted by the fact that Cassie loves the Town of Fountain Hills and we are much better off today because of her hard work and dedication all these decades.

Our town should always be giving thanks for residents like Cassie, not just around Thanksgiving time.

Thanks, Cassie, for your friendship and your devotion to Fountain Hills.

Happy trails to you!