A very Happy New Year to all.

Here at The Journal, we’d like to kick off 2011 with another installment of one of our editorial page favorites: Roses & Thorns.

Let’s begin with an easy one.

— Roses to Mother Nature. Thanks for the snow and for those bone-chilling temperatures. Together they helped accentuate and to preserve the holiday season.

It was a treat. Did anyone else notice that the snow began to twinkle, glitter and glisten after a couple of days on the ground?

— Roses to Mayor Carrie Lacher and the Town of Friday Harbor. The mayor signed a proclamation in the waning days of the preceding year, declaring Dec. 17, 2010 “Dorothy Lawson Day” in Friday Harbor.

It’s a well-deserved honor for a hometown girl who nearly 30 years ago took the Food Bank under her wing and by the shear force of her will made sure that it would fly.

She may have ruffled a few feathers along the way, but Lawson earns high marks even from those she butted heads with for her dedication, her integrity and for championing a cause that others chose to ignore.

— Thorns to the San Juan County Citizens Salary Commission. Granting an $18,000 pay raise to a public official who already is one of the county’s highest-paid — the prosecuting attorney — is a slap in the face to the many employees in the public and private sectors who’ve seen their hours cut, benefits reduced or jobs eliminated during the economic downturn.

— Roses to the three members of the Salary Commission who voted against that pay raise.

— And finally, roses to all of the island’s volunteer firefighters. By all accounts, you’ve demonstrated an ability to rise above …

— The Journal welcomes comments regarding its editorials. Write Editor, The Journal, 640 Mullis St., West Wing, Friday Harbor 98250. E-mail srasmussen@sanjuanjournal.com