In the spirit of the season, I want to share a heartwarming story from Portland theater.

Today, Friday, December 7th, is the last day on the job for Bob Hicks, long-time theater critic and arts editor for the O.  Bob has spent the last 30 of his 34 years as a journalist in Portland focused on the arts.  His adroit criticism and analysis of performance in our burg has been invaluable in shaping Portland’s unique scene and his advocacy and support have been a major boost for three decades.

As a way to say thank you, members of the PDX theater community banded together to surprise Bob with an ad in today’s A&E bidding him a fond farewell and announcing a gift in his honor to the Portland Area Theatre Alliance’s Valentine Fund.

And Bob posted a message on the PATA Greenroom website in response.

You will be missed, sir!