The names in the news 2009

IT'S YEAR No. 2 in the Age of Obama -

Are times better? Perhaps, but the lingering trauma

Gives us pause as we brace for a new year again,

A new decade, in fact - it's 2-thousand-and-10!

Happy New Year to all (our hearts are a-flutter) -

To our embattled mayor, Michael Nutter,

And his harried predecessor, the guv,

Lame-duck Ed Rendell. Heavens above.

Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), is that really a D?

(Will Joe Sestak add "ex-" in the spring prima-ry?)

For new D.A. Seth Williams, a rousing cheer. A

Tearful farewell to the Lynne Abraham era.

To the Bacon brothers (did you rescue the Mummers?),

Welcome back, Allen Iverson - hail, Lawrence Summers.

Is everything under control, David Cohen?

The Eagles' McNabb, are we comin' or goin'?

Cheers, Temple prexy Ann Weaver Hart.

Welcome, Timothy Rub, to our Museum of Art.

What will we do without jailbird Vince Fumo?

A salute to Sam Katz, V. Dewan of the zoo. O,

Rejoice, mural maven Jane Golden, Dr. J,

Dennis Wint, Bart Blatstein, Will Smith, Tina Fey,

Gerry Lenfest and his wife, Marguerite,

Ex-mayors Green and Goode and Street.

Congressfolks Brady and Schwartz and Fattah,

Comcast's Brian Roberts and Ralph (that's his pa).

Peace on Earth (and at South Philly High)

And to schools chief Arlene Ackerman. Why

Not celebrate, Amy Gutmann of Penn,

The Phillies' Chase Utley (let's win it again).

Seventy's Stalberg, Cardinal Justin Rigali,

Tom Knox, Stephanie Naidoff, Audrey Talley,

Larry Magid, Willie Brown, Sly Stallone,

And Marge and Tina Tartaglione.

Chefs Perrier, Vetri, Poses, Garces, Starr. Oh,

Mover-and-shaker David Girard-diCarlo,

Philanthropist Sid Kimmel (we owe him a lot),

Vanguard's John Bogle, Ron Rubin, Jill Scott.

The Mattlemans, Herman and Marciene,

Nick DeBenedictis, Sister Scullion, Sheriff Carl Greene,

Bill Cosby, Anna Verna and her City Council flock,

Dick Sprague and C. Everett Koop (What's up, doc?).

Joy to the world, and our firefighters, too,

Charles Ramsey and our men and women in blue.

Ring out wild bells for John Perzel,

Hal Sorgenti, Paul Levy, Patti LaBelle.

Jon Bon Jovi, Kenny Gamble, Jimmy Tayoun,

Flower Show's Jane Pepper, Bill Gray, Tom Muldoon,

Our orchestra, no matter who wields the baton,

Tom Paine Cronin, C.B. Kimmins, Art Makadon.

Milton Street, Jerry Blavat (The Geator, you know). A

Toast to Bernard Hopkins, Ted Kirsch, Joe Vignola,

John Dougherty, Happy Fernandez, Gene Shay,

The NAACP's Jerry Mondesire. Hip-hip-hooray.

For Rebecca Rimel, the lady from Pew,

Dennis Alter, Lily Yeh, Kal Rudman. Halloo,

Mr. New Year's Eve, Dick Clark,

Joe Zuritsky, who decides where you park.

Bill Marrazzo, Dwight Evans, Jeffrey Lurie,

M. Night Shyamalan, Dawn Staley, Bob Venturi,

Mark Schweiker, Lorene Cary, Mike DiBerardinis,

Teddy Pendergrass, how've you been? Is

That Dodo Hamilton joining in the toast

With Sid Mark, Sinatra-phile radio host?

And Joey (English only) Vento, Rosemarie Greco,

Jack Wolgin, Bruce Crawley, Judge Phyllis Beck? Oh,

Joy to Ray Perelman, Mark Segal, Angel Ortiz,

ARA's Joseph Neubauer, Manny Stamatakis.

Herb Lotman, who helped save the Dad Vail regatta,

Estelle Richman, Shelly Yanoff. A lotta

Good luck to Peter Benoliel, Laurada Byers,

Gloria Guard, Pedro Ramos, the Flyers.

Donna Cooper, Lance Haver, Andre Watts, Helen Gym,

Sonny Hill, Charles Pizzi, Vic Damone

(remember him?).

Don't forget Bernard Watson, Faye Moore, Joe Torsella,

Bill Hankowsky, Dick Smoot, Salome

Thomas-El. A

Bow to Siobhan Riordan of the Free Librar-y,

Bilal Qayum, Carl Dranoff and coach Herb Magee.

Judith Von Seldeneck, Chubby Checker, Peter Nero,

Meryl Levitz, Pat Croce, Ryan Howard (our hero),

Feather Houstoun, Pat Gillespie, Marwan Kreidie,

Set Momjian, Tom Knudsen, Tom Leonard. Oh, my, we . . .

HAVE RUN out of space. Many names have been missed,

But no room's left for them on our dwindling list.

From this ancient alumnus and those named below,

Happy New Year to all. That's it, time to go.

- Don Harrison

Don Harrison was a Philadelphia newspaper writer and editor for 60 years, almost 20 of them at the Daily News. E-mail him at donharrison@att.net.