Roses in advance for candidates in the upcoming election who will participate in a forum scheduled Monday. It will begin at 7 p.m. at the Kent State City Center and is being co-sponsored by the Salem News, KSU Salem and the Salem Chamber of Commerce. We certainly encourage you to attend if able. We also will provide full coverage in our Tuesday edition. The upcoming election isn't a full one. But important decisions will shape the future including Salem where there are seats to be determined for council president and the three at-large council spots. Not to mention a proposed city tax increase. There are also two board of education seats to filled. Again, it will be an interesting election day. And, for once, there hasn't been all the bitterness and mud-slinging that usually occurs. That is nice.

Roses- following the Halloween theme, let's make 'em black roses - for everyone out there who will make trick-or-treating a fun experience for all the youngsters participating. Damage to tooth enamel aside, it is part of the growing up process and most of us enjoyed it. Maintaining the tradition is fun and it's a nice activity involving parents and kids. But a reminder to exercise caution. This world is not the one we grew up in. Too many bad people out there who want to do bad things to kids. You hear about it everyday and that is very sad. A reminder to everyone driving around next weekend. Watch out for all the goblins, witches and etc. who will be running through the neighborhoods. One question: do Halloween hoodlums still soap windows like some - not all, mind you - of us did years ago?

Thorns to an ominous feeling coming out of the southern part of our county. Maybe it's just a bad vibe but hearing that the Baard Energy project is delayed further is unnerving. That project is over a year behind its original schedule. The port authority - what other choice is there? - intends to grant an extention on an option agreements for the purchase of over 500 acres near Wellsville. The proposed project has been hit by a bad economy which scared investors and environmental groups which applied pressure. The Baard Energy project would create a coal-to-liquid fuel conversion plant at the cost of $6 billion. It would create hundreds of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent jobs. Our county sorely needs a boost like this and let's keep hoping it comes through.

Roses to LeBron James for offering guidance and advice to Terrell Pryor. Gee, don't you feel tons better already?