On this historic day, if you are reading this before 8 p.m. and you haven’t voted, go vote! Your vote counts. Today will go down in history. Over the weekend, an historic event in sporting was experienced here in NYC, the New York Marathon. I was able to watch Paula Radcliffe breeze her way to her second consecutive win and third overall win in the New York marathon. As I watched along Central Park South, I was proud to see a first-time marathoner and a New Yorker, Kara Goucher, take third place. Last week, I had the pleasure to speak to the Pass Bureau Association in Newport, RI at their annual conference on the topic of “Going Green.” I chose to focus on awareness and going green in tourism, as well as the effects corporations and individuals have on each other. Like your vote, everything you do to help the environment, large or small, makes a difference. The conference was a great gathering of dedicated people in the industry. Everyone was able to discuss key current events affecting the industries through successful networking sessions. As the conference came to a close, delegates had the opportunity to share some laughs and fun on the Newport Dinner Train. I didn’t know what to expect but was pleased as we experienced not only beautiful scenery but unexpected entertainment as well. We went on the dinner train on Halloween. As we boarded, I couldn’t help but notice three characters on board – a flesh-eating prisoner, a dead bride and a nearly dead maid. The train sat tables of four on both sides of an aisle. I sat with delegates from California, Wyoming and India. All three actors were dressed in costume, and their acting was nearly too good for me! We all realized, rather quickly, that the dead maid took a strong liking to me. Even though I played along, I told my tablemates that if she served my food, I would not be eating it. She continued to make me uncomfortable, but, I have to admit, she was funny with her innuendos. At one point she whispered things in my ear which made me blush – for the whole table to see! Even though these characters were not waiters and waitresses, they would pitch in every now and then to help the busy waitstaff. We caught the maid carrying a tray of drinks. She was so concentrated on not spilling them, she finally broke character. We all had a good laugh, and I breathed a sigh of relief! I left the train on friendly terms with the maid. I had to compliment her acting skills, as I learned she took a liking to other conference members, too. In the end, we all had a good laugh. The dinner train was a success as I bonded with my tablemates (mostly at my expense). We had a great time at the conference, and I had a Halloween I will never forget! -Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher