Get ready for a spate of biggests, bests, worsts

I don't know about you, but I really like those end-of-the-year lists - the best/worst TV shows, movies, fashion, hairdos and don'ts.

Some might argue that this is lazy media creatures' way of padding their end-of-the-year editions. But I would never think that. I think the end of the year is a perfect opportunity for reflection, for bouquets and brickbats, for the yin and the yang. So, without further ado, here are some of the more unforgettable moments in DuPage County of 2008.

Best weather:

And by "best" I mean most miserable. Yeah, the recent snow has been a real annoyance, but, as this is written, we have an excellent shot at breaking the 1983 record of 49 inches of rain. Our wet weather includes a weekend in mid-September that hit DuPage especially hard; we got 12 inches in some places.

Saddest story:

Has to be the Air Angels helicopter crash Oct. 15 on Eola Road in Aurora that killed a 17-month-old girl with a history of medical problems en route to Children's Memorial Hospital. The pilot and two crew members who make such missions of mercy their life's work also were killed.

Most inspiring:

The world, it seemed, grieved with Lombard native and astronaut Dan Tani, who lost his mother, Rose, while he was aboard the International Space Station. But in January, we saw Dan Tani's warmth, compassion and humor in a live-from-space interview in which he answered questions submitted by Daily Herald readers. He even demonstrated - as seen on the NASA Web site and dailyherald.com - the challenge of putting on one's socks in zero gravity.

Best celebrity sighting:

Johnny Depp making an appearance in Aurora to film scenes from "Public Enemies," about notorious bank robber John Dillinger. And while it wasn't exactly a sighting, how 'bout a shout-out for Benet Academy grad Diablo Cody, who won an Academy Award for best screenplay for her heart-rending movie "Juno."

Biggest political upset:

Many of the local candidates we interviewed before the Nov. 4 election all but laughed at us when we asked about the possibility of Barack Obama's coattails dragging some Democrats into county office. Today we have three Democrats on the county board, the first time that number has been reached since the post-Watergate backlash of the 1970s.

End of an era:

Sure it wasn't doing any constructive good, but there was something achingly sad about the implosion in October of the 217-foot-tall Ovaltine smokestack that had been standing for more than 70 years in Villa Park.

Biggest controversy:

Who knew gardeners were such hardball players? When asked to possibly give up their garden plots along West Street so more sports fields could be created for landlocked Naperville Central High School, the gardeners all but took up arms with their hoes and trowels. Several public hearings and recommendations from the school district have shown attempts to appease both sides, but it seems clear no one is going to be completely happy when a final decision is made next year.

Best sleuthing:

Norman Hall, an investigator for the DuPage County state's attorney, wouldn't give up in tracking down the man accused almost 30 years ago of driving his car around railroad crossing gates and colliding with a train, killing three people in his car. Roger Warburg skipped town shortly after his first court appearance, but Hall routinely ran checks on Warburg until tracking him down in October. He pleaded guilty to reckless homicide this month.

That's just a taste of what we have in store for you this weekend. See Sunday's Neighbor for a full rundown of the highlights of 2008.

jdavis@dailyherald.com