Today marks the end of outgoing City Council President Bill Pantele's eight year stint on council; Pantele lost his council seat when he ran for mayor this last election cycle. It would be easy to take a shot or two at Pantele on his way out the door, but I have to admit that I don't really harbor a lot of ill will toward him. And while he's alienated the hipster crowd, been the butt of his share of weblog bashing and is something akin to an enemy of the state in the eyes of the performing arts center critics, Pantele garners favorable reviews from others I know and admire in and out of Richmond government and political circles.
And so it is with mixed feelings and a great sense of detachment that I bid our former council president an impassive "Adieu!"
