A repeat winner. When a satirical column about the backroom dealings of the Mecklenburg County Commission provokes more interest in how local politicians carry themselves than news stories on broadcast TV, you know your work is making an impact. With his weekly Boomer With Attitude column, Grooms takes a critical eye to issues that others ignore. He's also a winner, taking home awards from both the North Carolina Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. On top of that, he has a heart, too. Just look at his memorial to lauded photographer Chris Radok, a colleague and friend. With a tenderness and melodic tone, Grooms focused on who Radok was and not the way he was killed. It made the reader feel, whether he or she knew Radok or not, and that's what good columnists are supposed to do.