Usage Glitch: Is it PASSED or PAST?

I received a local newsletter last week and came across this sentence in the lead paragraph:

Summer and the Olympics have past, football is in mid-season, and Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are approaching quickly with 2009 just ahead.

I had two problems with this sentence. First, PAST and PASSED are different words with different uses. The word PAST is an adjective used to describe events that have already happened. It is a preposition used in phrases indicating time or location. It is also a noun used to refer to bygone times. It would be used appropriately in a sentence like this:

In past years, the holidays did not seem to arrive so quickly. (adjective)

The immediate past president of the PTA is Susan Oliver. (adjective)

We drove past the park three times. (preposition)

She submitted her resume past the deadline.

There are no skeletons in my past. (noun)

The past is no longer with us. (noun)

The word PASSED is a past participle used with helping words like "have" to indicate elapse of time. It is also a past tense verb by itself. It would be used appropriately in sentences like these:

The new legislation has passed in the Senate.

Susan was passed over when the lead role was cast.

John passed me the turkey gravy.

We passed by the park three times.

If you consider the examples above, I hope you would conclude that the sentence in the newsletter should read as follows:

Summer and the Olympics have passed,....

I also had a problem with the phrase "just ahead" at the end of this sentence. As described here, 2009 is not really "just ahead." It comes after Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas--all of which are "just ahead" of the time frame right after summer and the Olympics.

A writer should never try to give the reader too many time frames in one sentence without a clear road map. I would suggest rewording the end of the sentence this way:

Summer and the Olympics have passed, football is in mid-season, and believe it or not, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are approaching quickly, with 2009 just beyond.

By using "just beyond," the reader is looking AHEAD to the holidays and then BEYOND the holidays to the New Year.

All that said, the writer is correct that the holidays are fast approaching. I hope you are looking ahead and getting yourself organized.