There are local TV legends, and then there are legends, period. In the TV news business, one icon of local journalism stands out above the rest.

Marvin Zindler, 85, announced this week that he has inoperable pancreatic cancer.

For those of you who don't know who he is or who might look at him on the KTRK Web site and think, "What is up with this guy?" --- well, he is one of the finest consumer affairs reporters ever to serve local television journalism. He has helped thousands of regular folks over the years get justice, get action, get satisfaction and get noticed when government, business -- you name it -- has them down.

He has done more for the little guy, if you will, than almost any journalist we've ever known. Check out this recent story in which Marvin helped a Houston nurse get his immigration papers.

However, Marvin is most famous for two things: Best Little Whorehouse In Texas story and his reports on Houston-area restaurants, uncovering rats and roaches and, of course, any eateries suffering from slime in the ice machine.

It's a unique piece of local television journalism that is as much entertainment as it is useful, and Marvin is always quick to point out that the offending restaurants have corrected their problems when they have -- just to be fair. However, while his Friday night reports have always been the attraction, those consumer reports have always been the substance of his talent.

In Texas, the guy is irreplaceable. I'm not even sure to whom I'd compare him in Oklahoma or even Dallas, the markets with which I'm most familiar.

His trademark signoff is familiar to everybody in Space City: Good golf, good tennis ... or whatever makes you happy. MAAAAHRVIN Zindler, EYYYYEEwitness News.

You can send your note of encouragement (or read others') to Marvin right here.