At the beginning of a New Year, some individuals make resolutions. You may be one of those people. I often wonder how well those resolutions work out. You don't hear of too many people posting on Facebook that after 365 days they accomplished their 2015 resolutions. But I think it is good to produce a list of goals and try to accomplish them.

One thing is a sure bet, with every New Year we will experience new changes. Some of those events are predictable and some are not. How we react to those events and changes demonstrate a lot about our character. So what are some of the predictable events and changes... and how will we respond to them?

It's an election year. Locally, Silver City will elect a new mayor/council members and Grant County will elect new Commissioners. We will be asked to choose new leaders for our state and our country. In recent years, the majority of people who are eligible to cast votes have stayed away from the voting booth. Maybe they were frustrated with government and the elected officials. Maybe they didn't like any of the candidates. Maybe they simply didn't care. If you didn't vote in past elections, I hope you will make a resolution to fulfill one of your most important duties as a citizen... no, not paying taxes... to vote. And I've said it before and I will continue to say it, if you don't cast a vote then keep your mouth shut about the results.

The Town of Silver City will change the way they read water meters. The new meters that will be installed have many benefits. If a pipe were to burst at your home, the new system will recognize there is a sudden jump in water usage and the public works department will have the ability to react accordingly. This can save you lots of money and it can save our water system from lots of wasted water. The implementation of the system will also allow the Town of Silver City to move some meter readers to different positions without having to hire new workers. These systems are being used successfully in lots of cities around the United States. Don't be surprised if more utilities decide to move in this direction for reading meters.

Here's a resolution I wish our State government would make, although even if they did make the resolution they probably would not try to make it happen. New Mexico Resolution: Fix the archaic, out-of-date, ridiculous alcohol beverage licensing system that is currently hurting New Mexico businesses rather than helping. This will be one of those items that will be a bitter pill to swallow, but it needs to be repaired. I don't even like the taste of beer and rarely have a mixed drink, yet I know this licensing system is terrible. Hey New Mexico Politicians... make this one of your resolutions and then DO IT!

There are five big projects that should be completed this year that can make a difference in Grant County, and these are in no particular order.

1. Completion of all work on Lake Roberts and filling up the lake with water.
2. Completion of rebuilding the Catwalk at Glenwood.
3. Completion of the Highway 90 Bridge on Hudson Street.
4. Complete the demolition of the Fort Bayard Hospital and the State of New Mexico allows another entity, such as the Village of Santa Clara, to develop the historical area.
5. Completion of renovations to the Grant County Conference and Business Center.

What is my 2016 wish? To see the Silver City Grant County Chamber of Commerce reach 300 members. If you would like to help make this New Year's wish a reality, call me at 575-538-3785 or send me an email... sterry@silvercity.org. Once we reach our 2016 goal I will state it on the radio, print it in the newspaper, and post it on Facebook for all to read that we did it.

Please have a safe and Happy New Year!