Looking Ahead

I’m kicking off 2008 just like 2007—pleading with you, Monticello News readers, to let me know what you like about your community newspaper and what you would like to change.

This promises to be a busy year in our community, as Monticello begins its celebration of its 200th birthday which will be official on December 10, 2008.

In addition, 2008 is an election year, when the nation will elect a new president, and the county will elect new county leadership.

Other projects that have been brewing locally for a while are growing and could result in good things here. The Market Festival on the Square was a great success last year, and this year promises to be even bigger. As an offshoot of that, the state may well form an agritourism agency, and there are some lobbying to have its headquarters right here in Monticello.

The Digital Distance Diagnostics Initiative begun by Dr. Jean Walter as County Extension Agent could also grow into a new local industry, bringing money and talented people into our community.Dr. Walter resigned last year as County Extension Agent, and this year hopefully Jasperites will welcome a new person in that position.

Monticello will be under new leadership beginning next Tuesday, Jan. 8, when the new mayor and council members are sworn.

Nearly 100 people turned out on the Monticello Square for the first day of the year photo this year, and about two dozen made it to the grand opening of the new tennis courts at Funderburg Park.

Those numbers bode well for our community as we kick off a new year. Perhaps when we look back on 2008 a year from now, we will recognize it as the year that Community in Unity truly became reality.

Let’s all work together to make 2008 absolutely great! We can all practice the golden rule in everything we do…and that will help our jewel of a community really shine.