To us, the year 2015 proved to be a watershed year for paving the way into the future.

This pun was intended, of course, because much of our year seemed to be dominated by the paving of roads in town.

This is a good thing, however, despite the construction hassles motorists endured near Saguaro and Shea boulevards, the entire stretch of Saguaro up to Fountain Hills Blvd. and even the road maintenance work that occurred on such streets as El Pueblo, Grande and others.

Improvements were done in Fountain Park (we won’t mention the controversial light bollards), the plaza for Avenue of the Fountains was completed, construction started on an assisted living facility in the downtown area and major development work began for Adero Canyon.

The Chamber of Commerce has turned things around with its operations, and town officials have been working hard to encourage both economic development and business retention. Tourism efforts have picked up. Our economy has improved, new construction is picking up and the real estate market has improved as well.

The School District, while still facing some enrollment issues, appears to be moving in a positive direction under the strong leadership of Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sweeney, who has made communication with the School Board and the community a top priority.

Again, all these things pave the way for Fountain Hills’ future. Improving our infrastructure and improving the business climate will help us grow and become a better community. We look forward to what’s ahead in 2016.

As for the remainder of this past year, we invite readers to look through the “review” stories we’re including in this issue and next week. And we look forward to continuing our coverage of all the local news for our readers in this region of the Valley – Fountain Hills, the Verdes, Fort McDowell and Goldfield Ranch.

Happy New Year!