Christmas, I want to start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year and a continued Merry Christmas season.

Once again I am thankful to our Lord, God, for the many liberties that we Americans enjoy in this great country, state and town.

What a wonderful town we have here in Fountain Hills with lots of really nice, hard-working people with a common goal of improving our lives and town. There are many special events to attend and many great organizations around town such as the VFW, Rotary, Republican Club, American Legion, Friends of the Hills, Kiwanis and more for residents and visitors to join (and by-the-way, you can find out more about them on January 25 at the Activities and Volunteer Expo).

Some such events are the Memorial Day, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day and Veterans Day ceremonies (sponsored by the three veterans service organizations [VFW Post 7507, AmVets Post 7 and American Legion Post 58]), the Stroll in the Glow, the two “Fairs” and the Thanksgiving Day Parade (sponsored by the Chamber), the Holiday Mart (sponsored by the River of Time Museum), Make a Difference Day and the Turkey Trot, as well as Independence Day, St Patty’s Day and Oktoberfest activities in the park.

I could go on and on mentioning additional organizations and events that make Fountain Hills such a wonderful place to live, but I will not – The Times limits me to 300 words. You may think of them yourself and give your own thanks; or even better, join one or more of them and participate.

I will finish by saying once again that I love this town and the people in it and wish everyone a safe, prosperous and joyful New Year.