The year 2016 has come to an end and what an eventful year it was. The presidential election proved to be one of the most contentious and hotly debated in recent memory. We will have to wait and see how much better off the country will be under the new regime of Donald Trump.
While the economy continues to struggle, for what seems like the past five years now, there have been a few signs that the country is slowly turning the corner. Many people would probably agree they are no worse off than this time a year ago. And though that may not be a ringing endorsement for good times yet to come … it’s a start.
Locally, there were plenty of memorable news events taking place this past year, including the demolition of the iconic Houlton McDonalds restaurant built in the 1970s in favor of a new, modern styled building set to open Wednesday, Dec. 28. Other new businesses that came to town include Domino’s pizza and Dollar Tree.
Town and Country Clothing and Footwear owner Steve Hutchinson also announced his business, which has been a staple of downtown Houlton for nearly 100 years, was closing. And another downtown mainstay, Sadies Bakery, changed ownership as Blaine and Sharon Jackett sold the business to Robin Green and Kristie Fitzpatrick.
Hopefully, 2017 will feature many more positive news stories for local readers of the Houlton Pioneer Times to enjoy.
Seeing as how New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, thoughts for many shift to coming up with resolutions on things they hope to improve about themselves in the coming year. Losing weight and starting to exercise more were my goals last year, and yet, that didn’t happen.
Once again, I find myself trying to find new and exciting ways of sticking to my resolutions. This year I’m looking to lose a few pounds and trying to be more positive both at work and at home. Shedding extra pounds seems to be getting more difficult as the years go by. Diets aren’t my thing. And the idea of having two of my three meals consisting of some sort of beverage doesn’t interest me because I like to eat.
So that leaves increased exercise. We’ve had a treadmill for several years now, and I go through spurts of using it. Some weeks I will use it two or three days in a row, but the problem is finding the time to consistently exercise. It sounds simple enough. But with a hectic job that sees me away from home more often than not, finding 30 minutes to an hour to exercise every single day just doesn’t work for me.
Perhaps this year will be different? One can hope. So if you see me picking up sweets or eating junk for lunch, come on over and remind me that I am supposed to be doing better.
Our newspaper office will be closed Monday, Jan. 2, for New Years. We will re-open on Tuesday, Jan. 3. For Dave Bates, Wanda MacIlroy and myself, we wish you all a joyous New Year.
Joseph Cyr is a staff writer for the Houlton Pioneer Times. He can be reached at jcyr@pioneertimes-me.com or 532-2281.
