The year 2012 has come to an end. It is now time to pack away Christmas decorations, freeze leftovers and focus on keeping those New Year resolutions for a least a few more days. For myself, it is also time to look back on the past year and review the progress that has been made toward increasing recycling in Montcalm County.

Welcome to winter! After a rare year’s suspending of the hoary blasts of Michigan winters, we seem to have returned to at least a reflection of winters past, albeit in a still yet milder form.

The headline is a quote from this week’s reinauguration address of the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama. Taking the oath of office for the second time using Bibles of both Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. on a federal holiday set aside to honor the latter, we found the president’s remarks to be both poignant and stirring. Soaring oratory is not unusual for this president or this event and he did not disappoint.

As we begin 2013, it is comforting to know that community giving is very alive and well in Montcalm County. Many of the county’s residents have suffered through the toughest of times in the last few years but there has been and continues to be a mind-set among the county’s residents that they will come together and do whatever they can to help those in need. Those in need has been broadly defined. It is not just individuals that have benefitted but also includes families, businesses, schools, hospitals, human services organizations, etc. All have been supported by large and small gifts. Organizations such as United Way, Greenville Area Community Foundation, Central Montcalm Community Foundation (CMCF), other county nonprofits as well our numerous churches, local businesses, service organizations and individuals have been generous givers. It has not mattered what the dollar amount has been. What has mattered is that so many have been willing to give what they could to help.

Congratulations to Montcalm Community College President Bob Ferrentino, who has been appointed to the Michigan Education Trust Board of Directors.

There had to have been a lot of anticipation in the audience as Gov. Rick Snyder gave his 2013 State of the State address Wednesday evening. We came away from the occasion wondering if the expectations were largely in vain. This was to be about the sate of the state. We got an admirable picture of where we’ve been and what part of the relentless positivity has been achieved. Only we in Michigan always want to know not just what have you done for us lately, but where do we go from here?

By now, you know what headlines claimed the top spots in 2012. And all of us, as we do each year, look with anticipation toward the next 12 months. But this year, the hopes seem a little more critical, urgent even, on a variety of fronts — the economy, political compromise, budget issues and drugs. Here’s what we would like to see:

The tragic events in Newtown, Conn., have had a sobering effect on all of us. Like many others, it has caused me to ask what is happening in our great country that seems to be accelerating the frequency and horror of such events.

The Medication Disposal Coalition of Montcalm County (MDCMC) was formally created in January 2011 and recently joined Drug Free Montcalm (DFM). In the past, the MDCMC coordinated Medication Drop-off Days with local law enforcement throughout our county. Due to Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) regulations, law enforcement had to obtain permission to accept legal controlled substances (which include narcotics) at the disposal events. In recent years, the DEA began to grant permission for medication drop-boxes to be placed in law enforcement agencies. Our local law enforcement encouraged the MDCMC to find a way to obtain these boxes, as they provide a much more convenient and accessible disposal method for the public.

As families and friends gather for Christmas and focus on the positive aspects of life right now, we are thinking about all the things those of us who live here have to celebrate, too.