Naive but not discouraged: The extreme potential of 2018

Since becoming the editor of the paper, I have been given unique opportunities to see my community from a different perspective, and there are some things I've noticed over the past year that I'm very excited about.

At the top of my list would have to be the city's growth. Not only has the city's Economic Development Office been working diligently to bring in new businesses, but city officials and employees at City Hall have been reaching out more than ever to the Mountain Home community.

In almost every single article I read about City Council meetings, I hear the councilmen encouraging the community to reach out to them.

Anyone who's attended a City Council meeting has seen Michael Freeman, the city's communication director, with his tripod in the corner of the room, making sure that all who weren't able to be at the meeting are able to view it on Facebook.

It's also encouraging that when I walk into City Hall that the men and women there are happy to meet with you, even without an appointment. If their schedules are full, they will reach out to you if you let them know you stopped by.

I truly appreciate the city reaching out to the community and encouraging a flow of open communication.

I believe it really does make a difference.

This year, I hope to be able to attend more city and county meetings, not only to educate myself, but to have an opportunity to engage with the men and women who help our city thrive.

Mountain Home has been growing so much that city offices are spread throughout the town. Maybe someday our city will grow enough to get a larger City Hall, or maybe a central location for a few more departments.

One other aspect of growth in the city that I'm eager to see come to fruition is the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council. It's something I would have loved to be a part of when I was in high school.

Not only does it give students an opportunity to learn more about the town they're growing up in, but it brings a new perspective to the table when deciding city policy.

Since it's still in its infancy, there hasn't been a lot of progress in the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, but it is brimming with potential, and I can't wait to see how these students want to better our town.

The Mayor's Youth Advisory Council isn't the only new idea I'm excited about.

I know that Mayor Rich Sykes and other members of City Hall have been working diligently to see if fiber can be brought to Mountain Home.

There's even been whispers of wanting to make our community tobacco-free; an intriguing health initiative that I hope will play out this year.

If, for any reason, these projects fall through this year, I'm just happy we have a mayor who is actively looking at ways to better our community.

I can't wait to see the difference these ideas will have on the future of our town, and I can't even imagine how much our small community will grow throughout the year.