The first three months of my term as a Councillor has been a learning curve but nonetheless an experience I have so far enjoyed thoroughly.
Now that our Councillor group has settled in and the new year has started, I am very much looking forward to 2021 and the challenge of making progress for our regional city.
The thing that I want to see most is our community able to return to relatively normal times, without the pandemic getting in the way of the many wonderful events that are organised by our local groups.
Much has been discussed about whether our football and netball season will return to normality, and let's hope so, because it is especially important that young people get to enjoy being involved in sport.
But there are also many other important gathering places which I would like to see rebound in 2021.
An example is the former Nexus building, now known as 'The Station'. The building has been refurbished and is ready to be the new meeting place for HRCC youth services program.
Let's hope we can see large numbers of kids gathering there soon.
Over recent weeks it has been fantastic to see the Overland passenger train rolling through our city again.
For a while it looked as though we may have lost it, but full credit must go to those who worked hard to keep it servicing the Wimmera.
I have used it in the past to attend footy matches in Melbourne. It's a very comfortable trip and I encourage others to use it because taking the train is much better than the road coach.
I am also starting a new term as chairperson of the Wimmera Regional Library Corporation and I am looking forward to our first meeting in Edenhope next month
During the worst of the Coronavirus lockdowns last year, customers were still able to borrow books using the library's online 'click and collect' service.
And it's good to hear that many people chose to borrow books during that period, when all of our lives changed pace.
It's even better now that people can be back in the library to browse the titles on the shelves.
The Horsham Library's hours are now Monday to Friday 9am to 12noon and 2pm to 5pm and on Saturdays between 9.30am and 12.30pm.
I have always believed that whatever technology is introduced to us it will never take the place of a public library. You can find a lot of resources there that are not available anywhere on the internet.
