The Mayor’s Corner 01/02/2018

Happy New Year! Did you make a New Year’s Resolution? According to the internet research I did, 41% of Americans usually make a New Year’s Resolution and about 9.2% of the people felt they were successful in keeping their resolutions.
The top ten New Year’s Resolutions for 2017 listed by the Statistics Brain were: 1) Lose weight/Healthier eating, 2) Life/Self Improvements, 3) Better Financial decisions. 4) Quit Smoking, 5) Do more exciting things, 6) Spend more time with Family/Close friends, 7) Work out more often, 8) Learn something new on my own, 9) Do more good deeds for others, and 10) Find the love of my life/a better job. Too bad we can’t see number 9 moved up a little higher.
The all-knowing Wikipedia says the most common reason for failing to keep New Years’ Resolutions is setting unrealistic goals (35%), while 33% didn’t keep track of the progress and 23% forgot about it. That would be me. I usually forget what my resolution is. Think I’ll forget it again this year.
A good resolution for 2018 might be helping others through volunteerism. Last winter we saw lots of folks step up to help friends and neighbors survive a bad winter. Let’s keep that going all year round which I know happens often in our community. There are also many volunteer organizations that could really use your time and help. Or if your time is really in short supply, perhaps you can donate furniture, clothing and other household items you no longer need to an organization who reaches out to help others. Financial support is always needed and appreciated.
If you know of someone who has made a resolution to go back to school or complete a degree be sure to let them know about the Mayor’s Scholarships available for Stevens-Henager College. I would love to give them away if someone is interested in attending the college either online or by attending class at the Nampa or Boise campuses. There is a $15,000 scholarship for someone working towards an associate’s degree and a $25,000 scholarship for someone working toward a Bachelor’s Degree. The students must be accepted into a Stevens-Henager program and must meet all current admission requirements for any degree program and must be residents of Weiser. The scholarships are non-transferable, apply to tuition only, and will not result in a cash payment to students. The scholarships are credits toward tuition charges. For more information, stop by my office or contact the Admissions office at the college, 208-467-0501 or 800-622-6240.
Don’t forget to get those licenses that expired at the end of the year renewed. Dog licenses are available at the City office. Fishing and hunting licenses can be purchased at several locations around town. A fishing license is needed for fishing at the Community Pond as well as the rivers and creeks around us.
The regular City Council meeting will be held on Monday, January 8 at 7 pm in Council Chambers. At the meeting the three new Council members, Dan Randleman, Randy Hibbard and Alicia Cavazos, will be sworn in. Following the ceremony, a short break will be taken and then the remainder of the Council business will proceed. We are always happy to have friends and family join for this special occasion.