Will B.

It’s that time of year when most people start telling those little white lies, you know - New Year’s Resolutions. I gave up on setting New Year’s Resolutions years ago. Why? Because for one, I would rarely follow through with them and two, as I got older and wiser, I began a journey of self-discovery, both mentally and spiritually. I came to the conclusion that waiting for that oncea- year time to pledge, my undying resolve to do this or that was actually holding me back.

But for some, this is a good stepping-off point to work on themselves, and props to you if you do and can follow through with it. What are some of the things you will be working on by creating New Year’s Resolutions? Take some time to do a mental, physical and spiritual inventory of your weakness or problem areas, then write them down and form a plan on how to achieve these new goals.

Now for the looking back part. Cub football was straight fire again this year and I am so proud of those Cubs. People talk about and look at the Cubs football program with respect again. I will always support the teams I love but it is so much sweeter when they are successful. The Lady Cubs basketball team is looking really great so far. I am really happy with the new play style, way more shooting and aggressively going after the ball on defense. Cubs baseball and Lady Cubs softball were exciting to watch. I love how much emotion the Lady Cubs show when playing; they wear their hearts on their sleeves and that’s ok. Coach Pace has done a fantastic job with those girls. Kudos to all the new coaches and to Olney Athletic Director, Coach Jody Guy. They have really turned sports around in Olney over the past few years and there is real excitement on game days! Volleyball had a great season and made it to the playoffs this year.

My friends over at the Senior Cub Center celebrated many birthdays, fed a great many seniors, and hosted some great events that have become beloved traditions like the soup or bowl, the pancake fundraiser, and my favorite - hosting a lunch for the Veterans. The Senior Cub Center is a great place to have lunch, play bingo, build a puzzle or just socialize with some friendly folks who have a ton of stories to relay.

The City of Olney keeps pushing the city forward into a bright future. We will soon have a new water treatment plant thanks to a lot of hard-working citizens. Things are looking great around the neighborhoods thanks to the city and Olney Police Department’s dedication to removing dilapidated structures and enforcing code. Keep Olney Beautiful has made Griffin Park a destination to enjoy once again and continues to plan and rejuvenate Olney. We will have a new pool coming up, thanks to the hard work and dedication of the KOB volunteers and help from the city.

Olney ISD continues to improve on education and hire great teaching staff, Olney is now ranked very high in the schools of Texas and continues to improve on that success. POOHS had another great year and I am always proud when they march onto the field to perform. I love the personalities of the POOHS members as well. They love to have fun, have amazing school pride, and are fantastic musicians.

I am sure I left a lot of important things out but will save that for another time because I am told I am writing an article and not a short story, HaHa! I am so very proud of our little town of Olney and its citizens who always pull together and look out for each other. This is Will B. saying, Don’t forget to eat black-eyed peas on the First!