By GREG RUSSELL, Register Staff Writer
Gainesville —
Resolutions for an upcoming new year always have at least two things in common with resolutions for a year in the past.
We know there’s still time to resolve them; and whatever new year we’re facing appears to be just the year to do this.
Several local officials and residents offered thoughts Friday about what they’d like to do — or help get done — during the year 2013, which begins Tuesday.
• Cooke County Judge John Roane — “To get that danged courthouse parking lot fixed.”
• Gainesville Mayor Jim Goldsworthy — “My standard New Year’s resolution would be to work out more and eat better, and to make more time for family and friends. And on the top of my list of resolutions is to continue to work on improving the quality of life and quality of economy in Cooke County.”
• Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lynette Pettigrew — “To take better care of myself. It’s not very exciting, but that’s going to be my resolution.”
• Gainesville resident Kelly Fiore-Watson — “To learn to balance my checkbook.”
• Abigail’s Arms Women’s Center coordinator Kathi Kirby — “To learn to do my new job, and get all my boxes unpacked in my new house.”
• Cooke County Justice of the Peace Dorthy Lewis — “I want to be a person who is known for trying to make, in my small corner, the world a better place — whether that be through deed or prayer. To try and make things better for others with my set of skills and abilities.”
• Gainesville resident Shelley Head — “To treat people as I would want to be treated, no matter how they may act.”
• Cooke County Precinct 3 Commissioner Al Smith — The resolution I have is to see if both I personally, and the county, can survive the upcoming ‘fiscal cliff.’ That’s about the main thing I’m resolved to do: to make sure the county stays in as good of shape as it is right now. I’m pretty proud of where our county is right now, both fiscally and with the projects we have going on, but we just need to keep going. We’re pretty well-envied by lots of other counties in Texas, as well as in the country. We’re so lucky and blessed, it’s incredible.”
• Abigail’s Arms Women’s Center coordinator Carmen Rubio — “I want to be healthier and to love more.”
• Medal of Honor Host City Program Coordinator Gary Alexander — “I’m promising myself that I will be 20 pounds lighter by spring. And I need to get back to my reading. I have a Kindle and these great books and I just need to make time to really read. Lose weight and be more educated.”
• City of Gainesville Parks and Recreation Director Patrick McCage — “I am looking forward to providing fantastic recreation programs for the young adults and kids of Gainesville.”
• Abigail’s Arms Women’s Center coordinator Linda Lewis — “I would like to be a much better person this year than I was last year. And I’m not saying I wasn’t a good person last year.”
• Cooke County Fire Marshal Ray Fletcher — “My hope would be that the participants in our safe room grant rebate program understand the timeliness of the program, and get their shelters installed soon.”
• Cooke County Sheriff Mike Compton — “To make it to 2014. That’s as good as any I can think of.”
• Register staff writer Greg Russell — “I’m pretty sure I should be doing just a little more walking.”
