Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith to deliver state of the city address on February 15

This year's Lantern Parade, part of the Festival of Cultures, is on February 26, starting at 7pm in The Square.

It's somewhat startling to realise that school is back and the year is a 12th over already.

2021 is going to be an important one for Palmerston North and I'm not just saying that because it's the city's 150th birthday – though that does make it pretty significant with a year of associated events to look forward to.

The sesquicentennial festivities began with the New Year's Eve Community Concert, then January's UCI Gravel and Tar cycling event and the 125th jubilee of Manawatū Cricket.

It continued last weekend with Waitangi Day celebrations and the Superstock Teams Champs – the biggest speedway event in Australasia.

From February 17-20, there's the inaugural Papaioea Festival of the Arts featuring live music, comedy, theatre, pop-up street performances, poetry, visual art and whānau-based activities.

Speaking of poetry, it was quite a buzz to see iconic Kiwi actor Sam Neill on YouTube reading The Truth About Palmerston North by local poet Tim Upperton. If you haven't seen the recently released clip it's well worth a look.

There'll be more fun and games later this month with the Roslyn community Wacky Water Day at Skoglund Park and Freyberg Pool.

That's followed by our award-winning Festival of Cultures with its Year of the Ox lantern parade and World Fair Day at Te Marae o Hine/The Square over the last weekend of the month.

Of course, all our events take place Covid willing. Just because Palmy is not at the border or a centre for managed isolation we shouldn't be complacent.

Personnel from Linton Military Camp are on the frontline of the nation's managed isolation and quarantine facilities, and while they are professional and taking every precaution, we all need to be careful, and keep following health and hygiene protocols should there ever be a border leak.

Please continue to contact trace wherever you go to keep yourself and your whānau safe.

This year is also important for other reasons. This coming Monday, I'll be delivering the traditional annual state of the city address to two of the city's Rotary clubs, outlining the council's aims for the year, and how well placed we are to face its challenges.

Among the issues are economic performance, growth, housing, employment, roading, infrastructure and central government's proposed local government reforms.

These reforms have big implications for our proposed Nature Calls – the upgrade of city wastewater treatment and disposal.

You should have received your voting papers for the city by-election, which closes at 12pm next Wednesday, February 17. We have 11 candidates vying for the vacancy left by recently elected city MP Tangi Utikere, which is great for local democracy.

Please take the time to consider not just the calibre of the candidates but how well each would fit with the existing councillor team, before ranking them in order of preference.
Results will be available on Monday, February 22, with a reshuffle of councillor portfolios and responsibilities to follow soon after.

+ Grant Smith is Mayor of Palmerston North.