As we reach the end of what has unquestionably been a year we will all remember long into the future, Alyssa and I have been taking a look back at what made the news this year in our paper.
While the world and national news have of course been dominated by words such as lockdown, pivot, Zoom, unprecedented and other Covid-19-related buzzwords, it is heartening to be able to flick through the pages of our papers over this past year and find other words stand out. Community, generosity, support, kindness, help, volunteers ... these are the words that define the stories of Stratford this year, and I think that's because these words are at the heart of our community ethos here in the heart of Taranaki.
Despite all the many challenges 2020 has thrown at us, our community has stood strong and kept the good news flowing. While we couldn't resist making our front page a visual reminder of the year that face masks became the most popular accessory since Madonna made fingerless lace gloves a sell-out item in the 80s, we hope our look back over all the good news we have covered this year reminds all of us how lucky we are to be living here in Stratford this year.
I hope this edition of the Stratford Press reminds you of the positives we had this year, and the great people we have in our community who have ensured that 2020 and Covid-19 might have stopped many things, but they didn't stop our community from supporting each other, helping those in need and achieving great things.
Alyssa and I wish you all the best of the season and we look forward to continuing to celebrate your stories and your news with you in the new year.