Our View: Ring in new year safely

It’s hard to believe 2011 is nearly over. Despite the fact that economists say we’ve now been in a economic recovery for a good two years now, 2011 was still a hard year, especially for the nearly 12.6 percent of us still out of work in Lancaster County.
But the news here in Indian Land wasn’t all bad. This year, we’ve seen a number of businesses open, including Discount Tire, Southern Paws Animal Hospital, Agape Health Center, Magic Pipe, Stogie and Brew and Precision Detail, as well as several new restaurants, including Chick-fil-A, Hanako Asian Sushi Bar and Los Aztecas.
Continental Tire announced a $4 million expansion of its headquarters building and an additional 80 jobs to bring its local workforce to more than 430 in the next four years. Defense Venture Group also plans to expand its workforce of 60 to about 225 by the end of 2012.
With the release of the 2010 Census numbers this year, we found out just how much we’ve grown here in Indian Land – from about 7,000 in 2000 to almost 20,000 in 2010 – so much that the Panhandle is getting a second County Council and school board district. That growth has also made it feasible to seriously consider the idea of incorporating part of Indian Land into a city.
We’re looking forward to 2012, which we hope will be a much brighter year for all of us, with more jobs and a better economic outlook.
Next year promises to be interesting politically, with the tea partiers squaring off against the occupiers across the nation. And there’s a crowd of candidates for the Republican primaries, which kick off with the state’s first-in-the-nation primary Jan. 21. After that, there will be the national race for president, as well as state and local races. Here in the Panhandle, next year’s elections will give us two representatives on Lancaster County Council and school board, as well as decide whether or not county restaurants can serve alcohol on Sundays.  
As we end this year, it is appropriate to reflect on the past year and celebrate the new one. We hope everyone has a joyous – yet safe – New Year’s Eve celebration.
Those celebrations often include champagne or some other spirits. If you are of drinking age, we hope you have a good time. But if you drink, please don’t drive. Drinking and driving is a deadly mix with tragic results. If you drink, make sure you have a designated driver. Bartenders and party hosts must know when to cut drinkers off before they become a danger to themselves and others.
We also caution those traveling on New Year’s Eve. This is a night when more drunken and impaired drivers are on the highways. That means you should pay more attention while driving.
If you choose to shoot off fireworks to celebrate the new year, be sure to follow local laws and use common sense. Follow all safety directions and maintain proper distances when shooting fireworks. Keep children away from fireworks and keep a bucket of water handy for flare-ups. And don’t mix fireworks and alcohol. Alcohol and fireworks can blow up into a sad reality.
Have fun as you say goodbye to 2011 and welcome 2012. But please do so safely. We don’t want to be writing a sad story about you next week.