It ’ s just a new rotation around the sun . We are entering another set of 365 days after leaving the past 365 days behind . We may be just watching the clock , but it can be refreshing to welcome a new start , set new goals , make changes for the better .

Every new year comes new hope after all . This so cliché and it ’ s a cliché for a reason . ( Even this cliché has become a cliché for a reason ).

Looking back , we marked 2023 as a notorious year . Typhoon Mawar is attached to it . But we can pat ourselves on the back : we survived a devilish storm and got our feet back on the ground .

One thing we have going for us this new year is that we know what we are up against and perhaps , how to better adapt to the continuing challenges

ahead . Many of them are things that are , sadly , part of Guam ’ s landscape . More rolling power outages . Public schools are in still in disarray . Guam Memorial Hospital is still facing a shortage of everything . The governor and the legislature are still bickering .

But then again , 2024 is a time for the government of Guam to start fresh , to make the changes it promised , to finish the tasks it said it would accomplish .

Happy New Year !

***

Pacific Independent News Service LLC Tumon Sands Plaza 1082 Pale San Vitores Rd . Tumon Guam 96931

Mailing address : P . O . Box 11647 Tamuning , Gu 96931 Telephone : ( 671 ) 929-4210 Email : pacificislandtimes @ gmail . com Website : www . pacificislandtimes . com

The Pacific Island Times is published monthly and circulated in Guam and Palau by the Pacific Independent News Service LLC . Editorial and advertising submissions become property of the Pacific Island Times and cannot be lifted without consent of the publisher . Views and opinions from contributors do not necessarily represent the editorial position of the Pacific Island Times .