The annual deep dive into Wiscasset Newspaper’s online files for this week’s year in review revealed a theme fit for a New Year’s message: People worked together around our towns in new and potentially lasting ways.

From Wiscasset’s downtown holiday decorating where volunteers, a town committee and town staff united in planning and execution, to Alna’s new town office and its food pantry and community garden, and the Head Tide Dam makeover that involved multiple minds and hands from planning to fruition, all the projects came through.

That was also so with Westport Island History Committee’s “My Island Home” exhibit at Maine Historical Society and, on a massive scale, Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum’s progress, including the milestone at Trout Brook. 

The many hands make light work and strength in numbers sayings come to mind. None of this year’s projects were light work, and some were years in the making. But working together made them doable, and made the work lighter and better for what each person brought to it.

Edgecomb is part of the trend, bringing residents together recently to talk about the town’s future on numerous fronts. And Dresden has now followed Westport Island and Alna in becoming community partners with Wiscasset Parks and Recreation.

Together is a trend worthy of carrying into this new year.

This week’s positive parting thoughts: May this year bring you more happiness than sorrow. May our towns prosper, winter be kind, spring early and, if Tom Brady does call it a career, hopefully after one more Super Bowl ring, may we thank him for the glory years.