It's been a privilege to bring this publication to the good citizens of Irvine over the past two years. We anticipated going into 2018 that we'd have plenty of local news to cover, if only because there was an election scheduled for November. But the year exceeded our expectations. We had three votes in 2018, with all the debate and at times divisiveness one might expect—perhaps a bit more than usual. But by the tim e November came around, Irvine stayed the moderate course in voting for mayor and city council, rejecting a return to the politics and politicians of the past. Irvine certainly faces challenges and opportunities in the months and years to come. We hope we'll find a way to honor U.S. veterans with a burial place in the city. We're looking forward to the new city council's take on traffic, and for the improvements already underway and planned to continue. Now that the Orange County Great Park Sports Park is complete—and what a magnificent facility it is—we're looking forward to the next stages of the Great Park's growth. We can't wait to study the plans for the Cultural Terrace, and believe the city should move forward to solidify plans for a permanent outdoor amphitheater at the park. We'd also like to see visionary ideas regarding the longer-term challenges faced by most municipalities, including ours: Affordable housing, smart economic growth, improved connectivity between our communities, addressing the issues of homelessness, and more. But for now, let's celebrate a year of civic superlatives. Irvine is one of the best places to live and work in the nation. We'll continue to do our part to see that never changes.