The presents have been unwrapped, and the trees and the decorations will be taken down soon, if that hasn’t been done already.

With Christmas a thing of the past, the next big holiday arrives: New Year’s.

New Year’s Eve is a great occasion to spend time with family and friends, to go out on the town, or to simply stay home to watch a television marathon or the ball drop in New York’s Time Square.

It’s a time to reflect on the past year, which has been so difficult for many, and it’s a time to move forward into 2009.

Austin has a nice variety of restaurants and bars to spend New Year’s Eve. It may not be New York or Vegas, but it works just fine.

With our New Year’s wishes to our readers, comes, of course, the unoriginal, but necessary reminder to stay safe tonight.

If you go out and drink, call a taxi or have a designated driver.

With a little bit of common sense, all of Mower County’s residents and visitors can bring in the New Year safely.